Author: staff
Published on 27 October 2026 – 15:42 GMT+1•Updated 16:14 Jordan said on Tuesday that airstrikes on Syria had killed around 20 Islamic State militants as it acknowledged that there had also been a number of civilian casualties. The Jordanian armed forces launched a wave of strikes against southern Syria on Monday evening, targeting what it said were “hideouts of terrorist organisations.” “RJAF fighter jets destroyed a number of terrorist locations, killing and wounding several terrorists and destroying their equipment,” the military said in a statement, adding that the operation had been carried out “in retaliation” for a recent attack on…
Published on 27 October 2026 – 13:40 GMT+1 TikTok parent company ByteDance’s founder Zhang Yiming has reclaimed his position as China’s richest person, fuelled by the company’s expansion into artificial intelligence. Zhang topped the Hurun Report’s rich list with a fortune of $100 billion (€89.4bn), up 43%, “almost all of it on the back of AI,” according to its chairman, Rupert Hoogewerf. “AI is the biggest single wealth engine on this list: 160 Hurun rich listers — 1 in 10 — now make their money from AI,” he added. The Hurun Research Institute, which has published the ranking annually since…
Kylian Mbappé has lost several of his biggest sponsorship deals in China after a video circulated online in which he appears to joke about Mao Zedong, the founder of the People’s Republic of China, that led to a backlash that he has now apologised for. “My comment was ill-judged, and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world,” Mbappé said in a statement he published in French, Chinese and English on Tuesday. “I apologise to everyone my words have upset.” Energy-drink maker Dongpeng and dairy group Mengniu both ended their partnerships…
Legendary Canadian rocker Neil Young has filed a lawsuit against Donald Trump’s political committee, alleging copyright infringement over the organisation’s ongoing use of his song ‘Rockin’ in the Free World’ during midterm election rallies. The 1989 hit is frequently used as Trump’s walk-on music. Young’s camp is requesting $10 million (approx. €8.9m) in damages and that Trump’s team be barred from playing the song in public. The lawsuit, filed on Monday and seen by Variety, highlights how Trump 47 Committee Inc.’s unsanctioned use of Young’s song violates the terms of a past settlement, as the musician and his publishing company,…
Countries will have to carry out national climate risk assessments every five years starting in 2029, and subsequently draw up climate-proofing plans by the end of 2030. These strategies should also indicate which public authorities are in charge of managing certain climate risks to avoid inaction and finger-pointing among ministries and agencies. The fairly light-touch legislation reflects the prevailing mood in the EU. Brussels itself has committed to a deregulation agenda, and national governments have called for fewer rules, not more, particularly where climate and the environment are concerned. Efforts to improve resilience to weather extremes, such as flood prevention…
Published on 27 October 2026 – 15:04 GMT+1•Updated 15:21 Whether God exists or not is a matter of dispute around the world. A large majority of modern historians are, however, convinced that Jesus of Nazareth was a real historical figure who lived in the 1st century and was crucified under the Roman governor Pontius Pilate. Christians across the globe have long believed that the tomb of the Jewish itinerant preacher lies beneath the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, known to Orthodox Christians as the Church of the Resurrection, stands in the Christian…
When the Federal Reserve announces its decision at 19:00 CET on Wednesday, it is widely expected to leave its benchmark rate unchanged at 3.75% to 4%, less than a week before Americans vote in the midterms. However, with inflation at 3.7%, energy prices at the highs and another hike in December seen as likely, investors will be watching Fed Chair Kevin Warsh closely for clues about what comes next. Markets put the chance of a hold at over 90%, but see a 73% chance of a quarter-point hike at the Fed’s 8-9 December meeting, according to CME Group’s FedWatch tool,…
By Jonathan Benton with AFP Published on 27 October 2026 – 14:52 GMT+1•Updated 15:07 Artificial intelligence poses an “unprecedented” threat as foreign governments turn it loose to hack computer networks and critical infrastructure, Australia’s cyber security agency warned on Tuesday 27 October. It comes at a time when governments around the world are struggling to deal with the scale of the threat posed by AI as it is used in new ways to discover and exploit digital vulnerabilities, such as last week’s PHP security flaw which saw governments shut down their websites to protect themselves from cyberattacks. The Australian Signals Directorate, which used…
Demand for tourist accommodation in Europe is predicted to grow by a third in the next 10 years, with intra-continental visitation also set to rise, according to research published by Accor. In its new report, “The Changing Face of Europe’s Tourism Map to 2036”, the hospitality group says that Europe will “remain the powerhouse of the global travel industry over the next decade”. Based on data commissioned from Tourism Economics, the report found that accommodation nights will increase by 32% between 2026 and 2036, adding 1.6 billion overnight stays annually. Hotel accommodation is expected to grow even faster at 33%,…
Published on 27 October 2026 – 10:18 GMT+1•Updated 11:29 American rapper Macklemore has begun his Free Palestine tour in Dublin after Ed Sheeran’s controversial decision to drop him from his Loop Tour last month. The Grammy-winning artist, whose real name is Benjamin Haggerty, kicked off the tour last night in Dublin at the 3Arena. The sold-out tour was announced days after being dropped for saying “Free Palestine” on stage and referring to Israel’s military action in Gaza as a genocide. He promised “many incredible surprise guests” on the bill for the show, and he did not disappoint, with Hozier and…