News & Current Events

[ad_1] Representative image (AP) At least 12 Ukrainian soldiers are reported dead and over 60 others injured in a Russian missile strike which hit a Ukrainian army training unit on Sunday, according to a statement put out by Ukrainian ground forces in a statement.The strike took place at 12:50pm (local time), said the statement, which stressed that there were no troop formations or large gatherings of personnel at the time. It also noted that an investigative commission had been established to determine the circumstances surrounding the attack that resulted in significant personnel losses.This training unit is located within the 1000 km active front line between Moscow and Kyiv, and falls in the range of Russian reconnaissance and drone strike capabilities. Ukrainian forces are facing a manpower crunch and are taking additional measures to prevent large gatherings, as Russian drones densely […]

[ad_1] Intimate videos of journalist Glenn Greenwald were leaked online Friday, quickly sparking widespread reaction across social media. In a statement posted on X, Greenwald confirmed he appears in the footage and said it was released “without my knowledge or consent,” calling the leak “maliciously political.” “As for the content of the videos: I have no embarrassment or regret about them,” the 58-year-old journalist wrote. “The videos depict consenting adults engaged in intimate actions in their private lives. They all display fully consensual behavior, harming nobody.”He added: “Obviously it can be uncomfortable and unpleasant when your private behavior is made public against your will — that’s why the behavior is private in the first place — but the only wrongdoing here is the criminal and malicious publication of the videos in an attempt to malign perceived political enemies and advance […]

[ad_1] Firefighters with breathing apparatus and a ladder truck work at the Marienkrankenhaus hospital in Hamburg, Germany (AP) BERELIN: Three patients were killed and many people were injured, one of them critically, in a fire that broke out overnight at a hospital in the German city of Hamburg, authorities said on Sunday.Firefighters were alerted to the blaze at the hospital, the Marienkrankenhaus, shortly after midnight. It broke out in a room in the geriatric ward, on the ground floor of the building, and spread to the facade of the floor above. Smoke spread across the building's four floors.It wasn't immediately clear what caused the fire.The fire department said that three adult patients were killed and more than 30 people injured, the German news agency dpa reported. Of those, one was in life-threatening condition, 18 had serious injuries and 15 were […]

[ad_1] Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi (AP file photo) Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi spoke with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Mariano Grossi early Sunday, amid rising tensions over a confidential UN report that flagged Iran’s growing stockpile of uranium enriched close to weapons-grade levels.In a post on Telegram, Araghchi said he reaffirmed Iran’s “continuous cooperation” with the UN’s nuclear watchdog during the call. He also urged Grossi to ensure the agency is not misused by “certain parties” to pursue “political agendas against the Iranian people.” The IAEA has yet to comment publicly on the phone conversation.The IAEA report, accessed by the Associated Press, expressed “serious concern” over Iran becoming “the only non-nuclear-weapon state to produce such material.” The report disclosed that as of May 17, Iran had stockpiled 408.6 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60 percent […]

[ad_1] In a notable shift for a country long defined by post-war pacifism, a growing number of young Germans are rethinking careers in the defence sector, driven by the ongoing war in Ukraine and broader global instability.German arms manufacturers, traditionally absent from public recruitment events, participated for the first time in a job fair at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), a sign of changing tides. Students like 25-year-old Mika Scheid, an engineering student at KIT, are leading the shift.The Russian invasion of Ukraine was a “personal turning point,” said Scheid, who joined the armed forces as a reservist and now hopes to work in military equipment manufacturing. “People are beginning to understand that the Bundeswehr (the German armed forces) is now clearly focused on defending the country and Nato,” he said.Despite student protests prompting Rheinmetall to pull out of the […]

[ad_1] Thousands Bulgarians took on the streets of the capital, Sofia, and other major cities on Saturday to protest government plans to adopt the euro and to demand a referendum on the issue (Image credit: AP) Thousands gathered in Bulgaria's capital Sofia and other major cities on Saturday to reject the country's plans to adopt the euro, the latest move by the eastern European country to strengthen its status in the European Union. Critics of the move are demanding that the government hold a referendum over whether the country should abandon the lev and adopt the euro as its currency.It comes months after Bulgaria, along with Romania, were admitted to the Schengen area.Demonstrators in Sofia carried flags of the pro-Russian Vazrazhdane party. A large banner read "The battle for the Bulgarian lev is the last battle for Bulgaria."Civic groups and […]

[ad_1] Rafal Trzaskowski (left) and Karol Nawrocki (right) (File Photo) Poles are set to vote on Sunday in a knife-edge presidential election with major implications for the country's role in Europe and for abortion and LGBTQ rights.Warsaw's pro-EU mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, 53, an ally of the centrist government, faces off against nationalist historian Karol Nawrocki, 42.Opinion polls predict an extremely close race with Nawrocki on 50.1 per cent and Trzaskowski on 49.9 per cent, a tiny difference within the margin of error.Polls are open between 0500 GMT and 1900 GMT in the EU and Nato country, which borders Ukraine and has been a key supporter of its neighbour against Russia.An exit poll is expected as soon as ballots close and election officials predict the final result will be known on Monday.A victory for Trzaskowski would be a major boost for […]

[ad_1] Shaikha Al Nowais (Image credit: Shaikha Al Nowais official webiste) The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism) has elected Shaikha Al Nowais as the next Secretary-General of UN Tourism. She will be the first woman to lead the organization since its establishment in 1975, marking 50 years of its history.Nowais is set to begin her term in January 2026 after the retirement of Zurab Pololikashvili, the current Secretary-General. The decision of Nowais’ appointment was taken in the 123rd session of the UN Tourism council meeting held at Spain on May 30.As a Secretary-General, Nowais aims to focus on sustainability, digital transformation, economic empowerment, ethical governance and cultural exchange. Her goal is to build an inclusive and innovative tourism sector that helps drive global prosperity.According to her official website, Nowais’ vision is “to lead UN Tourism in promoting responsible, […]

[ad_1] Elon Musk, SpaceX CEO, on Saturday denied a report that he extensively used ketamine and other drugs during the 2024 Presidential campaign trail.In a post shared in X, Musk said, "To be clear, I am NOT taking drugs! The New York Times was lying their ass off." "I tried 'prescription' ketamine a few years ago and said so on X, so this not even news. It helps for getting out of dark mental holes, but haven't taken it since then," he added.Musk has previously acknowledged using ketamine by prescription to treat a negative mindset and has said it helped his work.A New York Times report on Friday said that Musk, a top adviser to US President Donald Trump, used so much ketamine that it led to bladder problems. The report also claimed he took ecstasy and mushrooms and traveled […]

[ad_1] North Korean destroyer after it suffered a failed launch (Image credit: AP) North Korea might be using balloon-like structures around its most advanced and largest naval vessel, after last week’s failed launch left 5,000-ton warship partially submerged. Satellite images from Maxar Technologies reveal over a dozen white, balloon-like objects have been deployed around the wreckage since 23 May.Experts are divided over the purpose of the balloons. Some believe they’re being used to prevent further flooding or protect the vessel from surveillance.“It looks like what appear to be balloons have been installed not to refloat the ship, but to prevent the ship from further flooding,” said South Korean lawmaker and military analyst Representative Yu Yong-weon.Retired US Navy Captain Carl Schuster suggested the balloons could serve dual purposes, either shielding the vessel from drone reconnaissance or relieving pressure on the hull […]