World
- WorldBBC
What is South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the ICJ?
The International Court of Justice is considering whether Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.
5 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Russia smashes train tracks in a battered Ukrainian border region where children are being evacuated
A nighttime Russian attack destroyed train tracks and rolling stock in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region, officials said Friday, and authorities organized the evacuation of children from the area that is being pummeled by the Kremlin’s forces in a powerful new offensive. Authorities have evacuated more than 11,000 people from the Kharkiv region since Russia launched an offensive there on May 10, regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said. Officials on Friday announced the mandatory evacuation over
2 min read - WorldBBC
World ignoring risk of Sudan genocide - UN expert
Sudan is facing a genocide as the world's attention is focused on Ukraine and Gaza, a UN expert warns.
3 min read - Worlddpa international
EU member states give final approval to new supply chain law
Ministers for the European Union's member states on Friday gave their final approval to a much fought-over law requiring companies to protect human rights in their supply chains. The Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence - also known as the European Supply Chain Act - is intended to hold large companies accountable if they profit from child or forced labour outside the EU. No member states voted against the law, but 10 abstained, including Germany. Getting the law over the line too
1 min read - Worlddpa international
Polish Prime Minister Tusk rules out bid for presidency in 2025
Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk has emphatically ruled out his seeking election as president in 2025, despite rumours that he will take a second run at the position. "I say it this clearly: No, I will not run in the presidential election," Tusk told the country's TVP Info on Thursday evening. According to Tusk, who until 2019 was president of the European Council before returning as Poland's prime minister late last year, he had so much to do as head of government that a few months or years
1 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Thai town maddened by marauding monkeys launches plan to lock them up and send them away
A Thai town, run ragged by its ever-growing population of marauding wild monkeys, launched an offensive against the simian raiders on Friday, using trickery and ripe tropical fruit. Several high-profile cases of monkey-human conflict recently convinced authorities in Lopburi in central Thailand that they had to reduce the animals' numbers.
3 min read - Businessdpa international
German economy saw small growth in first quarter, data confirms
Germany's economy expanded slightly in the first quarter thanks to increased construction sector activity and a rise in exports, government data showed on Friday, matching a preliminary estimate of 0.2% quarter-on-quarter growth released last month. "After GDP fell at the end of 2023, the German economy started 2024 on a positive note," said Ruth Brand, president of the Federal Statistical Office, in a statement. Hopes for Europe's biggest economy in the coming months are pinned chiefly on a pic
2 min read - Worlddpa international
Ukraine's Kharkiv hit with another aerial bombing raid
Two glide bombs hit Kharkiv in a renewed overnight attack on the north-eastern Ukrainian city which has been the target of Russian airstrikes for months. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said on Telegram that there were no casualties reported and several residential buildings as well as an uninhabited building were slightly damaged. Seven people were killed by Russian strikes in Kharkiv on Thursday when at least 15 missiles hit the city and the surrounding area during daytime hours. One of Ukraine's
1 min read - WorldBBC
I couldn't bury my brother because of Sudan bombing
El Fasher residents in the firing line as satellite images show camp targeted by paramilitary fighters.
4 min read - Worlddpa international
Israel limits Spanish diplomatic services over Palestine recognition
Two days after Spain announced its intention to recognize an independent state of Palestine, Israel has imposed restrictions on the work of Spanish diplomats in the country. The Spanish Embassy in Tel Aviv and the Spanish Consulate General in East Jerusalem will in future be prohibited from offering their services to Palestinians from the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Foreign Minister Israel Katz posted on the social media platform X on Friday. Katz justified the measure by pointing to a statement
1 min read - Worlddpa international
German health minister urges strict limits on 'laughing gas' sales
Germany's health minister, Karl Lauterbach, plans to introduce stricter rules to curb the sale of nitrous oxide, sometimes known as laughing gas, especially to young people. The drug, which is used in medicine as an anaesthetic and for pain reduction, has become a particularly popular party drug among young people in Germany. The sale and consumption of nitrous oxide is not restricted under current law. "We will come up with a regulation quickly," Lauterbach told public broadcaster ARD on Friday
2 min read - WorldBBC
I'm facing consequences of returning to politics - Lungu
Zambia's ex-president insists that he is under virtual house arrest, although this is denied by the police.
4 min read - USAssociated Press
2 Germans, a Spaniard and a Senegalese killed in building collapse in Spain's Mallorca island
Spain's National Police on Friday gave details on four people killed when a building housing a bar and restaurant club collapsed on the island of Mallorca. Police said two German women, aged 20 and 30, died, along with a 33-year-old Spanish woman and a 44-year-old Senegalese man. Palma de Mallorca Mayor Jaime Martínez and firefighter department spokesman Eder García told reporters that excess weight on a first-floor terrace may have caused the collapse Thursday.
1 min read - WorldAFP
Old Singapore Airlines footage recirculates after flight's high-altitude ordeal in 2024
Old footage showing items scattered on a Singapore Airlines plane cabin's floor has been viewed more than one million times in posts falsely linking it to a flight that hit extreme turbulence over Asia on May 21, 2024. The clip, however, has circulated since 2013 in reports about another Singapore Airlines flight that was rocked by turbulence during the breakfast service.
3 min read - USAssociated Press
Iran's military says Raisi's helicopter caught fire soon after crash and there was no sign of attack
The helicopter carrying Iran's late President Ebrahim Raisi caught fire soon after it crashed into a mountain and there was no sign it was attacked, state media reported, citing the military's crash investigators. The statement from the general staff of the armed forces in charge of investigating the crash was read on state television late Thursday. The crash Sunday killed Raisi, the country’s foreign minister and six other people.
1 min read - WorldBBC
In pictures: North India boils as temperatures near 50C
Parts of northern India are experiencing a brutal heatwave, with temperatures crossing 48C.
2 min read - NewsWFLA
Staying hot and dry through Memorial Day
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Temperatures climb into the low 90s this afternoon, but the humidity remains at comfortable levels. Be sure to stay hydrated and wear sunscreen. We’ll get a breeze off the Gulf of Mexico in the afternoon, but there’s not enough moisture for showers to form. The rain chance remains less than 10% […]
1 min read - Worlddpa international
UN court to decide on demand for Israel to withdraw from Rafah
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is due to rule on Friday on South Africa's demand for further legal action against Israel to prevent genocide against the Palestinians. In particular, the ruling concerns the possible ordering of an immediate withdrawal of the Israeli military from Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip. South Africa submitted an urgent application to this effect to the ICJ on May 10. The ruling will be announced by the president of the court, Lebanese lawyer Nawaf Salam, a
1 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Security Council to vote on resolution decrying attacks on UN and aid workers, demanding protection
The United Nations Security Council is scheduled to vote Friday on a resolution that strongly condemns attacks on humanitarian workers and U.N. personnel, and demands that all combatants protect them in accordance with international law. “The goal of the resolution is as simple as it is important,” Switzerland’s U.N. Ambassador Pascale Baeriswyl told The Associated Press on Thursday.
3 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Pakistan to pay $2.58 million in compensation to families of 5 Chinese who died in suicide bombing
Pakistan will pay $2.58 million in compensation to the families of five Chinese engineers who were killed in March when a suicide bomber targeted the vehicle carrying them in the northwest, the finance ministry said. The Chinese were attacked in the town of Bisham as they were heading to Dasu Dam, Pakistan’s biggest, where they worked. The compensation was approved at a meeting led by Finance Minister Mohammad Aurangzeb, the statement said.
1 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Fire at chemical factory in India kills at least 9, with searchers looking for more victims
Rescuers combed through piles of debris and wreckage Friday searching for bodies after an explosion and fire at a chemical factory in western India killed at least nine people and injured 64 others, officials said. The explosion in the factory’s boiler on Thursday led to a fire that affected nearby factories and houses in Maharashtra state’s Thane district, administrative official Sachin Shejal said. The factory produced food coloring and used highly reactive chemicals that can cause explosion
1 min read - USAssociated Press
A fire in an apartment building in Hanoi, Vietnam, kills 14 people and injures 6
An overnight fire in an apartment building on a narrow alley in Vietnam's capital killed 14 people and injured six others, state media said Friday. The apartment building in central Hanoi could only be accessed through an alley just 2 meters (6.5 feet) wide, preventing firetrucks from reaching it, and firefighters eventually contained the fire by using hoses, state media said. The fire started around 12:30 a.m. and was accompanied by several explosions, the Vietnam News Agency said.
2 min read - WorldAFP
Old video falsely shared as 'poll-rigging by supporters of Indian Muslim candidate'
Election authorities in India's southern state of Telangana c onfirmed a video shared online was filmed years before national elections in 2024, contrary to Facebook posts that falsely claimed it showed supporters of a Muslim candidate tampering with votes in this year's polls. The footage has circulated online since at least February 2022 in news reports that said it showed voter fraud in the eastern state of West Bengal.
3 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Climate change and rapid urbanization worsened the impact of East African rains, scientists say
The impact of the calamitous rains that struck East Africa from March to May was intensified by a mix of climate change and rapid growth of urban areas, an international team of climate scientists said in a study published Friday. The findings come from World Weather Attribution, a group of scientists that analyzes whether and to what extent human-induced climate change has altered the likelihood and magnitude of extreme weather events. The downpours caused floods that killed hundreds of peopl
3 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Putin arrives in neighboring Belarus for a two-day visit with a key ally
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived Thursday in Belarus for a two-day visit as part of several foreign tours to kick off his fifth term in office, underscoring close ties with a neighboring ally that has been instrumental in Russia's war effort in Ukraine. Putin traveled to China earlier this month, and is expected in Uzbekistan on Sunday. Earlier on Thursday, the Russian president hosted Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa in the Kremlin.
3 min read - Worlddpa international
Israel shows ambassadors with Palestine statehood plan hostage video
The ambassadors of Spain and Ireland as well as the Norwegian representative to Israel have been reprimanded at the Israeli Foreign Ministry. They were also shown a video on Thursday of the brutal capture of army observers on October 7 by militants from the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas. Foreign Minister Israel Katz had already announced this plan on Wednesday together with the summoning of the diplomats. Israeli media had also been invited to the screening of the video. In a subsequent state
1 min read - ScienceSpace
China launches test satellite to very low Earth orbit (video)
China launched four satellites on Tuesday (May 21) to test out new technologies. The spacecraft went up on the third-ever launch of the Kuaizhou-11 solid rocket.
2 min read - WorldNextShark
Thai activist's death in custody reignites calls for justice reform in Thailand
The death of a 28-year-old Thai activist in pre-trial detention earlier this month has reignited calls for reform in Thailand's justice system. Netiporn "Bung" Sanesangkhom, a member of pro-democracy group Thalu Wang, went on a hunger strike to protest her detention and demand judicial reform. Thai authorities said Sanesangkhom died on May 14 after suffering a cardiac arrest while in custody on lese majeste charges (insulting the monarchy).
2 min read - USDefense News
Replicator drones already being delivered, Pentagon says
The program meant to counter China by helping the Pentagon quickly buy thousands of drones. It's nearing the halfway point of an August 2025 deadline.
1 min read - Worlddpa international
Lithuania urges coordinated response to Russian maritime border plans
Lithuania has urged a coordinated response to a Russian legislative project on the possible redefinition of its maritime borders in the Baltic Sea. "We continue to work with our neighbours and partners at both EU and NATO level to ensure a unified response to the situation," Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė told the BNS news agency in Vilnius on Thursday. In Russia, a draft from the Ministry of Defence was published earlier on Thursday in the government's legislative database. It announced an adj
1 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Former South African president Jacob Zuma criticizes top court over election disqualification
Former South African President Jacob Zuma on Thursday criticized the country's highest court and his former allies in the ruling African National Congress over his disqualification from next week's election and said he would fight for his rights “in a disciplined way.” Zuma's comments came in a video message he said was aimed at the people of South Africa and released on social media six days before the possibly pivotal national vote. The 82-year-old former leader made clear he would still cam
3 min read - WorldINSIDER
China's military is surrounding Taiwan, sending its new president an unmistakable message
China's provocative military drills near Taiwan are seen as "strong punishment" and follow the recent inauguration of its new president, Lai Ching-te.
5 min read - SportsExplorersWeb
Spring Causes Change of Plans On Quebec-Labrador Journey
Almost a year ago, in June 2023, Justin Barbour set out to canoe, snowshoe, and trek 3,800km from Hudson Bay in northeastern Canada down to the southernmost point on the island of Newfoundland. He wanted to finish in a year and has mostly stayed on schedule, despite some setbacks and a recent route change. We […]
3 min read - WorldBBC
Sixteen arrested over Oxford University Gaza protest
Oxford Action for Palestine organised a sit-in at university offices on Wellington Square.
3 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Pakistan says United Arab Emirates to invest $10 billion in Pakistan
The Pakistani government said Thursday that the United Arab Emirates committed to investing up to $10 billion in Pakistan during a meeting in the UAE capital between that country's president and the Pakistani prime minister. The office of Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a statement that UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan made the commitment during a meeting in Abu Dhabi with Sharif, who is visiting the UAE. The statement said Sharif told the UAE president about measures
1 min read - WorldMen's Journal
Political Rally in Mexico Ends in Tragedy After Stage Collapses
At least nine people are dead and dozens more injured after a heavy gust of wind caused a stage to collapse at a presidential campaign rally in Mexico on Wednesday evening. The event was in support of Citizens Movement candidate Jorge Álvarez Máynez in San Pedro Garza Garcia, a city ...
2 min read - Worlddpa international
EU criticizes China's large-scale manoeuvres off Taiwan
The EU has criticized China's large-scale manoeuvres off the democratic island of Taiwan. "China’s military activities that started today around Taiwan increase cross-strait tensions," a spokesman for EU foreign affairs representative Josep Borrell said on Thursday, referring to the narrow strait that separates Taiwan from mainland China. "Peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are of strategic importance for regional and global security and prosperity." "All parties should exercise restraint
1 min read - Worlddpa international
Von der Leyen sets Ukraine as red line for work with right-wingers
Support for Ukraine is one of European Commission President' Ursula von der Leyen's "red lines" for cooperating with politicians to her right after the June 6-9 European Parliament elections, she said in a televised debate on Thursday. Von der Leyen had hinted in earlier debates that she might be prepared to work with parliamentary groups to the right of her own centre-right European People's Party. Support for the EU, for Ukraine, and for the rule of law were von der Leyen's conditions for futu
1 min read - Worlddpa international
Iran's late president Raisi laid to rest in home city of Mashhad
Iran's late president Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash last weekend, was laid to rest in his home city of Mashhad on Thursday. Raisi was buried next to the mausoleum of the eighth Shiite Imam Reza in Mashhad, state broadcaster IRIB reported. It is considered the most important Shia shrine in Iran. Three million people attended the funeral ceremony in Mashhad, according to the state news agency IRNA. There were no independent estimates of the size of the crowd. Raisi and his foreign
3 min read - WorldAFP
Culling controversy as French wolf population falls in 2023
The estimated number of wolves in France last year was 1,003, down nine percent from the year before, environmental associations said Thursday, urging the French government to lower its quota for the number of the animals which can be killed each year. The drop in the predator's population is the first in almost ten years, according to loupfrance.fr, a site managed by France’s biodiversity authority.
3 min read - WorldAFP
Germany's far-right AfD cast out by EU partners
Germany's AfD party was expelled Thursday from its far-right group within the European Parliament after a series of scandals involving a high-profile lawmaker, in the closing stretch of an EU election race in which the radical right is riding high.Two days later ID voted to expel the German party and its nine EU lawmakers.
4 min read - Worlddpa international
Germany's AfD party expelled from European Parliament group
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has been expelled from the Identity and Democracy (ID) group in the European Parliament, in a further blow to the German party. ID "no longer wants to be associated with the incidents" involving Maximilian Krah, head of the AfD list for the European parliament elections in Germany in June, a group statement said on Thursday. Marco Zanni, the leader of the ID group, made a request to expel the nine AfD members after negative headlines about the party in
2 min read - WorldBBC
Blast in sugar factory kills 11 in Tanzania
Among the dead are citizens of Kenya, Brazil, India and China, official say.
1 min read - WorldNBC News
Macron blasts Putin for rejecting Olympics truce
French President Macron said Russia's Putin is "not ready to make peace" in Ukraine after rejecting an "Olympic truce." Ukraine's Zelenskyy has also said no.
3 min read - BusinessElectronic Payments
UnionPay Online Payment now available in 60+ apps for visitors to China
UnionPay online payment is designed to fully accommodate the payment preferences of international users in China
2 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Far-right grouping in European Parliament expels high-flying Alternative for Germany party
A German far-right party hoping for big gains in upcoming European elections suffered a another setback on Thursday when it was kicked out of its group in the European Parliament. The Identity and Democracy group said it was expelling lawmakers from the Alternative for Germany party with immediate effect because of growing controversy surrounding its lead candidate in the June 6-9 polls. “The ID Group no longer wants to be associated with the incidents involving Maximilian Krah,” it said in a
3 min read - USFox Weather
9 killed, dozens injured in Mexico after stage collapses during severe thunderstorm
A stage collapsed in northeast Mexico on Wednesday during a thunderstorm, killing at least nine people and injuring dozens more, according to local government officials.
1 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Myanmar quietly announces plans to study controversial Chinese dam project suspended 13 years ago
Myanmar’s military government appears to be considering reviving a massive China-backed hydroelectric dam project, work on which was suspended more than a decade ago after protests over its possible impact on the environment. A notice from the Information Ministry, published online in the latest issue of the government gazette on Tuesday, announced a new leadership team for the Myitsone hydropower project, which was put on hold in 2011 by Myanmar’s military-backed former president, Thein Sein.
2 min read - WorldAssociated Press
In South Africa, a community struggling for clean water reflects wider discontent ahead of election
On days when a municipal truck comes to Hammanskraal to deliver drinking water, a queue of South Africans starts forming early in the morning to fill their buckets. This is not a distant, rural community, but a township on the edge of the administrative capital city of Africa's most advanced economy. It's barely 30 miles from the government buildings in nearby Pretoria. Hammanskraal's problems — a lack of clean water, a shortage of proper housing and high unemployment — are a snapshot of the i
4 min read - Worlddpa international
Putin visits Belarus on second trip abroad since start of new term
Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to travel to Belarus for a two-day state visit. Putin is scheduled to meet his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday evening for discussions on key international issues, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. The two countries are close allies and Minsk has provided support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine, without participating directly in the conflict. Lukashenko last visited Moscow on May 9 for Russia's Victory Day military parade. His
1 min read
