World
- WorldBBC
Jeremy Hunt defends civil service job cuts to increase defence spending
The chancellor says cutting services will cost "a great deal less" than allowing Russia to succeed in Ukraine.
3 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Rwanda's Hope Hostel once housed young genocide survivors. Now it's ready for migrants from Britain
Rwanda says it's ready to receive migrants from the United Kingdom after British Parliament this week approved a long-stalled and controversial bill seeking to stem the tide of people crossing the English Channel in small boats by deporting some of them to the East African country. There is even a place ready and waiting for the migrants — a refurbished Hope Hostel in the vibrant upscale neighborhood of Kagugu, an area of the Rwandan capital of Kigali that is home to many expats and several int
3 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Botswana's foreign minister says UK also approached his country to take 'unwanted immigrants'
Botswana's foreign minister said his country had been approached by the U.K. to take some of what he called their “unwanted immigrants” but declined the request. Lemogang Kwape's comments in a telephone interview with South African television channel Newzroom Afrika on Tuesday came hours after the British Parliament finally passed legislation allowing a contentious plan to send some migrants to Rwanda to move ahead. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the first flights to Rwanda in East Af
2 min read - WorldBBC
Headband was statement of faith, not pro-Hamas, court told
Khaled Hajsaad wore the clothing at a pro-Palestine rally in central London in November, a court heard.
2 min read - Worlddpa international
Report: Hamas leader in Gaza met fighters, inspected battle sites
The leader of the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip, Yehya al-Sinwar, has recently inspected areas that saw clashes between Hamas and Israeli forces, a senior official in the movement told the Qatar-owned Al-Araby Al-Jadeed newspaper. Al-Sinwar has been leading the movement in the field and reports about him "isolated in the tunnels" are only claims by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his agencies "to cover up for their failure in achieving the goals declared to
1 min read - WorldBBC
Migrants undeterred by deaths to continue Channel crossing attempts
Prospective migrants trying to reach the UK from France say smuggling operations are continuing after Tuesday's tragedy.
4 min read - WorldBBC
Man jailed for trying to smuggle drugs into country
Syed Hussain has been jailed after trying to import £9,000 worth of heroin from Pakistan.
1 min read - WorldFuturism
Japan's Moon Lander Keeps Waking Up After It Was Supposed to Die
I'm Still Alive Japan's first Moon lander just refuses to die. The spacecraft dubbed Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) has sent back yet another image three months after it landed upside down on the lunar surface. That means it has survived a third lunar night, just over two Earth weeks of freezing temperatures and […]
2 min read - USThe Hill
Princeton students plan pro-Palestinian encampment: Report
Students at Princeton University are preparing to set up a pro-Palestinian encampment, mimicking other schools across the country, according to records obtained by the National Review. In one document obtained by the conservative-leaning outlet, the students label their protest the “Princeton Gaza Solidarity Encampment” and list their demands to stop the event, including the university…
3 min read - WorldWGN Chicago
Martian skies over Athens? Greece’s capital turns an orange hue with dust clouds from North Africa
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Skies over southern Greece turned an orange hue on Tuesday as dust clouds blown across the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa engulfed the Acropolis and other Athens landmarks. Strong southerly winds carried the dust from the Sahara Desert, giving the atmosphere of the Greek capital a Martian-like filter in the last […]
1 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Ethnic Karen guerrillas in Myanmar leave a town that army lost 2 weeks ago as rival group holds sway
Guerrilla fighters from the main ethnic Karen fighting force battling Myanmar’s military government have withdrawn from the eastern border town of Myawaddy two weeks after forcing the army to give up its defense, residents and members of the group said Wednesday. The soldiers came from the army’s Infantry Battalion 275, whose base, about 4 kilometers (3 miles) to the west of Myawaddy, was captured on April 11 by the armed wing of the Karen National Union —- or KNU — and allied pro-democracy for
3 min read - WorldINSIDER
A billionaire drug kingpin escaped justice by paying a bond set at just $53K and then running away
Karim Bouyakhrichan was arrested in Spain for his alleged involvement in drug trafficking. He was released on a $53,000 bond, and then disappeared.
3 min read - Worlddpa international
Erdoğan concerned about increasing racism in Germany
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed his distress about increasing racism in Germany during a visit by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. "Our concerns about rising xenophobic, Islamophobic, far-right and racist organizations in Germany, together with Europe, are steadily increasing," Erdoğan said on Wednesday after a meeting with Steinmeier. Erdoğan said he was "proud" of the millions of people of Turkish origin in Germany, who play important roles in society, the economy and
1 min read - Worlddpa international
UN reports 281.6 million people facing acute hunger
Dangerous levels of acute hunger affected a staggering 281.6 million people last year - the fifth year in a row that food insecurity has worsened - heightening growing fears of famine and "widespread death" from Gaza to Sudan and beyond, UN agencies warned on Wednesday. According to the latest Global Report on Food Crises, more than one in five people in 59 countries faced acute food insecurity in 2023, compared with around just one in 10 in 48 countries in 2016. "When we talk about acute food i
1 min read - BusinessWrestle Zone
Mansoor & Mason Madden Detail Hilariously Unfortunate Series Of Recent Travel Issues
Mansoor and Mason Madden chronicle their recent travel woes. Last week, Mansoor and Mason Madden (fka Mace) surprised fans with an exciting debut at the Uganda-based Soft Ground Wrestling promotion. Following their appearance at SGW, the pair planned to fly back to Mansoor’s childhood home in Saudia Arabia to clean themselves up before heading out for their […] The post Mansoor & Mason Madden Detail Hilariously Unfortunate Series Of Recent Travel Issues appeared first on Wrestlezone.
2 min read - Worlddpa international
German president calls for revival of relations with Turkey
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has called for German-Turkish relations, which have been simmering on the back burner for some time, to be revitalized. "These are serious times. And that is precisely why we need each other," he said at a joint press conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara on Wednesday. "That is why we should give new importance to German-Turkish relations. "We need each other," the German president said. This applies to NATO and the G20 group of
2 min read - WorldThe Takeout
Late-Night Ice Cream Runs Might Get Banned In One Italian City
Pizza and gelato are two can’t-miss food items to be had on a trip to Italy, but strolling in search of a midnight slice may soon become illegale for residents and tourists alike in Milan. CNN reports that officials in the city have announced plans to ban sales of takeaway food after midnight. Marco Granelli, Milan’s deputy mayor of security, posted to social media explaining that the ban is meant to protect the “tranquility” of residents and maintain a “balance between sociability and entertain
2 min read - Worlddpa international
Erdoğan criticizes Western stance in Gaza war during Steinmeier visit
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan accused the West of turning a blind eye to the suffering of the civilian population in the Gaza Strip during a visit to Ankara by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Gaza had been razed, he said. "Our German friends must see this tragic situation," Erdoğan said on Wednesday in Ankara after a meeting with Steinmeier. The entire West stands by Israel, he added. The Turkish president also once again sharply criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Neta
1 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Paris will become a no-fly zone to safeguard its wildly ambitious Olympic opening ceremony
Skies over the Paris region will be closed for six hours as part of the massive security operation for the July 26 opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, the Paris airports operator said Wednesday. Augustin de Romanet, chairman of Aéroports de Paris, said airlines are being warned in advance about the closure and told they will have to fly around the restricted airspace. “For six hours, there won't be any aircraft over the Paris region," he said on France Info radio.
2 min read - Worlddpa international
German politician faces criminal trial for insulting Bavarian leader
A lawmaker from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party will likely stand trial for insulting Bavaria's conservative state premier, Markus Söder, during a speech last year. Stephan Protschka, who also serves as the AfD's state chairman in Bavaria, denounced Söder as "Södolf" and called him a "traitor to the state" in a speech during the AfD's Ash Wednesday festivities in 2023. "Sodolf" is a combination of Söder with Adolf (Hitler) and is seen as an insult. Protschka is scheduled to sta
1 min read - WorldThe Conversation en Español
The 50th anniversary of Portugal’s Carnation Revolution – the peaceful uprising that toppled a dictatorship and ended a decade of colonial war
Portugal is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Carnation Revolution, which marked the end of the Estado Novo dictatorship and the country’s colonial wars in Africa.
4 min read - Worlddpa international
German far-right AfD in Saxony-Anhalt sues over 'extremist' label
The far-right Alternative for Germany party in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt is taking legal action over its designation by the state's domestic intelligence service as a confirmed right-wing extremist group. The state-level AfD party in Saxony-Anhalt filed a complaint in administrative court, deputy state chairman Hans-Thomas Tillschneider told dpa on Wednesday. A court spokesman said that legal filings would be exchanged but that it is too early to say when a hearing on the case would be
1 min read - Worlddpa international
Think tank: Putin is not running out of money to fund war in Ukraine
Russia's economy will grow by 2.8% this year and expand at a slightly slower 2.5% next year, a Vienna-based think tank has forecast, defying predictions that Moscow's invasion of Ukraine would lead to economic ruin. Vasily Astrov, an economist with the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, said Russian President Vladimir Putin "will not run out of money for the war." "For the Russian economy, the question is rather what comes after the war, as it is currently completely dependent
1 min read - Worlddpa international
Sunak praises Scholz's support for Ukraine in Berlin visit
Rishi Sunak praised Germany's support for Ukraine during his first visit to Berlin as Britain's prime minister. Britain stands alongside Germany "as the two biggest supporters of Ukraine" in Europe, the Conservative politician said on Wednesday. Sunak also applauded Scholz's "historic decision" in 2022 to sharply increase defence spending, and Berlin's recent announcement that it would send another Patriot air defence system to Kiev. But the prime minister, speaking alongside Chancellor Olaf Sch
1 min read - Worlddpa international
Germany to hike pensions nationwide by 4.57%
The more than 21 million pensioners in Germany will receive a substantial 4.57% pension increase beginning on July 1, after the German Cabinet approved the adjustment on Wednesday in Berlin. With this increase, pensions are set to rise faster than inflation in the country. The last time pensions rose faster than inflation was in 2000. The increase is larger than originally predicted, which Labour Minister Hubertus Heil credited to strong wage growth in Germany. In the autumn, estimates had predi
1 min read - Worlddpa international
German security agency warns firms not to be too naive with China
Germany's domestic intelligence service (BfV) has warned companies to exercise caution when dealing with authoritarian foreign governments such as China. German companies should be cautious with mandatory tax software required by the Chinese government, for instance, since those programmes risk giving Chinese authorities access to internal company information, the BfV's vice president, Sinan Selen, said on Wednesday in Berlin. "We are increasingly seeing attempts to influence politics, business
2 min read - BusinessAFP
Italy fines Amazon over 'recurring' purchase option
Italy's competition authority said Wednesday it had fined two Amazon companies 10 million euros ($10.6 million) for unfair commercial practices that push customers into agreeing to "recurring" rather than "one-time" purchases online.It said customers in Italy have saved more than 40 million euros under the subscription programme.
2 min read - Worlddpa international
Germany makes slight upgrade to economic growth forecast
The German government slightly raised its growth forecast for this year, pointing to indications that the country's sputtering economy will reach a turning point this spring. Growth of 0.3% is now expected for Germany, the largest economy in the European Union, according to the Economy Ministry on Wednesday. In February, the government had drastically downgraded its forecast for 2024 to just 0.2%. Economy Minister Robert Habeck said the ministry sees signs of a slight economic upturn in the cour
1 min read - WorldYale Environment 360
U.K. Closing In on Zero-Carbon Power Goal
Wind and solar are continuing to push fossil fuels off the U.K. power grid. So far this year, wind is the nation's leading source of electricity, and for brief periods, the island of Great Britain has scarcely needed coal or natural gas.
1 min read - WorldAFP
France records growing number of supercentenarians
The number of people in France living beyond 110 years is growing fast, the national demographic studies institute said Wednesday, with women dominating the supercentenarian contest.France also counted the EU's highest number of centenarians last year, according the national statistics institute Insee.
2 min read - LifestyleGuitar World
“You get so much more choice”: How the Japanese Fender offset conquered the world
Fender Japan showed the world how radically offsets could be modified. We visited specialist Japanese guitar retailer Gas Station Guitars to chart the evolution of the MIJ offset
8 min read - WorldINSIDER
A pro-Kremlin oligarch's impounded yacht is being auctioned off — with the money going to Ukraine
The Royal Romance, owned by Viktor Medvedchuk, would be the first seized asset sold to help fund Ukraine, and could pave the way for others.
2 min read - Businessdpa international
German auto giant VW expects equal footing with Chinese rivals
Leaders of German automotive giant Volkswagen (VW) are expecting the next two years in the highly competitive Chinese car market to be difficult, but don't fear challenges from rival Chinese carmakers in the European market. Chinese carmakers will eventually need to invest in European production plants to build vehicles locally instead of shipping huge numbers of finished vehicles by ocean, Ralf Brandstätter, head of VW's China business, said on Wednesday in Beijing ahead of a major auto show in
3 min read - WorldReuters
Germany cannot accept spying, says Scholz after suspected China spy arrested
Germany cannot accept spying by foreign countries and will work to make sure those responsible are put on trial, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said after the arrest of a far-right politician's aide on charges of spying for China. Speaking at a joint news conference with his British counterpart Rishi Sunak, Scholz added that the charges and allegations against a politician and an official of the AfD party were very concerning. "We cannot accept spying against us, whichever country it comes from," he s
1 min read - WorldAssociated Press
The EU will probe whether China is unfairly denying companies access to its medical devices market
The European Union announced on Wednesday an investigation into whether China is using unfair methods to deprive companies in Europe of access to its market for medical devices ranging from hypodermic needles to high-tech scanners. The probe launched by the European Commission — the EU’s executive branch as well as its trade and competition watchdog — is the latest attempt to help companies gain the kind of access to China’s vast markets that Chinese firms enjoy in Europe.
2 min read - Worlddpa international
Germany, Britain plan to build remote-controlled howitzers together
Germany and Britain plan to jointly develop a remote-controlled howitzer for future military ground operations, the British government announced on Wednesday as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak visited Berlin. The "joint endeavour" will develop "remote-controlled howitzer 155mm wheeled artillery systems (RCH 155), which will be fitted to Boxer vehicles" from German tank manufacturer Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW), according to the statement from Number 10 Downing Street. The howitzer can fire up to nine
2 min read - WorldSemafor
EU, UN call for probe into reported mass graves at Gaza hospitals
The graves have added to fears of human rights abuses in the Gaza Strip.
3 min read - TechnologyAssociated Press
Cisco Systems joins Microsoft, IBM in Vatican pledge to ensure ethical use and development of AI
Tech giant Cisco Systems on Wednesday joined Microsoft and IBM in signing onto a Vatican-sponsored pledge to ensure artificial intelligence is developed and used ethically and to benefit the common good. Cisco Systems chief executive Chuck Robbins signed the document, known as the Rome Call, and met privately with Pope Francis, the Vatican said. The document was unveiled and signed at a Vatican conference on Feb. 28, 2020 — just before Italy locked down as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic — b
1 min read - CelebrityUs Weekly
Why ‘Call Her Daddy’ Host Alex Cooper’s Dad Didn’t Walk Her Down the Aisle
Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images Alex Cooper has never had a problem doing things her own way. So when Cooper, 29, married Matt Kaplan in a lavish ceremony in Riviera Maya, Mexico over the weekend, she decided not to have her father walk her down the aisle. As the “Call Her Daddy” host told Vogue in a
2 min read - WorldFox News
Australia counterterrorism force arrests 7 teenagers following Sydney bishop stabbing
Australia reportedly has arrested seven teens who allegedly believe in a religiously motivated extremist ideology and have ties to a church stabbing suspect.
2 min read - WorldTime
Why Voters See Jobs as the Biggest Issue in India's Election
India's economy is strong—but voters are worried about unemployment
6 min read - WorldMedTech Dive
EU launches probe of China’s medical device market
China’s procurement market for medical devices has gradually become more closed for European and foreign companies, the European Commission alleges.
2 min read - WorldSnopes
Fact Check: Couple in Brazil Reportedly Planted Over 2M Trees in 20 Years To Combat Erosion Caused by Farming. Here Are the Facts
In 1998, photographer Sebastião Salgado and his wife Lélia embarked on a remarkable journey to revive the ecosystem in a part of Brazil.
5 min read - BusinessAssociated Press
German retirees will get an inflation-busting pension increase this year
Germany's Cabinet on Wednesday approved a 4.57% rise in retirees' pensions from this summer, well above the current rate of inflation. Rises in German pensions are linked largely to wage developments. The increase will take effect on July 1, the first time since 2000 that pensions in Europe's biggest economy have risen by more than the annual inflation rate, which in March stood at 2.2%, German news agency dpa reported.
1 min read - USAssociated Press
Oil sprays from an ANA flight carrying 213 people as it lands in northern Japan
Oil sprayed from an All Nippon Airways plane as it landed Wednesday at Shin Chitose airport in northern Japan, but none of the 213 people on board was injured, officials said. The nonflammable oil from a control system evaporated as it contacted a hot engine, giving the appearance of smoke, ANA officials said. ANA flight 71, a Boeing 787-800 Dreamliner, took off from Tokyo's Haneda Airport with 204 passengers and nine crew members, the airline said.
1 min read - BusinessAssociated Press
Volkswagen revamps its approach in China in bid to overtake upstart EV makers
As auto giant Volkswagen AG races to catch up with upstart Chinese competitors, it has drivers like 26-year-old Ren Yiling in mind. The digital features of her Zeekr 001, a European-designed electric car from China's Geely Holding Group, appeal to her. “I once sung karaoke in the car when travelling a long way with my family,” she said.
5 min read - Worlddpa international
German far-right's top EU candidate to carry on despite aide's arrest
The German far-right AfD party's top candidate for the European elections, Maximilian Krah, announced on Wednesday that he will continue leading the party's campaign despite the arrest of an aide on allegations of spying for China. Krah told journalists in Berlin following a 20 minute crisis meeting with AfD party leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla that he would not be taking part in the AfD's election campaign launch event at the weekend. "But if you now believe that this is the end of my
2 min read - WorldAssociated Press
German far-right lawmaker whose assistant was arrested for spying for China keeps up election bid
A prominent German far-right lawmaker said Wednesday he will dismiss an assistant who was arrested on suspicion of spying for China, but will remain the Alternative for Germany party's top candidate in the upcoming European Parliament elections. Maximilian Krah's assistant, Jian Guo, was arrested Monday. Prosecutors accuse Guo — a German national who had worked for Krah since his election to the European Union legislature in 2019 — of working for a Chinese intelligence service and of repeatedl
2 min read - WorldAFP
Photos show Iranian man who killed judge, not hacker who 'stole from Israeli bank for Palestinians'
Old photos of an Iranian man put to death in 2007 for murdering a judge have resurfaced in social media posts that falsely claimed he was a hacker who stole millions from an Israeli bank to give to Palestinian Muslims. The images, which were viewed thousands of times, circulated against the background of Israel's war with Palestinian militant group Hamas.
2 min read - Worlddpa international
German development agency to fund jobs initiative for West Bank
Germany has agreed to back a new employment initiative for Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and in Jerusalem, the country's development ministry said on Wednesday. The deal was announced following a meeting between German Development Minister Svenja Schulze and the new prime minister of the Palestinian Authority, Mohammed Mustafa. "Unemployment in the West Bank has almost tripled and now stands at 40%," the German ministry said. The goal of the employment initiative is to create 25
2 min read
