Author: staff
Hundreds of visitors gathered at Kew Gardens in London to see the rare blooming of the titan arum, often called the “corpse flower” for its strong smell resembling rotting flesh. The plant, which can take several years to bloom, emits the odour to attract pollinators. This bloom is expected to last up to 48 hours before collapsing. Visitors described the scent as similar to dog’s breath or spoiled socks, drawing both curiosity and crowds to the conservatory. “It’s pretty impressive. Much larger than I thought it would be. It doesn’t smell quite as bad, unless you get a waft here…
Finnish lift maker KONE on Wednesday announced the acquisition of its German rival TKE in a giant share-and-cash deal valuing TKE at €29.4 billion. The group formed by the merger will be nearly twice the size of the current KONE group, with more than 100,000 employees in over 100 countries and an annual revenue of around €20.5bn, the two companies said in a statement. A consortium including the private equity groups Advent and Cinven owns TKE. The new group will be based in Finland and led by KONE’s current French chief executive, Philippe Delorme. “This industry-revitalising transaction brings together two…
The material reportedly included details about Berlin’s military support for Ukraine and insights into the country’s defense industry, particularly companies developing drones and robotics. Authorities also accuse him of photographing public buildings in Berlin and documenting military convoys on German highways, including one linked to a NATO member country. The man is also suspected of identifying potential targets for sabotage and offering to recruit others for espionage and sabotage operations. The arrest comes amid heightened concerns across Europe over Russian intelligence activities following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. German officials have repeatedly warned of escalating espionage and hybrid threats. During…
Published on 29/04/2026 – 9:58 GMT+2 The European Commission has issued a preliminary finding against Meta for allegedly failing to prevent children under 13 from using Instagram and Facebook. The Commission said that its findings showed the US tech giant’s systems are in breach of the Digital Services Act (DSA). Meta’s own terms of service set 13 as the minimum age for both platforms, but the Commission said that the company’s age enforcement measures are largely ineffective, as children can enter a false date of birth when signing up, with no mechanism in place to verify whether the information is…
Published on 29/04/2026 – 10:00 GMT+2 Following growing pressure from the Trump administration for network chiefs to sack Jimmy Kimmel, Disney-owned TV stations must submit to early licence reviews. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said the reviews, which were due to start in October 2028, had been brought forward. The move comes after talkshow host Jimmy Kimmel made a joke about Melania Trump days before the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting. On his show, Jimmy Kimmel Live! – on Disney’s ABC network – Kimmel said the First Lady had a “glow like an expectant widow”. A Disney spokesperson confirmed the…
Transparency International on April 24 asked the EU’s anti-fraud office (OLAF) to open a probe into administrative failings in the case and recommended disciplinary action against former Belgian MEP and Secretary-General of the Patriots group Philip Claeys, according to a letter seen by POLITICO. Transparency International says Claeys was responsible because he signed off on the spending. “OLAF can confirm that we received the incoming information and are currently looking into the matter,” the office’s spokesperson said. “We cannot comment further at this stage.” The spokesperson said “the fact that OLAF is examining the matter does not mean that OLAF has opened…
Britain’s King Charles III hailed his country’s longstanding relationship with the United States as he attended a lavish state dinner at the White House on Tuesday during a four-day visit to mark the 250th anniversary of US independence. Echoing the tone of an earlier speech to Congress, King Charles III highlighted the historical and cultural ties that he said have cemented an enduring bond between the US and the UK, calling it “one of the most consequential alliances in human history”. As he spoke in unifying, optimistic terms, he delivered a series of nuanced warnings encouraging leaders in the US…
By Lucy Davalou & AP Published on 29/04/2026 – 8:51 GMT+2 At least five people were killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza, including a nine year-old boy, on Tuesday. The boy, identified as Adel al-Najjar, was collecting firewood in the eastern part of Khan Younis city when he was killed by Israeli fire, according to Nasser hospital authorities. The area was about 400 metres west of the so-called Yellow Line, which separates Israeli-controlled areas from the rest of Gaza. There has been no immediate comment from the Israeli military. Sabreen al-Najjar, a relative of Adel al-Najjar, expressed, “Every day they target children. What…
Should the platforms be found guilty of breaching the EU’s Digital Services Act, they risk fines of up to 6 percent of their annual global revenue. Meta can now respond to the findings and offer remedies to avoid a fine. Meta didn’t immediately respond to a request to comment. The Commission said the measures Meta has put in place on Instagram and Facebook do not stop kids under 13 from accessing the platform. Citing “large bodies of evidence” that 10-12 percent of kids under 13 are on at least one of the two platforms, it said Meta needs to strengthen…
A No.10 official disputed this characterization, stressing that the intelligence and military relationship is “functioning every day as usual,” and pointing out that Powell was in attendance for a recent meeting between U.S. Vice-President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.K. Deputy PM David Lammy. However, it remains unclear how Trump regards efforts by allies to restart talks aimed at securing a ceasefire in Ukraine. Inside the U.S. administration, some aides could not recall the last time the topic of Russia-Ukraine peace talks came up. “Iran has definitely become the primary focus,” said a senior White House official.…