Author: staff
By Sertac Aktan with AP, AFP Published on 03/07/2026 – 12:17 GMT+2 Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, has defended her government’s response to the two devastating 24 June earthquakes. Facing intense criticism over an allegedly slow and haphazard relief effort, Rodríguez pushed back against claims that the official death toll is being under-reported and rejected accusations that poor social housing construction had exacerbated the disaster. The dual 7.2 and 7.5-magnitude quakes levelled nearly 200 buildings across Caracas and the hardest-hit northern coastal state of La Guaira, though satellite data suggests the true extent of destruction could be much higher. The official death toll…
Train enthusiasts will celebrate the 100th anniversary of a historic Swiss railway this weekend. Vintage steam locomotives will ferry tourists through the stunning Alpine scenery as part of the celebration. The Furka Pass, at an altitude of 2,431 metres, is among Switzerland’s highest Alpine passes and famous for its hairpin curves featured in the 1964 James Bond film “Goldfinger”. But long before 007 actor Sean Connery filmed a harrowing car chase scene there, a steam train first traversed the steep and winding route in a continuous journey on 3 July, 1926, kicking off a vital rail link between the regions…
The figures came after what scientists have described as Europe’s most severe heat wave on record, which stretched from roughly June 20 to June 28 and strained hospitals, disrupted infrastructure and affected power generation across the continent. The country’s health ministry said in a statement on Thursday that the country recorded an unprecedented spike in mortality during the period, including more than 530 deaths among people aged over 85 and around 180 among those under 65. “Such excess mortality during a heat wave is unprecedented in our country,” the ministry added. Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke defended the government’s response, arguing…
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) administrator Alexander De Croo said on Thursday that the European Union’s long-term budget can balance defence and aid spending to ensure that Europe’s neighbourhoods are safe, as they are “two sides of the same coin.” “We see more military spending, and we totally understand that in the current circumstances,” he said. “But if you want that military spending to be as effective as possible, you will also have to invest in preventing that conflict from arising.” A stable neighbourhood means economic growth, democracy and peace, De Croo, also a former prime minister of Belgium, told…
A dog walker leads a group of dogs dressed in Argentina football jerseys through the streets of Buenos Aires as World Cup fever builds in the city. Footage shows the animals crossing roads and weaving along pavements while traffic and pedestrians pass by. The group moves through neighbourhood streets decorated with football imagery, turning the walk into a small tribute to the national team. The pack is known locally as ‘La Perroneta’ and is led by Nahuel Meneghini, who says the idea comes from his affection for the dogs and his support for Argentina. He says the group reflects belief…
Only 23% of hotel and tourist accommodation in Cyprus currently holds a full operating licence, according to figures published by the Audit Office in its report on the Deputy Ministry of Tourism. The Audit Office report on the Deputy Ministry of Tourism notes that 55% of accommodation operates without full legal compliance, while 22% operates only with a temporary licence. It is also stated that in the government-controlled Famagusta region, only 24 of the 241 tourist accommodation establishments are licensed. Responding to the findings of the report, the Deputy Ministry of Tourism acknowledges that substantial progress has been made in…
Anyway, next week will see the modern equivalent of this rivalry come to a head — though with fewer violins and much more migration rhetoric — when French far-right leader Marine Le Pen will find out if she can run in the country’s 2027 presidential election, or if young upstart Jordan Bardella will get the gig. On July 7, an appeals court will decide whether to uphold Le Pen’s conviction for embezzling EU funds and the accompanying five-year ban on holding electoral office. And if unable to run, she has said Bardella will be the party’s candidate in next year’s race.…
Pro-Russian social media users have shared fake images they claim show evidence that photographers were preparing in advance to capture a strike on one of Ukraine’s most important religious sites. The posts allege that the presence of the camera crews on nearby rooftops shows that the attack on the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra was staged by Ukraine. The monastic complex was hit between 14 and 15 June, when Russia fired a barrage of drones and missiles at Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv. Authorities said that five people were killed and residential areas were hit when missiles struck and damaged both the UNESCO-listed monastery complex…
Hundreds of shoppers queued outside Lidl supermarkets across France on Thursday after the retailer announced the sale of 200,000 fans and portable air conditioners, triggering long lines, scuffles and police intervention at several stores. Outside a Lidl store in Paris’s 19th arrondissement, around 200 people waited for up to two hours before opening, with police monitoring the crowds as demand grew. Social media videos showed chaotic scenes as customers rushed into stores in a bid to secure the discounted cooling appliances. In Nanterre, west of Paris, the entrance door of a Lidl supermarket was damaged as crowds pushed to get…
Marine Le Pen herself has long taken aim at big money, hammering away at the global elites that meet in places like Davos, while winning over voters wounded by plant closures and the ripple effects of globalization in France’s industrial heartlands. Last week, MP Jean-Philippe Tanguy — one of Le Pen’s closest lieutenants — reminded reporters of one of her longtime mantras during a press conference about the party’s platform for addressing climate change, which National Rally blames on the ruling elite. Le Pen has described “two types of totalitarianism,” said Tanguy. “Islamist totalitarianism and the totalitarianism of money as…