They are said to have drunk free “Tiger vodka” in the hostel – shortly afterwards six people were dead. After the methanol scandal, the police in Laos have now arrested several suspects. The Nana Backpacker Hostel in Vang Vieng is still receiving a lot of praise in online reviews: “The hostel leaves nothing to be desired,” writes one person. And: “Free alcohol every evening.” Others commented with the corresponding opening times of the bar. But…
What’s on the front page of El Pais? The front page of El Pais this morning 27/11/2024 reports “Netanyahu announces ceasefire in Lebanon, vows to respond forcefully if Hezbollah violates it”. The paper says the Israeli prime minister is celebrating that the agreement allows him to continue attacking Gaza (“Hamas is left alone”) and to focus on Iran. The army is taking advantage of the last hours to bombard Beirut with unusual violence, creating traffic…
What’s on the front page of Le Monde? The front page of Le Monde this morning – 27/11/2024 – reports on French politics. While the left and the National Rally do not rule out bringing down the Barnier government in the coming weeks, the country could find itself in unprecedented uncertainty which would increase investor distrust.Donald Trump undoubtedly definitely escapes his criminal responsibilities. The president-elect recorded, on Monday, a decisive victory in his tussle with his country’s…
The Flame | In the tracks of the Comanche In 2021, “Nytorgsmannen” Fredrik Lundgren, formerly Andreas Holm, will be sentenced to five years in prison for seven rapes and a long series of other abuses. Less than three years later, he is out again, and after barely six months, he is arrested on new suspicions of rape. – Today there are no consequences, tax crimes have higher penalties than raping 15 girls. It doesn’t feel…
Drug trafficking – A criminal group that had set up an international smuggling route for prescription pills was taken down during a large-scale operation coordinated from Eurojust’s headquarters. Romanian, Estonian, Finnish and Serbian authorities, supported by Eurojust and Europol, arrested 47 people and seized over 6 million pills. The criminal group, which operated throughout Europe, bought pills from other criminal networks in Serbia. The pills, used to treat anxiety, seizures and insomnia, were then hidden…
DHL cargo plane crashes in Lithuania A cargo plane flying on behalf of German logistics company DHL crashed near Vilnius International Airport in Lithuania early on Monday, killing at least one person, according to Lithuanian officials. The deceased person was confirmed by Lithuanian police to be a Spanish national and member of the flight crew, although not one of the pilots. The other occupants of the plane — a German, a Lithuanian and another Spaniard…
Japan’s space agency, JAXA, aborted an engine test for the Epsilon S rocket after a large fire broke out at the Tanegashima Space Center on Tuesday. “There was an abnormality during today’s combustion test. We are trying to assess what happened,” JAXA said. Footage on national broadcaster NHK showed flames and smoke rising from the site on the southern Japanese island. Journalists positioned around one kilometer (0.62 miles) away reported a large explosion shortly after the…
Four security force members were killed in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, on Tuesday, the country’s Interior Ministry said, after thousands of supporters of imprisoned ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan defied a police lockdown to march in the city center. Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets as the protesters broke through a barricade of shipping containers blocking off the national capital. The government warned that security forces would respond with live gunfire if protesters used weapons against them. Prime Minister…
China has been stepping up its involvement in the Myanmar conflict as rebels continue to advance, with Beijing recently asking the junta to allow Chinese private military corporations to operate within the neighboring country. Myanmar’s junta is reportedly still reviewing the proposal. After nearly four years of conflict, Myanmar’s resistance forces now control over half of the country and occupy key trade routes on the Myanmar-China border. The junta has also suffered several military defeats…
Senegal’s ruling party, PASTEF, secured an overwhelming parliamentary majority following the country’s legislative election held earlier this month. PASTEF won 130 of 165 seats, up from the 56 it held before the vote, according to provisional results announced by the national vote-counting commission last week. The win gives President Bassirou Diomaye Faye a clear mandate to implement the ambitious reforms he promised during the election campaign. Elected in March on an anti-establishment platform, Diomaye dissolved the opposition-led Parliament to allow the…
China’s Defense Minister Dong Jun has been placed under investigation for corruption, British newspaper Financial Times (FT) reported on Wednesday. If confirmed, Dong would be the third consecutive serving or former Chinese defense minister to be investigated for alleged corruption. According to FT, the investigation was part of a broader probe into military corruption. Last week, Dong declined to meet US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during a meeting of defense ministers in Laos, citing US actions over…
Romanian presidential candidate Calin Georgescu has millions of likes on TikTok and hundreds of thousands of followers. He ran a successful social media campaign to emerge victorious in the first round of the country’s presidential elections. ADVERTISEMENTRomania is reeling from the unexpected rise of far-right extremist Calin Georgescu who won Sunday’s first round of the presidential elections as an independent. His rise went unnoticed by the political system – with his victory representing the first…
Fethullah Gülen, a prominent Turkish cleric and advocate for interfaith dialogue and education, passed away on October 21, 2024, in a Pennsylvania hospital at the age of 86. Known for his emphasis on peace, tolerance, and service to humanity, Gülen dedicated his life to fostering dialogue among religions and promoting moderate interpretations of Islam. His death brings to a close a remarkable chapter in both Turkish history and global Islamic thought. Gülen’s legacy is shaped…
Thousands of supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan have descended on the Pakistani capital Islamabad this week, staging violent protests and calling for Khan’s release from prison. Several security forces members have already been killed in the unrest, according to the government. The interior ministry said additional personnel has been deployed to protect diplomatic missions within the heavily secured Red Zone, which houses multiple government buildings and embassies in Islamabad. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif…
Across southern Africa, support for long-standing ruling parties has dwindled during the past year. South Africa’s once-strong African National Congress (ANC) had to form a coalition government with the Democratic Alliance (DA) to govern for the first time since independence. Neighboring Mozambique is facing violent unrest after Frelimo’s disputed election win. Opposition parties have recently won in Botswana and Mauritius. Namibia is holding its elections on Wednesday, where the governing South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO), which…
Today, the Commission has launched a Trusted Investors Network bringing together a group of investors ready to co-invest in innovative deep-tech companies in Europe together with the EU. The Union’s investment comes from the European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund, which is part of the EU research and innovation programme Horizon Europe. The first group comprises 71 investors from across Europe, including venture capital funds, public investment banks, foundations and corporate venture funds. These investors collectively represent over…
Russia’s record bombing of Ukraine leads much of the bloc’s major news sites this morning as Ukraine’s air force says it has shot down 76 Russian drones in 17 regions, whilst another 95 were lost from their radars or downed by electronic jamming defensive systems in overnights attacks.
Former German chancellor Angela Merkel also dominates much of the European news. A formidable feature of European politics, Merkel served Germany for 16 years. Today, her memoir Freedom is released. The highly anticipated memoir confronts criticisms of her policies on Russia and migration, which some say left Germany overly dependent on Russian gas and has fueled the rise of the far right in the Deutschland.
The conclusion of the mass rape trial in France finds plenty of space as prosecutors demand the maximum sentence for Gisèle Pelicot’s ex-husband and women around the world protesting for an end to violence against women. Much of the European media – including the UK – are running various campaigns and stories around violence towards women, sexual assault and calls for governments to do better.
Record number of Russian drones during the night share-arrowDelaunsaveSparaexpand-leftfull screen Cleanup in a Ukrainian house that was hit by a Russian drone on Monday. Photo: Kateryna Klochko/AP/TTRussia is said to have fired a record number of drones against Ukraine overnight: 188, according to data from the country’s air force.During the day, Ukraine and NATO hold a meeting about a high-profile Russian attack with a new hypersonic robot.Buildings and important infrastructure in several regions have been…
In a phone call on Friday 18 October, President Ursula von der Leyen discussed with President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) the current geopolitical situation and ways to further strengthen EU-UAE relations. President von der Leyen expressed her concerns about the rising tensions in the Middle East and the risk of further escalation. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to securing an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and in Lebanon, and emphasized the need to…
Japan’s space agency, JAXA, aborted an engine test for the Epsilon S rocket after a large fire broke out at the Tanegashima Space Center on Tuesday. “There was an abnormality during today’s combustion test. We are trying to assess what happened,” JAXA said. Footage on NHK showed flames and smoke rising from the site on the southern Japanese island. Journalists positioned around one kilometer (0.62 miles) away reported a large explosion shortly after the test…
A cargo plane crashed into a house on its approach to Lithuania’s Vilnius Airport on Monday morning, killing one crew member and injuring others. ADVERTISEMENTAuthorities search for answers as they continue their investigation after a Boeing 737 cargo plane crashed into a house near Vilnius Airport in Lithuania on Monday morning. The DHL cargo plane operated by Swiftair, departing from Leipzig in Germany, crashed while approaching the airport in Lithuania’s capital. A Spanish crew member…
Brussels, Europe — In a decisive step towards environmental sustainability, the European Commission has announced a significant investment of more than €380 million for133 new projects under the LIFE Programme for environment and climate action. This ambitious funding initiative represents more than half of the total investment requirements of €574 million for these projects, with the remainder sourced from a coalition of national, regional, and local governments, along with contributions from public-private partnerships, businesses, and…
In the first round of Romania’s presidential election, a far-right candidate who opposes NATO has taken an unexpected lead.
Calin Georgescu, an independent, won 22.94% of votes in Sunday’s voting, knocking Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu out of the race.
Georgescu will face center-right contender Elena Lasconi, leader of the opposition Save Romania Union, in the presidential run-off on December 8.
The World Day for Audiovisual Heritage is observed on 27 October to raise awareness about the significance and preservation risks of audiovisual materials. Audiovisual archives serve as powerful storytellers, capturing the lives, cultures and histories of people from all over the world. They represent a priceless heritage which is an affirmation of our collective memory and a valuable source of knowledge, reflecting the cultural, social, and linguistic diversity of our communities. These archives not only…
A third of women in the EU have experienced violence at home, at work or in public. Young women report having experienced higher levels of sexual harassment at work and other forms of violence than older women. Yet violence against women often remains invisible as only every fourth woman reports incidents to the authorities (the police, or social, health or support services). These are some of the findings of the EU survey on gender-based violence…
