World
- USAssociated Press
Colombia's capital starts rationing water after reservoirs hit historically low levels
Luis Soler is caring for water as if it were the most expensive ingredient at his restaurant in Colombia’s capital. For the first time in 40 years, a severe drought pushed the city to start rationing tap water. At Soler’s restaurant in Bogota, nothing flowed through the pipes Friday.
2 min read - WorldBBC
Ukraine could face defeat in 2024. Here's how that might look
With ammo critically low and Western aid stalled, what might Russia attempt in Ukraine this year?
6 min read - WorldAssociated Press
A priest from France accused of sexually assaulting children in the Canadian Artic has died
Joannes Rivoire, a priest from France who was accused of sexually abusing Inuit children when he served at the mission in their Canadian Arctic community, has died after a long illness, officials said Friday. The Oblates of Lacombe Canada and the Oblate Province of France said that Rivoire, who was in his 90s, died on Thursday. An Inuit community in northern Canada has long sought Vatican’s assistance to get Rivoire extradited.
2 min read - WorldKTLA articles
Universal Studios exploring building new theme park
A new Universal theme park may be coming to the United Kingdom and the entertainment and attractions giant is asking Britons for their input. Last year, Universal purchased a 476-acre parcel of land outside of Bedford, England, about 55 miles north of London, to explore the possibility of building a new theme park and resort. […]
4 min read - WorldBBC
Is Israel meeting promise to let more aid into Gaza?
Israel says it is building a new crossing into northern Gaza after promising to open the Erez crossing.
8 min read - WorldAFP
Image does not show recent Iranian military movements
Amid fears that Iran could soon launch an attack on Israel, social media posts claim an image shows an Iranian military convoy transporting weapons into Syria in April 2024 . This is false; the photo dates to 2019 and depicts vehicles participating in Iran's annual Army Day celebration in Tehran.
2 min read - WorldMSNBC
Israeli blockade on journalists is fueling an 'information war'
As Israel has continued its bombardment of the Gaza Strip, its restrictions on journalists' access to the region have drawn scrutiny.
3 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Russia test-launches an intercontinental ballistic missile
The Russian military on Friday reported a successful test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile. Russia's Defense Ministry said in a statement that the launch took place at the Kapustin Yar testing range in the south of the country as part of “state testing of prospective missile systems, as well as confirmation of the stability of missiles in service.” The test launched achieved its results “in full,” the ministry added, and confirmed “high reliability of Russian missiles to ensure
1 min read - WorldNBC News
A Gaza teen spent last Eid surrounded by her family. Now, she's collecting their bones.
Eid al-Fitr would normally be a time of feasts and family gatherings. In Gaza, ravaged by six months of war with Israel, celebrations are muted.
4 min read - Worlddpa international
German court hands Islamic State terrorist 5.5 year sentence
A German court has sentenced a 43-year-old Islamic State terrorist to five and a half years in prison, a court spokeswoman said on Friday. The man joined the terrorist group in Syria in 2013 and continued to support it in Germany, procuring money for the group until he was arrested in 2021. Prosecutors in the western city of Dusseldorf called for a prison sentence of six and a half years, while the defence called for two and a half years. The man from Algeria was found to have joined combat oper
1 min read - Worlddpa international
German police break up pro-Palestinian conference in Berlin
German police have broken up a pro-Palestinian conference in the capital Berlin and asked some 250 participants to leave the venue. Officers had already interrupted the event during a speech via video by an activist who is banned from political activity in Germany. When the man spoke police cut off the transmission and temporarily switched off the power. Various pro-Palestinian groups had organized the three-day "Palestine Congress," but it was shut down after only about two hours. Before the st
2 min read - BusinessRoad & Track
Italian Official Claims Polish-Made Alfa Romeo Milano EV Is 'Forbidden by Italian Law'
"A car called Milano must be produced in Italy. Otherwise, it gives a misleading indication which is not allowed under Italian law."
2 min read - WorldBusiness Insider
Ukrainian lawmakers just took a step toward allowing the country to mobilize convicts to fight Russia
Ukrainian lawmakers are advancing a bill that would allow incarcerated prisoners to serve in the military in the fight against Russia.
3 min read - WorldBBC
Russian troops arrive in Niger as military agreement begins
The West African country is increasingly turning to Moscow for support after breaking ties with the West.
4 min read - LifestyleJalopnik
Sending A Mini With Tracks To Antartica Sure Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time
Of all the goofy and delightful vehicles to ever wander the of Antarctica and the Arctic, I never thought I would come across a vehicle seemingly less-suited to the icy wastes than Australia’s Volkswagen Beetle. But the Australians who brought the Bug to the continent really out did themselves with a Morris Mini Minor—on tracks, of course.
2 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Eight buffaloes in Kenya electrocuted after walking into low-lying power lines, wildlife agency says
Eight wild buffaloes walked into low-lying power lines in western Kenya and were electrocuted, the national wildlife agency said Friday. The incident happened at the Lake Nakuru National Park known for its diverse wildlife species, the Kenya Wildlife Service said. The power lines were lying low on the ground after a wooden support pole broke.
1 min read - Worlddpa international
Scholz criticizes Georgia's 'foreign agent' bill in meeting with PM
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz condemned the renewed effort by Georgia's ruling party to pass a potentially Russian-style "foreign agent" law during a visit to Berlin by the ex-Soviet country's Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze. Scholz said he opposed the legislation in its current form and hoped it would not get the approval of lawmakers. "We believe that such laws are not needed," the chancellor said, noting that Berlin was joined in its criticism by top officials in the European Union and NATO.
2 min read - WorldThe Guardian
Canada spies under pressure over foreign meddling reports
Prime minister testified at inquiry into foreign interference that agency’s report of China meddling wasn’t relayed to him
3 min read - Worlddpa international
German lawmakers approve new gender self-determination law
Germany's lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, has passed into law new regulations making it easier for people to change their first name and gender identity in official records. The reforms, which will take effect on November 1, allow people to make the changes with a simple procedure at government registry offices. The changes primarily affect transgender, intersex and non-binary people, many of whom have advocated for the reforms. Trans advocates have complained that the requirements und
2 min read - USAssociated Press
Rescuers in Ukraine pull 5 puppies from the rubble of a building destroyed by fire
Rescue workers in Ukraine have pulled five puppies from underneath the rubble of a destroyed building, a video released by the country's emergency services Friday showed. Officials said the puppies were rescued from a non-residential building that was on fire in the northeastern city of Sumy, close to the border with Russia. The video showed the puppies squealing as the firefighters cuddled them in their hands and rinsed them off with water.
1 min read - Worlddpa international
Argentina court blames Iran for 1994 bombing of Jewish community
A court in Argentina has ruled that the Iranian government was behind the deadly bombing of the Amia Jewish community centre in Buenos Aires in 1994, according to a report in La Nación newspaper on Friday. The criminal appeals court in Buenos Aires ruled that the attack was a crime against humanity, a decision welcomed by Amia. "We have repeatedly stressed that there is ample evidence that Iran was actively involved in the decision to attack and in the organization and financing of the attack,"
1 min read - Worlddpa international
Kremlin eyes failed Ukraine peace deal as basis for new talks
As Switzerland proposes to organize a peace summit to find a solution to the war in Ukraine, Moscow is now resurrecting an old solution - garnished with further demands. The Kremlin sees an agreement between Russia and Ukraine on a peace settlement that was negotiated shortly after the start of the war in 2022 but ultimately failed as a possible basis for a new solution. The agreement, negotiated in Istanbul at the time, could serve as the basis for new negotiations, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Pes
3 min read - BusinessBenzinga
Elon Musk's X Defies Brazilian Court Order, Calls For Supreme Court Judge To Resign After Issuing 'Most Draconian Demands'
Elon Musk has never shied away from speaking his mind. The self-described free speech absolutist's latest feud is with a Brazilian supreme court judge, whom Musk accused of issuing "the most draconian demands of any country on Earth." Musk's involvement with the Brazilian government is not new. Just days after he acquired X (formally Twitter), Musk became involved in content moderation decisions relating to Brazil's contentious 2022 election, which resulted in left-wing and current President Lui
3 min read - Worlddpa international
German agency warns country of heightened risk of sunburn
The sun is expected to break through the clouds in frequently overcast Germany this weekend, prompting the country's Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) to warn of an increased risk of sunburn. The agency urged Germans to protect themselves from the sun and wear sunscreen, skin-covering clothing, hats and spending as much time in the shade as possible, especially at midday. An ultraviolet (UV) radiation index value of up to 6 is expected on Saturday - unusually high for April in German
1 min read - Worlddpa international
Pope Francis plans to travel to South-East Asia this summer
Pope Francis plans to travel to South-East Asia in late summer, the Holy See's spokesman said on Friday. The head of the Catholic Church is to visit Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore from September 2-13, it said. During the planned trip, 87-year-old Francis is to visit the capital cities of Jakarta, Port Moresby, Dili and Singapore. In Papua New Guinea, a stopover in the small town of Vanimo is also planned in addition to the visit to Port Moresby. The Holy See intends to ann
1 min read - Businessdpa international
German steelmaker thyssenkrupp plans production cuts in Duisburg
Thyssenkrupp Steel's announcement late on Thursday of production cuts at its plant in the western German city of Duisburg has raised alarm and concern among local leaders. Thyssenkrupp management announced that production capacity in Duisburg would be significantly reduced, including through "as yet unquantified job losses." Around 27,000 people currently work for thyssenkrupp Steel, Germany's largest steelmaker and a division of industrial giant thyssenkrupp. About 13,000 of those workers are e
3 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Former biathlon leader found guilty in Norway on corruption charges linked to favoring Russia
The long-time former biathlon leader accused of protecting Russia from doping cases was found guilty of corruption charges in his native Norway on Friday and sentenced to more than three years in prison. Besseberg had hunting trophies, two expensive wristwatches and 1.4 million kroner ($129,235) confiscated by the Hokksund District Court in his native Norway. The ruling said that “the court has no doubt that he has acted in favor of Russia, both in word and deed.”
2 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Chaldean patriarch returns to Baghdad after nine months of self-imposed exile amid political dispute
Cardinal Louis Sako was welcomed warmly by a church packed with members of the country’s Christian minority as he led his first mass in Baghdad on Friday after returning the day before. Sako had withdrawn from his headquarters in Baghdad to the Kurdish regional capital, Irbil, last July after Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid revoked a decree recognizing his position as patriarch of the Chaldeans, Iraq’s largest Christian denomination and one of the Catholic Church’s eastern rites.
3 min read - WorldAssociated Press
At least 13 people are killed and an estimated 15,000 displaced by flooding in Kenya
Heavy rains pounding different parts of Kenya have led to the deaths of at least 13 people and displaced some 15,000, the United Nations said, as forecasters warned more rains can be expected until June. The U.N Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, citing the Kenya Red Cross Society, said Thursday that nearly 20,000 people have been affected. The Kenya Red Cross Society told The Associated Press that five major roads were cut off by the floods, including Garissa Road in norther
1 min read - Worlddpa international
German phone company Telekom weighs legal action over far-right claim
German telecommunications firm Deutsche Telekom is considering legal action against far-right politician Björn Höcke over claims Höcke made during a televised debate on Thursday evening. Höcke, the leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in the eastern state of Thuringia, is currently awaiting criminal trial for allegedly intentionally quoting the slogan of the Nazi Party's infamous SA stormtroopers during two speeches. In the televised debate, Höcke tried to play down the al
1 min read - WorldCNN
Florence’s famed Ponte Vecchio to be restored to former glory with two-year makeover
In the seven centuries since the Ponte Vecchio was first built in Florence, Italy, the bridge has watched the city changing around it, surviving floods, fires and the Nazi invasion in World War II.
2 min read - CelebrityUs Weekly
Did Golden Bachelor’s Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist Ever Go on Their Italian Honeymoon?
Did The Golden Bachelor couple Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist ever make it on their honeymoon to Italy? It seems three months of marriage wasn’t enough time to fit in a trip to Europe. It was reported that the couple planned to take the trip this upcoming May, but so it’s safe to speculate that
2 min read - WorldReuters
Argentina's government (and a bot) say inflation is easing. Shoppers aren't so sure
BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) -Argentina's government is bullish that its measures to cool one of the world's highest inflation rates are working. That is, however, down from a peak of 25% in December when new libertarian President Javier Milei took office and sharply devalued the peso currency. "Inflation is slowing down sharply," Minister of Economy Luis Caputo wrote on Twitter on Wednesday.
2 min read - WorldAssociated Press
The bodies of 4 women have been found in a migrant-type boat off Spain's Mediterranean coast
The bodies of four women have been found in a rubber-dinghy boat off the coast of southeast Spain, authorities said Friday. The government office in the southeast city of Murcia said the boat was towed by marine rescue services to the port of Cartagena early Friday after being spotted by coast guards. It said the women appeared to be of North African origin and may have been migrants trying to reach Spain.
1 min read - Businessdpa international
Study warns of growing economic risks for German export industry
Politically uncertain times are a bad omen for the export-dependent German economy and a study recommends that companies adapt their strategy. According to the Prognos Institute, an economic research and consulting firm, the German export industry should prepare itself for a permanent weakening of globalization. A revitalization of multilateral global cooperation in economic policy is unlikely, write the foreign trade experts at the consultancy firm. "Europe and especially Germany have benefited
2 min read - Worlddpa international
Lease prices for German farmland rose again in 2023
Rental prices for agricultural land in Germany have risen significantly in recent years, reaching an average cost per hectare last year of €357 ($381), according to government figures released on Friday. Last year's average rents are a 9% increase over 2020, when rent for a hectare stood at €329, according to Germany's Federal Statistical Office. According to the report, there were major regional differences in rents. While an average lease fee of €99 per hectare was estimated for the state Saar
1 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Real estate tycoon's death sentence is a turning point in Vietnam's anti-corruption campaign
The unusually harsh death sentence given to a real estate tycoon in Vietnam was a pivotal moment in the decadelong “Blazing Furnace” anti-corruption campaign as the Vietnamese business community wrestled with an uncertain future Friday. Real estate tycoon Truong My Lan, who was sentenced to death Thursday by a court in Ho Chi Minh city for orchestrating the country’s largest ever financial fraud case, was one of Vietnam's most important businesspeople for years.
3 min read - WorldAssociated Press
German parliament approves payment cards for asylum-seekers to limit cash payments
The German parliament on Friday approved legislation introducing payment cards for asylum-seekers, a system that is meant to limit benefits paid in cash and make the country less attractive for migrants. Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Germany's 16 state governors agreed in principle to introduce the system in early November, but the governing coalition took until last week to iron out differences on whether specific legislation was needed and on its details. The resulting bill was approved by a la
1 min read - Worlddpa international
German parliament to vote on gender self-determination law
Germany's lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, is set to vote later on Friday on a law that would make it easier for people to change their first name and gender identity in official records. The reforms, called the Self-Determination Act, would allow people to make the changes with a simple procedure at government registry offices. Under current law, people seeking to change their names or officially registered genders are required to obtain expert medical assessments and a court decision.
1 min read - LifestyleBrent and Michael Are Going Places
Seven Surprising Things About Italy's Cinque Terre
Here are the things that surprised us after spending a month living on Italy's Cinque Terre.
8 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Death toll from Italian hydroelectric plant explosion rises to 7 as the last bodies are recovered
Divers in northern Italy have recovered the last two bodies of workers killed by an explosion that collapsed and flooded several levels of an underground hydroelectric plant, bringing to seven the number of confirmed dead, officials said Friday. Four other workers who were wounded in the massive blast are hospitalized and two of them are still in serious condition, officials said. The blast at Enel Green Power’s Bargi plant happened during work to increase the plant’s efficiency, the company s
1 min read - WorldAssociated Press
4 teenagers suspected of planning an Islamic extremist attack arrested in Germany
Four teenagers suspected of planning an Islamic extremist attack have been arrested in Germany, authorities said on Friday. Three of the suspects — two girls who are 15 and 16, and a 15-year-old boy — come from various parts of the western North Rhine-Westphalia state, Germany's most populous. The three detained in western Germany are suspected of having declared themselves prepared to carry out an “Islamist-motivated terror attack” and planning such an attack, prosecutors said in a statement.
1 min read - Businessdpa international
Strikes cause passenger growth slow down at Frankfurt Airport
The strikes at passenger checkpoints and at German airline Lufthansa have once again slowed the upward trend in passenger growth at Frankfurt Airport. Fraport, the company that runs Germany's main aviation hub at Frankfurt Airport, reported about 4.6 million passengers in March, a 7.8% increase compared to the previous year, the company announced in Frankfurt on Friday. However the figures are 17.6% below the growth level seen before the coronavirus pandemic in March 2019. Almost 300,000 passeng
1 min read - WorldAssociated Press
EU, Britain and Spain say significant progress made in talks on post-Brexit status of Gibraltar
British and Spanish foreign ministers said a new round of talks held Friday over the status of the disputed territory of Gibraltar following Britain’s exit from the European Union were productive and significant progress was made. The meeting was between Spain's José Manuel Albares, Britain’s David Cameron and European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic in Brussels. Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo also attended.
2 min read - WorldYale Environment 360
Study Reveals Vast Networks of 'Ghost Roads' in Asian Rainforests
An extensive analysis of satellite imagery has uncovered thousands of miles of unmapped roads slicing through Asia's tropical rainforests.
1 min read - Worlddpa international
Taiwan wants Germany's Scholz to send clear message to China on visit
Taiwan expects German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to issue a clear warning to Beijing against the use of military force against the self-governing island, on an upcoming visit to China. In an interview with dpa, Taiwan's representative in Germany, Shieh Jhy-Wey, who functions as a de-facto ambassador for the island, said that Scholz had already found clear words on the issue during his last visit to China in November 2022. However, the threats against Taiwan have increased since then, Shieh said. "Pe
2 min read - Worlddpa international
Kiev Mayor Klitschko: 'This is not war. This is terrorism'
Kiev's Mayor Vitali Klitschko has urgently requested further arms supplies from Ukraine's allies to stave off intensified Russian attacks on the country. "This is a war of resources, and that's why we need support from our partners," said Klitschko on Thursday evening on a programme by German public broadcaster ZDF. Ukraine urgently needs more air defence systems, he said. "We don't have enough," Klitschko said. There are attacks every day and the Russians are ruining the infrastructure. "This i
2 min read - Worlddpa international
Leader of Austria's far-right Freedom Party denies links to Russia
The leader of Austria's far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ), Herbert Kickl, has distanced himself from Moscow in the course of investigations into suspected Russian espionage in Austria. He has "no personal connection to Russia at all," Kickl said on Thursday in parliament in Vienna, where he was questioned in a committee of enquiry. Kickl, who served as interior minister from 2017 to 2019, appeared as a witness in a sub-committee to shed light on alleged abuse of power by social democratic and right-
2 min read - Businessdpa international
German inflation declines further in March, confirmed at 2.2%
Germany saw inflation weaken further in March to the lowest level in almost three years, bringing down food and energy prices compared to a year earlier. Consumer prices were 2.2% higher than in the same month last year, Germany's Federal Statistical Office, Destatis, said on Friday, confirming preliminary figures. The last time the inflation rate was lower was in April 2021, at 2.0%. In February the inflation rate stood at 2.5% and in January at 2.9%. "The price situation for energy and food da
1 min read - WorldBBC
Mozambique ferry disaster: 'I survived - but lost 17 of my family'
Muaziza Ambaraje is one of the few people to escape alive after a boat sank off the coast of Mozambique.
4 min read
