An estimated $200 million Andy Warhol image of Marilyn Monroe tops this month’s spring sales in New York, which collectors believe are among the most awaited in history. Christie’s estimates Warhol’s 1964 “Shot Sage Blue Marilyn” to be the most expensive 20th century artwork when it goes under the hammer on Monday. Not to be … Read more
The Indonesian Navy captured a tanker that was transporting palm oil out of the country in contravention of an export restriction according to a spokeswoman. Last week, Indonesia, the world’s largest producer of palm oil, banned its export to control surging domestic prices and shortages. An Indonesian warship intercepted the Singapore-flagged MV Mathu Bhum on … Read more
French President Emmanuel Macron was inaugurated for a second term on Saturday, promising a fresh start in the face of enormous challenges in international and domestic affairs. Macron was confirmed as the winner of the April election at a ceremony at the Elysee Palace by Constitutional Council chief Laurent Fabius, who then signed the formal … Read more
A US police officer sentenced to five years in prison for violently arresting a 73-year-old dementia patient for allegedly shoplifting, fracturing her arm and dislocating her shoulder. Bodycam video of the arrest – and footage of cops subsequently smiling as they re-watched it at a Colorado police station – prompted global indignation. Austin Hopp pled … Read more
US President Joe Biden announced another package of military support for Ukraine, As dozens of residents were evacuated from Mariupol’s beleaguered steelworks, the last pocket of resistance against Russian soldiers in the port city, The latest security assistance, at $150 million, will include artillery shells and radars, according to Biden, as the country braces for … Read more
A huge explosion caused by a suspected gas leak ripped through a luxury hotel in central Havana on Friday, killing at least 22 people according to official counts. In the early evening, rescuers rescued four bodies from the wreckage as they searched the ruins of the famous Saratoga Hotel for survivors. At least one woman … Read more
Postwoman Iryna Fedyanina’s laughter drowns out the mortar fire as she dispenses pensions to terrified civilians along a river that separates Ukrainian and Russian forces. A grumpy driver drives her Ukrainian post office van past fortified checkpoints and positions so vulnerable to Russian fire that soldiers try to blend themselves with the surrounding woodlands. He … Read more
Several fires broke out in southern Siberia on Saturday, affecting over 200 buildings and killed at least five people, according to local officials who issued a state of emergency. The flames in the Krasnoyarsk region extended to some sawmills and a children’s playground, according to the regional emergency ministry on Telegram. Regional governor Alexandre Uss … Read more
Kyiv announced Saturday that it has destroyed another Russian warship near the Black Sea’s Snake Island, where Ukrainian servicemen were honoured for bravery after refusing Russian requests to surrender. According to a statement from Ukraine’s defence ministry, an armed drone damaged a Serna-class landing craft and a missile defence system on the small island controlled … Read more
In the wake of Moscow’s war in Ukraine, Russia on Saturday performed its final rehearsal for an annual parade commemorating the Soviet victory in World War II, where its military strength will be displayed. Thousands of soldiers will march across Moscow’s Red Square, trailed by tanks, armoured vehicles, and missile launchers, to commemorate the 77th anniversary … Read more
The suspension of Russian gas supplies to Bulgaria last week has left businesses large and small scurrying, fearing delivery delays and price hikes. “We are already on the brink. We’ll have to raise our prices further,” said Valery Krastev, who owns a bread factory in the northern town of Montana. “How will people pay for … Read more
In a joint statement to the World Trade Organization on Friday, the European Union, the United States, and more than two dozen other countries pledged to strengthen global food security. They expressed concern over the “global effects on food security” caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and emphasised the “urgency and necessity of preserving free … Read more
Fears over the impact of interest rate hikes to combat sky-high inflation sent European and Asian stocks plunging on Friday. However, after a day of steep losses, Wall Street has stabilised. Meanwhile, the pound fell to $1.2276, a two-year low, one day after the Bank of England (BoE) warned that UK inflation would exceed 10% … Read more
Following a months-long dispute, Morocco and Spain agreed to boost cooperation on irregular migration on Friday, according to a joint statement. “Faced with the shared challenges leading from the action of migrant trafficking networks and the unstable regional environment, the two parties decided to strengthen their coordination and information exchange mechanisms,” a joint statement said. … Read more
The World Food Programme On Friday, called for the reopening of ports in the southern Ukrainian city of Odessa so that food produced there can freely travel across the world. “Right now, Ukraine’s grain silos are full. At the same time, 44 million people around the world are marching towards starvation. We have to open … Read more
Exiled journalists from Russia’s harsh opposition daily Novaya Gazeta opened a new publication in Latvia on Friday. The first issue of Novaya Gazeta. Europe was released in Riga just weeks after the Moscow-based daily, led by Nobel Peace Prize-winning editor Dmitry Muratov, was forced to close owing to increased pressure on alternative media outlets. Novaya … Read more
The United States stated on Friday that it believes North Korea is prepared to conduct its first nuclear test since 2017. The State Department made its judgment public amid growing US dissatisfaction with North Korea, which has conducted a series of missile launches. “The United States assesses that the DPRK is preparing its Punggye-ri test … Read more
Firefighters in New Mexico battled a massive inferno that has been blazing for more than a month, raising concerns about the summer ahead in the drought-stricken western United States. The “Hermits Peak Fire” has burned 168,000 acres at the southern end of the Rocky Mountains, destroying 170 homes and forcing roughly 16,000 people to flee … Read more
Iraqi authorities said one person died on Friday, as cases of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever expanded to Iraq’s north, Since the beginning of the year, Iraq has recorded eight deaths from 40 cases of the ailment, also known as Congo fever, according to health ministry spokesperson Seif al-Badr. Health authorities in Kirkuk, north of Baghdad, announced … Read more
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday that it is examining 109 cases of a strange form of hepatitis in children, including five deaths. “Investigators both here and abroad and around the globe are working hard to determine the cause,” said Jay Butler, deputy director for infectious diseases for the CDC. Hospitalization … Read more
A huge blast in central Havana on Friday killed eight people and injured about 30 people, according to the Cuban government, which claimed the incident was likely caused by a gas leak. After a late-morning explosion sent a tremendous cloud of dust and smoke billowing from the famous Saratoga Hotel, rescuers crawled through the ruins … Read more
The International Court of Justice stated on Friday, that Germany dismissed its complaint against Italy, which Berlin claimed was wrongfully claiming World War II compensation, according to The ICJ, the UN’s top judicial body, said in a statement that Germany decided to withdraw the case “after recent judicial developments in Italy” and after talks between … Read more
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa proclaimed a state of emergency for the second time in five weeks on Friday, giving security forces broad powers in the face of a statewide walkout calling for his resignation. After unions blamed the president for the extraordinary economic crisis that has sparked weeks of turmoil, the president invoked the severe rules … Read more
The Saudi-led military coalition fighting Yemen’s Huthi insurgents announced Friday it has freed a batch of rebel captives, part of what it claims as efforts to end the seven-year war. The coalition announced last week that it would release 163 convicts accused of taking part in “hostilities” against Saudi Arabia. Early Friday evening, the Saudi … Read more
The government of Burkina Faso said on Friday that rescuers were battling to pump water out of a flooded mine where eight miners had been missing for over three weeks. When an underground portion of the mine flooded on April 16 due to heavy rain, the eight — six Burkinabe, a Zambian, and a Tanzanian … Read more
The Egyptian pilots’ union denied negligence in a 2016 plane crash that killed 66 people, on Friday. Expert findings submitted to the French judiciary suggested that a leaking cockpit oxygen mask and human factors were likely to blame. EgyptAir flight MS804 vanished from radar screens on its approach to Cairo from Paris on May 19, … Read more
Reliance Industries became the first Indian corporation to cross $100 billion in annual revenues, after reporting solid quarterly earnings across its energy, telecoms, and retail operations on Friday, Between January and March, the company, which is owned by Asia’s richest man Mukesh Ambani, posted a net profit of 162.03 billion rupees ($2.1 billion), up 22.5 … Read more
Ursula von der Leyen, the EU commission’s chief, called for the resumption of building on a new gas pipeline connecting Spain and France on Friday, calling it a vital component in reducing reliance on Russian energy.. “Now all of Europe agrees that we must cut our dependency on Russian fossil fuels,” Von der Leyen said … Read more
