What to expect as Iran and US head for more nuclear talks in Oman
The expert-level technical talks could determine the specifics of nuclear and sanctions commitments by the two sides.
UK politics: Reform UK on course to win in two mayoral contests – as it happened
Polling predicts victory for party in Greater Lincolnshire and Hull/East Yorkshire with the Greens possibly taking West of England
There are six mayoral elections next week. Two of them are for single-authority mayors (Doncaster and North Tyneside), but the others are for combined-authority mayors (or regional mayors – like metro mayors, but not just covering city regions). Today YouGov has released polling covering all four of these contests and it suggests Reform UK is on course to win two of them easily. And the Green party is narrowly ahead in a third, the poll suggests.
Here are the polling figures.
In theory the Tories should be winning in Lincolnshire as they hold most of the parliamentary seats in the area and have dominated local politics forever. But it’s also the most Reform-friendly part of the country. It contains Richard Tice’s constituency and numerous seats in which they came second. Plus their candidate is a former Tory MP – Andrea Jenkyns, famous for her Boris Johnson obsession and making a middle finger gesture at a crowd outside Downing Street. She is, by all accounts, quite a few sandwiches short of a picnic but, nevertheless, is strong favourite to win. Large chunks of local Conservative parties, including several councillors, have already defected.
Continue reading...‘Fees have fallen’ in Namibia as president announces free higher education
However, it is not clear where the funding will come from, raising questions about where it is feasible.
What is the No 1 killer of college-age people in US? Data says gun violence
Firearms are the leading cause of death for US young people aged 18 to 25, surpassing drug poisoning and other causes.
Archaeologists find wreck of large medieval boat in Barcelona
Experts hope vessel’s old timbers and nails will help shed light on how boats were built during medieval period
Archaeologists excavating the site of a former fish market in Barcelona have uncovered the remains of a large medieval boat that was swallowed by the waters off the Catalan capital 500 or 600 years ago.
The area, which is being dug up in order to build a new centre dedicated to biomedicine and biodiversity, has already yielded finds ranging from a Spanish civil war air-raid shelter to traces of the old market and of the city’s 18th-century history.
Continue reading...Death, debris and anger about Trump after Russia’s strike on Kyiv
Shaken and war-weary, residents of the city call on allies to uphold security guarantees.
Sydney woman who sold a cartoon cat T-shirt told to pay US$100,000 in Grumpy Cat copyright case
Alda Curtis, who earned US$1 for the t-shirt she sold on RedBubble, had US$600 removed from her PayPal account without explanation
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Alda Curtis, a 63-year-old counselling student from Sydney, set up a Redbubble store as a hobby, including selling a T-shirt featuring an unhappy cat cartoon.
After years of running the store, a single sale of that T-shirt resulted in a US$100,000 default judgment against her for infringing on the trademark of Grumpy Cat late last year. Then Curtis noticed nearly US$600 had been taken from her PayPal account.
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Continue reading...Syria’s new three-starred flag raised at UN
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani raised the country’s new three-starred flag at the United Nations headquarters.
Copa del Rey final referee breaks down over Real Madrid TV pressure
Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea emotionally responds to Real Madrid TV pressure before refereeing the Copa del Rey final.
‘Putin doesn’t worry about Trump walking away from Ukraine deal’
Russian President Vladimir Putin knows that Donald Trump wants a deal so he “can afford” to keep striking Ukraine.
Valerie the dachshund is found safe and well after 529 days on the run on South Australian island
Rescuers on Kangaroo Island say they are ‘overjoyed’ after the dog walked into one of their traps
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After 529 days on the run, Australia’s favourite fugitive has been caught at last.
Valerie the miniature dachshund, who went missing on Kangaroo Island way back in 2023, has been rescued by conservationists.
Continue reading...Francis Wanted a Church of the Poor and Put It Into Practice – The New York Times
Venezuelans in ‘state of uncertainty’ over US temporary protected status
Trump's push to end status shielding foreign nationals from deportation to dangerous countries has 'everyone afraid'.
Brazil’s ex-President Collor de Mello arrested after corruption sentence
Collor, 75, held by federal police in the northeastern city of Maceio, capital of Alagoas state, lawyer says.
Brazil’s former president arrested and ordered to begin prison sentence
Fernando Collor, who led the country from 1990 to 1992, was sentenced in 2023 after being convicted for corruption
Brazil’s former president, Fernando Collor, has been arrested early and ordered to begin serving a prison sentence stemming from his 2023 conviction for corruption.
Collor was convicted of receiving 20m reais ($3.5m) to facilitate contracts between BR Distribuidora, a fuel distributor formerly controlled by the state-owned oil company Petrobras, and construction firm UTC Engenharia for the construction of fuel distribution bases. In return, he offered political support for the appointment of executives at BR Distribuidora when it was still state-owned.
Continue reading...Could Canada really become the US’s 51st state?
Could Canada become the 51st US state? Redi Tlhabi speaks with Canada’s ambassador to the United Nations, Bob Rae.
Will Trump-Bukele ties worsen the threat to migrant rights?
Redi Tlhabi speaks with experts on fears of human rights abuses during Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Xi announces plan for Chinese economy to counter impact of US trade war
Beijing will ‘strengthen bottom-line thinking’ as reports say it could drop tariffs on some US products
Xi Jinping has announced a plan to counter China’s continuing economic problems and the impact of the US trade war, as reports swirl that it could drop tariffs on some US products, including semiconductors.
Friday’s meeting of the politburo was convened to discuss China’s economy, which since the pandemic has faced difficulties fuelled by a housing sector crisis, youth unemployment and Donald Trump’s tariffs on all Chinese imports to the US.
Continue reading...Pope Francis’ funeral: A visual guide
The procession, the ancient rituals and the symbolic changes - how Pope Francis will make his final journey.
Pope Francis’s funeral: A visual guide
The procession, the ancient rituals and the symbolic changes - how Pope Francis will make his final journey.