On Tuesday, Russian soldiers launched a huge assault on the Azovstal steel mill, the last stronghold of Ukrainian forces in the destroyed southern port city of Mariupol, bringing 101 residents to safety who had been besieged there for weeks. “We are so thankful for everyone who helped us. There was a moment we lost hope, … Read more
Spain’s weak coalition government was put on the defensive Tuesday when it was revealed that the prime minister’s and defense minister’s cellphones had been tapped using Pegasus malware. Felix Bolanos, a cabinet minister, told a news conference on Monday that the phones of Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Defense Minister Margarita Robles were hacked … Read more
At least two people have died in a building that collapsed in central China, state media said Tuesday, the first fatalities reported four days into a rescue operation searching for dozens still missing. The commercial building in Changsha city, Hunan province — which housed apartments, a hotel and a cinema — caved in on Friday, … Read more
According to a media watchdog, unregulated online content has propagated disinformation and propaganda that has exacerbated political divisions, stoked international tensions, and even led to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Reporters Without Borders, widely known by its French acronym RSF, presented its findings in the 2022 edition of its annual World Press Freedom Index. Democratic societies, … Read more
More than 200 anti-government protestors were detained by Armenian police on Tuesday, as opposition parties increase pressure on Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan over his handling of a territorial dispute with Azerbaijan. Protests erupted in Yerevan on Sunday with the opposition demanding Pashinyan’s resignation accusing him of plotting to cede to Baku all the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh … Read more
Due to “geopolitical tensions and uncertainties” tied to its Russian activities, Finnish state-owned utility Fortum said Tuesday it will take a 2.1 billion euro ($2.2 billion) blow. While the energy producer announced in March it would stop all new investments in Russia following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, it said current operations would continue there “as normal”. Fortum … Read more
In a cooperative effort with the Red Cross, the UN claimed Tuesday that 101 residents had been “successfully evacuated” from the Azovstal plant’s tunnels in Ukraine’s ravaged city of Mariupol. “I am pleased and relieved to confirm that 101 civilians have successfully been evacuated from the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol,” Osnat Lubrani, the UN’s … Read more
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, which means we are now in the month. Dr. Jonathon Wade, a Behavioral science professor at Danville Area Community College’s Liberal Arts Department, will present a “Coffee, Cake, and Conversation” event on Mental Health Awareness on Thursday, May 12th at 10 a.m. in the DACC Bremer Conference Center. According … Read more
On Thursday, local council and city elections will take place in England, Scotland, and Wales, as well as elections for the devolved Northern Ireland Assembly in Belfast. Here are details about the voting and what’s at stake: – When does voting take place? – Polls open at 0600 GMT on Thursday and close at 2100 … Read more
With pro-Irish nationalists Sinn Fein expected to win provincial elections this week, Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader warned against a “divisive” referendum on Irish unity on Monday. Voters head to the ballot box in the UK province on Thursday with polls predicting pro-Irish nationalists Sinn Fein will become the largest party in Northern … Read more
As Moscow’s forces press farther into eastern Ukraine, eight civilians died on Sunday as a result of Russian shelling attacks in Donetsk and Kharkiv, according to the governors of the two areas. The deaths came as the Russian army refocuses its efforts on eastern Ukraine, notably the Donbas region, which incorporates Donetsk and Lugansk. Four … Read more
Lucy, a Shanghai resident, said she and her neighbors were bundled into buses and driven hundreds of kilometers away from the city’s lockdown to a makeshift quarantine center in the middle of the night. Most of Shanghai’s 25 million residents have been confined to their homes for weeks as the city battles a major Covid … Read more
Saudi Arabia is attempting to improve its harsh justice system, but executions and harsh treatment of dissidents have eclipsed changes, raising doubts about how much will change. The kingdom is known for its strict interpretation of Islamic sharia law, which forms the basis of its judicial system. But in recent months it has moved ahead … Read more
Engineer Fabien Esculier will never forget his grandmother’s unorthodox approach to gardening; in fact, it motivated him to pursue a career in the field. Human urine may seem like a crude way of fertilizing plants in the era of industrial agriculture, but as researchers look for ways to reduce reliance on chemicals and cut environmental … Read more
AFP reporters witnessed Ethiopian police using tear gas against young Muslims in Addis Ababa on Monday during prayers to celebrate the end of Ramadan. The incident occurred outside the international stadium in the heart of the capital, where prayers were scheduled to celebrate the Eid al-Fitr holiday. Unable to gain access because the stadium was … Read more
According to a war monitor, Syrian authorities have released 60 inmates, including those who have been held in regime jails for more than a decade, as part of a presidential amnesty that includes covers terror-related convictions. “About 60 detainees have been released since Sunday, from various Syrian regions, some of whom have spent at least … Read more
At the start of a European tour on Monday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for diplomacy to resolve the bloodshed in Ukraine, but avoided denouncing Russia for its invasion. India, which imports much of its military hardware from Russia, has long walked a diplomatic tightrope between the West and Moscow, and has called only for … Read more
The Wagner Group, a Russian private military company, is present in Mali and Libya “on a commercial basis,” according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. In an interview with Italy’s Mediaset, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated Moscow’s official position that Wagner “has nothing to do with the Russian state.” He said that Moscow “explained this to … Read more
Ministers from the European Union gathered on Monday to debate how to respond to Russia’s cutoff of gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria, as well as preparations for an oil embargo to punish Moscow for invading Ukraine. The energy ministers from the 27 member states were coordinating efforts to counter what Brussels has branded the … Read more
The US hopes to have its diplomats back in Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, “before the end of the month,” according to embassy charge d’affaires Kristina Kvien. Washington closed its embassy in Kyiv days before the Russian invasion. “We very much hope that conditions will permit us to go back to Kyiv by the end of the … Read more
As Russia’s operation in eastern Ukraine continued with “active and violent” fighting, Ukrainian authorities hoped to evacuate additional citizens from the beleaguered southern port city of Mariupol on Monday. Kyiv said more than 100 civilians were evacuated over the weekend from the sprawling Azovstal plant, the last holdout of Ukrainian forces in Mariupol which has … Read more
In 2020, Donald Trump erupted in rage at demonstrators outside the White House, shouting In 2020, saying “Can’t you just shoot them? Just shoot them in the legs or something?” according to then defense secretary Mark Esper. In a new book, excerpts of which were reported Monday, Esper recalled sitting in the Oval Office with … Read more
After a corrections officer and an inmate charged with the offence of murder went missing on Friday, authorities in Alabama are looking for them. Casey White, the inmate, was taken from jail by Vicki White, the assistant director of corrections for Lauderdale County, on Friday morning, claiming she was transporting him to the county courts. … Read more
After admitting to watching pornography on his phone in the House of Commons chamber, a lawmaker from Britain’s ruling Conservative party announced his resignation on Saturday. Neil Parish, who represents a seat in southwest England, said he was standing down and triggering a by-election in the Tory stronghold after what he called an indefensible moment … Read more
According to UK government-funded research released on Sunday, Russia has converted an old factory in Saint Petersburg into a so-called troll farm to disseminate disinformation and target Kremlin critics, including international leaders. The site in the Russian city is allegedly being used to “spread lies” on social media and in comment sections of popular websites, … Read more
PARIS: On Sunday, citizens and trade unions took to the streets in cities around Europe for May Day marches and to send protest messages to their governments, particularly in France, where the holiday honoring workers was being exploited as a rallying cry against freshly reelected President Emmanuel Macron. May Day is a time when people … Read more
More than 160 protestors were detained by Turkish police on Sunday as they attempted to stage a May Day rally in defiance of a ban enforced by the governor’s office. AFP images showed riot police clashing with protesters near Istanbul’s Taksim Square, pinning some of them forcefully to the ground before rounding them up in … Read more
Wimbledon’s decision to bar Russian and Belarusian players from competing in the Championships is “unfair,” according to Rafael Nadal, the Spanish tennis legend, who spoke to media in Madrid on Sunday. The 21-time major winner believes the All England Club chose “the most drastic option”, and hopes the tours can find a way to interfere … Read more
