Author: staff

Police in India say gunmen have killed at least 20 tourists at a resort in Indian-controlled Kashmir.Two senior police officers said at least four gunmen, whom they described as militants, fired at dozens of tourists from close range.The officers said at least three dozen others were injured, with many in serious condition.Officials collected at least 20 bodies in Baisaran meadow, around five kilometres from the disputed region’s resort town of Pahalgam.Police described the incident as a “terror attack” and blamed militants fighting against Indian rule.It appeared to be a major shift in the regional conflict in which tourists have largely been…

The latest figures put Britain’s GDP growth this year lower than Canada (1.4 percent) and the U.S. (1.8 percent), but above Japan (0.6 percent), France (0.6 percent), Italy (0.4 percent), Germany (0 percent), and the Euro area (0.8 percent).  The international body said the U.K.’s downgrade from January’s forecast is due to “a smaller carryover from 2024,” the impact of recent U.S. tariffs, an increase in government bond yields, and weaker private consumption amid higher inflation. The U.K.’s inflation forecast was hiked by 0.7 percentage points, compared to 0.4 percentage points in other advanced economies. The IMF pointed to the U.K.…

Spain will invest an additional €10.4 billion in defence to meet NATO’s 2% target by 2025, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez officially announced after Tuesday’s ministerial meeting in Madrid.The centre-left leader emphasised that Spain remains a “pacifist” country and said the new investments are intended as a deterrent to “those who might think of attacking Europe”.Less than a fifth of the plan’s funds will be allocated to the “purchase of arms in the traditional sense of the word”, the Socialist leader added.Under the proposed defence and security plan, 35% of the new investments will go toward improving the working conditions of…

The Central Apennine ridge, the middle section of Italy’s mountainous backbone, is a wilderness of limestone peaks, ancient beech forests and plunging canyons. The untamed idyll hides half a dozen wolf packs – likely the highest population density of any area in Europe – who have teetered back from the brink of extinction in the last few decades. Visitors to the mountainous national park in the region of Abruzzo can now take trekking trips to track these free-ranging wolves. In the French Alps, Sweden and Romania’s Transylvania, operators offer similar hiking excursions to observe the animals. Organisers say these wildlife experiences…

It was a week when penguins, bonds, the new German coalition, Louisiana soybeans, fossil fuels, the EU’s Digital Markets Act, France’s creaking politics and American bourbon all became one news story. POLITICO explains what got us all yippy. Apr 11 11 mins read

Palestinian Christian communities in Gaza and the West Bank have mourned the death of Pope Francis, who consistently supported their plight throughout his papacy, but especially in the last 18 months of his life.He was “not just our pope, he was our brother, our friend, our dear friend for Bethlehem,” proclaimed Tony Tabash, a Catholic souvenir store owner in the biblical birthplace of Jesus.On Monday evening, Catholics in Gaza held a mass for Pope Francis at the Holy Family Church, the only Catholic church in the enclave.”I was very sad, and my feelings were sad, because the Pope was our…

The 7th ADA Political Forum took place in Azerbaijan under the theme “Facing the New World Order”.The event brought together 80 participants from 44 countries to discuss changing global dynamics, the decline of unipolarity, energy security and climate challenges. Held in both Baku and Khankendi, it was the first international event to be held at Karabakh University.Debates focused on the growing role of the Global South, evolving international partnerships and regional stability.Speakers stressed the importance of open dialogue and multipolar cooperation in a time of complex geopolitical shifts. 

“These videos promote extreme thinness. Protecting minors online is one of my priorities,” the minister said in a video posted to TikTok on Friday. Following a request from Chappaz to French media regulator Arcom to look into the matter, Arcom told POLITICO it is working with the European Commission to investigate “given the public health risk” the trend may pose.  Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier told POLITICO that the Commission is “aware of the issue raised” by France and is “ready to cooperate” with them. The Commission opened a probe into TikTok’s algorithm and how it affects minors last February under…

Big tech’s “Magnificent Seven” companies – a group consisting of Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, Amazon, Tesla, Google parent Alphabet and Facebook parent Meta Platforms – have seen their combined market value plunge by $4.2 trillion (€3.7tn), or 24%, since Donald Trump’s inauguration through to Monday.The financial damage was more severe a few days after Trump’s 2 April unveiling of sweeping reciprocal tariffs due to the heavy toll on Big Tech’s supply chains in China and other key markets around the globe. A temporary freeze on the majority of the most punitive tariffs and an exemption from most of the fees on…

Pope Francis, who died aged 88 on Monday, was seen as a progressive who spoke openly about technology, and more recently artificial intelligence (AI), something he even became a victim of. In 2023, the Pontiff was spotted walking down St Peter’s Square at the Vatican wearing a stylish Moncler white puffer jacket and a long necklace with a bejewelled crucifix. Except, it was an AI-generated image that looked very realistic and had viewers convinced it was his new style. Since his passing, a flurry of memes has ensued online about the appointment of his replacement. While the Pope welcomed social media to…