World
- BusinessDefense News
KNDS will set up shop in Ukraine to repair heavy weapons, make ammo
The company hopes to create a local subsidiary in June and hire local firms for various tasks, as Ukraine battles Russian attacks.
3 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Belarus says it will investigate a Polish soldier's death if Warsaw sends information
Belarusian authorities said Friday they are willing to investigate the death of a Polish soldier who was stabbed at the border last month, but have not received necessary information from Poland. A statement from the country’s border service said it would undertake a unilateral or joint investigation if Poland presents “concrete information.” The soldier was stabbed last month at the eastern border with Belarus, Poland’s military said Thursday.
1 min read - Worlddpa international
Germany against working with Taliban over deporting violent offenders
The German Foreign Ministry on Friday warned against cooperating with Afghanistan's Taliban rulers on deporting Afghan offenders, saying the Islamist government would seek international recognition through such a move. "The Taliban will want to have any repatriations paid for at least through international recognition," a spokesman for Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said in Berlin. "And it is a fact that the German government does not recognize the de facto Taliban government in Afghanistan,
3 min read - Worlddpa international
Insurers estimate Germany's insured flood damage at €2 billion
The recent heavy rains in the southern states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg are expected to cost insurers around €2 billion ($2.2 billion), the German Insurance Association (GDV) said on Friday, in an initial estimate The current floods in southern Germany were the third and largest in just a few months. In addition to the Danube, many of its tributaries also burst their banks. One week after the heavy rains started, more rain is in sight, though not as much as before. "Because the floods on
2 min read - Worlddpa international
VW plans large electricity storage facility in northern Germany
The Volkswagen Group is entering into the operation of large battery storage systems for the power grid. The first so-called Power Centre, which temporarily stores green electricity, will be connected to the grid in Germany next year, VW's chief technology officer Thomas Schmall announced in Berlin on Friday. The site will be in the north of Germany and the ground-breaking ceremony is scheduled to take place in the next six to eight weeks. "And we will go online at the beginning of next year," s
2 min read - Worlddpa international
Putin seeks big expansion of Arctic trade in North-East Passage
Russia wants to roughly quadruple shipping traffic on the North-East Passage via the Arctic Ocean from the 36 million tons moved last year to as much as 150 million tons, President Vladimir Putin said on Friday at an economic meeting. "In the future, transport could increase to 150 million tons," Putin told the 27th St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF). The 36 million tons that moved last year consisted of freight transported on the northern sea route between Europe and Asia. Russi
1 min read - ScienceFuturism
Chinese Lander Instrument Detects Negative Ions on Far Side of Moon
China's Chang'e-6 lunar touched down on the far side of the Moon, successfully scooping up samples, and kicked off within just over 48 hours. It was an extraordinary feat, representing the first-ever samples we've ever taken from the side of the Moon that permanently faces away from us. During its brief visit, the lander […]
2 min read - WorldAssociated Press
22 Chinese nationals jailed in Zambia over multinational cybercrimes
A Zambian court on Friday jailed 22 Chinese nationals over cybercrimes that included internet fraud and online scams targeting Zambians and other people from Singapore, Peru and the United Arab Emirates. The Magistrates Court in the capital, Lusaka, jailed them for periods ranging from 7 to 11 years.
1 min read - Worlddpa international
German court blocks right-wing demo at site of police officer killing
Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party will not be allowed to demonstrate on Friday evening on Mannheim's market square where a police officer was stabbed to death a week ago. The ban follows a decision by the Administrative Court of Baden-Württemberg, the highest administrative court in the south-west state. The court upheld an appeal by the city of Mannheim against a decision by the lower administrative court in Karlsruhe, which had given the go-ahead for the demonstration at
1 min read - WorldBBC
Failed 'coup plotters' go on trial in DR Congo
Broadcast live on TV from prison, 51 people, including three Americans, go before a military tribunal.
3 min read - Worlddpa international
Thunberg at climate, pro-Palestinian demo on fringes of Bonn UN talks
The Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg took part in a protest in Bonn in which participants demanded action against climate change and denounced Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip. The Kick Big Polluters Out demonstration was organized by a collective of climate justice and human rights groups. In addition to climate demands, pro-Palestinian chants and posters were a major feature of the demonstration. Some held placards saying "Free Palestine." Thunberg raised her fist and joined
1 min read - Worlddpa international
Further fall in refugees seeking asylum in Germany
The number of asylum requests made in Germany continues to fall, with 17,231 initial applications registered in May, according to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF). From January to May, there were an overall 103,467 applications, a decrease of 17.6% compared to the same period last year. In April, the drop was 16.7%. The BAMF says around a third of asylum seekers continue to come from Syria, followed by Afghanistan and Turkey. The migration office says it has decided on 131,75
1 min read - USGizmodo
Stressed-Out Tiger Shark Spits Up Fully Intact Echidna
Researchers tagging marine animals off Australia’s Orpheus Island were shocked when a tiger shark they caught spat up an echidna, a grub-eating monotreme recognizable for its spine-covered body. Known for eating just about anything, it seems this tiger shark met its match.
2 min read - WorldSalon
A quarter of the world's children live in severe food poverty, according to a new UNICEF report
Of the 181 million affected children, 64 million reside in South Asia and 59 million reside in Sub-Saharan Africa
2 min read - BusinessSemafor
IEA says clean energy investment will double that of fossil fuels in 2024
China, the US, and Europe make up more than two thirds of the investment.
2 min read - WorldBBC
Memorial bench honours Warwickshire D-Day soldiers
A bench honouring Warwickshire soldiers killed or injured in France is installed in Normandy.
1 min read - WorldBBC
Kagame critic barred from Rwanda's presidential race
Diane Rwigara says she feels cheated for a second time from being able to campaign.
3 min read - WorldAssociated Press
China says it is willing to upgrade economic corridor with Pakistan and deepen ties with Brazil
Beijing is willing to work with Islamabad to build an upgraded version of an economic corridor linking the two countries, China's leader Xi Jinping told visiting Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday. Sharif pledged to ensure the safety of Chinese workers in Pakistan, according to a report on their meeting posted online by state broadcaster CCTV. The report said that Sharif offered his government's condolences for the deaths in March of five Chinese engineers in a suicide bombing i
1 min read - Worlddpa international
Zelensky thanks France for promised delivery of Mirage fighter jets
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked France for promising to send Mirage fighter jets to his country, in a boost to Kiev's efforts to protect its skies from Russia's daily aerial assault. "Your fighter planes, your excellent fighter planes, piloted by Ukrainian pilots, prove that Europe is stronger, that Europe is stronger than the evil that dared to threaten it," said Zelensky on Friday in an address to the French parliament in Paris. The previous evening, French President Emmanuel Ma
2 min read - Worlddpa international
UN expert says attacks on civilian targets must be proportionate
The Israeli attack on a school in the Gaza Strip to eliminate Hamas fighters has sparked fierce criticism and heated international debate. A spokesman for the UN Human Rights Office told dpa in Geneva on Friday that international humanitarian law "prohibits launching attacks where the anticipated incidental loss of civilian life, injury to civilians, damage to civilian objects, or a combination thereof, would be excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage expected to be o
2 min read - Worlddpa international
Domestic violence in Germany rises second year in row
The number of victims of domestic violence in Germany rose by 6.9% in 2023 compared to the previous year, with Family Minister Lisa Paus lamenting the "shocking extent of a sad reality" on Friday. According to a recent report on police crime statistics, a total of 88,411 people were officially affected by domestic violence in 2023. In 2022, there had already been an increase of more than 8% compared to the year before. The majority of victims were female (70.5%). Of those affected, 65.5% were vi
2 min read - BusinessEngadget
Whistleblower claims Amazon violated UK sanctions by selling facial recognition tech to Russia
An ex-employee has accused Amazon of breaching UK sanctions by selling facial recognition technology to Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine.
2 min read - WorldWGN Chicago
Israeli strike kills 33 in a Gaza school filled with displaced families
Israel bombed a United-Nations run school that was sheltering displaced Palestinian families. The Israeli airstrike killed at least 33 people, including women and children. Israel claimed Thursday the school was being used as a Hamas compound, without providing evidence. Israel’s military said it was not aware of any civilian casualties in the strike on the […]
1 min read - WorldBBC
Unity government is S Africa's best option - Ramaphosa
It would reflect the will of voters and help move the country forward, President Ramaphosa says.
5 min read - Worlddpa international
Zelensky in Paris: 'Europe is no longer a continent of peace'
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the French parliament that Europe was a continent at war and that Russia would not stop its aggression at the borders of his country. "We live in a time when Europe is no longer a continent of peace, unfortunately," Zelensky said in an address to French lawmakers on Friday morning. "Again, Europe's cities are being destroyed and villages are burned," he said of Russia's bombing of Ukraine. He also decried the abduction of Ukrainian children in occupied
1 min read - Worlddpa international
Zelensky to address German parliament on Tuesday
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will give a speech in the German parliament next Tuesday, during his visit to Berlin. Parliamentary sources told dpa on Friday that Zelensky will address the Bundestag while attending the two-day Ukraine Recovery Conference in Berlin on Tuesday and Wednesday. The German government had previously confirmed that Zelensky would open the conference on Tuesday together with Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Zelensky addressed German lawmakers by video link on March 17, 20
1 min read - Sportsdpa international
Zverev trial ends without verdict in exchange for payment of fine
A Berlin trial against Alexander Zverev on assault charges ended without a verdict on Friday, just hours ahead of his French Open semi-final match. The district court closed the trial after all parties agreed on a monetary fine of €200,000 ($218,000) for the Olympic tennis champion from Germany, €150,000 to the justice treasury and €50,000 to a charity. The payment is no admission of guilt and the presumption of innocence remains. Zverev, 27, had appealed against a €450,000 penalty order on dome
2 min read - Worlddpa international
Taliban open to cooperation with Germany on deporting Afghans
Afghanistan's Taliban rulers said on Friday they are open to cooperating with the German government on the deportation of Afghan criminals back to their home country. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Thursday that he wanted to see the swift deportation of criminals back to countries deemed unsafe by the government in Berlin, including Afghanistan and Syria. The initiative comes after outrage was triggered by the recent killing of a police officer by an Afghan national. The attack took place
2 min read - WorldAssociated Press
At D-Day ceremony, American veteran hugs Ukraine's Zelenskyy and calls him a savior
An American veteran and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared an emotional moment at a ceremony to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion to liberate France in World War II, each praising the other as a hero. Retired Staff Sgt. Melvin Hurwitz, 99, and other veterans were introduced to the foreign dignitaries remembering the landings in Normandy on Thursday.
1 min read - WorldSemafor
ANC is mulling a unity coalition made up of multiple South African parties
A coalition government that includes most of South Africa’s main parties has emerged as the most popular option for the African National Congress.
2 min read - WorldAFP
Video shows church choir singing for late Thai king, not 'Putin tribute'
After Russian President Vladimir Putin secured a record-breaking fifth term, footage of a church choir circulated in social media posts that falsely claimed they were performing the Thai royal anthem at his inauguration ceremony in Moscow. However, the video was in fact filmed years earlier in Phuket and shows a tribute to Thailand's late King Bhumibol Adulyadej following his death in 2016.
3 min read - BusinessCNN Business
Workers at Samsung Electronics walk out for the first time ever
A labor union representing tens of thousands of workers at Samsung in South Korea went on strike Friday, marking the first such walkout in its 55-year history.
2 min read - WorldAFP
Photo shows Israel weapons test, not 'Philippines launching missile'
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos said in 2022 the archipelago had acquired a Spyder air defence system as part of a push to modernise the military. A photo circulating on Facebook, however, shows different equipment. Israeli firm Rafael Advanced Defense Systems said the photo showed a new missile tested in Israel in December 2023, while a Philippine Air Force spokeswoman told AFP the equipment in the photo shared online was "not ours ".
2 min read - Worlddpa international
Swiss leader: Ukraine meet likely to be followed by Russia conference
Swiss President Viola Amherd says the Ukraine peace conference that her country is organizing for later this month is just the beginning of negotiations and would likely be followed by talks with Russia. "It is clear to us that we will not sign a peace agreement at the end of the conference," Amherd said in comments published by Germany's Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper on Friday. Both parties need to be at the table for peace, she said, referring to the fact that Russia has not been in
1 min read - WorldBBC
'Lion' pouts and baptisms: Africa's top shots
A selection of the week's best photos from across the African continent.
2 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Emirati authorities say an ex-Royal Marine arrested in Dubai over spying suspicion has been cleared
A former Royal Marine who was arrested in Dubai on suspicion of spying has been cleared and is free to leave the country, authorities in the United Arab Emirates said Friday. U.K. media reported this week that Matthew Croucher, who won one of Britain’s highest bravery honors for his service in Afghanistan, had been arrested in November and banned from leaving the UAE pending an investigation. Authorities in Dubai said Friday that Croucher had been “arrested after accessing a public facility us
1 min read - BusinessINSIDER
A South Korean weapons company once seen as a dinosaur is now churning out howitzers twice as fast as its Western competitors
As the war in Ukraine rages and the world looks to conventional arms manufacturing, South Korea has emerged as a rising player in the industry.
3 min read - WorldBBC
Australia's 'Space Gandalf' astronomer dies aged 62
Greg Quicke was one of Australia's most famous astronomers and appeared on the BBC's Stargazing Live.
2 min read - Worlddpa international
German rights group condemns Scholz's plan to deport criminals
The German refugee advocacy group Pro Asyl has condemned German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's initiative to allow deportations of serious criminals to Afghanistan and Syria. "International law clearly prohibits any deportations to Afghanistan and Syria," Pro Asyl's managing director Karl Kopp told the Augsburger Allgemeine newspaper in remarks published on Friday. Kopp described Scholz's proposed plans as unlawful, because "both countries are known for their use of torture and inhuman punishments." O
2 min read - Worlddpa international
Macron to welcome Zelensky to Élysée Palace
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled to be received by President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace on Friday as part of an official visit to France. In the morning, Zelensky is first due to meet Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu and then visit the defence company KNDS in Versailles. The Élysée Palace announced that the company intends to set up a weapons production facility in Ukraine itself to support the country in its defence against Russia. Zelensky's other stops on Friday
2 min read - Worlddpa international
Sheinbaum officially confirmed winner of Mexico's presidential vote
Four days after Mexico held presidential elections, government candidate Claudia Sheinbaum has been officially declared the winner, making her the first female president in the country's history. A former mayor of Mexico City, Sheinbaum from the ruling left-wing Morena party won 59.75% of the votes, the electoral authority said late on Thursday. Her main challenger, opposition candidate Xóchitl Gálvez, came in second with 27.45%. Jorge Álvarez, from the smaller centre-left Movimiento Ciudadano p
2 min read - WorldAFP
Post misleadingly uses training video as evidence of hajj ritual in Nigeria
Hajj is the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. To ensure perfect worship during hajj, government bodies around the world organise pre-departure classes for those attending. A post alleged a video of people circling a structure resembling the holy Kaaba stone — the most sacred site in Islam — was proof that followers in Nigeria were performing hajj against Islamic custom. But the claim is misleading: the video shows prospective pilgrims during a demonstration meant to prepare the
3 min read - WorldAssociated Press
How AP analyzed Gaza Health Ministry's death toll data
The Associated Press analyzed the death toll in the Israel-Hamas war using data provided by the Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip. The analysis found that the proportion of women and children killed has declined over time. The ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government in Gaza, does not distinguish between civilian and combatant deaths, so the proportion of women and children killed is seen as the best available proxy for the civilian death toll.
3 min read - WorldAFP
Pakistani provincial government has not 'renamed cardiology institute after Punjab's chief minister'
The information minister for Punjab, Pakistan's most populous province, has said none of its hospitals are set to be renamed, contradicting social media posts that falsely claimed a cardiology institute had been named after Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif. The posts shared a fabricated notice from a Punjab government department.
2 min read - USKRON
San Francisco’s panda project moves forward
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Two giant pandas will arrive in San Francisco by 2025, according to a letter of intent signed by the mayor and the China Wildlife Conservation Association. Preparing a habitat that’s worthy of a panda, however, is a pricey endeavor. The adorable animals, which are considered national treasures in China, will live […]
3 min read - WorldDefense News
France to supply Mirage 2000-5 jets to Ukraine, train pilots
The French president also said Ukraine can use French arms to attack locations in Russia from where the country is being targeted.
3 min read - ScienceReuters
In Malaysia, warmer temperatures mean fewer male turtles, hurting conservation efforts
On a secluded Malaysian beach, a group of volunteers carefully retrieved newly laid sea turtle eggs in the sand and moved them to a shady, cooler location, in response to fears by researchers that warmer weather is leading to fewer male hatchlings. Observers at the Chagar Hutang Turtle Sanctuary on Redang Island believe they are already seeing fewer males being hatched due to climate change - with the situation made worse this year by prolonged hot and dry spells caused by the El Niño weather p
1 min read - Worlddpa international
Macron pledges Mirage fighter jets to Ukraine
French President Emmanuel Macron has promised Ukraine Mirage fighter jets, though he did not initially say how many. In a television interview in the northern city of Caen on Thursday evening, Macron said a coalition with partners was in the process of being formed to provide Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets to the country defending itself from Russia. The fighter jets should enable Ukraine to protect its soil and airspace, Macron told broadcasters TF1 and France 2. The French president also announced
2 min read - WorldBBC
Russia holds Frenchman accused of military spying
Moscow says the man was gathering military data about Russia and failed to register as a "foreign agent".
2 min read - Worlddpa international
Dozens killed in Israeli attack on UN school, Palestinians say
Dozens of civilians were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a school run by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) in central Gaza, Palestinian medics and the Hamas militant group said, a claim Israel denies. The Hamas-controlled health authority in Gaza said that at least 30 people were killed in the attack on Wednesday night and that most of the victims were women and children. Hamas said 40 people died. Israeli military spokesman Peter Lerner said Israel had no knowledge of possible ci
5 min read
