Author: staff

“If we start weakening our commitment, it makes it easier for warring factions around the world to use these weapons again, because it reduces the stigma,” he added. The 1997 Ottawa Convention has come under heightened pressure because of the Kremlin’s war on Ukraine, especially in countries neighboring Russia, which are wary of expanded aggression from Moscow. Finland’s decision to withdraw from the treaty left Norway as the only European country bordering Russia (the nations share a nearly 200 kilometer-long frontier in the far north) that does not plan to stock land mines again. On March 18, Poland and the…

A Jesuit priest says he prefers going to prison over paying a €500 fine for participating in a climate activists’ street blockade in the southern German city of Nuremberg.The Rev. Jörg Alt started serving his nearly month-long prison sentence on Tuesday in Nuremberg.“Today, I am starting my 25-day alternative custodial sentence in Nuremberg prison,” he said before entering the prison. “I don’t like doing this, especially as my health is no longer the best at the age of 63. But I see no alternative, because it’s the last form of protest I have left in this specific case to draw…

European shares opened lower on Wednesday morning, while Asian markets logged modest gains.France’s CAC 40 declined 0.5% in early trading to 7,837.50, while Germany’s DAX dipped nearly 1.0% to 22,325.98. Britain’s FTSE 100 slipped 0.6% to 8,581.60.The future for the S&P 500 was down 0.3% while that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.2%.In Asian trading, Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 gained 0.3% to finish at 35,725.87.Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was virtually unchanged at 23,202.53, while the Shanghai Composite inched up less than 0.1% to 3,350.13.Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 added 0.1% to 7,934.50. South Korea’s Kospi dipped 0.6% to 2,505.86.“Amid the…

Oliver Stone, the Oscar-winning director whose film JFK portrayed the President John F. Kennedy’s assassination as the work of government conspiracy yesterday called for a new congressional investigation into his killing. Stone, 78, testified at a hearing of the House Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets following last month’s release of thousands of pages of government documents related to the assassination.JFK was nominated for eight Oscars, winning two, and grossed over $200 million (€185 million) at the box office. Stone described his film as a “counter-myth” to the “fictional myth” of the Warren Commission, established to investigate Kennedy’s…

“We will see some clarifications and some details. It is important that it will be based on the prepared proposals of the Ukrainian side,” Zelenskyy added. He spelled out three possible missions for allied countries: ground troops, using air power to patrol Ukraine’s skies, or sending military vessels to monitor the Black Sea. The U.K. and France are leading a grouping of 30 countries willing to strengthen military support for Ukraine and working out a plan to potentially contribute to peacekeeping forces in the event of a deal ending the fighting. After the last coalition meeting on March 27, French…

Automakers sold nearly 1.6 million vehicles in the US in March, up 13.6%. That brought total sales for the first quarter to more than 3.9 million vehicles, Motorintelligence.com said on Tuesday. Almost all automakers saw a surge in sales of electric vehicles.What future months hold for the automakers is uncertain. President Donald Trump announced 25% tariffs on auto imports that go into effect on 3 April. The tariffs are set to expand to applicable auto parts in the following weeks, through 3 May. The tax hike means automakers could face higher costs and lower sales, though Trump argues that the…

Updated: 02/04/2025 – 12:05 GMT+2Ukraine’s second-largest city was struck by drones, causing injuries and fires, as a larger wave of over 1,800 drones targeted Ukrainian units and settlements across the country. … More Russian attacks on Kharkiv overnight injured eight people, including three children, regional governor Ihor Terekhov said on Wednesday.Fifteen drone strikes hit the city, damaging civilian and industrial buildings and causing widespread destruction in residential areas, with at least 20 homes affected. Firefighters were seen battling large fires at affected sites.Ukraine’s General Staff said that Russia carried out 101 air strikes across the country, using more than 1,800…

Amid ongoing debates surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) and its role in the arts, an Austrian university has admitted an AI as an official student in a world first.The non-binary AI, dubbed “Flynn,” has been enrolled in a digital art programme at the University of Applied Arts Vienna. It can attend classes, receive critiques, and get grades alongside its human peers.Flynn went through a standard application process that included a portfolio submission, interview, and suitability test.”This department specifically appeals to my artificial sensibilities because of its focus on pushing the boundaries of digital art,” Flynn told the admission committee during its interview.”I…

Legendary Canadian-US singer-songwriter Neil Young has expressed concern that he may be unable to return to the United States after criticising Donald Trump.  “If I talk about Donald J. Trump, I may be one of those returning to America who is barred or put in jail to sleep on a cement floor with an aluminum blanket,” the 79-year-old folk musician writes on his Neil Young Archives site – referring to the Trump administration detaining travellers for weeks, deporting and detaining immigrants over their political views, and what actress Jasmine Mooney endured last month.  The Canadian actress said in an interview that she…

Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz announced Wednesday a military expansion further into Gaza to capture “extensive territory” and turn it into Israeli-controlled buffer zones. The goal of the operation “is first and foremost to increase pressure for the release of all the hostages in the face of Hamas’ refusal,” Katz wrote in a post on X. He added: “Expanding the operation this morning will increase the pressure on the Hamas murderers and also on the population in Gaza and advance the achievement of the sacred and important goal.” According to the Times of Israel, Katz said the military will move…