World
- Worlddpa international
Reports: Plane crashes on take-off in Nepal with fatalities
An aircraft with 19 people on board, including crew members, has crashed on take-off in Nepal, according to media reports. The plane, belonging to Saurya Airlines, crashed at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu on Wednesday, Nepali officials said. According to preliminary information, five bodies have been recovered at the scene of the accident, the newspaper Kathmandu Post reported. The plane skidded off the runway and crashed as it was taking off, an airport spokesman said. The
1 min read - WorldCNN
Olympic security checks block 5,000 people, including 1,000 suspected of meddling and espionage
France’s Interior Ministry rejected around 5000 security accreditation requests for Olympics volunteers and workers, with roughly 1,000 of those cases blocked due to suspicions of meddling or espionage.
1 min read - Worlddpa international
Cologne airport reopens after climate activists removed from tarmac
Air traffic resumed at Germany's Cologne/Bonn airport after five climate activists glued themselves to the apron, a police spokeswoman said on Wednesday morning. The large international airport, which suspended flights around 5:45 am (0345 GMT), said there would be delays and cancellations, but the exact number would be assessed during the course of the morning. Criminal charges have been filed for offences against the Assembly Act, dangerous interference with air traffic and trespassing, she ad
1 min read - WorldBBC
Dozens arrested in Uganda anti-government protests
Protesters defied a ban to march on the country's parliament amid anger over corruption on Tuesday.
3 min read - USWFLA
Widespread late-day downpours
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Scattered storms develop in the early afternoon and increase in coverage and intensity by the evening. Widespread downpours expected around I-75 during the evening commute. The rain drifts out into the Gulf of Mexico after sunset. Since the rain doesn’t start until later in the day, it get hot quickly. Highs […]
1 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Climate activists glue themselves to a taxiway at Cologne-Bonn Airport, flights suspended
Climate activists glued themselves to the ground at Cologne-Bonn Airport in western Germany on Wednesday, forcing officials to suspend flights for a few hours, authorities said. Police said five people glued themselves to a taxiway at the airport early in the morning, German news agency dpa reported. Flights were suspended at about 5:45 a.m. The protesters had been removed and flights were cleared to resume shortly after 9 a.m.
1 min read - Worlddpa international
German authorities ban Islamic Centre Hamburg, citing Iran influence
German authorities on Wednesday banned the Islamic Centre Hamburg (IZH), an organization that domestic intelligence considers to be controlled by Iran. To enforce the ban, which was published in the Federal Gazette and also affects five affiliated organizations, officers searched the IZH inside the Imam Ali Mosque in Hamburg as well as premises in eight other states early in the morning. Dozens of police officers were seen cordoning off the Imam Ali Mosque, also known as the Blue Mosque, in Hamb
3 min read - Worlddpa international
Climate activists glue themselves to tarmac at Cologne airport
Five climate activists have glued themselves to the apron at Germany's Cologne/Bonn airport, causing air traffic to be suspended, a police spokeswoman said on Wednesday morning. "We are trying to free them - but that could take a while," the spokeswoman said. Criminal charges have been filed for offences against the Assembly Act, dangerous interference with air traffic and trespassing, she added. It is still being investigated how the activists got onto the site. The protest group Last Generatio
1 min read - Worlddpa international
German minister says banned Islamic centre promoted authoritarianism
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser says the Islamic Centre Hamburg (IZH), which was banned in Germany on Wednesday, propagated authoritarian Islamic rule, according to a statement from her ministry. The IZH aggressively and militantly spread the ideology of the Iranian "Revolutionary Leader" and the so-called "Islamic Revolution" in Germany, according to the statement. "It is very important to me to make a clear distinction here: we are not acting against a religion," Faeser said, assuring th
2 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Farmers in Africa say their soil is dying and chemical fertilizers are in part to blame
When Benson Wanjala started farming in his western Kenya village two and a half decades ago, his 10-acre farm could produce a bountiful harvest of 200 bags of maize. Like many other farmers, he blames acidifying fertilizers pushed in Kenya and other African countries in recent years. Kenya's government first introduced a fertilizer subsidy in 2008, making chemical fertilizers more accessible for smaller-scale farmers.
5 min read - Worlddpa international
German authorities ban Islamic Centre Hamburg
German authorities on Wednesday banned the Islamic Centre Hamburg (IZH), an organization that German intelligence considers to be controlled by Iran. To enforce the ban, which was published in the Federal Gazette and also affects affiliated organizations, officers searched the IZH as well as premises in other states early in the morning for the second time in a few months. Dozens of police officers were seen cordoning off the Blue Mosque in Hamburg, a Shiite mosque located in an upmarket area on
1 min read - Worlddpa international
British Defence Secretary Healey to meet German counterpart in Berlin
Britain's new Defence Secretary John Healey is coming to Berlin on Wednesday for his inaugural visit. His German counterpart Boris Pistorius will welcome Healey with military honours in the German capital on Wednesday. After talks, both politicians intend to make public statements. Germany and the UK are close NATO allies and say they want to further expand their military cooperation. Some steps have already been taken - regardless of the fact that the UK left the European Union in 2020. Healey
1 min read - Worlddpa international
Seoul: N Korean trash balloon landed on S Korean presidential office
North Korea has again sent balloons believed to be carrying rubbish across the heavily guarded border into South Korea, the Yonhap news agency reported on Wednesday. At least one of the balloons had landed on the grounds of the South Korean presidential office, Yonhap reported, citing the Presidential Security Service (PSS). "An investigation by the chemical, biological and radiological response team showed the objects did not present a danger or contamination, so they were retrieved," the PSS s
1 min read - Worlddpa international
German authorities raid mosque in Hamburg
Dozens of officers began raiding the Blue Mosque in Hamburg early on Wednesday morning, according to a dpa reporter on the ground. The mosque, located in a central upmarket area on the shore of the northern German city's Outer Alster Lake, is run by the Islamic Centre Hamburg (IZH) which Germany's domestic intelligence service considers to be controlled by Iran. The agency has also classified the IZH as extremist. Back in April, a spokesman for the federal Interior Ministry said that in investig
1 min read - Worlddpa international
Seoul says Pyongyang sending rubbish-filled balloons south again
North Korea has again sent balloons believed to be carrying rubbish across the heavily guarded border into South Korea, the Yonhap news agency reported on Wednesday. Yonhap cited the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) as saying that a number of balloons floated across the border around Seoul and the surrounding province. The JCS advised people not to touch the objects but to report them to authorities, Yonhap reported. Since the end of May, North Korea has sent more than 3,000 trash-filled
1 min read - WorldBBC
Macron says he won’t name government until after Olympics
It comes after France's leftist coalition proposed a little-known civil servant as prime minister.
3 min read - USCNN
Famed national park evacuated in Canada as fires threaten the area
Dangerous wildfires forced a town and a major national park in Canada’s Alberta Province to evacuate overnight Monday.
3 min read - Worlddpa international
Zelensky says Ukraine must build its own long-range missiles
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine is working on developing and building its own long-range missiles. "Our missile programme is showing good momentum, and although it is a challenging task, we are gradually approaching the possibility of using our own missiles, and not just relying on missiles supplied by our partners," he said in his nightly video address. He said Ukraine needs to be thinking about "our own solutions, our own options," even as it relies on Western military support to fig
1 min read - Worlddpa international
Macron to keep government for Olympics as left agrees on PM candidate
French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday said he would keep his caretaker centrist government in office for the duration of the Olympics, as the left-wing New Popular Front alliance announced it has agreed on a candidate for prime minister. "Our responsibility is to ensure that the Games go well," Macron told broadcaster France 2. "It is clear that we are not in a situation to change things until mid-August because we would create disorder." The Paris Olympics are due to open on Friday, with
2 min read - WorldBBC
Failed asylum seekers to be sent back to Vietnam
A plane intended to remove asylum seekers to Rwanda will be used to send dozens of people to Vietnam, Labour sources said.
3 min read - WorldBBC
150,000 have fled Gaza's Khan Younis since Monday, UN says
Israel has renewed its offensive in the city, saying Hamas is reassembling its forces there.
3 min read - WorldNextShark
Japan asks youth about lack of marriages amid population decline
Japan’s Children and Families Agency has launched consultations with young adults to understand their views on marriage in a bid to address the nation's declining birth rate. The agency’s first working group meeting, held on Friday, focused on ways to support young people in finding partners, exploring dating and matchmaking options. Respecting individual choices: State for Child Policy Minister Ayuko Kato emphasized the importance of respecting diverse values and individual choices when it co
1 min read - ScienceWJW
Sharks test positive for cocaine: researchers
Sharks off the coast of Brazil have tested positive for cocaine.
- Worlddpa international
Ukraine's top diplomat searches for 'just and lasting peace' in China
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said China could help "achieve a just and lasting peace" between Moscow and Kiev, as the diplomat arrived in Beijing on Tuesday. "One question will be at the centre of attention: Peace in Ukraine," he said in a video posted on Facebook. The trip marks Kuleba's first visit to China since Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Kiev has repeatedly tried to get Beijing on side, despite the "no limits" partnership declared by Chinese President
1 min read - WorldPOWER Magazine
Shanghai Group Calls for 29 GW of Offshore Wind to Support Grid
China’s central government has approved Shanghai’s plan to build 29 GW of offshore wind generation capacity, part of the city’s strategy to build more energy infrastructure and diversify the electricity […]
2 min read - WorldLive Science
Lasers reveal Roman-era circus in Spain where 5,000 spectators watched horse-drawn chariot races
Researchers used lidar technology to map Iruña Veleia, a Roman-era city in Spain.
2 min read - ScienceMen's Journal
Over One Dozen Sharks Test Positive for Cocaine Off the Coast of Brazil
Scientists found the presence of cocaine in over one dozen sharks tested off the coast of Brazil, in a findings published in a study earlier this month. The exact cause is still unknown, but is raising concerns about potential widespread ocean contamination. Marine biologists ...
2 min read - ScienceSemafor
Sharks are testing positive for cocaine
Scientists are alarmed by the high concentrations of cocaine found in sharks off the coast of Brazil.
1 min read - ScienceAFP
Colombia orchid sanctuary collects and clones endangered species
Deep in Colombia's northwestern forests, an orchid enthusiast has gathered a colorful collection of nearly 25,000 specimens, some of which he is cloning to protect them from extinction.His next goal is to clone Colombian varieties of endangered orchids.
3 min read - WorldBBC
Mexicans arrested in raid on big South African meth lab
Police say the multi-million dollar lab was operating on an "industrial scale".
2 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Brazil to allow miles of selective logging in effort to preserve the Amazon
To combat ongoing destruction in the Amazon rainforest, Brazil announced a plan Tuesday to dramatically expand selective logging to an area the size of Costa Rica over the next two years. In Brazil, vast forest lands are designated as public yet have no special protection or enforcement and are vulnerable to land grabbing and illegal deforestation. Criminals frequently take over land and clear it, hoping the government will eventually recognize them as owners, which usually happens.
4 min read - WorldBBC
Nigeria's president warns youth not to join 'sinister' protests
President Tinubu says cost-of-living protests planned for next week have 'sinister motives'.
3 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Russian parliament passes measure broadening 'undesirable' organization criteria
Russia's lower house of parliament on Tuesday approved legislation expanding the reach of a law on declaring foreign-funded organizations “undesirable,” a designation that blocks their work in the country. It goes next to the upper house and then to President Vladimir Putin to become law. It adds the criterion to an existing law that an organization can be declared undesirable if foreign government bodies founded it or participate in it.
1 min read - Worlddpa international
Slovakia and Hungary give EU headache over Ukraine's Lukoil ban
Hungary and Slovakia have complained to the European Commission that Ukrainian sanctions on the Russian oil company Lukoil are in violation of an association agreement with the European Union. A spokesman for the commission confirmed on Tuesday the receipt of a letter of complaint from Hungary and Slovakia concerning a ban on the transit of oil from Russia via Ukraine. For days Hungary and Slovakia have been accusing Ukraine of violating an association agreement with the EU by restricting the tr
2 min read - Worlddpa international
Moscow decries 'theft' as EU uses frozen Russian funds to aid Ukraine
Moscow on Tuesday again threatened to retaliate against a European Union measure to use interest from frozen Russian funds to finance military aid for Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov labelled the EU's decision, announced in late June, as "theft." He further called it a "direct violation of international law" and of "property rights," demanding the prosecution of EU decision-makers. The EU measure is set to raise €1.4 billion ($1.5 billion) in military aid for Kiev from the proceeds of f
1 min read - WorldSemafor
Brussel strips Hungary of key EU defense meeting over Ukraine stance
The pushback came after Orbán met with Russian President Vladamir Putin earlier this month to discuss Ukraine without the EU's approval.
1 min read - WorldBBC
Roofers find scorpion in box of slates
The animal appeared in a box of roof tiles which had been shipped over from Brazil.
2 min read - LifestyleConde Nast Traveler
How Paris Moves: Dispatches from France on the Eve of the Olympics
From cyclists along the Seine to surfers in Tahiti, we meet the athletes, artists, and everyday citizens of France living in and beyond the shadow of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
8 min read - Worlddpa international
Survey shows extent of Spain's popularity among German tourists
While protests against mass tourism in Spain are growing, a recent survey highlights the popularity of the country, with just under two-thirds of all adults in Germany having already taken a holiday in Spain. In a representative survey conducted by the market research institute YouGov, 64% of respondents reported having spent at least one holiday in the south-western European country. Almost one in five, or 19%, of those surveyed stated that they had holidayed in Spain exactly once. Almost a thi
2 min read - Worlddpa international
Top German diplomat sceptical about Hamas-Fatah declaration of unity
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock reacted with scepticism to reports in Chinese state media that Palestinian factions, including rivals Hamas and Fatah, have agreed to end their divisions. Baerbock noted that similar declarations had been made in the past, only for the bitter enmity to persist. "That's why we now have to look at what this means - and we are of course in constant dialogue with the various players," she said in Berlin on Tuesday. She said that a two-state solution, in whic
1 min read - WorldAssociated Press
German court rules in migration case that there's no general danger now to all civilians in Syria
A German court has ruled that there is no longer a general danger to all civilians from the long-running conflict in Syria, rejecting a claim to protected status by a Syrian man who had been convicted in Austria for involvement in smuggling people into Europe. The ruling by the top administrative court of North Rhine-Westphalia state, Germany's most populous, was announced Monday. Justice Minister Marco Buschmann said Tuesday it was “a decision that one can understand, if one assumes that ther
2 min read - WorldINSIDER
Russia's spending on cemetery expansion more than doubled since the start of its invasion of Ukraine: report
Russia spent over twice as much on cemetery expansion in the first two years of the war as it did in the two years before, The Moscow Times reported.
2 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Colombian bullfighters decry new ban on the centuries-old tradition and vow to keep it alive
Sebastián Caqueza says a new law to ban bullfighting in Colombia by mid-2027 will not dampen his passion for the sport that he has been practicing since has was a small boy. Caqueza became a professional matador five years ago by taunting a fully grown bull for about 20 minutes and killing it with his sword, in a ceremony known as the Alternativa. “I will continue to participate in bullfights outside of Colombia,” said Caqueza.
6 min read - Worlddpa international
German court rules government must improve air quality programme
The German federal government must refine its National Air Quality Programme in certain areas, the Higher Administrative Court of Berlin-Brandenburg ruled on Tuesday. The measures listed so far were not sufficient in all respects to meet the European targets for reducing emissions of air pollutants, the judges stated. With the ruling, the organization Environmental Action Germany (DUH) has once again - at least partially - won a case against the German government. It was only in mid-May that the
1 min read - WorldBBC
Batons, tear gas, live fire - Kenyans face police brutality
The deaths of dozens of protesters has further eroded scant trust in the security forces.
6 min read - Worlddpa international
German chief of defence warns Russia is directing its army at West
Germany's chief of defence Carsten Breuer has said he sees a growing danger in Russia’s military build-up. "We are observing that the Russian army is being directed towards the West," Breuer, officially the inspector general of the Bundeswehr, told the local newspaper Sächsische Zeitung. He said that in five to eight years, Moscow’s forces would be equipped with enough materiel and personnel so that an attack on NATO territory would be possible. He cited his own analyses, intelligence reports an
1 min read - Businessdpa international
Delivery Hero under EU investigation for alleged cartel activity
The European Commission announced an investigation into possible cartel activity by German food delivery company Delivery Hero in a press release on Tuesday. Delivery Hero acquired Glovo, a Spain-based food delivery company, in July 2022, after previously holding a minority stake in the company since 2018. The European Union's top competition watchdog suspects that prior to the acquisition, the companies carved up "geographic markets and shared commercially sensitive information." Competition la
1 min read - WorldBBC
Bodyguard of S Leone's ex-leader jailed over failed coup
Amadu Koita Makalo was sentenced for 182 years on charges including treason and murder.
2 min read - WorldReuters
Samsung Elec talks with union end without result, union says
Samsung Electronics and representatives of its biggest workers' union in South Korea, which has been on a strike, met on Tuesday but the talks ended without results, the union said. Since earlier this month, the union has been on an indefinite strike over pay and benefits. The gap between the two sides is too wide to reach any agreement, Lee Hyun-kuk, vice president of the National Samsung Electronics Union whose roughly 30,000 members make up almost a quarter of the company's South Korean wor
1 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Malaysia evacuates 123 citizens from violence-hit Bangladesh
Malaysia evacuated 123 of its citizens from Bangladesh on Tuesday in response to violent unrest that has killed dozens of people. Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution greeted the evacuees, including 80 students, at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport after they landed on a chartered AirAsia plane. A controversial system for allocating government jobs has triggered violent protests in Bangladesh, with clashes between police and mainly student protesters killing more than 100 people, according to
2 min read
