Today: September 24, 2024
Today: September 24, 2024

World

World

Germany's biggest Jewish educational and cultural complex since the Holocaust to open in Berlin

When Berlin Rabbi Yehuda Teichtal first talked about his dream of building Germany’s biggest Jewish educational and cultural complex since the Holocaust, most people who heard about the plan were skeptical. But five years after the groundbreaking, Teichtal, a Berlin rabbi and head of the local Chabad community, beams as he steps onto the seventh-floor balcony of the new curved, blue-tiled building overlooking the campus amphitheater, garden, playground and a plot still covered with containers and construction material that will eventually become a sports field. “We’re changing the narrative about Jews in Germany,” Teichtal told The Associated

June 23, 2023
Germany's biggest Jewish educational and cultural complex since the Holocaust to open in Berlin
World

Time for Ja Morant to change his behavior, there's been enough talking, Grizzlies GM says

Memphis Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman said the 25-game suspension the NBA slapped guard Ja Morant with “was appropriate,” and it is up to Morant to change the behavior that led to two bans in four months. The Grizzlies’ vice president of basketball operations made the comments after Thursday night’s NBA draft. Kleiman is the first team official to publicly discuss Morant’s situation and the NBA’s punishment of the two-time All-Star for flashing a gun on social media after the season. Kleiman said the latest incident is part of a pattern of “problematic behavior” for Morant,

June 23, 2023
Time for Ja Morant to change his behavior, there's been enough talking, Grizzlies GM says
World

Storms and heavy rain flood roads, block railway lines in Germany

Storms and heavy rain across a large swath of Germany flooded roads and forced the closure of some major railway routes on Friday, but there was no immediate word of any injuries. Germany’s national weather service had warned earlier this week of severe storms with significant amounts of rainfall, which hit on Thursday. In the western city of Duisburg, the fire service said it rescued several people from cars that got stuck on flooded streets. Shops were flooded and streets inundated in the northern city of Braunschweig, and there were similar reports from Kassel. In Hattersheim, near

June 23, 2023
Storms and heavy rain flood roads, block railway lines in Germany
World

Stock market today: Asian shares sink as central banks crank interest rates still higher

Asian shares sank sharply Friday after several central banks around the world cranked interest rates higher in their fight against inflation. Hong Kong and Tokyo shed nearly 2% and most other regional markets declined. U.S. futures and oil prices also were lower. Japan reported its inflation rate was higher than expected, adding to expectations the central bank might adjust its policies to reflect upward price pressures, which have pushed the dollar’s value against the yen sharply higher. The Bank of Japan has kept its benchmark interest rate at minus 0.1% for a decade as policymakers keep credit

June 23, 2023
Stock market today: Asian shares sink as central banks crank interest rates still higher
World

Tropical Storm Bret brings winds and rain to islands in eastern Caribbean

Tropical Storm Bret brought winds and heavy rain early Friday to islands in the eastern Caribbean that shut down to prepare for potential landslides and flooding. The storm’s center was west of St. Vincent and west-southwest of St. Lucia and moving west at 17 mph (28 kph). Its maximum sustained winds were 60 mph (95 kph). Airports, businesses, schools and offices closed on St. Vincent, St. Lucia, Dominica, Martinique and other islands by midday Thursday. Ralph Gonsalves, prime minister for St. Vincent and the Grenadines, had urged people to go to a government shelter

June 23, 2023
Tropical Storm Bret brings winds and rain to islands in eastern Caribbean
World

Infighting among Putin's lieutenants seems to reveal signs of 'deep dysfunction'

The video was shocking — not just for what it showed but also for what was said. Yevgeny Prigozhin, the outspoken millionaire head of the private military contractor Wagner, stood in front of the bloodied bodies of his slain troops in Ukraine and yelled expletive-riddled insults at Russian military leaders, blaming them for the carnage. “They came here as volunteers and they died to let you lounge in your red wood offices,” Prigozhin shouted. “You are sitting in your expensive clubs, your children are enjoying good living and filming videos on YouTube. Those who don’t give us ammunition will be

June 23, 2023
Infighting among Putin's lieutenants seems to reveal signs of 'deep dysfunction'
World

South Africa says 31 illegal miners believed killed in explosion in May, only now coming to light

At least 31 illegal miners are believed to have died in a gas explosion in a shuttered gold mine in South Africa that happened more than a month ago but is only now coming to light after people reported their relatives missing, authorities said Friday. The miners are all believed to come from the neighboring country of Lesotho. A search of the mine was being delayed because methane gas levels were still dangerously high in the ventilation shaft where the miners are thought to have died, the national Department of Mineral and Energy Resources said in a

June 23, 2023
South Africa says 31 illegal miners believed killed in explosion in May, only now coming to light
World

The Olympic flame for the 2024 Paris Games will be carried for 68 days before the cauldron is lit

The Olympic flame for the 2024 Paris Games will pass through 64 departments — including five overseas — and 400 towns over 68 days before the cauldron is lit. Organizers announced the route for the torch relay on Friday at a Paris university. “Paris 2024 is the greatest collective project in our history,” organizing committee president Tony Estanguet said. “The torch relay plays an important role because it has the capacity to touch so many people.” The torch will be lit by the sun’s rays on April 16 in Ancient Olympia, Greece. It will then be carried

June 23, 2023
The Olympic flame for the 2024 Paris Games will be carried for 68 days before the cauldron is lit
World

New York Mets to play Philadelphia Phillies in London in 2024

The New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies will play in London next season, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said Friday. The teams will play at London Stadium in the third MLB series in the British capital. The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox played in London in 2019, and the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs will meet in a two-game series this weekend. The Mets-Phillies series had been widely reported earlier, though league officials held off on an announcement until the eve of the Cardinals-Cubs series. Manfred spoke at a news conference Friday before Cardinals and

June 23, 2023
New York Mets to play Philadelphia Phillies in London in 2024
World

UK elections watchdog says new voter ID law stopped thousands from casting ballots

Britain’s electoral watchdog said Friday that about 14,000 people were prevented from voting in last month’s local elections because of a new law requiring voters to show photo identification. The Electoral Commission said 0.25% of people who went to polling stations were unable to cast ballots because they didn’t have the right ID, and “significantly more” than that likely did not show up at all. Craig Westwood, the commission’s communications director, said there was “concerning” evidence that disabled and unemployed people were more likely than other groups to give a reason related to ID for not voting.

June 23, 2023
UK elections watchdog says new voter ID law stopped thousands from casting ballots
World

UN aid enters Syrian rebel enclave from government territory in first such crossing since earthquake

A convoy carrying U.N. aid entered Syria’s last rebel-held enclave from government-held territory on Friday, the first such shipment to cross battle lines since February’s deadly 7.8-magnitude earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria. The convoy with humanitarian supplies crossed from a government-controlled area in the province of Aleppo, and entered Idlib, according to the U.N. office for humanitarian affairs or OCHA. The last aid shipment to cross the front lines in the conflict was in early January. After the February earthquake that struck Turkey and northern Syria, causing widespread destruction, convoys have been prevented from entering

June 23, 2023
UN aid enters Syrian rebel enclave from government territory in first such crossing since earthquake
World

About 350 Pakistanis were on migrant boat that sank off Greece and many may have died, official says

Pakistan’s interior minister said Friday that an estimated 350 Pakistanis were on board an overcrowded fishing boat carrying migrants that sank off Greece last week, and many remain missing and may have died in one of the deadliest incidents in the central Mediterranean Sea. Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan told lawmakers in the National Assembly that an estimated 700 migrants were on the boat when it sank June 14. Only 104 people, including 12 Pakistanis, were rescued and 82 bodies have been recovered. The total number of people on the ship has not been confirmed. Khan said

June 23, 2023
About 350 Pakistanis were on migrant boat that sank off Greece and many may have died, official says
World

Russia is likely to cancel July's Moscow air show as sanctions affect attendees and import of parts

Russia is likely to cancel this year’s Moscow air show, which for decades has been a major venue for showing off new warplanes and negotiating aerospace contracts, a top official of its organizing agency said Friday. Viktor Kladov, director for international cooperation at the state-owned defense conglomerate Rostec, was quoted by the state news agency Tass as saying that the show “in all probability” won’t take place this year. It had been scheduled for the end of July. Kladov did not state a reason for putting off the event, but Russian news media earlier suggested it was

June 23, 2023
Russia is likely to cancel July's Moscow air show as sanctions affect attendees and import of parts
World

'Titanic' director James Cameron says the search for the missing sub became a 'nightmarish charade'

“Titanic” director James Cameron says the search operation for a deep-sea tourist sub turned into a “nightmarish charade” that prolonged the agony of the families of the passengers. Cameron told the BBC in an interview broadcast on Friday that he “felt in my bones” that the Titan submersible had been lost soon after he heard it had lost contact with the surface during its descent to the wreckage of the ocean liner at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. He said focus in the media over the next few days about the submersible having 96 hours of

June 23, 2023
'Titanic' director James Cameron says the search for the missing sub became a 'nightmarish charade'
World

Andrew Tate to remain under house arrest in Romania as human trafficking case drags on

A Romanian court on Friday extended by 30 days the house arrest of Andrew Tate, the divisive social media personality and former professional kickboxer who was charged this week with rape, human trafficking, and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women. The Bucharest Tribunal’s decision comes days after prosecutors from Romania’s anti-organized crime agency, DIICOT, formally indicted the 36-year-old social media star after filing their criminal investigation to a Bucharest court. Tate, who has amassed nearly 7 million Twitter followers and is known for expressing misogynistic views and hate speech online, was initially arrested near

June 23, 2023
Andrew Tate to remain under house arrest in Romania as human trafficking case drags on
World

Israel arrests 3 settlers suspected in violent attacks in Palestinian towns

Israel’s security agency said Friday it had detained three Israeli settlers on suspicion of involvement in mass rampages through Palestinian towns in the occupied West Bank this week following the killing of four Israelis. While rights groups welcomed the arrests, the small number of suspects given the scale of the attacks have revived criticism of the wider lack of accountability for Israeli settlers. The arrests fueled concerns that the Israeli military is not doing enough to stop and prevent settler attacks. “We didn’t expect much,” said Roy Yellin, of the Israeli rights group B’Tselem. “The rule is

June 23, 2023
Israel arrests 3 settlers suspected in violent attacks in Palestinian towns
World

Rights groups denounce Spain and Morocco's lack of justice as Melilla tragedy anniversary nears

Rights groups on Friday denounced a lack of justice and transparency over the deaths of 37 migrants on June 24, 2022, during a mass attempt to cross the border from Morocco into the Spanish enclave city of Melilla. Ahead of the tragedy’s anniversary, Amnesty International said the Spanish and Moroccan authorities were “preventing attempts to find the truth” of what happened when up to 2,000 African migrants tried to climb a border wall and dozens were crushed, beaten and denied medical attention by security forces at the “Barrio Chino” border crossing. Spain’s interior minister has repeatedly rejected

June 23, 2023
Rights groups denounce Spain and Morocco's lack of justice as Melilla tragedy anniversary nears
World

Ohio father accused of killing his 3 young sons indicted on murder charges

A grand jury has indicted an Ohio man accused of fatally shooting his three young sons on murder charges. Chad Doerman, 32, was indicted Thursday on charges of aggravated murder, kidnapping and assault for the June 15 deaths of his sons, according to Clermont County court records. Clayton Doerman, 7, Hunter Doerman, 4, and Chase Doerman, 3, were all killed. Prosecutors say he admitted to planning the shooting. “This was the man that everyday they woke up looking to for protection, love and guidance in all things,” Clermont County’s chief prosecutor of Municipal Court, David Gast,

June 23, 2023
Ohio father accused of killing his 3 young sons indicted on murder charges
World

Starbucks union calls strike over Pride displays, but the company calls it a misinformation campaign

Workers at 150 Starbucks locations will strike in the coming week over what their union says is a clash over decor supporting LBGTQ+ causes, but the company denies it’s banned any such displays and accused the union of using misinformation as a tactic in labor talks. Starbucks Workers United said in a tweet Friday that 3,500 workers will be on strike over the next week, starting with the flagship location in Seattle. The union has tried to establish a foothold at Starbucks for some time and at least 358 Starbucks stores have petitioned the National Labor Relations Board to hold

June 23, 2023
Starbucks union calls strike over Pride displays, but the company calls it a misinformation campaign
World

Ukraine's president tells other countries to act before Russia attacks nuclear plant

Ukraine wants other countries to heed its warning that Russia may be planning to attack an occupied nuclear power plant to cause a radiation disaster, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. Members of his government briefed international representatives on Thursday on the possible threat to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. In his nightly address, Zelenskyy said he expected other nations to “give appropriate signals and exert pressure” on Moscow. “Our principle is simple: The world must know what the occupier is preparing. Everyone who knows must act,” Zelenskyy said. “The world has enough power to prevent any radiation

June 23, 2023
Ukraine's president tells other countries to act before Russia attacks nuclear plant
World

Pope Francis invites artists to the Sistine Chapel as the Vatican seeks a new cultural dialogue

Pope Francis praised artists on Friday as true visionaries who can see, dream and invent as he welcomed 200 artists, filmmakers and writers into the Sistine Chapel to mark the 50th anniversary of the Vatican Museums’ contemporary art collection. Francis acknowledged that some in the crowd — there was Andres Serrano, of “Piss Christ” fame — sometimes use confrontation to make people think. But he said their aim was to find harmony and beauty. “You want to reveal reality also in its contradictions and in those things that it is more comfortable and convenient to keep

June 23, 2023
Pope Francis invites artists to the Sistine Chapel as the Vatican seeks a new cultural dialogue
World

4-time NBA champion Tony Parker says San Antonio is the 'perfect place' for Victor Wembanyama

Tony Parker surely knows what he’s talking about when it comes to the San Antonio Spurs. And, no surprise, the four-time NBA champion told The Associated Press on Friday he sees a bright future at his former team for fellow Frenchman Victor Wembanyama. Parker, who is now retired, played 17 seasons for the Spurs. He won NBA titles with the team in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014, so knows the franchise inside out. He told the AP in a phone interview it will be the “perfect place” for the 19-year-old French wonder, the No. 1 pick in

June 23, 2023
4-time NBA champion Tony Parker says San Antonio is the 'perfect place' for Victor Wembanyama
World

Union official says safety of railroads has been compromised by job cuts and time constraints

Freight railcar inspections are happening less often and are not as thorough as in years past due to staff cuts, time constraints and regulatory loopholes, a union official testified Friday during a federal hearing to examine the reasons behind a fiery train derailment in Ohio. The National Transportation Safety Board said in its preliminary report that an overheating wheel bearing likely caused the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern derailment that sent a plume of toxic black smoke into the sky near East Palestine, Ohio. Several tank cars were damaged in the crash, and officials decided that five

June 23, 2023
Union official says safety of railroads has been compromised by job cuts and time constraints
World

Man convicted of murder in the shooting of a UK police officer while the suspect was handcuffed

A man was convicted of murder on Friday for shooting a British police officer with an antique handgun while the suspect was handcuffed in a cell nearly three years ago. A jury deliberated for just over five hours before finding 25-year-old Louis De Zoysa guilty of killing Sgt. Matiu Ratana in September 2020. Prosecutors said that De Zoysa shot Ratana, 54, at Croydon Custody Center in south London as he was about to be searched. He had been arrested for possessing drugs and bullets. But during an initial search, the arresting officers didn’t find the 41-caliber revolver

June 23, 2023
Man convicted of murder in the shooting of a UK police officer while the suspect was handcuffed
World

United States picked to host 2025 Club World Cup, an expanded soccer tournament with 32 teams

The United States will host the Club World Cup in 2025, the first time the FIFA tournament will have 32 teams. Real Madrid, Manchester City and Chelsea already earned places as recent Champions League winners for the expanded tournament lineup that is set to test stadiums and operations one year before the 2026 World Cup. The United States will host the men’s World Cup with Canada and Mexico, and FIFA could yet give some Club World Cup games to those countries. The Club World Cup will take place in June-July 2025. The United States was chosen as

June 23, 2023
United States picked to host 2025 Club World Cup, an expanded soccer tournament with 32 teams

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