World
- WorldAFP
Experts caution video alleging Hamas threat on Olympics is likely fake
As France prepared a massive security operation to protect the Olympic Games, a video purporting to depict Hamas threatening to attack Paris circulated on social media. But the Palestinian militant group has denied creating the clip, the French Interior Ministry said it was not able to verify its authenticity and experts say it appears to be part of a disinformation campaign.
4 min read - WorldBBC
Uganda protester sexually assaulted in police cell - lawyer
The police have denied opposition accusations that protesters were sexually abused in custody.
3 min read - WorldBBC
Who could have attacked France's high-speed rail?
France's interior minister vows the attackers will be arrested fast, but does not say who was to blame.
5 min read - Worlddpa international
'Coordinated acts of sabotage' hit French railways ahead of Olympics
Suspected arson attacks on the French rail network ahead of Friday's opening of the Olympic Games, described by Prime Minister Gabriel Attal as "coordinated acts of sabotage," have caused chaos and major disruption for travellers. Unknown individuals placed incendiary devices at various key locations of the railway during the night, which has heightened the already significant fear of attacks in France. By Friday afternoon, French national rail operator SNCF said it had made progress in repairin
5 min read - WorldBBC
Namibia turns the visa tables on Western nations
Why tourists who flock to see the country's beautiful landscapes will have to get a visa from next year.
5 min read - WorldTODAY
Massive attack on French rail network brings travel chaos ahead of Olympic opening ceremony
Hours before the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics on Friday, part of France’s high-speed rail network was paralyzed by a “massive attack."
3 min read - Worlddpa international
Italy plans to send ambassador back to Syria after 13 years
Italy plans to again send an ambassador to Damascus after more than a decade, despite the brutal ongoing civil war in Syria, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Friday. Tajani, testifying to a parliamentary committee in Rome, justified the decision by saying that the European Union "must not leave Moscow with a monopoly" in Syria. Russia is considered a major supporter of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. In recent years, Italy, like other EU countries, has handled diplomatic affairs
1 min read - Worlddpa international
Polls finds nearly two-thirds of EU citizens worried about security
Almost two-thirds of citizens of EU countries are concerned about the security of the European Union, according to a newly released poll conducted on behalf of the European Commission. Around 47% of EU citizens surveyed said they were "fairly worried" about the security of the bloc over the next five years, while another 17% said they were "very worried." According to the results, people in Portugal (77%) have the greatest security concerns. In Germany, 54% of respondents said they were "fairly"
1 min read - WorldHowStuffWorks
Is Africa Splitting in Two? Really? Here's the Scoop
The notion of Africa splitting has the attention scientists and geologists worldwide, as the Great Rift Valley stretches and tears at the Earth's crust.
3 min read - Worlddpa international
Scholz says irregular migration 'numbers have to come down'
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said he considers border checks to be a sensible measure to limit irregular migration to Germany. "In general, we intend to continue strictly controlling the German borders," Scholz said in an interview published in Friday's edition of the Saarbrücker Zeitung regional newspaper. "We want to limit irregular migration, as I have announced. The numbers have to come down." Migration for the German labour market is necessary and also desired, he said. "There are too
2 min read - BusinessMining Technology
Trident and Zoetic form JV to develop rare earth mines
The joint venture (JV) will leverage Trident's existing cooperation development agreement with Vietnam's Hung Hai Group.
2 min read - Worlddpa international
German minister stresses security support for France during Olympics
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock pledged German support for France on Friday following arson attacks on the French high-speed rail network overnight. "The relevant authorities are of course also in close contact in a situation like this," Baerbock said in Hamburg. "It shows once again how important European cooperation is, especially when it comes to security issues," she added. Baerbock said Germany, which just hosted the European Football Championship, is "enormously grateful to its F
1 min read - WorldBBC
S Africa police arrest Libyans at 'illegal' military camp
The camp, situated on a farm, was raided and 95 Libyans have been taken into custody, police say.
2 min read - WorldAFP
Brazilian dunes dotted with dazzling pools make UNESCO heritage list
Brazil's Lencois Maranhenses National Park, famed for its white dunes that fill with blue and emerald lagoons in the rainy season, was on Friday declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Lencois Maranhenses are a protected area "where the desert meets the sea, creating a unique landscape," Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said in a letter sent in early 2023 to UNESCO to urge the site's inscription as a World Heritage Site.
2 min read - Worlddpa international
EU rebukes seven member states over excessive deficits
EU member states on Friday endorsed findings that seven of the 27 member states have excessive budget deficits, kick-starting a formal procedure intended to reduce borrowing. The member states green-lit a European Commission recommendation to begin procedures concerning government deficits that are too large - and thus take on too much new debt - in Belgium, France, Italy, Hungary, Malta, Poland and Slovakia. The purpose of excessive deficit procedures is to get member states to get a grip on th
2 min read - WorldJalopnik
Arson Attacks Disable France's Trains Ahead Of Paris Olympics
A series of fires crippled France’s high-speed rail system Friday ahead of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony. Current estimates suggest as many as 800,000 travelers will likely be affected over the course of the weekend, with French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal describing the early morning fires as “acts of sabotage,” the BBC reports.
2 min read - WorldMen's Journal
Paris Olympics Opening Faces Travel Disruption After Overnight Rail System Attacks
A series of coordinated, malicious arson attacks on the rail system of France have stranded hundreds of thousands of travelers and brought transportation into and out of the city of Paris to a standstill overnight, just hours before the 2024 Olympic Games were set to kick off. SNCF ...
2 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Hungary will seek solution to Ukraine oil transit impasse by September, minister says
Orbán’s chief of staff, Gergely Gulyás, alleged that Kyiv was “blackmailing” Budapest by blocking the transfer of some Russian crude across its territory. Ukraine last month adopted sanctions against Lukoil, Russia's largest non-state firm.
2 min read - BusinessReuters
Turkey's Erdogan announces $30 billion in incentives for high tech areas
Turkey will launch a $5 billion package to boost its annual production of electric vehicles to one million cars, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday, adding that Ankara would unveil other incentive packages for high tech areas totalling $30 billion. Erdogan, speaking in Istanbul, said Turkey had paved the way for EV makers to invest in Turkey, namely via China's largest EV producer BYD agreeing to build a $1 billion production plant in the country. "We are implementing a $5 billion incenti
1 min read - Worlddpa international
Israel says about 100 Hamas fighters killed in Khan Younis operation
About 100 armed fighters from the Palestinian militant organization Hamas have been killed since the start of the latest Israeli operation in the city of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, the Israeli army said on Friday. The offensive began on Monday after Israeli intelligence indicated Hamas militants had regrouped in the city. The operation was also aimed at recovering the bodies of five Israeli hostages. The information could not be independently verified. However, there were also numer
1 min read - WorldAFP
Old photos of crackdown on Kenyan sect falsely linked to anti-government rallies
For over a month, Kenya has seen anti-government protests that rights groups say have been met with disproportionate use of force by police. Amid this political crisis, a set of images showing police allegedly beating a man emerged online. However, the images in question are not related to the recent demonstrations or the discovery of bodies at a quarry. They show a 2006 police crackdown that targeted members of the outlawed Mungiki sect in Mathare, an informal settlement in Nairobi.
3 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Russia detains former deputy defense minister on corruption charges in the latest military arrest
A former Russian defense ministry official was arrested on corruption charges, the Russian security services said Friday, the latest in a series of high-profile military arrests. Former Deputy Defense Minister Gen. Dmitry Bulgakov was detained in Moscow and ordered held in custody pending an investigation and trial, Russia’s Investigative Committee said in a statement without giving further details. Bulgakov was deputy defense minister from 2008 to September 2022, when he was dismissed.
1 min read - Businessdpa international
Sources: Owner strikes lease deals for famed German department stores
The owner of Germany's best-known luxury department stores, Munich's Oberpollinger and Hamburg's Alsterhaus, has struck new lease agreements for both properties, sources familiar with the matter told dpa on Friday. The rental agreements, struck with the bankruptcy administrator for the former owner of the buildings, are expected to allow both stores to remain open and operating, according to the KaDeWe Group, which owns both stores. Employees at the stores were informed of the deals on Friday mo
2 min read - Worlddpa international
EU funds €1.5bn of Ukraine aid from proceeds of frozen Russian assets
The European Commission announced on Friday that the European Union is making available €1.5 billion ($1.6 billion) to fund Ukraine's defence and reconstruction, financed by the proceeds of Russian assets frozen in the EU. "There is no better symbol or use for the Kremlin’s money than to make Ukraine and all of Europe a safer place to live," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen posted on X. Most of the money - 90% of it - will be used to reimburse EU countries for military aid they
3 min read - WorldPeople
French Rail Network Hit by ‘Malicious’ Arson Attacks Hours Before Paris 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony
"Due to coordinated acts of malice in France, affecting several high-speed lines, several high-speed trains are being diverted or canceled," train network SNCF said in a statement on July 26
4 min read - WorldINSIDER
Russia's efforts to copy Ukraine's wildly successful sea drones won't achieve much, expert says
Ukraine said Russia is trying to make naval drones by learning from fragments of Ukrainian ones. A drone war expert said it's unlikely to help.
4 min read - WorldINSIDER
A naval chief described purposefully wrecking a ship to mess with China
Vice Adm. Eduardo Santos discussed grounding the BRP Sierra Madre in the South China Sea to create an obstacle and disrupt China's territorial claims.
3 min read - Worlddpa international
Kremlin warns of response as EU sends Kiev funds from frozen assets
A top Kremlin spokesman warned on Friday that Russia will respond to the European Union's decision to transfer the proceeds of frozen Russian assets to Ukraine. There will be no immediate response, but Russia will consider its next steps in response, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. "But of course such steps by the European Commission will not go unanswered," he said. The European Commission has released €1.5 billion ($1.6 billion) in interest income from Russian assets frozen by the EU, th
1 min read - Worlddpa international
German minister: French rail sabotage indicates serious threat level
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser has said she considers the arson attacks on railway facilities in France as evidence that the significant efforts of French security forces around the Olympic Games are necessary. "The serious acts of sabotage on the French railway network show how serious the threat levels are currently in Europe and how important the strong security measures to protect the Olympic Games are," Faeser said on Friday ahead of the opening ceremony for the Summer Games in Paris
2 min read - WorldSemafor
UK government drops challenge to ICC arrest warrant for Israeli leaders
The ICC's chief prosecutor said he had requested arrest warrants for both Israeli and Hamas leaders in May.
1 min read - WorldSemafor
French railways massively disrupted by ‘malicious’ arson ahead of Olympics opening ceremony
Eurostar trains and France’s high-speed lines are experiencing heavy delays.
2 min read - BusinessAFP
Electric car woes force German supplier ZF to axe jobs
German car parts manufacturer ZF said Friday it would cut a fifth to a quarter of jobs in Germany as it struggled with the switch to electric vehicles and foreign competition.The switch to electric vehicles was eating away at demand for "transmissions for conventional and hybrid vehicles", an area where German suppliers have traditionally excelled, it said.
3 min read - Worlddpa international
More accidents with e-scooters recorded in Germany
Young people are more often involved in accidents with e-scooters in Germany than any other group, with some 42% of e-scooter riders who had accidents last year younger than 25 years old, the Federal Statistical Office said on Friday. Approximately 80% of the accident victims were younger than 45 years old, the office said. Overall, the police registered 9,425 e-scooter accidents with personal injury in Germany in 2023, 14.1% more than the previous year when there were 8,260 accidents. The numbe
1 min read - WorldINSIDER
Russia will have to scale back front lines assaults in 6 weeks due to losses, Ukrainian commander says
A Ukrainian commander said Russia will be forced to scale back its frontline assaults in under 2 months due to losses, and will switch to defense.
2 min read - Worlddpa international
German intel agency: Russian sabotage efforts in Europe are rising
Germany's BfV domestic intelligence service has described an increase in Russian sabotage activities in the European Union and warned of indications that Russian spies have been vetting potential agents at German firms by scouring social media profiles. "The aim is said to have been to identify people who could be susceptible to Russian attempts to exert influence or initiate sabotage," the agency said in a security notice dated Friday. The extent of Russian sabotage efforts in Europe is related
1 min read - WorldAssociated Press
EU sends first $1.6 billion from frozen Russia assets to Ukraine
The European Union announced Friday it had made 1.5 billion euros ($1.6 billion) available to support Ukraine, the first tranche of money generated from profits on frozen Russian assets. In May, the EU’s 27 member states reached an agreement to use the interest earned on some 210 billion euros ($225 billion) in Russian central bank assets for military support for Ukraine and rebuilding efforts in the war torn country. Today we transfer 1.5 billion euros in proceeds from immobilised Russian ass
2 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Governor of Italy's Liguria region resigns after being arrested for alleged corruption
The governor of Italy’s northern Liguria region resigned on Friday after being held under house arrest since May as part of a corruption investigation by local prosecutors. Giovanni Toti, a right-wing governor who is accused of providing political favors in exchange for election campaign funds, has denied any wrongdoing. In a hand-written letter published by Italian news websites, Toti announced his decision to step down and call new elections within three months to allow citizens of Liguria t
1 min read - WorldeJewish Philanthropy
A vision to secure Israel’s food supply
For more than 15 years, Yoel Zilberman has been working to raise awareness to the plight of Israel’s farming industry. Hit hard over the past three decades by changes to the iconic kibbutz model and vulnerable to crime, the sector is now in further disarray following Hamas’ horrific Oct. 7 terror attacks, which destroyed multiple... Read More
6 min read - Worlddpa international
EU sends Ukraine €1.5bn aid from proceeds of frozen Russian assets
The European Union is sending Ukraine €1.5 billion ($1.6 billion) in aid on Friday, financed by the proceeds of Russian assets frozen in the EU, to be spent on defence and reconstruction, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on X. "Today we transfer €1.5 billion in proceeds from immobilised Russian assets to the defence and reconstruction of Ukraine," von der Leyen said. "There is no better symbol or use for the Kremlin’s money than to make Ukraine and all of Europe a saf
1 min read - WorldAFP
Photo does not show Indian official 'attending Bangladesh security meeting'
As deadly unrest rocked Bangladesh, a photo of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina holding a security meeting circulated in Facebook posts that falsely claimed it showed India's high commissioner to Dhaka in attendance. The posts suggested the picture showed evidence of India meddling in Bangladesh's affairs. However, a man identified in the photo as the Indian high commissioner is in fact Hasina's security adviser. An official list of the meeting's attendees obtained by AFP did not include any Indian
3 min read - USAssociated Press
A Russian man accused of staging a car bombing on Ukrainian orders has been arrested
Russia's top security agency said Friday that it arrested a man accused of staging a car bombing on Ukrainian orders. The Federal Security Service, or FSB, showed a video of the handcuffed suspect walking off a plane from Turkey escorted by masked officers. Turkish authorities said that they detained the suspect, Yevgeniy Serebryakov, on Russia's request on Wednesday.
1 min read - WorldBBC
Child rapist jailed after international manhunt
Altaf Khalifa fled the country while on bail but was eventually found in Spain.
2 min read - BusinessReuters
Thailand to offer investment incentives for makers of hybrid vehicles
Regional auto making hub Thailand will introduce investment incentives for manufacturers of hybrid vehicles, its Board of Investment (BOI) said on Friday, with excise taxes for hybrids to be lowered from 2028 to 2032. Thailand has for decades been a regional centre for auto production and an export base for some of the world's top carmakers, including Toyota and Honda. Recent investments from Chinese electric vehicle makers like BYD and Great Wall Motor has shaken up the industry and Thailand
1 min read - WorldBBC
Vehicles to be scrapped under Ulez head to Ukraine
Vehicles donated through London's Ulez scrappage scheme are making the four-day journey to Ukraine.
2 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Ethiopia declares 3 days of national mourning as mudslide death toll rises to 257
Ethiopian lawmakers declared three days of mourning Friday as diggers continued their search for bodies of mudslide victims in a remote part of the East African country. Heavy rain triggered deadly slides on Sunday and Monday in Ethiopia's south, killing at least 257 people, according to the U.N. humanitarian office, known as OCHA. “More than 15,000 affected people need to be evacuated" from the area, OCHA said.
1 min read - Worlddpa international
French rail network targeted by arson ahead of Olympic ceremony
France's high-speed rail network has been severely affected after it was targeted by several arson attacks hours before the opening ceremony for the Olympic Games in Paris, rail operator SNCF said on Friday. "SNCF was the victim of several simultaneous acts of malicious damage affecting the Atlantic, Northern and Eastern high-speed lines," the firm said. The route to the Stade de France, one of the venues for the Olympic Games, is also currently closed. Repairs are under way, SNCF said. However,
1 min read - WorldBBC
Satellite images and doctor testimony reveal Tigray hunger crisis
Crisis is unfolding in northern Ethiopia - driven by drought, crop failure and insecurity following war.
7 min read - Lifestyledomino
This Designer Reupholstered IKEA Armchairs to Take a Motel From Tacky to Cottagecore
When interior designer Ashley Montgomery was tapped to renovate an eight-room motel in Canada’s lush Beaver Valley, she knew the property was brimming with potential. Giant waterfall murals adorned the walls of the guest suites. “The setting was magical!” says Montgomery.
4 min read - BusinessReuters
Japan June industrial output seen down on auto production suspention: Reuters poll
Japan's industrial output likely fell in June, reversing from gains made the previous month, led by suspension of some auto production, a Reuters poll found on Friday. Retail sales were seen rising last month, while job data will likely stay steady for the month, according to the poll. A series of economic data will come out ahead of the Bank of Japan's two-day monetary meeting that ends on Wednesday.
2 min read - WorldINSIDER
China says Taiwanese working in the mainland 'need not worry' after it suggested a death penalty for 'independence die-hards'
On June 21, China sparked alarm in Taiwan after floating prison sentences, or even execution, for supporters of declaring independence.
2 min read
