Author: staff
In the Spreewald Forest Delta southeast of Berlin, postal worker Andrea Bunar has returned to delivering mail by barge as spring opens the waterways. After months of winter rounds by car, the 55-year-old is back steering through narrow rivers and creeks around Lehde. The village, about 100 kilometres from Berlin, is the only place in Germany where post still arrives by boat. Bunar has worked the route for 14 years, carrying around 600 letters and 80 parcels each week along an eight-kilometre circuit. The Spreewald, a UNESCO biosphere with more than 300 kilometres of waterways, has long shaped local life.…
Published on 30/04/2026 – 10:45 GMT+2•Updated 10:57 France’s economy ground to a halt in the first quarter of 2026, official figures showed Thursday, as soaring energy costs linked to the Iran war began squeezing households and businesses. France and Italy have both trimmed their growth outlooks, while Germany has halved its 2026 forecast to 0.5%. Gross domestic product was flat between January and March, according to a first estimate from the French national statistics institute INSEE, a sharp step down from the 0.2% expansion recorded in the final quarter of 2025 and below analyst forecasts. The data paint a picture…
Published on 30/04/2026 – 11:00 GMT+2 Artificial intelligence-powered abuse is pushing women out of public life, according to a new report by UN Women. The major study found that female journalists, activists, and human rights defenders are facing rising online violence, which includes AI-generated deepfakes and what researchers are calling “virtual rape”. The study, Tipping Point: Online Violence Impacts, Manifestations and Redress in the AI Age, was published by UN Women in partnership with researchers at City St George’s, University of London, and TheNerve, a digital forensics lab founded by Nobel laureate Maria Ressa. More than 640 women in public-facing…
Spotify’s Top 50 chart leaves no doubt that the dominance of English-language songs is becoming a thing of the past. The chart now includes tracks in no fewer than 16 languages, and the presence of non-English songs is growing at breakneck speed, having doubled since 2020. For many people, stepping outside English, especially when it is their mother tongue, is a complicated step. But, as the slogan of a popular snack brand puts it, ‘once you pop, you can’t stop’. Music is perhaps the most pleasurable gateway into other languages and cultures. It is no coincidence that enrolments in Spanish…
Salis’ most prominent initiatives as mayor have been progressive. Her first act was to register the births of 11 children born to lesbian couples abroad, blocked by her right-wing predecessor. She has opened a municipal office for LGBTQ+ rights and introduced a minimum wage for city contracts. She also backed pro-Palestinian causes. Winning the center But amid talk of a national role, she has increasingly shifted her politics toward the center, with a focus on mainstream issues surrounding health, labor, security and migration. The left, she argued, must focus on “pragmatic, concrete” issues. In a competitive contest on the left,…
By Jerry Fisayo-Bambi with AP Published on 30/04/2026 – 6:11 GMT+2•Updated 6:57 US President Donald Trump on Wednesday leveled a new threat against NATO ally Germany, suggesting he could soon reduce American military presence there as he continues to feud with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the US-Israel war against Iran. Trump’s threat comes after Merz earlier this week said that Washington was being “humiliated” by the Iranian leadership, criticising Washington’s lack of strategy in the war. “The United States is studying and reviewing the possible reduction of Troops in Germany, with a determination to be made over the next short period of…
Listen on Spotify Apple Music Amazon Music Sky News With one week until voters head to the polls in Scotland, Wales and England – are we about to see a seismic shift in British politics? In a special episode, Sam and Anne are joined by YouGov pollster Patrick English to break down the data and assess what it could all mean for the parties. As the vote splits across the spectrum, who is set to benefit – and is British politics entering a new multi-party era? A reminder that all the candidates standing in these elections can be found here. **A…
Published on 30/04/2026 – 9:34 GMT+2•Updated 9:38 Israeli military forces have intercepted boats of the Global Sumud Flotilla travelling to Gaza in international waters near Greece, the group said on Thursday. In a post on X, the group, which initially set sail with 58 vessels carrying activists and aid, aiming to break the Israeli naval blockade of the Strip, said its boats were intercepted in what they called an “illegal act”. The number of vessels seized is unclear at this time. Israeli army radio, citing an unnamed military source, said seven of the 58 boats had been intercepted near Kythira.…
Plumes of black smoke have risen above Tuapse, on Russia’s Black Sea coast, after repeated Ukrainian drone strikes on a major oil refinery and terminal. Residents have been seen wearing face masks as authorities warned of polluted air, while reports also point to oil spills and “black rain” across the town. Kyiv has stepped up attacks on Russian oil infrastructure in recent weeks, targeting refineries, ports and depots. The Tuapse site has been hit multiple times this month, causing fires, disruption and growing concern over environmental damage in the coastal area.
Kyiv, meanwhile, is pressing for more concrete economic help. Chentsov said Ukraine wants “phased access to the EU Single Market linked to progress on reforms, deeper participation in EU programs and institutions, and swift progress on agreements like ACAA to facilitate trade.” An Agreement on Conformity Assessment and Acceptance of Industrial Products (ACAA) would allow the EU and Ukraine to recognize each other’s manufacturing standards, making it easier for industrial goods to move across the border without additional checks. Ukraine is also asking for its businesses to be included in the Commission’s strategic industrial dialogues on sectors such as vehicle…