World
- WorldBBC
Leaving Syria's civil war to be a mercenary in Africa
Unable to earn enough at home, Syrian opposition fighters are travelling via Turkey to Niger to work as mercenaries.
7 min read - WorldAssociated Press
North Korean diplomat in Cuba defected to South Korea in November, Seoul says
South Korea’s spy agency said Tuesday that a North Korea diplomat based in Cuba has fled to South Korea, the latest in a series of defections by members of the North's ruling elite in recent years. The National Intelligence Service said media reports on the defection of a North Korean counselor of political affairs in Cuba were true.
2 min read - Worlddpa international
Germany eyes cooperation with W Africa to counter Sahel instability
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock arrived in Senegal on Monday in an effort to intensify cooperation with West Africa's democracies in order to keep at bay the instability currently seen in the Sahel countries. "Security here in the region, the future prospects of this region, are also closely linked to our own security and our own development," Baerbock said in Dakar. "The problems and challenges of the region, terror, migration, organized crime and poverty also directly affect us in Eu
4 min read - USWFLD
Vietnam veteran in Cook County gets answers after receiving $6,200 tax bill despite disability exemption
A Vietnam veteran expressed his shock last week after receiving a $6,200 Cook County property tax bill, despite previously being exempt due to his 100-percent disability status.
1 min read - Worlddpa international
Three held after shots heard in refugee centre in southern Germany
A special police task force detained three people in a refugee centre in southern Germany on Monday after hearing what appeared to be gunshots. It remains unclear where the gunshot noises came from or who may have fired them, a police spokesman said. The emergency call was received by the police around midday (1000 GMT). Officers surrounded the centre in the town of Uffenheim in northern Bavaria, and cordoned off a large area. The police spokesman said that special forces also heard gunshot nois
1 min read - WorldReuters
Peru's convict ex-president Alberto Fujimori, 85, aims to run again
Alberto Fujimori, 85, who governed Peru with an iron fist for a decade and fled the country amid corruption scandals and human rights violations, plans to run for president amid a cloud of uncertainty and fractured politics. "A presidential pardon has exonerated him from prison, but his legal status is of someone who hasn't finished his sentence," said Anibal Quiroga, a constitutional lawyer, who says Article 33 of Peru's constitution removes the political rights of people given prison sentence
2 min read - USMen's Journal
Couple Leaps 90 Feet Into Gorge From Popular Photo Spot to Avoid Oncoming Train
A married couple was forced to leap from a train trestle into a 90-foot gorge to avoid an oncoming locomotive that interrupted their scenic photoshoot, Indian business news website LiveMint reported. Horrifying footage shows the couple diving from India’s Goram Ghat Bridge in Pali, Rajasthan, ...
2 min read - USFreightWaves
Mexico averages 5 cargo theft incidents a day in June
Mexico truckers averaged about five cargo truck thefts per day across the country’s roadways in June. The post Mexico averages 5 cargo theft incidents a day in June appeared first on FreightWaves.
2 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Mexico's costly Maya Train draws few passengers in its first six months of partial operation
The pet rail project of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador could wind up costing as much as $30 billion, is only half finished as he heads into the final 2 1/2 months of his term, and has wreaked major damage on the environment. “This makes it truly a motor for developing the south,” a historically poorer and undeveloped part of Mexico, Merino said.
4 min read - BusinessNextShark
Japanese diaper companies turn to adult market amid demographic crisis
Research firm Fuji Keizai predicted that Japan’s adult diaper market is expected to grow by 16% to 98.9 billion yen ($626 million) in the next few years up to 2027, while the baby diaper market is likely to decline by 8% to 84.6 billion yen ($535 million) during the same period. “We can expect the market for adult diapers to continue to grow, and therefore we are devoting our company's resources to that market with a view to expanding these products,” Daio Paper marketing manager Kenji Nakata s
1 min read - WorldSemafor
44% of Ukrainians support starting negotiations with Russia, new poll finds
The poll comes as Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pushes for a new peace summit with Russia.
1 min read - ScienceFuturism
Scientists Detect Huge Caverns Under Surface of Moon
Home Away From Home Since the Apollo missions over half a century ago, scientists have suspected that the lunar surface is riddled with an extensive network of tunnels. But despite our best efforts, they've been unable to once and for all confirm their existence — until now. Scientists at the University of Trento in Italy […]
2 min read - LifestyleMen's Journal
Krispy Kreme Unveils Paris-Themed, Limited-Edition Doughnuts Ahead of 2024 Olympic Games
To celebrate the upcoming 2024 Summer Olympic Games kicking off in Paris, France later this month, Krispy Kreme is offering up three new "Parisian dessert-inspired" doughnuts, available starting Monday, July 15. The limited-edition doughnuts are part of Krispy Kreme's Passport to Paris ...
2 min read - Businessdpa international
VW Design Centre employees protest against planned closure
Employees of the Volkswagen Group Future Centre in Potsdam - a design centre with around 100 employees - are protesting against the planned end to the unit's operations at the end of the year. More than 50 employees protested at a rally organized by the IG Metall union against the closure of the almost 20-year-old site in eastern Germany on Monday. "I want a fair chance," said works council chairman Anno Stake. "We did great projects here, we are still doing great projects." Around two thirds of
2 min read - USRoad & Track
Lamborghini Urus Loses Tires, Keeps Driving on Rims in 120-MPH Police Chase
Two people were arrested after a police in Canada chased a Lamborghini Urus at high speeds. The car's tires were ripped clean off the rims in the chase.
2 min read - WorldExplorersWeb
This Has Got to Stop: Another K2 Porter Dies
A Pakistani porter died in Concordia yesterday after 16 hours of waiting in vain to be evacuated. Ser Muhammad was carrying loads for a K2 expedition. At around 5,000m, before Base Camp, he fell sick with symptoms of Acute Mountain Sickness. In an interview with the news site Hum.com, the Pakistan Association of Tour Operators […]
4 min read - Worlddpa international
Germany's Baerbock tours Dakar bus grid on two-day West Africa visit
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock began her two-day trip to West Africa on Monday with a tour of an electric express bus project in the Senegalese capital Dakar. Dakar's Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system went into operation in May, with financing from the European Investment Bank and the World Bank. Along with the TER suburban train, the transport network aims to facilitate mobility and reduce environmental damage. The population of the greater Dakar area has increased tenfold since 1970, w
3 min read - WorldAssociated Press
35 people die in a storm that brought heavy rainfall to eastern Afghanistan, Taliban official says
A storm that brought heavy rainfall to eastern Afghanistan killed at least 35 people on Monday, a Taliban official said. Many others were injured across Nangarhar province, according to Sediqullah Quraishi, provincial director of the information and culture department. Among the dead were five members of the same family who were killed when the roof of their house collapsed in Surkh Rod district, Quraishi said.
1 min read - USUnited Press International
Watch: American Kestrel invades city hall stairwell in Manitoba
Animal services officers responded to Winnipeg City Hall in Manitoba, Canada, to eject a small bird of prey that found its way to a stairwell.
1 min read - BusinessVerdict
PayPal Europe fined $27.3m for unclear consumer contracts by Polish regulator
PayPal Europe's terms and conditions do not explain prohibited activities clearly enough for users, according to Poland's Office of Competition and Consumer Protection.
1 min read - WorldBBC
Kagame seeks fourth term as Rwandan president
The leader of the East African country has won over 90% of the vote in all the elections he has run in.
5 min read - WorldBBC
Africa’s richest man says he doesn’t own a home outside Nigeria
Aliko Dangote says he only owns two houses, so he can use his wealth to build his businesses in Nigeria.
2 min read - ScienceYale Environment 360
Melting Sea Ice Is Making the Northwest Passage More Dangerous
By melting Arctic sea ice, warming has led to a growth of shipping through the Northwest Passage, a route from Europe to Asia that traces the northern edge of Canada. But a new study finds a growing risk from more hazardous forms of sea ice, trimming the number of days during which ships can safely journey through Arctic waters.
1 min read - WorldAssociated Press
German authorities arrest a Lebanese man accused of procuring drone components for Hezbollah
A Lebanese man accused of being a member of the Hezbollah militant group and procuring drone components that were to be exported for use in attacks against Israel has been arrested in Germany, prosecutors said Monday. The suspect, identified only as Fadel Z. in line with German privacy rules, was arrested in Salzgitter in northern Germany on Sunday, federal prosecutors said in a statement.
1 min read - WorldBBC
Gambia’s parliament rejects bill to allow FGM
Human rights groups had urged MPs to block the bill, introduced after pressure from Muslim clerics.
2 min read - BusinessFreightWaves
Ruling on question delaying Canadian rail strikes expected by Aug. 9
Canada Industrial Relations Board will determine if some shipments must continue even during work stoppage. The post Ruling on question delaying Canadian rail strikes expected by Aug. 9 appeared first on FreightWaves.
3 min read - Worlddpa international
Germany to invest billions in 23 green hydrogen projects
Germany is set to invest billions in pioneering hydrogen projects, aiming to boost the production, storage and transport of a potentially transformative source of green energy. "With the funding of hydrogen projects, we are taking an important step towards a climate-neutral and sustainable economy in Europe and beyond," said Economy Minister Robert Habeck in Berlin, according to a ministry statement. The German federal government - as well as a number of state governments - has earmarked a total
1 min read - ScienceLive Science
'Lovely freak of nature': Mutant blue frog hops into wildlife sanctuary workshop
Researchers in Australia spotted a magnificent tree frog with blue skin — the result of a rare genetic mutation called axanthism, which suppresses yellow pigments that usually tint the frogs green.
2 min read - SciencePopular Science
Beluga Whale Live Cam brings the ‘canaries of the sea’ to your screen
Glittery white, ice-dwelling beluga whales log hours of chattering from their melons as they navigate their frosty world. These canaries of the sea are also among some of the most charismatic summer visitors to Canada’s Hudson Bay, where they arrive with their babies in tow to feast on fish and kick back. Now, viewers from […]
5 min read - Worlddpa international
Germany again rejects calls to deliver fighter jets to Ukraine
The German government on Monday again rejected calls for the delivery of fighter jets to Ukraine, after opposition leader Friedrich Merz from the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) said he supported the idea. Government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said Ukraine is already due to receive a number of F-16 jets, which Germany does not possess, from Western partners this summer. "It makes no sense to hand over different types of fighter jets to Ukraine," Hebestreit said. "Even though figh
2 min read - WorldAssociated Press
6 firefighters have died battling a bushfire in South Africa after storms batter other areas
Six firefighters have died battling a bushfire in the eastern KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa and another two are in a critical condition, emergency services said Monday. Three firefighters died at the scene of the fire near the town of Boston, around 130 kilometers (80 miles) inland from the east coast city of Durban, emergency services spokesperson Roland Robertson said.
1 min read - WorldINSIDER
Russia bragged that it dropped a 3-ton bomb on Ukraine. A video shows its huge size.
Russia's defense ministry shared a video of a massive FAB-3000 glide bomb, as well as a pilot bragging about how destructive the bomb is.
2 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Germany says it saw fewer security problems than expected during Euro 2024
German authorities had fewer security problems and crimes to deal with than they expected at the European Championship, the country's top security official said Monday. Germany's Interior Ministry said that about 2.6 million people attended matches in the 10 host cities, and another 6 million watched games in the designated fan zones. Over the course of the tournament, it said, there was a total of about 170 arrests and 320 temporary detentions.
2 min read - Worlddpa international
German railway shuts key line at start of massive renovation project
Visitors to the Euro 2024 football championship, which concluded on Sunday with a win for Spain, have praised Germany's stadiums and fans - but were critical of the trains used to transport them to the games. The state-owned German rail operator Deutsche Bahn (DB) is hoping that the next time foreign fans descend on the country's stadiums, its massive rail line modernization plan, which started on Monday, will make the numerous train delays a thing of the past. A total of 41 lines are set to be
2 min read - Worlddpa international
Pakistan to ban party of jailed ex-PM Khan, charge him with treason
The Pakistani government will ban the party of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, a top official said on Monday, stoking fears of more chaos in the nuclear-armed Islamic republic with a crisis-ridden economy. “This country has to move forward. Pakistan and PTI (Khan’s party) can’t exist together,” Information Minister Atta Tarar said at a press conference in the capital Islamabad. The government would also initiate the process of charging Khan and two other aides under the country’s treaso
2 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Azerbaijan reopens its embassy in Iran as the countries try to ease tensions
The embassy of Azerbaijan in Tehran resumed its work Monday after more than a year of negotiations between the two countries to ease tensions, media reports said. An official at the embassy told The Associated Press that it had resumed operations but the formal announcement by the Iranian Foreign Ministry was still pending. The Azeri website news.az om Monday quoted Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry as saying that its embassy in Iran had started work at a new address in Tehran.
2 min read - WorldReuters
Argentina economy snapshot: faltering recovery after plateau
Argentina's battered economy is expected to plateau and begin a fluctuating recovery in the second half of the year, according to forecasts by analysts and economists. Argentine economic activity has sharply declined since the end of last year, a consequence of a crisis inherited by libertarian President Javier Milei, who took office in December and is pushing a harsh austerity program coupled with deregulation of the economy. While Milei's policies have balanced public accounts and appear to
2 min read - WorldBBC
Lammy urges immediate ceasefire during Israel visit
On one of his first trips as foreign secretary, David Lammy says the war in Gaza has "gone on too long".
4 min read - BusinessSouth China Morning Post
Asia-Pacific firms more vigilant about investments amid geopolitics: Deloitte survey
Asia-Pacific companies are monitoring their portfolios more closely than before amid mounting pressures to review underperforming assets, divest noncore businesses and adopt 'greener' investments, according to a recent survey by Deloitte. The survey said geopolitical tensions and rifts in global supply chains are forcing managers to act quickly to divest or engage with partners that could create value. "The forces reshaping the global economy are profoundly impacting companies across Asia-Pacifi
3 min read - BusinessSouth China Morning Post
China's June home prices dip for the 13th month, adding weight to stalling economic growth
China's prices of newly built homes declined for the 13th consecutive month in June, as they added weight to the government's efforts to kick start a stalling economic growth engine. The aggregate price of new homes across 70 cities on the mainland fell by 0.7 per cent in June from a month earlier, declining at a slightly slower rate than the 0.71 per cent drop reported in May, according to data published by the National Bureau of Statistics. June's prices of lived-in homes dropped 0.9 per cent
4 min read - WorldSouth China Morning Post
China's third plenum: the 5 burning questions heating up debate - and our take
China has - after some delay - scheduled the much-anticipated third plenum of its Communist Party's Central Committee for Monday, with the four-day meeting expected to shape the country's economic strategy for the next five to 10 years. Previous third plenums unveiled landmark changes. At the plenum of 1978, the policy of reform and opening up was adopted. In 1993, China's status as a "socialist market economy" was formalised, and the 2013 plenum codified the market's "decisive role" in resource
5 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Germany shuts one of its busiest rail routes for 5 months, launching drive to improve reliability
One of the busiest railway lines in Germany, the 70-kilometer (45-mile) stretch between Frankfurt and Mannheim, is closing for five months starting Monday as the country launches an effort to get its notoriously disruption-prone network into shape. State-owned railway operator Deutsche Bahn is closing the route until Dec. 14 and plans a full overhaul of the tracks, stations and other infrastructure.
1 min read - WorldBBC
Kenyan police relocated following body parts discovery
The remains of a number of women were found at a rubbish dump in the capital, Nairobi.
3 min read - Worlddpa international
Top German diplomat: West Africa stability key for European security
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who is set to travel to West Africa on Monday, is hoping to expand cooperation with Senegal and Ivory Coast in order to prevent instability currently rocking the Sahel from spreading to the rest of the region. "If more countries in West Africa descend into instability, that will not only have dramatic consequences for the local population, but also a direct impact on our security in Europe," the minister said ahead of her two-day visit to the region. Ba
3 min read - WorldBBC
Police hunt mayor accused of being Chinese spy
Authorities fail to arrest mayor whose case has gripped a nation embroiled in a sea dispute with China.
3 min read - WorldCNN
Why only 400 people at a time can visit this paradise island
Australia’s Lord Howe Island could attract many tourists to its lush mountains, perfect beaches and blue waters. Instead, it has strict rules to deter all but a few.
9 min read - WorldAFP
Video shows religious gathering in western India and is unrelated to July 2024 stampede
A months-old video of a massive crowd in a field has been shared in posts that falsely claimed it showed the events leading up to a deadly stampede at a Hindu religious gathering in northern India that killed more than 120 people on July 2, 2024. The footage shows an event for the same Hindu preacher, but it was held in western India and the video has circulated online since February 2024.
3 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Nepal’s new prime minister has taken the oath of office at a ceremony in Kathmandu
Nepal’s newly appointed prime minister took the oath of office Monday at a ceremony in Kathmandu. Khadga Prasad Oli, the leader of Nepal’s largest communist party, was named prime minister on Sunday following the collapse of a previous coalition government. Oli, 72, will be leading a coalition government made up of his Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) and the Nepali Congress party, the two largest parties in Nepal.
2 min read - WorldAssociated Press
4 Pakistani soldiers and 5 insurgents are killed in coordinated suicide attacks at military facility
A suicide bomber detonated his explosives-laden vehicle and other insurgents opened fire near the outer wall of a military facility in northwestern Pakistan early Monday, killing at least four soldiers and wounding dozens, including civilians, officials said. There was no immediate comment from the military about the attack that happened in Bannu, a city in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan.
1 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Cocked rifles and infrared cameras along Cyprus buffer zone stoke tensions that could spread farther
The clang of unseen assault rifles being cocked carries across the United Nations-controlled buffer zone in ethnically cleaved Cyprus, ratcheting up concerns that the embers of the island's stagnant conflict could again be rekindled. The rifles are just the tip of a string of recent escalations by Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots, rivals separated along the 180-kilometer (120-mile) buffer zone that snakes through the capital’s medieval center. The United Nations peacekeeping force in Cyprus
5 min read
