World
- WorldBBC
'I’m in pieces' - Israeli hostage's agony over husband held in Gaza by Hamas
Aviva Siegel tells the BBC of the brutal conditions she, Keith and others faced in Hamas captivity.
7 min read - WorldAssociated Press
The U.N. rights chief says eastern Congo's escalating violence is being forgotten by the world
The world is forgetting the escalating violence in eastern Congo as conflicts continue in places like Ukraine and Gaza, the U.N. human rights chief said Wednesday while visiting the region and calling for peace and support for millions repeatedly displaced. Eastern Congo has long been overrun by more than 120 armed groups seeking to control the region's rich resources as they carry out mass killings. Hundreds of thousands have been displaced in recent months, worsening one of the world’s large
2 min read - BusinessBloomberg
Trudeau’s Ex-Finance Minister Criticizes Capital Gains Tax Hike
(Bloomberg) -- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s former finance minister said he rejected the idea of hiking the capital gains tax while in office due to concerns it would stunt Canada’s economic growth, and called the move “very troubling for many investors.”Most Read from BloombergDubai Grinds to Standstill as Cloud Seeding Worsens FloodingTesla Asks Investors to Approve Musk’s $56 Billion Pay AgainChina Tells Iran Cooperation Will Last After Attack on IsraelWhat If Fed Rate Hikes Are Actually S
3 min read - Worlddpa international
United Nations asks for billions for Gaza aid operations
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has said it needs billions of dollars this year to help the suffering population of the Gaza Strip and the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Donor countries are being asked to provide an additional $2.8 billion for 3.3 million people by the end of the year, OCHA announced in Geneva on Wednesday. Most of the money, around $2.5 billion, is earmarked for the Palestinians in the sealed-off Gaza Strip. The total requirement is ac
1 min read - Worlddpa international
German foreign minister to Israel: 'prudent restraint' is 'strength'
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock again urged Israel to act prudently and responsibly in response to Iranian attacks following meetings with top Israeli officials on Wednesday. "I'm not talking about backing down here. I am talking about prudent restraint, which is nothing less than strength," she said at Tel Aviv airport on Wednesday following meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog. Iran's dangerous actions would not go unpunished, Baerbock sa
2 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Italy's leader keeps the focus on migration on her fourth visit to Tunisia in a year
The head of Italy's right-wing government acknowledged Wednesday that Tunisia cannot serve as a dumping ground for migrants, days after Tunisia's president reaffirmed his unwillingness to let Europe outsource migration problems by sending those not welcome there to his country. Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni said during a visit to Tunisia — her fourth in the past year — that the North African nation “cannot become the arrival point for migrants coming from the rest of Europe.”
3 min read - SportsAccuWeather
Meteor shower drought to end as Lyrids peak this weekend
A shooting star of the Lyrid meteor shower is observed from the Mingantu Observing Station of National Astronomical Observatories on April 19, 2021, in Xilingol League, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China. (Photo by Zhang Gang/VCG via Getty Images) A flurry of shooting stars will flicker in the night sky as the weekend comes to a close and Earth Day kicks off, presenting the best opportunity to see a meteor shower since 2023. The Lyrid meteor shower is predicted to peak on Sunday night int
2 min read - WorldBBC
Cubana Chief Priest: Nigerian socialite charged for throwing money in air
Cubana Chief Priest is the latest celebrity to fall foul of a crackdown on "abusing" banknotes.
2 min read - Worlddpa international
Germany's Baerbock urges 'maximum restraint' in Middle East
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has called on Iran and Israel to show "maximum restraint" amid fears that the conflict in the Middle East could expand into a major regional war. "A spiral of escalation would serve no one," Baerbock warned just after arriving on the Italian island of Capri ahead of a meeting of the Group of Seven (G7) major industrialized democracies. She said that further escalation endangers the security of Israel, the lives of the dozens of hostages still being held
1 min read - BusinessBloomberg
Kazakhstan’s Compensation Claims Against Kashagan Oil Firms Jump to $150 billion
(Bloomberg) -- Kazakhstan has increased its arbitration claims against international oil companies that developed the Kashagan oil field to more than $150 billion, demanding compensation for lost revenue in addition to a dispute over costs, according to people familiar with the matter.Most Read from BloombergDubai Grinds to Standstill as Cloud Seeding Worsens FloodingTesla Asks Investors to Approve Musk’s $56 Billion Pay AgainChina Tells Iran Cooperation Will Last After Attack on IsraelWhat If F
4 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Protests, heightened terror threat mean tight security at Eurovision Song Contest in Sweden
Security will be tight during next month’s Eurovision Song Contest in the southern Sweden city of Malmo, police said Wednesday, citing demonstrations that could lead to unrests and a heightened threat of terrorism in the Scandinavian country. “The security is going to be rigorous,” Petra Stenkula, head of police area in Malmo, said according to Swedish broadcaster TV4. Pro-Palestinian activists who want Israel out of the Eurovision Song Contest have announced large rallies in downtown Malmo, s
3 min read - WorldCNN
Snake on a bullet train causes rare railway delay in Japan
Almost nothing stops Japan’s famous high-speed bullet trains from running exactly on time – but a tiny snake slithering through a passenger carriage will do the trick, albeit for just 17 minutes.
1 min read - Worlddpa international
Iran's nuclear chief says IAEA boss will travel to Tehran for talks
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, will shortly be travelling to Tehran to resume nuclear talks with the Iranian side, a top Iranian official said on Wednesday. "We have good cooperation with the IAEA and the IAEA chief will also come to Tehran soon to continue the bilateral talks and update them, so to speak," Iran's nuclear boss Mohammad Eslami said, according to the Iranian news agency IRNA. Grossi said in an interview with CNN on Tuesday that he was "co
2 min read - Worlddpa international
Putin's old university classmate becomes chair of Supreme Court
A former fellow student of Russian President Vladimir Putin, 70-year-old Irina Podnosova, has been appointed chairwoman of Russia's Supreme Court. The Federation Council, the upper house of the Russian parliament, unanimously approved the decision, the Interfax news agency reported on Wednesday. Podnosova was nominated for the post by the Kremlin at the beginning of April. Podnosova was born in 1953 in the western city of Pskov. She graduated from the law faculty of Leningrad State University -
1 min read - WorldAFP
Old clip showing rocket barrage at night misattributed to Iranian attack on Israel
Iran’s retaliatory attack involving hundreds of missiles and drones aimed at its archfoe Israel has heightened fears of a wider war in the Middle East. Social media posts sharing unrelated videos of rocket fire and explosions have surged online, among them a clip purported to show the moment Iran unleashed its barrage of missiles in the direction of Israel. But the claim is false; the original footage was filmed during the conflict between Turkey and Syria in 2020. AFP Fact Check debunked the fo
3 min read - BusinessAFP
EU questions TikTok over new Lite app in France, Spain
The EU gave TikTok 24 hours to provide a risk assessment on its new Lite app launched in France and Spain over concerns of its potential impact on children and users' mental health, the European Commission said on Wednesday.The demand "concerns the potential impact of the new 'Task and Reward Lite' programme on the protection of minors, as well as on the mental health of users, in particular in relation to the potential stimulation of addictive behaviour", it said.
2 min read - BusinessReuters
Brazil's Treasury Secretary says balance needed to avoid 'fiscal setbacks' - report
Brazil's Treasury Secretary said in an interview with newspaper Valor Economico that all of the country's financial institutions and "all society" need to understand the importance of balancing public accounts to avoid fiscal setbacks. The remarks come after Brazil on Monday changed its fiscal target to a zero primary deficit for 2025, in a reduction of the previously announced fiscal effort, which predicted a surplus of 0.5% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) over the next year. In the inter
1 min read - WorldNBC News
Record floods hit desert city Dubai
Heavy rains battered parts of the Middle East on Tuesday, appearing to flood the tarmac at the Dubai International Airport.
2 min read - Businessdpa international
European natural gas price reaches highest level since January
The price of natural gas in Europe has reached its highest level in over three months due to the conflicts in the Middle East. The benchmark TTF futures contract for delivery in a month's time rose to €33.95 ($36.12) per megawatt hour on the Amsterdam stock exchange on Wednesday. This is the highest price since the beginning of January. Over the past week the price of natural gas has risen by more than 20%, making up for the price decline in the first few months of the year. One reason for the r
1 min read - WorldAssociated Press
French police evict hundreds from abandoned Paris warehouse ahead of Olympics
With the Paris Olympic Games 100 days away, police carried out a large-scale eviction at France's biggest squat in the south of the capital. Authorities, including dozens of gendarmes, cleared out the makeshift camp at an abandoned bus company headquarters in Vitry-sur-Seine on Wednesday. The camp had become home to about 450 migrants, with images of the eviction spreading rapidly across social media.
2 min read - Worlddpa international
Myanmar's jailed ex-leader Suu Kyi transferred due to heatwave
Myanmar's ousted former leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been transferred from prison to another location. Local media, citing military junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun, reported that the reason for the move was concern for the 78-year-old's health in view of the high temperatures in the capital Naypyidaw, where Suu Kyi was being held . It was not certain whether she had been taken to another prison or transferred to house arrest. The junta had not informed Suu Kyi's lawyers of the plan or of her new loca
1 min read - Worlddpa international
At least 10 killed in Russian attack on Chernihiv, Zelensky says
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for more air defence support from Western partners after a Russian missile attack killed at least 10 people on Wednesday. "This would not have happened if Ukraine had received sufficient air defence and if the world had been determined enough to counter Russian terror," Zelensky wrote on Telegram. The search for victims among the rubble is continuing. According to Zelensky, 10 people have been found dead so far. Another 20 people have been injured in
1 min read - WorldAFP
French far right gets youthful vibe with 28-year-old leader
France's far-right National Rally is banking on its youthful and charismatic party leader to be a major asset as it scents massive gains in upcoming European elections.But since taking over as National Rally (RN) party leader, Bardella has become an increasingly visible presence in French politics, forming an effective tandem with Le Pen, who leads its MPs in parliament.
4 min read - WorldReuters
Social media platform X blocked in Pakistan over national security, ministry says
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) -Pakistan's interior ministry said on Wednesday it had blocked access to social media platform X around the time of February's election on national security concerns, confirming a long-suspected shutdown. Users in Pakistan have reported problems using X, formerly known as Twitter, since mid-February, but the government had made no official announcement on the matter until now. The interior ministry mentioned the shutdown in a written submission to Islamabad High Court on We
3 min read - Worlddpa international
Top German, British diplomats travel to Israel in bid to limit crisis
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and British Foreign Secretary David Cameron were in Israel on Wednesday for crisis diplomacy talks. Cameron spoke in favour of a measured response by Israel to Iran's recent attack. He hopes the country responds in a way that "is smart, as well as tough," but that does not escalate the conflict. Cameron said it was more important to concentrate on freeing the Israeli hostages, getting aid supplies into the Gaza Strip and achieving a ceasefire there. He s
3 min read - WorldBloomberg
Saudis, UAE Warn of Dangers of a War Spreading in the Region
(Bloomberg) -- Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates called for maximum “self-restraint” in the Middle East to spare the region “from the dangers of war and its dire consequences,” in an unusually frank joint statement Wednesday.Most Read from BloombergDubai Grinds to Standstill as Cloud Seeding Worsens FloodingTesla Asks Investors to Approve Musk’s $56 Billion Pay AgainChina Tells Iran Cooperation Will Last After Attack on IsraelWhat If Fed Rate Hikes Are Actually Sparking US Economic Boom?
4 min read - WorldAssociated Press
An EU-wide survey shows that defense and security are among key issues ahead of upcoming elections
Russia's invasion of Ukraine is at the forefront of European Union citizens' minds, with defense and security seen as key campaign issues ahead of the June elections, according to a study published Wednesday. At national level, the EU's defense and security is mentioned first in nine countries, in contrast with sentiments five years ago when the last EU Parliament elections were held. “The EU’s defense and security was far from a prominent topic in 2019, before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in
2 min read - WorldBloomberg
Malaysia’s Deputy PM Saw Order to Move Najib to House Arrest
(Bloomberg) -- Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said he saw an order for former premier Najib Razak to serve the remainder of his 1MDB-linked jail sentence under house arrest, backing the latter’s claims in an judicial review. Most Read from BloombergDubai Grinds to Standstill as Cloud Seeding Worsens FloodingTesla Asks Investors to Approve Musk’s $56 Billion Pay AgainChina Tells Iran Cooperation Will Last After Attack on IsraelWhat If Fed Rate Hikes Are Actually Sparking US E
2 min read - Worlddpa international
German and British foreign ministers meet Israeli President Herzog
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and British Foreign Secretary David Cameron were in Israel on Wednesday for crisis diplomacy talks. Both met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and planned to hold further talks with top Israeli officials in a separate but coordinated manner, according to the German Foreign Office. Baerbock also met with Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz during the visit, her seventh since the deadly October 7 attacks on Israel led by the Palestinian militant group H
2 min read - WorldAFP
Video of crowd chanting at Al-Aqsa mosque predates Iran’s attack on Israel
Iran’s unprecedented drone and missile attack on Israel has generated a flurry of false claims on social media. Among these, several posts claimed that a video showed Palestinians gathered at the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem cheering Iran’s attack. But the claim is false: AFP Fact Check found that the clip was already online days before the attack.
3 min read - WorldAssociated Press
10 detained in large-scale raid in Germany targeting human smuggling gang that exploits visa permits
German authorities conducted a large-scale raid against an international human smuggling gang early Wednesday, police said in a statement. More than 1,000 police officers searched dozens of homes, stores and offices across western and southern Germany and detained 10 suspects, including two lawyers. The two lawyers, 42 and 46 years old and from the Cologne area, are the main suspects, federal police in nearby Sankt Augustin said.
2 min read - Worlddpa international
Germany busts ring illegally bringing Chinese nationals into country
Ten suspects have been detained in a large-scale raid to break an international people-smuggling ring that illegally brought Chinese nationals into Germany, authorities said. More than 1,000 officers from the federal police and other law enforcement agencies were involved in the early Wednesday operation that spanned eight states. A total of 101 residential and business premises were searched, including two law firms, federal police in Sankt Augustin near Bonn said. Taking advantage of special r
1 min read - USAssociated Press
Father of boy accused of stabbing 2 Sydney clerics saw no signs of extremism, Muslim leader says
The father of a boy accused of stabbing two Christian clerics in Australia saw no signs of his son’s extremism, a Muslim community leader said on Wednesday as police began arresting suspected rioters who besieged a Sydney church demanding revenge. The 16-year-old boy spoke in Arabic about the Prophet Muhammad after he stabbed Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel and the Rev. Isaac Royel during a church service on Monday night that was being streamed online. Lebanese Muslim Association secretary Gamel Khei
5 min read - BusinessReuters
Toyota recalls Prius cars, halts orders due to door handle fault
TOKYO (Reuters) -Toyota Motor has recalled more than 135,000 Prius hybrid cars in Japan and suspended taking new orders for the model due to a problem with rear door handles. It was not immediately clear if Prius cars sold outside Japan were also being recalled. A Toyota spokesperson said that an assembly line which had been suspended due to quality checks for Prius cars will resume production of Corolla compact cars on Thursday.
1 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Homes are demolished in Ivory Coast's main city over alleged health concerns. Thousands are homeless
Dame Touré rushed to quickly gather what she could as bulldozers rolled into her neighborhood in Ivory Coast's fast-growing economic hub of Abidjan. The Touré home was among hundreds crushed in a February wave of demolitions targeting Abidjan's underdeveloped areas. The government says it's because of public health concerns as the poor areas — built along a lagoon in this port city of 6.3 million on West Africa's southern coast — suffer deadly floods during the rainy season.
5 min read - LifestyleThe Week
What to know when planning an awe-inspiring hike on the Inca Trail
Peru's most famous trail leads to Machu Picchu
4 min read - BusinessBloomberg
Thailand, New Zealand to Resume Direct Flights, Elevate Ties
(Bloomberg) -- Thailand and New Zealand have agreed to resume direct flights after the pandemic shut air connectivity as leaders of the two countries vowed to triple bilateral trade in the next two decades. Most Read from BloombergDubai Grinds to Standstill as Cloud Seeding Worsens FloodingTesla Asks Investors to Approve Musk’s $56 Billion Pay AgainChina Tells Iran Cooperation Will Last After Attack on IsraelWhat If Fed Rate Hikes Are Actually Sparking US Economic Boom?Red Lobster Considers Bank
1 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Apple CEO says company will 'look at' manufacturing in Indonesia
Apple CEO Tim Cook said the company will “look at” manufacturing in Indonesia as he met with Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Wednesday. “We talked about the president’s desire to see manufacturing in the country, and it’s something that we will look at,” Cook told reporters after the meeting. Widodo’s administration has worked for years to bring manufacturing to the country to power economic development, while Apple is seeking to diversify its supply chains away from China, where most of i
2 min read - WorldAssociated Press
AP PHOTOS: Aboard France's aging nuclear submarines — old boats but new missions
Once again, the oceans beckon for France’s veteran nuclear-powered attack submarines. The Associated Press got rare access aboard a French navy Rubis-class submarine as it was being readied for another mission in sprawling naval dockyards in the Mediterranean port of Toulon. France’s fleets of nuclear-powered submarines are shrouded in secrecy.
2 min read - WorldBBC
Chhattisgarh: Security forces kill 29 Maoist rebels in India
The gunfight in eastern Chhattisgarh state took places days before elections begin in India.
2 min read - WorldPeople
Frenchman Who Helped Fend off Sydney Mall Attacker is Offered Australian Citizenship Months Before Visa Expires
The Frenchman's attorney confirmed that he would be granted permanent residency in Australia following his heroic act
3 min read - BusinessBloomberg
Singapore’s New PM Needs to Tackle Cost of Living, Analysts Say
(Bloomberg) -- Singapore’s Lawrence Wong will need to make fighting inflation his top priority after taking office as prime minister next month, according to most economists in a Bloomberg survey.Most Read from BloombergDubai Grinds to Standstill as Cloud Seeding Worsens FloodingTesla Asks Investors to Approve Musk’s $56 Billion Pay AgainChina Tells Iran Cooperation Will Last After Attack on IsraelWhat If Fed Rate Hikes Are Actually Sparking US Economic Boom?Red Lobster Considers Bankruptcy to D
2 min read - USKCPQ
Sea-Tac Palestine protests: 46 people arrested, all out on bail
Port of Seattle Police announced that 46 people were arrested in connection to a pro-Palestine protest that shut down the highway leading into Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) on Monday.
2 min read - WorldThe Hill
Venezuela closes embassy in Ecuador following Mexican Embassy raid
Venezuela has ordered its embassy in Ecuador closed in the wake of a raid on the Mexican Embassy in Quito. “I ordered to close our Embassy in Ecuador, as well as the Consulates in Quito and Guayaquil and for diplomatic personnel to return to Venezuela immediately,” Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said Tuesday in a post…
1 min read - BusinessBloomberg
New Zealand PM Says Fiscal Restraint Key to Taming Prices, Stoking Growth
(Bloomberg) -- New Zealand needs to check government spending for it to successfully tame inflation, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said weeks before releasing his administration’s first fiscal blueprint.Most Read from BloombergDubai Grinds to Standstill as Cloud Seeding Worsens FloodingTesla Asks Investors to Approve Musk’s $56 Billion Pay AgainChina Tells Iran Cooperation Will Last After Attack on IsraelWhat If Fed Rate Hikes Are Actually Sparking US Economic Boom?Red Lobster Considers Bankr
4 min read - BusinessAfroTech
This E-Mobility Company Opened Ghana’s First EV Assembly Plant To Contribute To Creating A More Sustainable Africa
Ghana is stepping up to the plate to be a part of Africa’s electric vehicle (EV) movement. Wahu Mobility seems up for the challenge as it has opened Ghana’s first EV assembly plant that has the capacity to build about 200 e-bikes per month, CNN reports. The e-mobility brand was founded to create a more sustainable… Continue reading This E-Mobility Company Opened Ghana’s First EV Assembly Plant To Contribute To Creating A More Sustainable Africa
2 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Justin Trudeau's government raises taxes on wealthiest Canadians in federal budget
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ’s government announced Tuesday it is imposing higher taxes on the wealthiest Canadians as part of the federal budget. The taxable portion of capital gains above $250,000 Canadian (US$181,000) would rise from half to two-thirds, which the federal government says will only affect 0.1% of Canadians and raise nearly $20 billion Canadian (US$14.5 billion) in revenue over five years.
2 min read - WorldAFP
Drought-hit Colombia halts electricity exports to Ecuador
Colombia has halted electricity exports to neighboring Ecuador as its hydropower plants reach near-critical levels due to a biting drought, the government in Bogota said.On Monday night, Ecuador's energy ministry announced "temporary rationing" due to the drought and asked the population to "reduce energy consumption in this critical week."
2 min read - Worlddpa international
Zelensky wants NATO-Ukraine Council to meet on air defence needs
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in Kiev on Tuesday that he would seek to convene a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council to call for improved protection of his country's airspace. Comparing Ukraine's position with that of Israel, after a mass attack by Iranian missiles and drones was warded off over the weekend, Zelensky said Ukraine would ask to be supplied with air defence and missiles. Ukrainians had a right to be protected from terrorism, Zelensky said, adding that Kiev was struggl
1 min read - BusinessBloomberg
EU Report Backs Telecom Consolidation, Strong Energy Market
(Bloomberg) -- The European Union should consider consolidation for telecom operators as a way to improve the bloc’s mobile and fixed networks and should further integrate its energy markets, according to a report it commissioned on competitiveness. Most Read from BloombergDubai Grinds to Standstill as Cloud Seeding Worsens FloodingTesla Asks Investors to Approve Musk’s $56 Billion Pay AgainChina Tells Iran Cooperation Will Last After Attack on IsraelWhat If Fed Rate Hikes Are Actually Sparking
5 min read