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Netanyahu determined on Rafah offensive, with or without hostage deal

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's planned offensive on the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah will go ahead whether or not a hostage agreement is made with Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, he told a meeting on Tuesday. "We will enter Rafah and we will eliminate the Hamas battalions there - with or without a deal," he told relatives of Israeli hostages and fallen soldiers, according to his office. Netanyahu is determined to launch an offensive in Rafah to eliminate the remaining strongh

Brazil's job creation outpaces expectations in March, signals stronger activity

Brazil's creation of formal jobs in March came in well above expectations, reinforcing the view of a stronger economic activity at the beginning of this year. Latin America's largest economy created a net 244,315 formal jobs in March, Labor Ministry data showed on Tuesday, significantly more than the 188,000 expected in a Reuters poll of economists.

Chinese manufacturer builds world's most efficient diesel engine

The days of the diesel engine are far from numbered, according to a Chinese company that has developed what is billed as the world's most efficient version of the self-ignition motor. Chinese company Weichai says its innovative diesel unit achieves an overall thermal efficiency of 53.09% - a new world record. This value was confirmed by the Tüv Süd testing agency North Asia and by the China Automotive Technology Research Centre, a professional testing institute for combustion engines. The news c

Czech President Pavel calls EU enlargement a 'geostrategic necessity'

The Czech Republic has signalled its support for new rounds of European Union enlargement, as the country prepares to mark 20 years since its own accession to the bloc. Enlargement is a "geostrategic necessity," said Czech President Petr Pavel at a press conference in Prague, together with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at a conference on the accession of the Czech Republic and nine other states to the EU 20 years ago. "If we leave the Western Balkan states, Ukraine, Moldova and Georgi

Former Italian foreign minister convicted for role in sale of Monte Carlo apartment

A former Italian foreign minister has been convicted and sentenced to two years and eight months in prison for his role in the sale of an apartment in Monte Carlo inherited by his right-wing party. Gianfranco Fini is a former leader of the far-right Italian Social Movement, which he moved away from its neo-fascist ideology and transformed into the National Alliance, serving as foreign minister in 2004-2006 under then-Premier Silvio Berlusconi. The far-right party of Italy’s current premier, Gi

G7 support UN agreements on plastic, protection of the high seas

The Group of Seven (G7) leading Western industrialized nations are supporting an ambitious UN agreement to reduce plastics, a German minister said on Tuesday. "As industrialized countries, we have a special obligation to curb the effects of the massive pollution crisis. As G7 countries, we are committed to reducing global plastic production and consumption," German Environment Minister Steffi Lemke said at the meeting of the G7 climate, energy and environment ministers in Italy. The G7 also want

Better Cotton to scale sustainable cotton in West, Central Africa

Sustainable cotton initiative Better Cotton is being funded by the African Export-Import Bank to scale sustainable cotton production in West and Central Africa.

Gunmen kill a police officer assigned to protect polio workers in northwest Pakistan

Gunmen fatally shot a police officer assigned to protect polio workers in Pakistan’s northwest, an official said Tuesday. At least 10 police have died this year while on security duty for vaccination campaigns in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The gunmen fired at a team working in Bajaur district, killing the officer on the spot, police officer Dilawar Khan said.

UNRWA chief: Gaza supplies better but not enough to reverse trend towards famine

Food and other humanitarian aid supplies to Gaza have improved in April, but there is still far from enough to reverse the trend towards famine, said the head of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees. "It is true that there have been more supply entering during the month of April, but this is still far from enough to reverse the negative trend," said Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA commissioner general, at a press conference in Geneva, describing a race against the clock to roll back hunger and fa

Upscale Radisson hotel debuts in Casablanca, Morocco

The opening of Radisson Hotel Casablanca Gauthier La Citadelle marks the group’s second hotel in Casablanca and its ninth hotel opening in Morocco.

QatarEnergy signs $6bn agreement with China to build 18 LNG vessels

QatarEnergy and China State Shipbuilding Corporation signed an agreement on Monday to construct 18 ultra-modern QC-Max size liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessels.

Cold snap causes “great damage” to German vineyards

Night-time temperatures have been dropping to lows of -5°C in the last two weeks in many winegrowing areas in Germany, DWV has revealed.

German unemployed rate remains at 6% in April

The number of unemployed in Germany fell by only 20,000 to 2.75 million in April compared to March due to a weak spring recovery on the labour market, the Federal Labour Agency announced on Tuesday. That is 164,000 more unemployed than a year ago. The unemployment rate remained unchanged from March at 6%. Compared to the same month last year, the rate increased by 0.3 points. For the April statistics, the Federal Employment Agency used data that was available up to the 15th of the month. "The la

Italy to present hiring incentives, cash giveaway before EU vote

The Italian government will on Tuesday unveil an economic package focused on temporary tax breaks to firms that hire staff on open-ended contracts and a cash bonus of up to 100 euros ($107) for low earners, officials said. The measures, which could pile further pressure of Italy's creaking public finances, are being proposed about a month before European elections which will test the popularity of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's right-wing coalition. Italy in 2023 posted the widest budget defi

Kenya floods: What a deluge reveals about Nairobi's vulnerability

Kenya's capital, which sits on a floodplain, has not taken enough measures to mitigate against flooding.

Mexico is taking Ecuador to the top UN court over its storming of the Mexican Embassy

Mexico accused Ecuador of a blatant violation of international law before the top U.N. court on Tuesday, asserting there was no legal defense for storming the Mexican Embassy in Quito to arrest a former vice president who had just been granted asylum by Mexico. The April 5 raid, hours after Mexico granted asylum to former Vice President Jorge Glas, spiked tensions that had been brewing between the two countries since Glas, a convicted criminal and fugitive, took refuge at the embassy in Decembe

Indonesia's Mount Ruang erupts again, spewing ash and peppering villages with debris

Indonesia’s Mount Ruang volcano erupted Tuesday for a second time in two weeks, spewing ash almost 2 kilometers (more than a mile) into the sky, closing an airport and peppering nearby villages with debris. The alert level of the volcano on Sulawesi Island was again raised to the highest level by the Indonesian geological service, after sensors picked up increasing volcanic activity. The 725-meter (2,378-foot) volcano in North Sulawesi province is about 95 kilometers (59 miles) northeast of Sa

From spring offensive to charm offensive: The Taliban are working to woo tourists to Afghanistan

Around 30 men are crammed into a Kabul classroom, part of the debut student cohort at a Taliban-run institute training tourism and hospitality professionals. The students vary in age, education level and professional experience. Afghanistan’s rulers are pariahs on the global stage, largely because of their restrictions on women and girls.

Thirty men have died trying to leave Ukraine to avoid fighting since war started

About 30 Ukrainian men have died trying to illegally cross Ukraine's borders and avoid fighting in the war against Russia which started in 2022, the spokesman for Ukraine's border service told Ukrinform news agency. "Some lost their lives while attempting to cross a mountain river or traverse mountains," said Andriy Demchenko, according to a Ukrinform report late on Monday. With some exceptions, Ukrainian men between the ages of 18 and 60 are not allowed to leave the country as they may be mob

New post-Brexit controls: a thorn for UK horticulture

Yuccas from Spain, rhododendrons from Germany or Dutch hazelnut trees -- flowers and plants arriving at UK ports from the European Union face tougher post-Brexit border checks from Tuesday, meaning delays and extra costs for importers.Tuesday sees the introduction of physical checks at UK ports on animal or plant products deemed "medium" risk such as cut flowers -- as well as "high" risk, which include plants that go in the ground.

Sari shops and street food stalls: How e-payments have taken over India

Digital payments, made through systems like the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), have transformed life in India.

Abducted retired Catholic bishop who mediated between cartels in Mexico is located, hospitalized

A retired Roman Catholic bishop who was famous for trying to mediate between drug cartels in Mexico was located and taken to a hospital after apparently being briefly kidnapped, the Mexican Council of Bishops said Monday. The church leadership in Mexico said in a statement earlier that Msgr. Salvador Rangel, a bishop emeritus, disappeared on Saturday and called on his captors to release him.

Scientists Say New Material Can Suck Carbon Out of Atmosphere Faster Than Trees

Scientific Alchemy A team of scientists in the United Kingdom say they have discovered a porous material that has the potential capacity to store large quantities of greenhouse gases, The Independent reports, making it one possible tool in the arsenal to fight climate change. The scientists detailed how they used computational models to develop this […]

A Colombian army helicopter has crashed in a rural area of the country's north, killing 9 soldiers

An army helicopter carrying supplies to troops crashed in a rural area in northern Colombia on Monday, killing nine soldiers on board, the country’s armed forces said. In a statement, the Colombian military said the helicopter was taking the supplies to the municipality of Santa Rosa del Sur, an area that has recently experienced fighting between the National Liberation Army guerrilla group and the drug trafficking group known as the Gulf Clan.

University of Chicago students start encampment to protest Israel’s war on Gaza

CHICAGO — Students at the University of Chicago are now joining many other movements at colleges around the country and protesting the war in the Middle East. Students at the university have set up a camp in the main quad of the campus to stand in solidarity with what’s happening in Gaza. Anuh, with Students […]

Tensions grow as China ramps up global mining for green tech

China has taken big stakes in mines across the world extracting minerals vital to the green economy.

Migrants hit by high fees to send money home

Sending money across borders, particularly in Africa, can still be expensive.

Strained Chinese cities struggle to pay home buying subsidies

Amy Wang was counting on a 100,000 yuan ($13,800) subsidy promised by authorities in the eastern Chinese city of Weifang to fit and furnish an apartment she bought two years ago. "I feel under a lot of pressure," said Wang, who works in electronics manufacturing, and bought the bare shell of her apartment, without floors, interior walls or other fittings - which is common in China. Weifang, with a population of more than 9 million and an economy larger than Croatia's, and dozens of other Chine

Leatherback, MCB Bank partner on Pakistan Rupees remittances and payouts

Collaboration aims to power more business and lifestyle opportunities in Pakistan and the wider South Asia region

Tensions rise on UPenn campus as pro-Palestinian encampments remain despite university letter to disband

Pro-Palestine protestors remain on University of Pennsylvania's campus with encampments set up, despite the university's letter to disband, saying the protest on campus goes against university policies.

Israel's strike showed Iran's air defenses were 'woefully unprepared.' Here's what Tehran may do next.

Israel showed it can take out a key part of Iran's air defenses with a single missile. Iran has two leading options to upgrade its air defenses.

Kenya flooding: Around 50 killed in villages near Mai Mahiu town

Villagers were swept away as they slept after a tide of water crashed downstream.

G7 ready to agree to phase out coal by 2035

The climate, energy and environment ministers of the leading Western industrialised nations (G7) have agreed on a coal phase-out by 2035 at their meeting in Italy, British and Italian officials said Monday. The decision was confirmed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs on Monday evening. A ministry spokesman said that Germany had played a key role in the decision to set a clear end date for coal-fired power generation for all G7 countries. British Energy Secretary Andrew Bowie ha

Ancient ‘Paleo’ diet largely consisted of plants for some hunter-gatherers, study finds

Prehistoric humans are often believed to have largely eaten meat — to the extent that proponents of many modern low-carb diets portray them as closely resembling humans’ “primordial” eating style. But a recent excavation at a cave in Taforalt, Morocco, complicates this picture, according to findings published Monday in Nature Ecology & Evolution. These findings challenge “the prevailing notion”…

India is drawing lessons from Ukraine to counter China's military might

As India modernizes its armed forces of 1.5 million, its experts see lessons to draw from the battlefields of Ukraine.

Clean up your house and get rid of Putin's propaganda, EU chief tells far right

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen sharply attacked far-right parties such as the German AfD who are standing for the European Union parliamentary election, telling them to "clean up their house" and get rid of Kremlin propaganda. "When I see what your AfD colleagues, the lead candidates, have done, they are under investigation for being in the pocket of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin," von der Leyen said in a debate with several other candidates on the future of the EU organise

Synagogue's 'We Stand With Israel' sign vandalized overnight in Rockville

A sign in front of Temple Beth Ami in Rockville that said "We Stand With Israel" was defaced with red spray paint overnight this past weekend.

Professor charged with battery after she was ‘violently arrested’ in pro-Palestine protests on viral video

At least 28 people arrested at Emory University in Georgia after police came to disperse a pro-Palestine protest

Exclusive-Gaza hospital staff questioned by ICC war crimes prosecutors, sources say

THE HAGUE (Reuters) -Prosecutors from the International Criminal Court have interviewed staff from Gaza's two biggest hospitals, two sources told Reuters, the first confirmation that ICC investigators were speaking to medics about possible crimes in the Gaza Strip. The sources, who asked not to be identified due to the sensitivity of the subject, told Reuters ICC investigators had taken testimony from staff who had worked in the main hospital in Gaza City in the north of the enclave, Al Shifa,

German military officer says nuclear fears led him to spy for Russia

A German military officer with ties to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has confessed to providing information to a Russian intelligence service. He was driven by fear of a nuclear escalation of the Ukraine war, the 54-year-old testified at the first day of his trial before the Dusseldorf Higher Regional Court on Monday. The defendant, who holds the rank of captain, had worked at the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw).

These are Mercedes-Benz, but not as you know them

Thanks to local R&D, the Mercedes on the streets of China can be very different to those at home

Active search for autistic boy missing for a week in Germany ends

The active search for a 6-year-old boy with autism who left his home in northern Germany a week ago, triggering a huge manhunt, will be suspended on Tuesday, police said. "We will no longer be on site here from tomorrow," said a police spokesman on Monday evening, although a team of investigators will continue to work the case. Hundreds of emergency services and volunteers have been searching for the boy named Arian since April 22, combing a partially wooded area of 5,300 hectares near the town

Ecuador files complaint against Mexico at top UN court in spat over embassy raid

Ecuador filed a complaint Monday at the top U.N. court over what it called Mexico’s illegal move to grant political asylum to a former Ecuadorian vice president, which led to Ecuador’s highly criticized raid on a Mexican embassy earlier this month. The Ecuadorian complaint at the International Court of Justice in the Netherlands intensifies a high-profile diplomatic quarrel with Mexico, which has filed its own complaint with the panel alleging that Ecuador’s highly unusual April 5 raid to arres

Burkina Faso bans more foreign media over Human Rights Watch massacre report

The West African nation "strongly rejects" allegations its army killed at least 223 civilians in February.

Tesla shares surge after Elon Musk secures deal with China’s Baidu

Tesla shares surged after chief executive Elon Musk struck a deal with China’s search and mapping group Baidu paving the way for the US company...

Deepest blue hole in the world discovered, with hidden caves and tunnels believed to be inside

Scientists have yet to reach the bottom of the Taam Ja' Blue Hole in Mexico's Chetumal Bay, which new measurements hint could be connected to a labyrinth of submarine caves and tunnels.

German inflation rate holds steady at 2.2% in April

The inflation rate in Germany remained unchanged in April after declines in the three consecutive preceding months. Consumer prices in April rose by 2.2% more than in the same month last year, the Federal Statistical Office said in a preliminary reading on Monday. The last time the annual inflation rate was lower was in April 2021, when it was 2%. In December last year the rate stood at 3.7%, and has been falling steadily since then. Consumers paid 0.5% more for food in April than a year earlier

Mobile Marine Corps Veteran Gary Cooper leaves a lasting legacy

Mobile, Ala. (WKRG) — Mobile native and Marine Corps Veteran Major General Gary Cooper passed away on Saturday. Cooper who is recognized as the first African-American Marine Corps officer to lead an infantry company into combat in Vietnam, earned two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star among other distinctions. He graduated from McGill-Toolen High School […]

Italy has given Ukraine long-range missiles, says UK defense minister

The announcement by Grant Shapps lifts the veil on some of Italy's secrecy when it comes to military aid for Ukraine.

Nissan to distribute micro-EV in Europe

Initially in France and Italy followed by additional European markets in September