Category: Trends

Comment on this story Comment LONDON — Helicopters and lifeboats were dispatched to the English Channel off the coast of Kent in southern England to rescue a small boat that capsized in the freezing water, authorities said Wednesday. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed in comments before Parliament there was a loss of life but offered […]

Comment on this story Comment PRISTINA, Kosovo — Kosovo’s leaders on Wednesday signed a formal application seeking the status of candidate for membership in the European Union amid a long-lasting dispute with neighboring Serbia, which immediately called on the bloc to cancel the process. Kosovo’s president, speaker and prime minister formally signed the application letter […]

Comment on this story Comment SEOUL, South Korea — The U.S. military formally launched a space force unit in South Korea on Wednesday, a move that will likely enable Washington to better monitor its rivals North Korea, China and Russia. The activation of the U.S. Space Forces Korea at Osan Air Base near Seoul came […]

Comment on this story Comment ISLAMABAD — Twenty people were lashed in public on Wednesday in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan as punishment for alleged adultery, theft, and other crimes, a provincial official said. Afghanistan’s new authorities have set hardline policies since they took over the country in August 2021 that reflect their interpretation of Islamic law, or […]

Comment on this story Comment HONG KONG — U.S. tech giant Google is under increasing pressure by the Hong Kong government — and, by association, China — to bury in its search results a politically sensitive pro-democracy song that has been mistaken for the national anthem. The move shows the rising tensions between multinational tech […]

Comment on this story Comment BRUSSELS — A key suspect in a widening European Union corruption probe is expected to appear in a Belgian court Wednesday, according to the prosecutor’s office, potentially offering fresh details on explosive allegations that current and former officials took bribes from Qatar. The suspect, Eva Kaili, was until yesterday one […]

BEIJING — China’s National Health Commission scaled down its daily COVID-19 report starting Wednesday in response to a sharp decline in PCR testing since the government eased antivirus measures after daily cases hit record highs. A notice on the commission’s website said it stopped publishing daily figures on numbers of COVID-19 cases where no symptoms […]

Comment on this story Comment Pope Francis called Wednesday for a “humble” Christmas this year, with savings from reduced spending on gifts donated to help the “suffering people of Ukraine.” Francis called for “concrete gestures” of charity for Ukrainians this holiday season during his weekly general audience. “It’s nice to celebrate Christmas and have parties, […]

Washington — A Russian man living in New Hampshire allegedly used his Merrimack home as a “transshipment point” to smuggle American-made military-grade equipment into Russia, part of a coordinated effort to evade U.S. export laws, federal prosecutors announced Tuesday.  Alexey Brayman is one of seven defendants charged in a 16-count indictment, accused of participating an international […]

BERLIN — Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Wednesday that it’s in the interest of Germany and Europe for the remaining countries of the Balkans to join the European Union. Speaking to Parliament ahead of a one-day summit of the 27-nation bloc in Brussels, Scholz welcomed the revival of EU accession talks with the six Western Balkan […]