Author: staff
His comments came a day after he rushed back to Islamabad to join negotiations with the U.S., while a Pakistan-mediated ceasefire in the American-Israeli war with Tehran has been in place since April 8. The move also follows U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision over the weekend to cancel plans to send special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner to the talks, writing on Truth Social: “They can call us anytime they want, but you’re not going to be making any more 18 hour flights to sit around talking about nothing.” Araghchi used his visit to Russia to stress his…
Germany is sitting on a gold fortune, and some economists and politicians think it could be time to crack open the piggy bank. The German Bundesbank holds 3,350 tonnes of gold, the world’s second-largest reserve after the United States. With the precious metal recently surging past $4,700 (€4,140) per troy ounce, those reserves are now worth close to €440 billion. Marcel Fratzscher, president of the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), says that sum represents a “huge piggy bank for crises” and argues Germany should be willing to use at least a portion of it. Speaking to t-online, he suggested…
According to recent polls, PSD and AUR could secure a parliamentary majority if they joined forces at an upcoming general election. Bolojan, head of the center-right National Liberal Party (PNL), is currently leading a minority coalition government after the PSD decided to join the opposition last week. Ciprian Ciucu, mayor of Bucharest and a senior figure in the PNL party, criticized the move, writing on Facebook: “To me, it seems very irresponsible.” “Anyone who builds a majority to bring down a government has the responsibility to form another one in its place,” he added, and announced his party would no…
Published on 27/04/2026 – 11:42 GMT+2 Germany recorded 2,656 conscientious objector applications in the first three months of 2026, more than two-thirds of the total registered across the whole of 2025, according to the Federal Office of Family Affairs and Civil Society Functions (BAFzA). The figures, reported by the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung, compare with 3,867 applications for the entirety of 2025 and roughly 3,000 in 2024. If the current rate holds, 2026 would see more conscientious objector applications than any year since Germany suspended compulsory military service in 2011. The rise follows the entry into force of new military service…
OpenAI is less concerned with artificial general intelligence (AGI) than it was almost a decade ago and is instead prioritising a broader rollout of its technology, according to a new mission statement for the company. On Sunday, OpenAI published an update to the company’s “Our Principles” document, which sets out how the company will run its technology in the future. There are some key differences between this new set of principles and what the company prioritised almost a decade ago, when it was a nascent non-profit artificial intelligence (AI) research organisation. De-emphasis on artificial general intelligence In 2018, OpenAI was…
Alongside German conservative leaders in Berlin Monday, however, von der Leyen sought to present a united front with her conservative ideological counterparts in Germany, saying the Commission’s goals on deregulation aligned with theirs. “We are deeply committed to this issue,” von der Leyen said. “This is also evident in the document before us, which incorporates many of our considerations,” she said of the German strategy paper. “We are determined to bring about change so that in Europe and in the member states we can more quickly and effectively create an environment where companies can grow and develop the global competitiveness…
By Matthieu Durand with AFP Published on 27/04/2026 – 13:11 GMT+2•Updated 13:34 French prison guards blockaded facilities across the country on Monday, with 14 of 17 prisons in the Hauts-de-France region shut down in protest at chronic overcrowding and staff shortages, in a strike called by the UFAP-UNSA union. Guards also demonstrated at prisons in Bois-d’Arcy near Paris, Lyon-Corbas and Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone in the south, in some cases preventing prisoner transfers. Guards shut the prison gates in Beauvais, Amiens, Douai and Béthune. The UFAP-UNSA union is demanding emergency measures to fill an estimated 5,000 vacant guard posts. The FO union, which represents around 30%…
Hundreds of runners dressed in costumes took part in the annual Maldon Mud Race in Essex, southern England, battling thick mud and river crossings in a charity event. Participants waded across the river and struggled through deep mud before racing back to the finish line, cheered on by large crowds along the banks. The event, which raises funds for local charities, combines physical endurance with a festive atmosphere, as competitors in outfits ranging from frogs to teacups embraced the messy challenge.
Aman is famed for the unique locations of its resorts, from lodges scattered across the valleys of Bhutan to tented suites on the outskirts of Rajasthan’s Ranthambore National Park. Now the fabulous location of the luxury hospitality company’s next property in the USA has been revealed: Texas Hill Country. Dubbed Amansanu, which is derived from the Sanskrit words for “peaceful peak”, the secluded ranch retreat is the brand’s sixth Stateside opening. Previous openings include Amangiri, a desert retreat in Utah’s Canyon Point, and Amangani, which boasts views of the Tetons in Wyoming and is currently undergoing refurbishments. Aman New York,…
A unique replica of an ancient merchant ship, dating back to 300 BC, sails in Cypriot waters in the framework of the Cyprus Presidency of the European Council. The ship “Kyrenia II” was built in 1985, built from the wreck discovered on the Cypriot seabed in 1965 and reassembled by a special team from the University of Pennsylvania. The replica sailed from Piraeus, where it was built, to Paphos in 1985. 41 years later, the Cypriot National Guard towed her to sail once again in Cypriot waters and showcase Cyprus’ naval tradition. Kyrenia II is often used as a floating…