World
- WorldBBC
Vladimir Putin set to transfer Sergei Shoigu from Russian defence ministry
Sergei Shoigu, a close ally of the president, has played a key role in Russia's hugely costly war in Ukraine.
4 min read - Worlddpa international
Zelensky: Russia turning 'grey zone' areas of war into combat zones
Russia's offensive near the city of Kharkiv is spreading out the front of the war in eastern Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, pointing to a development that means more parts of the country are facing combat. "There are villages that have turned from a 'grey zone' into a combat zone, and the occupiers are trying to gain a foothold in some of them or simply use them to advance further," Zelensky said, describing the situation in his daily video message on Sunday evening. With
4 min read - Worlddpa international
Spain Prime Minister Sánchez hails Socialists' win in Catalonia
Spain Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has hailed the victory of the regional offshoot of his national Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) in the parliamentary elections in the region of Catalonia. According to projections from votes counted, the big winner of Sunday's election was the Socialist Party of Catalonia (PSC), while the separatist parties were projected to have lost their parliamentary majority in the regional parliament. Sánchez congratulated PSC top candidate Salvador Illa "for this
1 min read - USSacramento Bee
UC Davis pro-Palestine encampment contends with counterprotesters, spokesperson says
The pro Palestine encampment faced multiple counterprotesters during its first week, a spokesperson said.
4 min read - Worlddpa international
Putin sacks defence minister Shoigu, shifts to head Security Council
Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed his defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, from his post to head the Security Council of the Russian Federation, Russian state news agency TASS and the Kremlin reported on Sunday evening. More than two years after the full-scale invasion of neighbouring Ukraine, Shoigu replaces Nikolai Patrushev as secretary of the National Security Council, the Kremlin announced. Earlier TASS cited the upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, as saying that Sho
3 min read - BusinessAFP
Microsoft, Amazon to invest billions in French tech
Microsoft on Sunday announced four billion euros in investment for developing data centres in France, joining fellow US giant Amazon in committing to the country's tech infrastructure.As Choose France prepared to get under way, several pharmaceutical groups, including US group Pfizer and Britain's AstraZeneca, announced on Sunday commitments to invest more than a billion euros more in France's health sector.
2 min read - WorldAFP
Rivers rise again as rain batters flood-hit south Brazil
River levels rose again Sunday as strong rains lashed waterlogged southern Brazil, where flooding has killed more than 140 people and forced hundreds of thousands from their homes.The new threat comes as rescue operations are still underway, with some 130 people missing, while more than 619,000 were forced to leave their homes.
3 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Mass shooting causes deaths in crime-ridden township on southern edge of Mexico City, officials say
A mass shooting in a mountain township beset by crime just south of Mexico City resulted in several deaths, authorities said Sunday. Local and state officials did not give a specific death toll, saying only that there were some deaths. The government of the state of Morelos, which borders Mexico City, said the attack occurred late Saturday in Huitzilac.
1 min read - Worlddpa international
Putin shuffles defence minister Shoigu to head Security Council
Russian President Vladimir Putin has moved his defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, out of his post to head the Security Council of the Russian Federation, Russian state news agency TASS and the Kremlin reported on Sunday evening. More than two years after the full-scale invasion of neighbouring Ukraine, Shoigu replaces Nikolai Patrushev as secretary of the National Security Council, the Kremlin announced. Earlier TASS cited the upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, as saying that Shoig
2 min read - Worlddpa international
Lithuania's pro-Kiev president clear favourite to retain post in poll
Overshadowed by Russia's war against Ukraine, Lithuania elected a new head of state by direct vote on Sunday. The 59-year-old incumbent Gitanas Nausėda was the clear favourite in the race for the highest office in the Baltic EU and NATO member state, which borders the Russian Baltic Sea exclave of Kaliningrad and Russia's ally Belarus. Seven candidates ran against the independent politician, among whom there was only one woman, the current Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė. Meaningful results were
2 min read - WorldAFP
Images show arrests during taxi strike in SA, not black people detained by separatist political party
As elections loom in South Africa, the Cape Independence Party is licking its wounds after failing to make the provincial ballot despite two court challenges. Posts have surfaced claiming to show party members detaining black people for “walking after hours”. But this is false: the photos are from 2023 and show the arrest of suspects during a violent taxi strike in the Western Cape. Furthermore, South Africa is not under curfew.
3 min read - ScienceExplorersWeb
Mapping Human Migration Across Australia’s Lost ‘Atlantis’
Given Australia’s gigantic scale and wild nature, archaeological research can be difficult and costly. Where to start digging on such a vast continent, where the archaeological sites can often be remote and difficult to reach? Now a joint team of scientists from The University of Sydney, Southern Cross University, Flinders University, and Université Grenoble-Alpes has […]
2 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Commuter rail service in northeast Spain has been disrupted by theft of copper cables near Barcelona
Commuter rail service serving Barcelona and northeastern Spain has suffered major disruption because of the theft of copper cables from a train installation, Spanish rail authorities said Sunday. Thousands of commuters were stranded at train stations in and around Barcelona after trains couldn't run on several commuter lines. Spain’s state-owned railway authority ADIF said that the theft of electrical cabling from a station just north of Barcelona in the town of Montcada caused “several fires
1 min read - WorldAFP
Letter claiming private bank pledged funds to Ethiopian army to fight Amhara rebels is fake
The renewed dispute over land between rival forces from Amhara and Tigray regions in northern Ethiopia has caused the displacement of tens of thousands of people. This has further stoked the crisis in the troubled Amhara region where local militia are fighting against Ethiopian troops. Online users have shared a screenshot of a purported letter from the Ethiopian Lion Bank confirming that it was funding the army's war against rebels in the Amhara region. However, the document is fabricated. The
4 min read - Worlddpa international
Death toll climbs over 140 in Brazilian floods with no end in sight
The death toll has risen to 143 following the devastating floods in southern Brazil. A further 125 were missing and 806 people injured, the Rio Grande do Sul State Civil Defence Department said on Sunday. As it also rained this weekend, the number of people who had to leave their homes has risen to over 618,000. In total, over 2 million people have been affected by the floods. According to the regional government, the largest warship in Latin America arrived in the harbour of the city of Rio Gra
2 min read - Worlddpa international
Ukraine evacuates 4,000 people from besieged Kharkiv border region
Thousands of residents of the eastern Ukrainian border region of Kharkiv are being evacuated to safety amid Russia's current offensive operations there. Around 4,000 people had already left the area in the last two days, regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov wrote on Telegram on Sunday. Many of them were able to stay with friends and relatives, while accommodation was being provided for others, he said. Syniehubov also published photos of people who had gathered at assembly points with luggage and s
3 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Nigeria's fashion and dancing styles in the spotlight as Harry, Meghan visit its largest city
Nigeria’s fashion and traditional dances were at full display on Sunday as Prince Harry and Meghan arrived in its largest city, Lagos, as part of their three-day visit to the country to promote mental health for soldiers and empower young people. The couple, invited to the West African nation by its military, were treated to different bouts of dancing, starting from the Lagos airport where a troupe's acrobatic moves left both applauding and grinning. Going with Meghan’s white top was the tradi
2 min read - Worlddpa international
Egypt to back genocide case against Israel at world court
Egypt announced on Sunday it would back South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), in a sign of Cairo's frustration over an Israeli military operation in Gaza's southern city of Rafah that borders Egypt. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the move comes "in view of aggravating intensity and scale" of Israeli attacks against civilians in Gaza and the "continued perpetration of systematic practices" against Palestinians, including d
2 min read - WorldBBC
Internet outage felt across East Africa
A key cable linking the region to South Africa was cut on Sunday morning, an industry expert says.
2 min read - WorldPolitico
Canadian police announce arrest of 4th Indian suspect in killing of Sikh activist
The slaying has created tensions between Canada and India.
2 min read - Worlddpa international
Dresden Peace Prize awarded posthumously to Alexei Navalny
The well-known Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny was posthumously awarded the Dresden International Peace Prize on Sunday. His widow Yulia Navalnaya accepted the award on his behalf, which is endowed with €10,000 ($10,774), at the eastern German city's Schauspielhaus theatre. Former German president Joachim Gauck honoured the man who died in prison almost three months ago as a "selfless, almost superhumanly courageous man who shows that there can be another Russia." Navalny's life's work
3 min read - Worlddpa international
BBC: UK government mulls broader ban on 'extreme protest groups'
A range of organizations including Just Stop Oil and Palestine Action could be banned in the UK as "extreme protest groups" under new proposals tabled by a senior government adviser. The approach currently applied to terrorist organizations should be used as a model, according to adviser on political violence John Woodcock, also known as Lord Walney, the BBC reported on Sunday, citing extracts from the report. In recommendations now due to be presented to the Cabinet, Woodcock backs proscribing
2 min read - Worlddpa international
German anti-Semitism commissioner condemns Eurovision protests
The German government's anti-Semitism commissioner, Felix Klein, has condemned the protests against Israel's participation in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest this weekend. "It is a common anti-Semitic trait to hold Israelis collectively liable for the actions of their government or their army, which they themselves often condemn," he told the Funke Mediengruppe newspaper. "The progressive Israeli cultural scene in particular is already suffering considerably from this and is facing incr
1 min read - Worlddpa international
Fierce fighting reported in northern Gaza amid mass evacuations
Israeli troops are engaged in fierce fighting with armed Palestinians in the north of the Gaza Strip, Israeli media reported on Sunday. The military wing of the Palestinian Islamist organization Hamas cited heavy clashes between its fighters and Israeli forces in the area of Jabalia, some 4 kilometres north of Gaza City. Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said the previous evening that warplanes had attacked targets in Jabalia after the civilian population there had been evacuated. The Times o
2 min read - Worlddpa international
Deadly flash floods, cold lava flows hit Indonesia's Sumatra
Monsoon rain that triggered flash floods and torrents of cold lava have killed at least 28 people in Indonesia's West Sumatra province, with several others missing. Torrential rain pounded parts of the province over the weekend, inundating houses and paddy fields, a spokesperson for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said. Local officials have advised residents living along river banks to be on guard for further cold lava mudflows originating from the active volcano Mount Marapi. In
1 min read - WorldBBC
Tunisia lawyer arrested during live news broadcast
There has been growing criticism on the restrictions on free speech under President Kais Saied.
2 min read - WorldAssociated Press
German men with the strongest fingers compete in Bavaria's 'Fingerhakeln' wrestling champion
Despite the threat of dislocated fingers and strained muscles, over 150 Bavarian men came together Sunday to compete in Germany’s unique national championship of “Fingerhakeln,” or finger wrestling. Around 1,000 visitors cheered on the all-male contestants as they gulped down their national beer and world-famous German sausages while Bavarian live music filled the air. Finger wrestling, a well-known competitive sport in Germany’s Alpine region and neighboring Austria, originated as a way to se
1 min read - WorldINSIDER
A Russian drone unit is recruiting members of the Kremlin elite so they can 'sidestep' military service on the front, UK intel says
The unit operates far from the front lines in Ukraine, the UK Ministry of Defence said.
2 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Putin in Cabinet shakeup moves to replace defense minister as he starts his 5th term in office
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday replaced Sergei Shoigu as defense minister in a Cabinet shakeup that comes as he begins his fifth term in office. In line with Russian law, the entire Russian Cabinet resigned Tuesday following Putin’s glittering inauguration in the Kremlin, and most members have been widely expected to keep their jobs, while Shoigu's fate had appeared uncertain. Putin signed a decree on Sunday appointing Shoigu as secretary of Russia's Security Council, the Kremlin s
6 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Apartment building partially collapses in a Russian border city after shelling. At least 13 killed
An apartment building partially collapsed in the Russian border city of Belgorod on Sunday, causing at least 13 deaths and injuring 20 other people, officials said. Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry said 13 bodies had been recovered from the rubble so far. Russia’s Investigative Committee, the country’s top law enforcement agency, said in a statement that the 10-story building had been hit by Ukrainian shelling.
1 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Canadian police announce the arrest of a fourth Indian suspect in the killing of a Sikh activist
A fourth Indian national living in Canada has been charged in the slaying of a Sikh separatist leader last June that became the center of a diplomatic spat with India. British Columbia’s Integrated Homicide Investigation Team said in a release late Saturday that 22-year-old Amandeep Singh was already in the custody of Peel Regional Police in Ontario for unrelated firearms charges. “IHIT pursued the evidence and gained sufficient information for the BC Prosecution Service to charge Amandeep Sin
2 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Flash floods in northern Afghanistan sweep away livelihoods, leaving hundreds dead and missing
Shopkeeper Nazer Mohammad ran home as soon as he heard about flash floods crashing into the outskirts of a provincial capital in northern Afghanistan. The U.N. food agency estimated that unusually heavy seasonal rains in Afghanistan have left more than 300 people dead and thousands of houses destroyed, most of them in the northern province of Baghlan, which bore the brunt of the deluges Friday. Mohammad said Sunday that he found the bodies of his wife and two sons late Friday night on the outs
2 min read - WorldBBC
Children killed as bomb falls near Sudan hospital - MSF
The battle for control of the western city of El Fasher has intensified over the last few days.
2 min read - WorldAssociated Press Finance
A police officer was killed in Pakistan-held Kashmir during protests against price hikes
A protest against rising costs of food, fuel and utility bills turned violent in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, leaving a police officer dead and dozens of people injured, officials said Sunday. Traders in some of the cities in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir pulled their shutters down on Saturday while protesters burned tires to express their anger. A police officer was killed in Dadyal town, authorities said.
1 min read - Worlddpa international
Fierce fighting reported in northern Gaza
Israeli troops are engaged in fierce fighting with armed Palestinians in the north of the Gaza Strip, Israeli media reported on Sunday. The military wing of the Palestinian Islamist organization Hamas cited heavy clashes between its fighters and Israeli forces in the area of Jabalia, some 4 kilometres north of Gaza City. Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said the previous evening that warplanes had attacked targets in Jabalia after the civilian population there had been evacuated. The Times o
1 min read - Worlddpa international
Afghanistan flood toll rises to 315, ministry says
The death toll from devastating flash floods in Afghanistan’s northern province of Baghlan has risen to 315, according to the Afghan Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation on Sunday. The true death toll from Friday's floods in unclear. The latest confirmed figure from local officials in Baghlan is 131 fatalities, with over 100 injuries. However, UN agencies and the ministry report a much higher toll. The disaster has disproportionately affected children. Save the Children, an international aid or
1 min read - Worlddpa international
Rocket from Gaza hits residential building in Israel's Ashkelon
A rocket fired from the Gaza Strip has reportedly hit a residential building in the Israeli coastal city of Ashkelon. Three people were injured in the overnight attack on the city about 10 kilometres north of Gaza, according to Israeli media reports on Sunday. Palestinian Islamist organization Hamas, which carried out the October 7 terrorist assaults on southern Israeli communities that sparked the devastating war in Gaza, has recently increased its attacks on Israeli towns and villages. The Isr
1 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Flash floods and cold lava flow hit Indonesia’s Sumatra island. At least 37 people were killed
Heavy rains and torrents of cold lava and mud flowing down a volcano's slopes on Indonesia’s Sumatra island triggered flash floods that killed at least 37 people and more than a dozen others were missing, officials said Sunday. Monsoon rains and a major mudslide from a cold lava flow on Mount Marapi caused a river to breach its banks and tear through mountainside villages in four districts in West Sumatra province just before midnight on Saturday. The floods swept away people and submerged mor
2 min read - USAssociated Press Finance
A fire burns down a shopping complex housing 1,400 outlets in Poland's capital
A major fire broke out Sunday morning in a vast shopping complex in the Polish capital that housed some 1,400 shops and service outlets and where many of the vendors were from Vietnam. The fire department said that more than 80% of the Marywilska 44 shopping complex burned in the Bialoleka district of Warsaw, and that the roof caved in. The Association of Vietnamese Entrepreneurs in Poland said the blaze meant “great financial losses for merchants,” calling it a “terrible tragedy for thousands
2 min read - WorldAssociated Press
With the shock of Oct. 7 still raw, profound sadness and anger grip Israel on its Memorial Day
Ruby Chen’s son, Itay, was killed in the Hamas attack on Oct. 7. The absence of a final resting place is being felt acutely now, as Israel marks its Memorial Day for fallen soldiers, when cemeteries are brimming with relatives mourning over the graves of their loved ones. Memorial Day is always a somber occasion in Israel, a country that has suffered through repeated war and conflict throughout its 76-year history.
5 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Buddha's birthday: When is it and how is it celebrated in different countries?
The birthday of the historical Buddha or Shakyamuni Buddha, known as Vesak in several countries, celebrates the birth of the child who became Prince Siddhartha around the end of the 4th century B.C. This is a holy occasion for all Buddhists, but is celebrated on different dates depending on the school of Buddhism or country to which one belongs. In several Asian countries, it is observed on the eighth day of the fourth month of the lunisolar calendar, which this year falls on May 15. Siddharth
5 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Lithuanians vote in a presidential election as anxieties rise over Russia and the war in Ukraine
Lithuanians voted in a presidential election on Sunday at a time when Russian gains on the battlefield in Ukraine are fueling greater fears about Moscow’s intentions, particularly in the strategically important Baltic region. The popular incumbent, Gitanas Nausėda, was favored to win another five-year term in office. Initial voter turnout was 59.4%, higher than in the previous election in 2019, the Central Electoral Commission said.
3 min read - LifestyleNY Post
For guaranteed sunshine on your summer vacation, this appealing European city gets 3,000 hours of sun per year
We're off to sunny Spain.
2 min read - USWGN Chicago
DePaul student protesters and university administrators have stalled in negotiations over protesters’ demands
CHICAGO — DePaul University officials and students protesting against the Israel-Hamas war have stalled in negotiations over the protesters’ demands that the university cut ties with Israel or with companies they say support the war. On Saturday night, pro-Palestinian protesters, known as the DePaul Divestment Coalition, reiterated their demands that the university stop investing in Israel […]
3 min read - WorldReuters
Spain's Socialists hail 'new era' in Catalonia as separatist support dims in elections
BARCELONA (Reuters) -Spain's Socialists won the biggest share of the vote in Sunday's Catalan elections, dealing a serious blow to more than a decade of separatist governance and the independence dreams still nursed by some in the wealthy northeastern region. The Socialists, led locally by Salvador Illa, had 42 seats in the 135-seat chamber with more than 99% of the vote counted, while hardline separatist party Junts was in second place with 35 seats, and the incumbent more moderate separatist
3 min read - WorldBBC
Thousands told to evacuate due to British Columbia, Canada wildfire
Fort McMurray residents in neighbouring Alberta, Canada are also under an evacuation alert due to a blaze.
3 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Duchess of Sussex, called ‘Ifeoma’ in Nigeria, speaks with women about her Nigerian roots
Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, says it’s been “humbling” to find out through a genealogy test that she is partly Nigerian as she met with women in the West African nation Saturday. On her second day in Nigeria, where she is visiting for the first time with Prince Harry to also promote mental health for wounded soldiers and young girls, Meghan acknowledged Nigeria as “my country.” “It is a compliment to you because what they define as a Nigerian woman is brave, resilient, courageous, beautiful,
3 min read - Worlddpa international
German far-right MEP to return to campaign trail amid spying probe
German legislator Maximilian Krah, the top candidate for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in June's European elections, says he is set to return to the campaign trail despite being embroiled in a foreign influence scandal. German police arrested his former assistant Jian Guo on suspicion of espionage on April 22, and Krah fired him following the allegations that the parliamentary aide was spying for China. Krah himself is currently the subject of a preliminary investigation by G
2 min read - Worlddpa international
European night watchmen hold traditional gathering in western Germany
Donning historical costumes, medieval polearms and lanterns, night watchmen and tower keepers from across Europe marched through the western German town of Viersen on Saturday as part of their annual gathering. Organized by the "Night Watchmen and Tower Keepers' Guild," the parade marked the highlight of the meeting that has drawn members from Germany, Poland, Denmark and the Netherlands, among others, and is set to last until Sunday. Until modern times, it was the night watchman's job to report
2 min read - WorldBBC
Prince Harry plays sit-down volleyball on Nigeria visit with Meghan
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been welcomed by a charity which helps service personnel in Nigeria.
3 min read
