Author: staff
Published on 30/06/2026 – 11:57 GMT+2 The Japanese yen fell to around 162.4 per dollar in Asian trading on Tuesday morning, its lowest level since 1986. The drop extends a punishing run for the yen, which has kept weakening despite the Bank of Japan’s efforts to support it, and now revives the prospect that the authorities will step into the market directly. Japan’s finance minister, Satsuki Katayama, has already responded to the situation by stating that the government was ready to take “appropriate” and even “decisive” action against excessive currency moves, adding that she had confirmed with Washington that such…
The UNESCO-listed Bay of Kotor, known locally as Boka Bay, winds into Montenegro’s coastline on the Adriatic Sea, where views of striking mountains meet calm fjord-like waters. Now, one of its secluded islets is home to Banyan Tree’s first resort in Europe. Called Mamula Island by Banyan Tree, the resort is tucked away in a restored 19th-century fortress at the entrance to the bay. The resort is the result of a seven-year restoration that carefully preserves the site’s historic character while blending it with a contemporary luxury flair. Originally built in the 1850s, Fort Mamula was once a coastal defence…
Inside the burial mound of Casas del Turuñuelo, in the town of Guareña (Badajoz), in the Vegas Altas del Guadiana region, the eighth excavation campaign of the Building Tartessos project has brought to light a bronze chariot with no known equivalent in the Iberian Peninsula. The piece features a box decorated with figures in relief: at the front, an Achelous, a river deity associated with the underworld; on the sides, two griffins with eagle heads and lion bodies; and at the ends, two human figures with their arms raised, supporting the structure, which rests on two equally ornate wheels. “It…
The remarks were a direct response to Macron, who earlier on Monday said he had discussed the maritime mission with Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tarik and agreed to safeguard shipping and guarantee “free and unconditional passage” through the waterway. Tehran also cast doubt on the U.S.-Iran talks expected to take place in Doha this week. Following an exchange of strikes over the weekend, Washington and Tehran agreed to halt attacks and resume talks on Monday. President Trump announced discussions would take place in Doha, but on Monday Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei insisted no negotiations with the United States…
Published on 30/06/2026 – 11:32 GMT+2 After the national team’s embarrassing World Cup exit, Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz caused confusion with a post on the social media platform X. The chancellor praised the national team: “Even though going out hurts: what a game. With your commitment and team spirit at this World Cup you have thrilled our country. We are proud of you.” Merz’s post attracted a great deal of criticism in the comments. Comedian Oliver Pocher also spoke up on the social media platform Instagram beneath the chancellor’s post. “I hope the account has been hacked. But it fits…
In The Hague, celebrations for Morocco’s win over the Netherlands escalated into clashes with police as officers moved in to disperse crowds. Scenes move from street celebrations to arrests, with people running as riot police intervene and detain several individuals. Earlier, supporters gathered after the World Cup last-32 match, waving flags, honking car horns and filming the celebrations. The atmosphere then changes as police arrive, with baton charges and arrests on the streets. Some are pinned to the ground or led away by officers. Despite the unrest, other groups continue to celebrate Morocco’s victory from balconies and cars, with flags…
Over the past decade or so, set-jetting – aka travelling to a destination after being inspired by film or TV – has reached new heights. Game of Thrones sent hundreds of thousands of people to Dubrovnik, aka King’s Landing. Crash Landing on You made the tiny Swiss village of Iseltwald a must-visit for fans. Each season of The White Lotus brings hoards of tourists to the locale in question, from Taormina to Thailand. It can be difficult to predict where the next big surge will be, particularly in the age of streaming when there are dozens of new shows and…
Published on 30/06/2026 – 10:54 GMT+2 After turning the water algae green instead of “American flag blue”, Donald Trump’s reported $16 million renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is allegedly complete. It is now apparently in “full use” and will be treated again to be in “perfect shape” after 4 July celebrations. Now that’s out of the way, Trump has revealed his new project in a lengthy Truth Social post: Building “one of the Greatest Golf Courses anywhere in the World”. Trump said he has visited the “dilapidated, worn out, and very dangerous and outdated Golf Course known as…
Will the long-awaited defence investment plan be the prime minister’s final and most contentious act? After months of delays, a multibillion-pound funding gap, and the resignation of his defence secretary, has Sir Keir Starmer done enough to satisfy his military chiefs? Sam Coates and Anne McElvoy unpack the political and strategic stakes and assess what NATO allies, not least Donald Trump, will make of the plans. Elsewhere, with the PM’s departure from Number 10 on the horizon, is Labour already seeing a polling bounce? And after more than two years of disruption has Health Secretary James Murray finally succeeded where…
Feliks the eagles journey resembles a Hollywood movie script, with kidnappers, smugglers and clandestine border crossings. The year-old eastern imperial eagle from Serbia started flying in August and later set off on his first migratory flight toward the Middle East, only to be captured by poachers, sold illegally and retrieved in a daring cross-border mission. While Feliks returned home safely last week, his ordeal highlighted both the widespread practice of profit-driven, illegal animal trade and an unfaltering struggle by animal protection groups to counter it. “It’s getting worse year after year, season after season, day after day,” said Michel Sawan,…