World
- Worlddpa international
Leader of Germany's far-right AfD to stand trial for Nazi slogan
A leading member of Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is due to stand trial on Thursday for allegedly using a banned Nazi slogan. The AfD chairman in the state of Thuringia, Björn Höcke, goes on trial in the city of Halle on allegations that he used a banned slogan of the Storm Troopers (SA), the Nazi paramilitary fighting organization, in two speeches. He is charged with using symbols of unconstitutional and terrorist organizations. Before the trial began, the former histo
1 min read - WorldAssociated Press
How South Africa's former leader Zuma turned on his allies and became a surprise election foe
South Africa faces an unusual national election this year, its seventh vote since transitioning from white minority rule to a democracy 30 years ago. Polls and analysts warn that for the first time, the ruling African National Congress party that has comfortably held power since Nelson Mandela became the country's first Black president in 1994 might receive less than 50% of votes. One big reason is Jacob Zuma, the former president and ANC leader who stepped down in disgrace in 2018 amid a swir
4 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Prominent figure in German far-right party going on trial over alleged use of Nazi slogan
One of the most prominent figures in the far-right Alternative for Germany party is going on trial Thursday on charges of twice using a Nazi slogan, months before a regional election in which he is running to become his state's governor. Björn Höcke, 52, is the leader of the regional branch of Alternative for Germany, or AfD, in the eastern state of Thuringia and a powerful figure on the party’s hard right. While never formally a national leader of AfD, the former history teacher has been cons
3 min read - WorldBBC
Spy scandal revives fears of Austrian exposure to Russia
Egisto Ott was detained last month on suspicion of spying for Russia, prompting a raft of allegations.
3 min read - WorldBloomberg
Thailand, New Zealand Agree to Resume Direct Flights
(Bloomberg) -- Thailand and New Zealand have agreed to resume direct flights after the pandemic shut air connectivity as leaders of the two countries vowed to triple bilateral trade in the next two decades. Most Read from BloombergDubai Grinds to Standstill as Cloud Seeding Worsens FloodingRed Lobster Considers Bankruptcy to Deal With Leases and Labor CostsTesla Asks Investors to Approve Musk’s $56 Billion Pay AgainElon Wants His Money BackSingapore Loses ‘World’s Best Airport’ Crown to QatarThe
1 min read - WorldBloomberg
Petro Proposes Safeguards for Loser of Venezuela Election
(Bloomberg) -- Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro, acting as a mediator in Venezuela’s political crisis, is proposing a democratic pact between the government of Nicolas Maduro and the opposition to ensure that the loser of the upcoming presidential election is shielded from any type of political persecution. Most Read from BloombergDubai Grinds to Standstill as Cloud Seeding Worsens FloodingRed Lobster Considers Bankruptcy to Deal With Leases and Labor CostsTesla Asks Investors to Approve Musk’
1 min read - Worlddpa international
EU leaders agree sanctions on Iran for Israel attack
European Union leaders agreed late on Wednesday on new sanctions targeting Iran for the direct attack on Israel. The EU has decided "to put in place sanctions against Iran," European Council President Charles Michel told reporters in the early hours of Thursday morning after the first day of a two-day summit. "The idea is to target the companies that are needed for the drones, for the missiles," he said. Further details are to be finalized, he added. "The European Union will take further restric
4 min read - WorldBloomberg
Milei Proposes Encounter With Lula After Mutual Insults
(Bloomberg) -- Argentina’s President Javier Milei has extended an olive branch to Brazil’s Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, whom he has repeatedly called a “communist,” by proposing an encounter to thaw high-level relations between the neighboring countries.Most Read from BloombergDubai Grinds to Standstill as Cloud Seeding Worsens FloodingRed Lobster Considers Bankruptcy to Deal With Leases and Labor CostsTesla Asks Investors to Approve Musk’s $56 Billion Pay AgainElon Wants His Money BackSingapore L
2 min read - USDeseret News
Can a corpse take out a loan?
No, but that didn’t stop one woman in Brazil from trying, after wheeling a dead man into a bank and asking him to sign papers
2 min read - WorldPOWER Magazine
South Korean Nuclear Power Plant Will Assess Feasibility of Medical Isotope Production
Framatome and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to demonstrate the feasibility of producing non-carrier added lutetium-177, a medical isotope used for a […]
2 min read - WorldINSIDER
Japan showed off the destroyer it's turning into an aircraft carrier for F-35 stealth fighters
Japan hasn't flown fighter jets from carriers since World War II, but it's building out its capabilities amid the concerns about China.
4 min read - WorldINSIDER
Iran and Israel dragged their shadow war out of the dark, and it's much more dangerous now
Iran has historically relied on proxy forces to attack Israel, but last weekend it launched direct strikes from its territory for the first time.
5 min read - WorldAccuWeather
Indonesia's Ruang volcano erupts in spectacular fashion
Hundreds of people in Indonesia's North Sulawesi province have been evacuated after eruptions of the Ruang volcano. Most of the island's 800 residents were evacuated to nearby Tagulandang Island, Reuters reported. According to the Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation, over 1,000 earthquakes occurred two days prior to Wednesday's eruption, while the volcano spewed lava and ash clouds into the sky in smaller eruptions. Indonesia's Ruang Volcano erupts on April 17, 2024. (PVMBG
1 min read - USUnited Press International
Stowaway snake causes delay for bullet train in Japan
One of Japan's famously punctual high-speed bullet trains experienced a rare 17-minute delay when a snake was found in a passenger car.
1 min read - Worlddpa international
EU foreign affairs chief: Don't let Iran distract from Gaza crisis
Iran's attack on Israel on Saturday mustn't take attention away from the humanitarian situation in Gaza, the EU's foreign affairs chief warned on Wednesday. "The latest escalation in the Middle East must not make us forget Gaza. Palestinians have the right to humanitarian aid. Israel must guarantee access & safety for aid workers," Josep Borrell posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. EU leaders are meeting in Brussels on Wednesday and Thursday ostensibly to discuss economic matters, but rising
1 min read - Worlddpa international
EU leaders call for calm as Israel-Iran situation threatens to spiral
European Union leaders in Brussels on Wednesday appealed for calm to prevail as Israel mulls a response to a direct attack from Iran amid the prospect of escalating tensions in the Middle East. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged Israel not to retaliate against Iran with a "massive attack of its own" in an appeal for calm on his arrival at the two-day summit. Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said “all efforts are now being made to contain the conflict so that it does not become a conflagration,
4 min read - WorldBBC
Passions run high as Lords insist on Rwanda bill changes
Peers continue standoff with MPs over legislation enabling asylum seekers to be sent to east Africa.
4 min read - USModesto Bee
Caifornia zoo announces the birth of an endangered animal. See the adorable photos
They’re found natively only in Madagascar.
1 min read - BusinessModern Car Collector
Audi’s Skorpion Concept Turns Up in German Museum
Audi’s exploration into hybrid supercar technology, initiated under the guidance of former R&D chief Wolfgang Dürheimer, has finally been revealed with the Skorpion concept now on public display at the August Horch Museum in Zwickau, Germany. The project, which was closely guarded and never officially announced, illustrates what could have been Audi’s step above the celebrated R8. Image via August Horch Museum The Skorpion concept, inspired by Audi’s formidable R18 Le Mans sports prototypes, com
2 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Belarus' parliament votes to leave Europe's conventional forces treaty already abandoned by Russia
The Belarusian parliament on Wednesday voted to suspend the country's participation in the Conventional Forces in Europe treaty that once was a key security doctrine for the continent, a 1990 agreement that was abandoned last year by Russia. The bill, introduced by authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko earlier this month, could pave the way for Belarus — Russia’s ally in the war in Ukraine — to expand its military. Belarus lawmakers unanimously approved the bill calling for the treaty's
2 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Tsunami alert after a volcano in Indonesia has several big eruptions and thousands are told to leave
Indonesian authorities issued a tsunami alert Wednesday after eruptions at Ruang mountain sent ash thousands of feet high. Officials ordered more than 11,000 people to leave the area. The volcano on the northern side of Sulawesi island had at least five large eruptions in the past 24 hours, Indonesia’s Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation said.
1 min read - Worlddpa international
German chancellor urges Israel not to retaliate after Iran attack
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged Israel not to respond to Iran's direct attack with a "massive attack of its own" in an appeal for calm. Scholz called for further de-escalation and for Israel to now use the successful defence against Iran's missile and drone attack "to strengthen its own position in the entire region." On this basis, "a corresponding military response would certainly not be appropriate," Scholz said on his arrival to a meeting of EU leaders. The German chancellor said the Eur
1 min read - Worlddpa international
Recognize Palestine, Irish prime minister to tell EU leaders
Ireland's new prime minister said on Wednesday he will use his first EU summit in Brussels to encourage other EU leaders to recognize a Palestinian state. Simon Harris said he intended to convey the need for "a number of European states to now move ahead and recognize the state of Palestine," Harris told reporters as he arrived at the summit on Wednesday. "If you believe in a two-state solution, I think such positive momentum could be helpful and could be important," he said. Noting the recent v
1 min read - ScienceGizmodo
Humans Sheltered in This Lava Tube for Thousands of Years
Three needs are famously fundamental to survival: food, water, and shelter. According to new research, ancient humans had at least two of those three needs met by a nearly mile-long lava tube about 77 miles (125 kilometers) north of Medina, Saudi Arabia, for at least 7,000 years.
3 min read - ScienceLive Science
Humans were living in a lava tube 7,000 years ago on the Arabian Peninsula
An analysis of a lava tube in Saudi Arabia reveals that humans have lived there for at least 7,000 years.
5 min read - WorldBBC
'I’m in pieces' - Israeli hostage's agony over husband held in Gaza by Hamas
Aviva Siegel tells the BBC of the brutal conditions she, Keith and others faced in Hamas captivity.
7 min read - WorldAssociated Press
The U.N. rights chief says eastern Congo's escalating violence is being forgotten by the world
The world is forgetting the escalating violence in eastern Congo as conflicts continue in places like Ukraine and Gaza, the U.N. human rights chief said Wednesday while visiting the region and calling for peace and support for millions repeatedly displaced. Eastern Congo has long been overrun by more than 120 armed groups seeking to control the region's rich resources as they carry out mass killings. Hundreds of thousands have been displaced in recent months, worsening one of the world’s large
2 min read - BusinessBloomberg
Trudeau’s Ex-Finance Minister Criticizes Capital Gains Tax Hike
(Bloomberg) -- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s former finance minister said he rejected the idea of hiking the capital gains tax while in office due to concerns it would stunt Canada’s economic growth, and called the move “very troubling for many investors.”Most Read from BloombergDubai Grinds to Standstill as Cloud Seeding Worsens FloodingRed Lobster Considers Bankruptcy to Deal With Leases and Labor CostsTesla Asks Investors to Approve Musk’s $56 Billion Pay AgainElon Wants His Money BackSinga
3 min read - Worlddpa international
United Nations asks for billions for Gaza aid operations
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has said it needs billions of dollars this year to help the suffering population of the Gaza Strip and the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Donor countries are being asked to provide an additional $2.8 billion for 3.3 million people by the end of the year, OCHA announced in Geneva on Wednesday. Most of the money, around $2.5 billion, is earmarked for the Palestinians in the sealed-off Gaza Strip. The total requirement is ac
1 min read - WorldFox Weather
Indonesia's Ruang volcano erupts as hundreds evacuated amid spewing lava, ash clouds
Hundreds of residents in Indonesia's North Sulawesi province were evacuated Wednesday due to multiple eruptions from the Ruang volcano.
2 min read - Worlddpa international
German foreign minister to Israel: 'prudent restraint' is 'strength'
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock again urged Israel to act prudently and responsibly in response to Iranian attacks following meetings with top Israeli officials on Wednesday. "I'm not talking about backing down here. I am talking about prudent restraint, which is nothing less than strength," she said at Tel Aviv airport on Wednesday following meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog. Iran's dangerous actions would not go unpunished, Baerbock sa
2 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Italy's leader keeps the focus on migration on her fourth visit to Tunisia in a year
The head of Italy's right-wing government acknowledged Wednesday that Tunisia cannot serve as a dumping ground for migrants, days after Tunisia's president reaffirmed his unwillingness to let Europe outsource migration problems by sending those not welcome there to his country. Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni said during a visit to Tunisia — her fourth in the past year — that the North African nation “cannot become the arrival point for migrants coming from the rest of Europe.”
3 min read - WorldBBC
Cubana Chief Priest: Nigerian socialite charged for throwing money in air
Cubana Chief Priest is the latest celebrity to fall foul of a crackdown on "abusing" banknotes.
2 min read - Worlddpa international
Germany's Baerbock urges 'maximum restraint' in Middle East
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has called on Iran and Israel to show "maximum restraint" amid fears that the conflict in the Middle East could expand into a major regional war. "A spiral of escalation would serve no one," Baerbock warned just after arriving on the Italian island of Capri ahead of a meeting of the Group of Seven (G7) major industrialized democracies. She said that further escalation endangers the security of Israel, the lives of the dozens of hostages still being held
1 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Protests, heightened terror threat mean tight security at Eurovision Song Contest in Sweden
Security will be tight during next month’s Eurovision Song Contest in the southern Sweden city of Malmo, police said Wednesday, citing demonstrations that could lead to unrests and a heightened threat of terrorism in the Scandinavian country. “The security is going to be rigorous,” Petra Stenkula, head of police area in Malmo, said according to Swedish broadcaster TV4. Pro-Palestinian activists who want Israel out of the Eurovision Song Contest have announced large rallies in downtown Malmo, s
3 min read - WorldCNN
Snake on a bullet train causes rare railway delay in Japan
Almost nothing stops Japan’s famous high-speed bullet trains from running exactly on time – but a tiny snake slithering through a passenger carriage will do the trick, albeit for just 17 minutes.
1 min read - Worlddpa international
Iran's nuclear chief says IAEA boss will travel to Tehran for talks
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, will shortly be travelling to Tehran to resume nuclear talks with the Iranian side, a top Iranian official said on Wednesday. "We have good cooperation with the IAEA and the IAEA chief will also come to Tehran soon to continue the bilateral talks and update them, so to speak," Iran's nuclear boss Mohammad Eslami said, according to the Iranian news agency IRNA. Grossi said in an interview with CNN on Tuesday that he was "co
2 min read - Worlddpa international
Putin's old university classmate becomes chair of Supreme Court
A former fellow student of Russian President Vladimir Putin, 70-year-old Irina Podnosova, has been appointed chairwoman of Russia's Supreme Court. The Federation Council, the upper house of the Russian parliament, unanimously approved the decision, the Interfax news agency reported on Wednesday. Podnosova was nominated for the post by the Kremlin at the beginning of April. Podnosova was born in 1953 in the western city of Pskov. She graduated from the law faculty of Leningrad State University -
1 min read - WorldAFP
Old clip showing rocket barrage at night misattributed to Iranian attack on Israel
Iran’s retaliatory attack involving hundreds of missiles and drones aimed at its archfoe Israel has heightened fears of a wider war in the Middle East. Social media posts sharing unrelated videos of rocket fire and explosions have surged online, among them a clip purported to show the moment Iran unleashed its barrage of missiles in the direction of Israel. But the claim is false; the original footage was filmed during the conflict between Turkey and Syria in 2020. AFP Fact Check debunked the fo
3 min read - BusinessAFP
EU questions TikTok over new Lite app in France, Spain
The EU gave TikTok 24 hours to provide a risk assessment on its new Lite app launched in France and Spain over concerns of its potential impact on children and users' mental health, the European Commission said on Wednesday.The demand "concerns the potential impact of the new 'Task and Reward Lite' programme on the protection of minors, as well as on the mental health of users, in particular in relation to the potential stimulation of addictive behaviour", it said.
2 min read - BusinessReuters
Brazil's Treasury Secretary says balance needed to avoid 'fiscal setbacks' - report
Brazil's Treasury Secretary said in an interview with newspaper Valor Economico that all of the country's financial institutions and "all society" need to understand the importance of balancing public accounts to avoid fiscal setbacks. The remarks come after Brazil on Monday changed its fiscal target to a zero primary deficit for 2025, in a reduction of the previously announced fiscal effort, which predicted a surplus of 0.5% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) over the next year. In the inter
1 min read - WorldNBC News
Record floods hit desert city Dubai
Heavy rains battered parts of the Middle East on Tuesday, appearing to flood the tarmac at the Dubai International Airport.
2 min read - Businessdpa international
European natural gas price reaches highest level since January
The price of natural gas in Europe has reached its highest level in over three months due to the conflicts in the Middle East. The benchmark TTF futures contract for delivery in a month's time rose to €33.95 ($36.12) per megawatt hour on the Amsterdam stock exchange on Wednesday. This is the highest price since the beginning of January. Over the past week the price of natural gas has risen by more than 20%, making up for the price decline in the first few months of the year. One reason for the r
1 min read - WorldAssociated Press
French police evict hundreds from abandoned Paris warehouse ahead of Olympics
With the Paris Olympic Games 100 days away, police carried out a large-scale eviction at France's biggest squat in the south of the country's capital. Authorities, including dozens of gendarmes, cleared out the makeshift camp at an abandoned bus company headquarters in Vitry-sur-Seine on Wednesday. The camp had become home to about 450 migrants, with images of the eviction spreading rapidly across social media.
3 min read - Worlddpa international
Myanmar's jailed ex-leader Suu Kyi transferred due to heatwave
Myanmar's ousted former leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been transferred from prison to another location. Local media, citing military junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun, reported that the reason for the move was concern for the 78-year-old's health in view of the high temperatures in the capital Naypyidaw, where Suu Kyi was being held . It was not certain whether she had been taken to another prison or transferred to house arrest. The junta had not informed Suu Kyi's lawyers of the plan or of her new loca
1 min read - Worlddpa international
At least 10 killed in Russian attack on Chernihiv, Zelensky says
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for more air defence support from Western partners after a Russian missile attack killed at least 10 people on Wednesday. "This would not have happened if Ukraine had received sufficient air defence and if the world had been determined enough to counter Russian terror," Zelensky wrote on Telegram. The search for victims among the rubble is continuing. According to Zelensky, 10 people have been found dead so far. Another 20 people have been injured in
1 min read - WorldAFP
French far right gets youthful vibe with 28-year-old leader
France's far-right National Rally is banking on its youthful and charismatic party leader to be a major asset as it scents massive gains in upcoming European elections.But since taking over as National Rally (RN) party leader, Bardella has become an increasingly visible presence in French politics, forming an effective tandem with Le Pen, who leads its MPs in parliament.
4 min read - WorldReuters
Social media platform X blocked in Pakistan over national security, ministry says
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) -Pakistan's interior ministry said on Wednesday it had blocked access to social media platform X around the time of February's election on national security concerns, confirming a long-suspected shutdown. Users in Pakistan have reported problems using X, formerly known as Twitter, since mid-February, but the government had made no official announcement on the matter until now. The interior ministry mentioned the shutdown in a written submission to Islamabad High Court on We
3 min read - Worlddpa international
Top German, British diplomats travel to Israel in bid to limit crisis
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and British Foreign Secretary David Cameron were in Israel on Wednesday for crisis diplomacy talks. Cameron spoke in favour of a measured response by Israel to Iran's recent attack. He hopes the country responds in a way that "is smart, as well as tough," but that does not escalate the conflict. Cameron said it was more important to concentrate on freeing the Israeli hostages, getting aid supplies into the Gaza Strip and achieving a ceasefire there. He s
3 min read - WorldBloomberg
Saudis, UAE Warn of Dangers of a War Spreading in the Region
(Bloomberg) -- Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates called for maximum “self-restraint” in the Middle East to spare the region “from the dangers of war and its dire consequences,” in an unusually frank joint statement Wednesday.Most Read from BloombergDubai Grinds to Standstill as Cloud Seeding Worsens FloodingRed Lobster Considers Bankruptcy to Deal With Leases and Labor CostsTesla Asks Investors to Approve Musk’s $56 Billion Pay AgainElon Wants His Money BackSingapore Loses ‘World’s Best
4 min read
