Fires in southwestern Siberia have killed at least ten people and destroyed hundreds of structures Local authorities announced on Saturday. Hundreds of firefighters are battling the blazes, which are unusual in the region in May and have been fueled by a lack of rain and strong winds, according to officials. In the Krasnoyarsk region, at … Read more
North Korea launched its second submarine-launched ballistic missile in three days on Saturday, Seoul reported, after the US warned Pyongyang could be planning a nuclear test. Pyongyang has drastically increased its sanctions-busting missile launches this year, conducting 15 tests since January, including the first full-range launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile since 2017. The latest … Read more
The UN human rights director expressed concern on Saturday over recent violent conflicts in Ethiopia between Muslims and Orthodox Christians, calling on authorities to investigate and prosecute those responsible. Michelle Bachelet, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said she was “very disturbed” by the violence that erupted in northern Ethiopia late last month, killing … Read more
The army claimed 11 Egyptian soldiers were killed on Saturday while attempting to foil a “terrorist” attack on the Suez Canal zone bordering the Sinai Peninsula, a hub of jihadist activity. It was the army’s worst loss in years in its long-running operation against militants loyal to the Islamic State group in and around Sinai. … Read more
An explosive device was discovered in a Berlin building housing the office of a Russian news agency on Saturday According to German media. The device was located in the basement of a building “containing the office of a Russian press agency,” Ria Novosti, in the city’s Steglitz neighbourhood, according to German police. Police had been … Read more
CIA Director Bill Burns said that there are no indications that Russia is ready to use tactical nuclear weapons in the Ukraine conflict. “We don’t see, as an intelligence community, practical evidence at this point of Russian planning for the deployment or even potential use of tactical nuclear weapons,” Burns said. “Given the kind of … Read more
CIA Director Bill Burns said that China is closely monitoring Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and is likely altering its long-term plans for obtaining control of Taiwan based on the lessons learned.. “Clearly the Chinese leadership is trying to look carefully at what lessons they should draw from Ukraine about their own ambitions and Taiwan,” Burns … Read more
Michelle O’Neill represents a new generation of progressive Irish republicans, and she will be remembered as the leader who first gave nationalists control in Northern Ireland. The 45-year-old Sinn Fein lawmaker, who pledged on Saturday to create “inclusive leadership that celebrates diversity,” comes from a family steeped in sectarianism. Her father was imprisoned for IRA … Read more
Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party leader, Jeffrey Donaldson, admitted on Saturday that his nationalist opponents, Sinn Fein, were on track for a historic election triumph. “Certainly it looks at the moment as if Sinn Fein will emerge as the largest party,” He told Sky News that the DUP would refuse to join a future administration … Read more
On a visit to neighboring Romania on Saturday, US First Lady Jill Biden praised the “very strong” migrants fleeing war-torn Ukraine. “You are amazingly strong,” Biden said after listening women and children recount their experiences fleeing Russia’s assault of their country. “We stand with you, I hope you know that,” she said in a visit … Read more
Russia’s war on Ukraine has caused grain prices to spike, which is a concern for consumers worldwide but could be a windfall for producers like Argentina, which is hoping for an infusion of soybean “agridollars” to help its faltering economy. The third-largest economy in South America is the world’s largest exporter of soybean meal and … Read more
The Italian authorities confiscated a giant yacht at the centre of a controversy regarding its ownership on Friday, sparking rumours that it might possibly belong to Russian President Vladimir Putin. “Scheherazade”, worth an estimated $700 million, has been the subject of a probe into its ownership by Italy’s financial police. According to the Italian ministry … Read more
Sinn Fein leader Michelle O’Neill said on Saturday that Northern Ireland was entering a “new era” as her nationalist party prepared for a historic election triumph, encouraging a “healthy debate” about abolishing UK sovereignty. “Today marks the beginning of a new age. It’s a watershed moment in our politics and for our people “As full … Read more
Sri Lanka’s major attorneys’ group urged the president on Saturday to lift the state of emergency imposed after a countrywide strike brought the already bankrupt country to a halt. Months of blackouts and acute food, fuel, and medicine shortages have caused widespread hardship across the South Asian island nation, which is experiencing its worst economic … Read more
Brazil and Guyana agreed to expand energy cooperation on Friday during President Jair Bolsonaro’s visit to Georgetown, where the South American neighbours also signed infrastructure and legal agreements. Guyana, a former British and Dutch colony, has emerged as one of the major low-cost oil producing countries, with plans to sell off offshore oil blocks at … Read more
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a leftist ex-president, will open his campaign for Brazil’s October presidential election on Saturday, hoping to unseat far-right President Jair Bolsonaro and staging a stunning comeback four years after being imprisoned for corruption. More than a decade after leaving office as Brazil’s most popular president, the charismatic but tarnished 76-year-old … Read more
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
