World
- BusinessRailway Technology
Deutsche Bahn starts renovation of busy Frankfurt-Mannheim line
"The whole of Germany is watching" according to Transport Minister Wissing, underlining the importance of the project.
2 min read - WorldAFP
Video shows Tanzanian politicians at a funeral, not Kenyan MPs hiding after deadly protests
After protesters broke into Kenya's parliament building in June, disrupting the debate over the controversial 2024 Finance Bill, a video claiming to show the legislators hiding in the bush and eating a meal emerged online. But the claim is false; the video is old and shows Tanzanian politicians at a funeral. AFP Fact Check was able to identify Tanzanian opposition party leader Freeman Mbowe and fellow member of parliament David Mathayo.
3 min read - Worlddpa international
Israeli strikes kill Islamist militants in south and east Lebanon
Israeli drones on Thursday hit areas in eastern and southern Lebanon, killing two Islamist militants, security sources said. Israeli drones had targeted two cars one in eastern Lebanon and another one in south Lebanon, killing a commander who works for both the Lebanese Islamist group al-Jamaa al-Islamiya (Assembly of Islam), an ally of Hamas, and the military arm of the Palestinian militant organization in Lebanon's Bekaa region. The raid on south Lebanon killed a Hezbollah fighter in Jbal el-B
2 min read - WorldAFP
Nigerian archbishop did not ask government to deduct tithes from workers’ salaries
As Nigerians face soaring costs of living, the practice of tithing – giving a portion of income to the church – has become increasingly debated due to the additional financial strain it can place on struggling congregants. A recent post alleged that a Nigerian archbishop begged the Nigerian government to deduct a 10 percent tithe directly from workers’ salaries. However, this claim is misleading: the plea was made in 2018 by an archbishop in Uganda, not Nigeria.
4 min read - Worlddpa international
Nine suspects from far-right group detained in Germany
Ten flats have been searched and nine suspects detained in raids targeting supporters of the far-right extremist Third Way party in eastern Germany, police and the Berlin public prosecutor's office said on Thursday. The suspects, aged between 17 and 21, are said to belong to the so-called National Revolutionary Youth (NRJ), the youth arm of the Third Way. The raids took place in the states of Berlin, Brandenburg and Saxony. Some 130 officers were involved. The raids are related to an attack on s
2 min read - Worlddpa international
China's leadership aims for modernization to boost economy
The Communist Party has set "promoting high-quality development" as the most important task "for building China into a great modern socialist country," a party communique published in Beijing on Thursday said. The statement followed the Third Plenary session of the party's Central Committee which generally meets once every five years to chart China's economy for the period ahead. The statement released following the four-day session confined itself to generalities, with concrete measures likely
1 min read - BusinessTHE DRIVE
Next-Gen Ford Super Duty Will Be Electrified
Ford confirmed Thursday morning that the next-generation Super Duty will be electrified, likely making it the first heavy-duty pickup of its kind. Although details are still sparse, the Blue Oval announced that Super Duty production is expanding to its Oakville Assembly Complex in Ontario, Canada, which is a strategic move. This allows the company to add “multi-energy technology to the next generation of Super Duty trucks, giving customers more freedom of choice and supporting Ford’s electrifi
2 min read - Worlddpa international
Israeli security minister again sparks outrage with holy site visit
Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has once again caused a stir with a visit to a contested holy site in Jerusalem. He said in a video shot on-site and published on the social media platform X that he was praying and working hard for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, so he might have the strength not to give in during the Gaza war, to increase military pressure and to achieve victory. He said he had come to the site known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as t
2 min read - Worlddpa international
German passenger rail service hit by strikes, construction and storms
Germany's state-owned rail company Deutsche Bahn (DB) is blaming strikes, construction work and storms for a poor punctuality record in the first half of this year, with just 62.7% of long-distance trains arriving without major delay. "The massive strikes, country-wide construction work and in particular extreme weather to an unprecedented extent in the first half-year have depressed the figure," DB said in Berlin on Thursday. The figure was six percentage points down on the same period last yea
1 min read - WorldBBC
Namibia refuses to extend visa for Ugandan monarch
Namibian authorities are said to be unhappy at the harassment of their diplomatic officials.
3 min read - WorldAssociated Press
France's newly elected lawmakers begin choosing a speaker amid political turmoil
France's influential lower house of parliament, the National Assembly, held its opening session Thursday to elect a speaker after chaotic snap elections called by President Emmanuel Macron produced a hung legislature. The National Assembly’s opening session comes after Macron on Tuesday accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and other ministers but asked them to handle affairs in a caretaker capacity until a new government is appointed, as France prepares to host the Paris Oly
2 min read - WorldINSIDER
A North Korean defector was made a minister in South Korea, likely irking Kim Jong Un, experts say
Tae Yongho has become the first North Korean defector to hold a ministerial role in South Korea, which experts say will annoy Kim Jong Un.
3 min read - WorldAssociated Press
African Development Bank approves $1B loan to South Africa's state-owned rail and ports company
The African Development Bank said Thursday it had approved a $1 billion loan to South Africa's state-owned rail and ports company, Transnet. The 25-year loan was wholly guaranteed by the South African government and will help finance the first phase of a $8.1 billion investment plan for Transnet to improve the country's ailing rail and port infrastructure, the bank said.
1 min read - BusinessAutoblog
Lexus LBX Morizo RR gets Toyota GR Corolla's turbo-three
Unveiled for Japan, the Lexus LBX Morizo RR is a sporty crossover powered by a 300-horsepower turbo-three shared with the Toyota GR Corolla.
2 min read - Worlddpa international
European Parliament re-elects von der Leyen to head EU Commission
The European Parliament on Thursday re-elected Ursula von der Leyen for a second term as president of the European Commission with 401 votes. Von der Leyen needed to get a majority of at least 361 votes in the 720-seat chamber to be re-elected in the secret ballot. The first woman to lead the EU's executive arm, von der Leyen campaigned on her crisis management record in response to the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Covid-19 pandemic. Von der Leyen's successful re-election to le
1 min read - Worlddpa international
Former Chinese foreign minister Qin dropped from party leadership
China's former foreign minister, Qin Gang, who has not been seen in public since last summer, is no longer member of the Communist Party leadership, the party's Central Committee announced in Beijing on Thursday. Qin's resignation from the top body had been accepted, the committee said following a four-day sitting. No further details were provided, and the reasons behind Qin's disappearance remain unclear. In summer last year, he failed to turn up for official engagements, and a few weeks later
1 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Spain heats up under 1st heatwave of the year as Southern Europe swelters
Spain sweated under its first official heatwave of the year with temperatures expected to reach 40 degrees Celcius (104 Fahrenheit) in a large swathe of the country on Thursday, while Italy, Greece and other areas of southern Europe also struggled to stay cool. Weather forecasters said a large mass of hot air travelling across the Mediterranean from northern Africa will settle over central and southern Spain. Six regions are under alerts for high temperatures.
2 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Spain and Germany arrest 4 people for supplying Hezbollah with parts for drones used against Israel
Three people were arrested in Spain and one more in Germany on suspicion of belonging to a network that supplied the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah with parts to build kamikaze drones that would have been used in attacks in northern Israel, Spanish authorities said Thursday. The investigation began in Spain when the Guardia Civil detected “suspicious operations” by Spanish companies run by Lebanese nationals involving large quantities of materials and components to manufacture drones capable
1 min read - Worlddpa international
Construction of land-based wind power slows in Germany
Construction of land-based wind power in Germany slowed in the first half of this year, the BWE wind energy association reported on Thursday. A total of 250 new turbines were built with an output of 1.3 gigawatts, 19% down on the figure in the first half of 2023, the BWE said. New permits for future construction by contrast rose by 32% to 847. The focus should be on this positive development, BWE President Bärbel Heidebroek said, adding that there was great potential for expansion. Heidebroek po
1 min read - WorldINSIDER
The 'humiliating' retreat of Russia's fleet from Crimea proves its threats don't mean anything, expert says
The Black Sea Fleet's "humiliating" retreat from Crimea shows that "Putin is far more likely to back down than escalate," a Ukraine expert said.
3 min read - Worlddpa international
Israeli strike kills Islamist commander in eastern Lebanon
A commander in the Lebanese Islamist group al-Jamaa al-Islamiya (Assembly of Islam), an ally of Hamas, was killed on Thursday in an Israeli drone strike in eastern Lebanon, Lebanese state media and security sources said. "Mohammed Hamid Jabarah, from the town of Qaraoun, was killed at 6:30 local time [0330 GMT] on Thursday by an Israeli drone attack that targeted his truck," the state-run National News Agency (NNA) said. The attack led to the whole vehicle being set ablaze, NNA said. "A short wh
1 min read - SportsFootball Espana
Ivan Rakitic returns to Europe from Saudi Arabia just six months after leaving Sevilla
Former Barcelona and Sevilla hero Ivan Rakitic is coming back to European football just six months after leaving Andalusia to join Al-Shabab in Saudi Arabia. He will be headed to Croatia.The 36-year-o...
1 min read - BusinessRetail Insight Network
Songmics Home opens three new warehouses in Europe
The online home furnishings brand opened two sites in Duisburg, Germany and one in Coventry, UK.
2 min read - WorldAssociated Press
In landmark verdict, South Korea's top court recognizes some rights for same-sex couples
South Korea’s top court ruled Thursday that same-sex couples are eligible to receive the same health insurance benefits as heterosexual couples, a landmark verdict hailed by human rights groups. The Supreme Court said it ruled that the state health insurance agency’s refusal to provide spousal insurance coverage for gay couples was an act of discrimination that violates the constitutional principle of equality.
2 min read - BusinessOffshore Technology
Argentina’s YPF seeks Energy Transfer funding for key oil pipeline
The pipeline, named Vaca Muerta Sur, is expected to propel Argentina's global oil export share and contribute to economic growth.
2 min read - WorldINSIDER
The Chinese yuan has helped fund Russia's trade and war machine — but those days may be numbered
Russia is looking into alternative payments infrastructure — which a top Russian banker said should be made a "state secret."
2 min read - WorldAssociated Press Finance
Vietnam's President To Lam becomes caretaker of Communist Party while chief Trong focuses on health
Vietnamese President To Lam on Thursday became the caretaker of the Communist Party because of party chief Nguyen Phu Trong's poor health, the party said in a statement. Nguyen Phu Trong, who was elected to a third term as general secretary in 2021, has dominated Vietnamese politics since he became party chief in 2011. As Vietnam’s top security official, Lam led Trong’s sweeping anti-graft campaign until May, when he became president following the resignation of his predecessor, who stood down
1 min read - USAssociated Press
China investigators suspect construction work caused fire that killed 16 people in shopping mall
Chinese investigators suspect construction work sparked a fire that caused 16 deaths in a shopping mall in the southwestern city of Zigong. The 14-story commercial building was evacuated, with 75 people led to safety, according to the official news agency Xinhua. Fire hazards remain a problem in China, which reported 947 fire fatalities up to late May, up 19% from those reported by the same time last year, according to Li Wanfeng, a spokesperson for the National Fire and Rescue Administration.
2 min read - WorldReuters
Price of China's strategic germanium hits record high on possible state buying
Prices of germanium, a strategic metal key to chipmaking, hit a record high on Wednesday in top producer China, driven by speculation of possible state buying, industry sources said. China supplies 60% of the world's germanium, which is used in applications such as fibre optic cables, solar cells and infrared technology. Spot prices of germanium ingot have jumped nearly a third in the past month to an all-time high of 13,250 yuan ($1,826.48) a kilogram (kg) on Wednesday, data from information
2 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Kenya bans protests in the capital over security concerns and lack of leadership
Police in Kenya on Thursday have banned protests in the capital indefinitely citing a lack of leadership that would ensure peaceful protests. Acting police inspector general, Douglas Kanja, in a statement said the lack of leadership had “made it difficult to enforce safety protocols.” Kenya has seen a month of protests that started with calls for legislators to vote against a controversial finance bill that was proposing higher taxes amidst a cost-of-living crisis and ballooning public debt.
2 min read - WorldJust Auto
UK not planning new tariffs on Chinese EV imports – FT
Report suggests UK will not immediately follow EU lead on tough new import tariffs for China BEVs
1 min read - Worlddpa international
Orbán's Moscow visit was 'an appeasement mission,' says von der Leyen
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's visit to Moscow was "nothing more than an appeasement mission," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a speech on Thursday. "Two weeks ago, a European Union prime minister went to Moscow. This so-called peace mission was nothing but an appeasement mission," von der Leyen told the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France. Orbán met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow earlier this month as part of what Orbán called a "peace missi
1 min read - WorldBBC
'They killed my son' - raw grief after Nigeria school collapse
Government promises to curb rogue building practices are too little, too late for grieving parents.
4 min read - WorldBBC
Impeached judge itching to take on South African president
Impeached judge John Hlophe is set to lead opposition to President Ramaphosa's coalition government.
7 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Ex-North Korean diplomat appointed a vice minister in South Korea, the highest post for any defector
South Korea’s president on Thursday appointed a former North Korean diplomat as a vice minister, the highest-level government job for any of the thousands of North Koreans who have resettled in South Korea. Tae Yongho was a minister of the North Korean Embassy in London when he defected to South Korea in 2016. Tae is the highest-ranking North Korean who has resettled in South Korea in recent years.
2 min read - Lifestyledpa international
Child sexual abuse: The signs that all parents should recognize
Sexually abused children often know instinctively that what's happened to them isn't right. But they usually don't tell anyone at first. Their behaviour changes though, and parents should be sensitive to these changes. "Sometimes adults are hesitant to take a close look [at possible abuse], because they wouldn't know what to do or how to handle it," says social educator Tanja von Bodelschwingh, executive board member of N.I.N.A., a Germany-based info and advice centre for child and adolescent se
4 min read - LifestyleCNN
Asia’s 50 best bars for 2024 have been announced. A newcomer has earned the top spot
Bar Leone – an Italian cocktail spot in central Hong Kong – has been crowned the best bar in Asia. It’s an impressive achievement, considering the bar has only been open for about a year.
4 min read - WorldReuters
White House welcomes 15-day DR Congo humanitarian truce extension
Congo, the United Nations and Western powers have repeatedly accused Rwanda of supporting M23 with its own troops and weapons, which it denies. Rwanda accuses Congo of financing and fighting alongside a Hutu rebel group, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), which has attacked Tutsis in both countries.
1 min read - WorldBBC
How Euro 2024 busted legend of German efficiency
As football fans poured across Germany, they discovered the trains weren’t as good as they thought.
4 min read - USKREX articles
Korean War vets recognition event postponed
The event will be alongside the Vietnam Era Veteran Home and Pinning Ceremony at 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 4. A location for the event has yet to be determined.
1 min read - USAssociated Press
Toronto cleans up after storm as Trudeau says better infrastructure needed for future
Cleanup crews worked to get Canada’s largest city back to normal on Wednesday, a day after a torrential downpour flooded Toronto’s major roadways and left thousands without power. Around Toronto, flooding temporarily closed several major roads and left drivers stranded. Authorities said they rescued at least 14 people from flooding on the Don Valley Parkway.
2 min read - Businessdpa international
VW markets new electric brand for China to compete with BYD
German carmaker Volkswagen is putting a new electric car range on the market in China. The vehicle under the brand name "ID. Unyx" is to hit showrooms this summer, a spokesman said on Wednesday as the new model was presented in Anhui in south-eastern China. Four further models are to follow up to 2026, with VW seeking to profit from the booming Chinese market for electric cars, where Chinese maker BYD has had the upper hand. "Electric models, like the new ID. Unyx are the key to winning over you
2 min read - Worlddpa international
German Cabinet passes 2025 budget, hailing 'economic turnaround'
Germany's Cabinet on Wednesday finalized the 2025 budget after weeks of wrangling, sending the €480.6 billion ($526 billion) package to parliament for approval. The budget has been the subject of weeks of tense negotiations within Chancellor Olaf Scholz's fractious - and unpopular - three-party coalition. The €480.6 billion total is about €8 billion less than this year. The budget now must be passed by lawmakers, likely in a vote to be held in November. The initial framework proposal, which was
3 min read - ScienceExplorersWeb
Europe’s First Farmers Disappeared 5,000 Years Ago
In the 14th century, the plague wiped out 50 million across Europe and Asia. It remains one of history’s most fatal pandemics. But this was not the first time the bubonic plague hit Europe. It also caused the disappearance of Scandinavian populations thousands of years earlier. Dubbed the Neolithic Decline, huge numbers of northern Europeans […]
2 min read - WorldAssociated Press
French anti-terror police detain alleged neo-Nazi sympathizer suspected of targeting Olympic torch
French anti-terror police have detained an alleged neo-Nazi sympathizer suspected of wanting to target the Olympic torch relay, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said Wednesday. The Paris prosecutor's office said the man was detained Wednesday morning at his home in the Alsace region of eastern France. It said he runs a group titled “French Aryan division” on the social media channel Telegram, and was detained for questioning about death threats, hate speech and other postings he allegedly mad
2 min read - Worlddpa international
Gaza health authority reports further deaths from IDF strikes
Health authorities in the Gaza Strip reported further deaths as the Israeli military said it was continuing operations in the centre and the south of the coastal strip on Wednesday. The Hamas-controlled health authority said that nine people had died in a town located at the centre region of the Gaza Strip. Staff at the al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City reported that a another nine had died in an Israeli attack on the entrance to a school run by UNRWA, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Re
2 min read - WorldCNN Business
Armani and Dior probed in Italy following worker exploitation claims
Italy’s competition authority is investigating whether Armani and Dior have misled consumers about their production processes, following reports that local companies in their supply chains pay workers too little and force them to work long hours.
2 min read - WorldINSIDER
Putin has ramped up air defenses at his palace to protect it from Ukrainian drones: report
Russia has installed several air defense systems to protect Putin's Valdai Palace — which is causing problems elsewhere, according to reports.
3 min read - Businessdpa international
German department store chain Galeria sells its travel agencies
The major German department store chain Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof has sold its travel agency division to Germany's ADAC motorist club. An agreement has been concluded, and the transaction will take effect in October, Galeria announced in Essen and ADAC simultaneously in Frankfurt on Wednesday. The ADAC is Germany's largest automobile association, providing a range of services including roadside assistance, travel planning and insurance, and advocacy for motorists' rights. The deal involves 70 Gal
2 min read - Worlddpa international
German Cabinet tightens rules for security at airports
Germany's Cabinet has decided to tighten the country's Aviation Security Act in order to prevent radical climate activists and others from carrying out dangerous actions at airports. "Anyone who trespasses on airport premises, glues themselves to taxiways and thus massively obstructs air traffic is not just risking their own life," Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said on Wednesday. Such incidents are also dangerous for many bystanders. Transport Minister Volker Wissing said that he hoped "this ti
1 min read
