World
- WorldSemafor
Xi lands in Hungary as EU security rift deepens
Xi Jinping is wrapping up his Europe visit with a stop in Hungary, highlighting the divide in security policy between eastern and western Europe.
3 min read - WorldBBC
Half of Gaza water sites damaged or destroyed, BBC satellite data reveals
Hundreds of Gaza’s water and sanitation facilities have been damaged or destroyed.
6 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Armenia's prime minister in Russia for talks amid strain in ties
Armenia's prime minister visited Moscow and held talks Wednesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin amid spiraling tensions between the estranged allies. Putin hosted Nikol Pashinyan for talks following a summit of the Eurasian Economic Union, a Moscow-dominated economic alliance.
2 min read - WorldBBC
Egypt probes shooting of Israeli-Canadian man
A group claiming responsibility for the attack says it was in response to Israel's actions in Gaza.
2 min read - WorldBBC
Malawians who abandoned Israeli farms deported
They went to Israel as part of a deal to provide agricultural workers after the 2023 Hamas attacks.
2 min read - WorldBBC
Russia ramps up attacks on Ukraine’s power plants
BBC Verify has been tracking Russia's attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
4 min read - WorldAssociated Press
China's Xi arrives in Hungary for talks on expanding Chinese investments
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Hungary late Wednesday, the final stop on his five-day European tour, where he's expected to finalize a number of agreements with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán that will deepen China's economic footprint in the region. Xi is set to spend two nights in the Hungarian capital Budapest where he will meet with Orbán and Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok. Talks will center on future Chinese investments in the Central European country, which has courted deep econ
3 min read - WorldReuters
Argentina industrial output crashes near pandemic lows as Milei austerity bites
BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) -Argentina's industrial output plunged 21.2% in March from a year ago, the INDEC statistics agency said on Wednesday, the worst slide since the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic as libertarian President Javier Milei pushes a tough austerity package. Milei's "chainsaw" cost-cutting program helped achieve rare fiscal surpluses at the start of the year and allowed the central bank to rebuild reserves, but the economy is suffering, with consumption, construction and manufacturi
1 min read - BusinessSkift
MakeMyTrip Is Bringing Back Experiences. Plus: CEO on Latest Spending Patterns
The CEO of India's largest travel agency weighs in on what he's seeing with religious tourism, new tax-collection rules and the country's short booking windows.
4 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Algeria's leader demands justice over French colonial-era wrongdoing
While France celebrated the anniversary of victory over the Nazis on Wednesday, Algeria commemorated a more somber anniversary: The crackdown by French colonial forces on Algerian independence activists the same day 79 years ago. In Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron lay a wreath Wednesday at the eternal flame beneath the Napoleon-era Arc de Triomphe, honoring those killed fighting the Nazis and marking the end of World War II in Europe. At the time of the war, Algeria was the crown jewel
2 min read - WorldSnopes
Fact Check: Photo Allegedly Shows Rafah Being Bombarded by Israel. Here's What We Found
Social media posts shared a purported image of bombs being dropped onto Gaza at night.
4 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Southern Brazil is still reeling from massive flooding as it faces risk from new storms
As major floods engulfed entire cities in the northern part of the Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul state last week, meteorologist Estael Sias knew the water would drain into capital Porto Alegre’s metropolitan region and that she would need to find a safe place. Authorities in southern Brazil rushed Wednesday to rescue survivors of massive flooding that has killed at least 100 people, but some residents refused to leave belongings behind while others returned to evacuated homes despite the risk of n
5 min read - WorldBBC
Joy as son trapped in SA building collapse rescued
Rescue-and-search operations continue for a third day after a building under construction collapsed.
3 min read - WorldReuters
Colombia election authority magistrates call for probe into Petro's 2022 campaign
BOGOTA (Reuters) -Two out of nine magistrates in Colombia's National Electoral Council have requested an investigation be opened into Colombian President Gustavo Petro's 2022 campaign over alleged spending and financing violations, two sources said on Wednesday. Magistrates Benjamin Ortiz and Alvaro Hernan Prada also requested an investigation into Ecopetrol chief executive Ricardo Roa, who served as Petro's campaign manager.
2 min read - WorldAssociated Press
UN food agency fears an escalation on the Lebanese-Israeli border can cripple aid efforts in Lebanon
If the monthslong conflict playing out on the Lebanese-Israeli border continues to escalate, the United Nations food agency won't be ready for the spike in nutritional needs across crisis-hit Lebanon, its deputy executive director said Wednesday. Clashes between the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and Israeli forces began on Oct. 8, a day after Israel started bombarding the Gaza Strip following Hamas’ deadly rampage in southern Israel, and the tensions between the two sides continue to intens
3 min read - Worlddpa international
German and Finnish presidents say Russian threats must be countered
Germany's president has praised Finland's entry into NATO as a boon for Europe's security amid Russian aggression in Ukraine and malicious cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns across the continent. "It increases Finland's security, of course, but above all it also strengthens the eastern flank of NATO and thus increases the security of the entire alliance," German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said at a press conference with new Finnish President Alexander Stubb in Berlin on Wednesday.
2 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Bomb in northeastern Afghanistan kills 3 officers who were part of convoy handling poppy eradication
A sticky bomb exploded in northeastern Afghanistan, killing at least three police officers on Wednesday, officials said. Abdul Mateen Qani, a spokesman for the Taliban’s interior ministry, said the bomb which was “attached to a motorcycle, exploded in Faizabad, the capital of Badakhshan province," while a convoy of security forces was passing through, adding that five other officers were wounded. Qani said the officers were on their way to destroy poppy crops in the area.
1 min read - Worlddpa international
Czech president, looking back at WWII, sees 'historical paradox'
The Czech Republic on Wednesday commemorated the end of World War II in Europe and the liberation from Nazi occupation 79 years ago with its annual act of remembrance. In a speech, President Petr Pavel noted that after "deep reflection," the defeated Nazi Germany had become a democratic country committed to peace and stability in Europe. He described it as a "historical paradox" that Russia itself had become an aggressor with the war against Ukraine. Pavel said there should be no let-up in suppo
1 min read - Worldthem
Eurovision Required a Nonbinary Irish Singer to Remove Pro-Palestine Messages Before Performing
The musician used the early medieval Irish alphabet Ogham to write two pro-Palestine messages on their body before their Eurovision semi-finals performance.
2 min read - BusinessAssociated Press
Prada focuses generational transition on artisans, expanding production and workforce in Italy
The Prada Group is expanding its production footprint in Italy, including dozens of new jobs at its knitwear factory in Umbria, leaning into “Made in Italy” as integral to the brand’s ethos and developing new artisanal talent to ease the luxury group through a generational shift in its workforce. Prada CEO Andrea Guerra, who was brought in last year as part of the generational change in family-run Prada’s management, said at an unveiling of the expanded plant Tuesday that the company is investi
4 min read - Worlddpa international
Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh need secure shelters, IOM head says
Rohingya refugees living in squalid camps in Bangladesh are in dire need of safer and more secure shelters, a senior United Nations official said on Wednesday in Dhaka. "People are living in shelters where they can’t properly lock their doors," said Amy Pope, head of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). "This is very fundamental issue." Pope, who arrived in Dhaka on Sunday on a five-day trip to Bangladesh, visited the sprawling refugee camps in the south-eastern district of Cox’s
2 min read - Worlddpa international
No legal basis to ban Islamist protest in Hamburg, police say
Another demonstration by the Islamist organization Muslim Interaktiv in Hamburg will be allowed to proceed, less than two weeks after an earlier demonstration caused a national uproar in Germany. Hamburg's police chief Falk Schnabel said on Wednesday that the group's planned demonstration called for Saturday will be subject to strict conditions by authorities. Muslim Interaktiv is classified as an extremist group by the German authorities. Schnabel said that police intensively examined options f
1 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Pakistani security forces kill 6 militants in twin raids in volatile northwest near Afghanistan
Pakistani security forces killed six militants in twin raids Wednesday targeting their hideouts in the country's volatile northwest region bordering Afghanistan, the military said. Five militants were killed in the first raid in Dera Ismail Khan district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military said in a statement. It did not provide further details about the slain insurgents, and only said the men were behind various previous attacks on the security forces.
1 min read - Worlddpa international
Around 200 Palestinians leaving Rafah each hour, UNRWA says
An average of 200 people are leaving the southern Palestinian city of Rafah every hour following Israel's evacuation order, according to estimates by the UN relief agency for Palestinians. "The displacement is ongoing and people are leaving towards Khan Younis and the Middle Areas," communications director of the Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Juliette Touma, told dpa on Wednesday. "It’s not possible to give a total number of people displaced at the mome
2 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Kosovo backs Ukraine even though Kyiv has not recognized its independence, foreign minister says
Kosovo's foreign minister said Wednesday that her country is convinced that Russia must lose the war in Ukraine for conflict not to spread further in Europe. Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz, who is both foreign minister and deputy prime minister, said her small Balkan nation, which declared its independence from Serbia in 2008, is constantly reminded of the aggressive intentions of both Serbia and its ally Russia.
3 min read - ScienceFuturism
Chinese Moon Lander Appears to Be Carrying Secret Lunar Rover
China is set to launch the first-ever sample return mission to the far side of the Moon. Apart from sampling the lunar surface, the mission dubbed Chang'e-6 will also be carrying an even more interesting piece of equipment with it: a previously undisclosed lunar rover, SpaceNews reports.
2 min read - Worlddpa international
Zelensky compares fight against Russia to fight against Nazis
On the anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has compared his country's current defence against a Russian invasion to Ukrainian efforts to defeat Nazi Germany. "Eighty years ago, millions of Ukrainians fought to defeat Nazism forever," he said in a video message recorded during his Wednesday visit to the town of Yahidne in the northern Ukrainian region of Chernihiv, the scene of an alleged Russian war crime in 2022. "But today Ukrainians are onc
1 min read - USdpa international
German court acquits man accused in 2019 Green Vault jewel heist
A man accused of aiding in the spectacular theft of royal jewels from the historic Green Vault in the eastern German city of Dresden was acquitted on Wednesday following a trial. The burglary on November 25, 2019 is considered one of the most spectacular art thefts in Germany. The perpetrators stole 21 pieces of diamond and brilliant-cut diamond jewellery from the Green Vault (Grünes Gewölbe), which houses Europe's largest treasure collection. The thieves also caused more than €1 million ($1.1 m
2 min read - ScienceExplorersWeb
How Did Ancient Humans Find Their Way Deep into a French Cave?
The Saint-Marcel cave is one of France’s largest and best-researched cave systems. Its caverns and tunnels stretch underground for 64 kilometers. Humans have sheltered there since the Middle Palaeolithic era. Now, a new study proves that these ancient humans went far beyond the cave entrance. Somehow, they found a way to navigate this labyrinth. Scientists […]
2 min read - USBackfire News
Video: This Is What A Gas Station Explosion Looks Like
Everyone has seen gas station explosions in Hollywood movies or TV shows. But let’s face it, those scenes are pure fantasy aided either by CGI or pyrotechnics. If you’re wondering what the real thing looks like, a video out of somewhere in the Middle East shows just such an event unfold. Bear raids a car crash, drags body into the woods. While the whole gas station doesn’t go up in a huge fireball, there are pillars of fire which are plenty scary. They’re contained to one section of the station,
2 min read - WorldNY Post
Facebook oversight board set to rule on whether the phrase ‘From the river to the sea’ is ‘hate speech’
The board said it was citing three posts that were flagged by Facebook users in the wake of the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks by Hamas.
3 min read - WorldExplorersWeb
Parks Canada Drops Charges Against Northwest Passage Kayakers
In an Iqaluit courtroom on Monday, charges against four kayakers accused of breaking national park laws in the Canadian Arctic last year were dismissed. Edward (West) Hansen, Mark Agnew, Eileen Visser, and Jeffrey Wueste were each confronted with 45 charges for alleged violations in the Bylot Island Migratory Bird Sanctuary and Sirmilik National Park. These […]
1 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Britain to expel Russian attaché in response to 'reckless and dangerous activities' by Moscow
Britain will expel Russia’s defense attaché over spying allegations as part of several measures the government announced Wednesday to target Moscow’s intelligence gathering operations in the U.K. Home Secretary James Cleverly said the measures were aimed at what he called the “reckless and dangerous activities of the Russian government across Europe." The latest round of measures will boot the attaché, Maxim Elovik, a Russian colonel who the government termed an “undeclared military intelligen
2 min read - WorldBBC
Battles in east Rafah as Israel reopens key Kerem Shalom aid crossing
Israel says lorries are at Kerem Shalom crossing, but a UN agency says they have not entered Gaza.
5 min read - WorldBBC
Anger in Nigeria over levy on money transfers
Some argue that the 0.5% cybersecurity levy on electronic transfers will push people back to using cash.
3 min read - Worlddpa international
Pakistan declares emergency to enroll 26 million out-of-school kids
Pakistan on Wednesday declared an emergency to enroll 26 million children of school-going age who are not registered to seek formal education, the highest number in the world. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced in the capital Islamabad his government was imposing the formal emergency declaration to tackle the daunting task of wooing back children to school. The declaration allows for the mobilization of funds and resources, and puts the problem high on the government agenda. A combination o
1 min read - Worlddpa international
Lithuania still open to sending soldiers to train troops in Ukraine
Lithuania remains open to the deployment of ground troops in Ukraine as part of training missions for Ukrainian soldiers, Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė said on Wednesday. In a story published in the Financial Times the Lithuanian leader confirmed her previously expressed openness to this idea. She said her country, which is a member of both NATO and the European Union, is prepared to send soldiers on training missions to Ukraine. There is parliamentary authorization to do so, but Kiev has not
1 min read - WorldReuters
Palestinians scramble for safety ahead of expected Rafah operation
CAIROGAZA, May 8 (Reuters) - As battles raged on the outskirts of Rafah on Wednesday with Israeli forces closing in, Palestinians were on the move again, abandoning neighbourhoods of the southern Gaza city and leaving them as ghost towns. Israel has threatened a major assault on Rafah to defeat thousands of Hamas fighters it says are holed up there, but more than a million people are sheltering in the city, prompting warnings from the United Nations of a humanitarian catastrophe.
4 min read - WorldBBC
Julius Malema - South Africa's radical agenda-setter leading the EFF into 2024 elections
The divisive leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters threatens to hoover votes up from the ruling party.
7 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Poland detains and questions Russian man who illegally crossed from Belarus
Poland’s security officials said Wednesday that a 41-year-old man from Russia had been detained and was being questioned after illegally crossing in from Russia’s ally Belarus. The Border Guard confirmed that a 41-year-old “deserter” from Russia has been detained. Deputy Interior Minister Czeslaw Mroczek said that officials were trying to establish whether the man was a deserter from Russian army “trying to flee the horrors of the war” or whether he was assigned to carry out secret tasks in th
1 min read - Worlddpa international
EU court case annuls German bailout of airline Condor
An EU court on Wednesday overturned the European Commission's approval of millions of euros in bailout money for the German airline Condor. "The commission should not have approved the restructuring aid at issue without initiating a formal investigation procedure," a press release from the European Union's General Court said. Germany got a green light from the commission in 2021 to give Condor €321 million ($345 million) for restructuring after parent company Thomas Cook went bankrupt. EU state
2 min read - WorldAssociated Press
UK Prime Minister Sunak suffers further blow as another Conservative lawmaker defects to Labour
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was accused Wednesday of leading a “chaotic” government as another one of his Conservative lawmakers defected to the main opposition Labour Party ahead of a looming general election. In a stunning move just ahead of the weekly prime minister's questions, Natalie Elphicke crossed the floor of the House of Commons to join the ranks of Keir Starmer's Labour Party, which appears headed for power after 14 years. “We need to move on from the broken promises of Rish
3 min read - USFox News
University of Chicago dismantles anti-Israel encampment as students claim they were ‘ambushed’ while sleeping
Police were captured on video tearing down an anti-Israel encampment set up on the University of Chicago campus early Tuesday, following growing safety concerns.
3 min read - WorldINSIDER
An alleged plot to assassinate Zelenskyy gives an alarming look into how deeply Russia can penetrate his inner circle
Ukraine claims Russian agents got alarmingly close to Ukraine's president.
2 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Kenya declares public holiday to mourn flood victims
Kenya’s President William Ruto has declared Friday a public holiday to mourn the 238 people who have died due to ongoing flooding. The president on Wednesday said the day will be observed by national tree planting activities to help mitigate the effects of climate change. Kenya, along with other parts of East Africa, have been overwhelmed by floods.
1 min read - BusinessAFP
BMW says EU probe into China EV subsidies against free trade
The chief executive of German luxury carmaker BMW on Wednesday warned the European Union's investigation into Chinese electric car subsidies runs counter to free trade.Oliver Zipse -- CEO of BMW, which has major investments in China, the world's biggest car market -- said that the Munich-based group "always strives for free trade".
2 min read - USBBC
Jersey returns illicit funds to Mozambique
Jersey has seized £829,500 from a corrupt trust and returned it to authorities in Mozambique.
1 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Italy bars NGO migrant rescue flights from Sicilian airport, says they interfere with coast guard
Italy’s aviation authority has barred humanitarian migrant rescue groups from using a Sicilian airport to launch search and rescue flights over the Mediterranean, in the government’s latest move to regulate their activities. An ordinance from ENAC’s western Sicilian office said the flights interfered with the Italian coast guard’s exclusive role in coordinating search and rescue efforts and put migrant lives at risk. Non-governmental rescue groups that continue using the Lampedusa, Sicily airp
3 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Dozens still missing after South African building collapse; 7 confirmed dead
Rescue teams used underground cameras and sniffer dogs Wednesday to search for nearly 40 construction workers still missing in rubble two days after the collapse of an apartment building under construction in coastal South Africa. The unfinished five-story apartment complex collapsed Monday in George, a city on South Africa's south coast around 400 kilometers (250 miles) east of Cape Town. It sparked a desperate rescue effort that has drawn disaster response teams from other towns and cities.
3 min read - WorldINSIDER
Ukraine is getting a prototype artillery shell that can strike 3 times as far as regular rounds: report
Germany is gearing up to send Ukraine prototype artillery shells that can travel 62 miles, Handelsblatt reported, triple the range of 155mm shells.
2 min read
