Author: Justin M. Larson
Slovakia has changed its constitution, enshrining into law recognition of only two sexes – male and female.The legal change, which passed in a knife-edge vote in parliament, also restricts adoption to married heterosexual couples and prohibits surrogate pregnancies.The constitutional amendment was defined as enshrining “sovereignty in cultural and ethical matters”.Critics including Amnesty International have warned the change would make life more difficult for LGBT people, saying it brings the country’s legal system closer to Hungary’s illiberal government or Putin’s Russia.Parliament’s backing of the amendment came as a surprise to observers, with even the prime minister conceding as late as Thursday…
MUMBAI, INDIA – MARCH 3: A technician works at a Cipla laboratory March 3, 2002 in Vikhrohi, Mumbai, India. Jean-marc Giboux | 3rd Party – Misc | Getty ImagesStocks of leading Indian drugmakers fell on Friday, even though the 100% U.S. tariffs on branded and patented drug imports are unlikely to affect these companies.Indian companies mostly export generic drugs to the U.S., so the likely impact will be pretty minimal, Sudarshan Jain, an official at the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance, told CNBC. Yet, shares of large Indian drugmakers like Sun Pharmaceutical and Divi’s Laboratories fell by 2.5% and 3.5% on Friday,…
US President Donald Trump has urged Turkey to stop buying oil from Russia, part of a wider drive to cut off Moscow’s energy funding as the war in Ukraine rages on.Speaking alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the White House, Trump said halting those imports would be “the best thing” his Turkish counterpart could do.The Oval Office meeting ended without any firm commitments to lift US sanctions on Turkey or to sell advanced F-35 fighter jets, though Trump expressed optimism on both issues. Turkey has for years been prevented from buying US F-35s. In 2019, it was expelled from…
Two 17-year-old boys have been arrested on suspicion of “state interference” in the Netherlands, prosecutors say, in a case with reported links to Russian spying.The pair were allegedly contacted by pro-Russian hackers on the messaging app Telegram, Dutch media reported.One of the boys allegedly walked past the offices of Europol, Eurojust and the Canadian embassy in The Hague carrying a “wi-fi sniffer” – a device designed to identify and intercept wi-fi networks.The teenagers appeared before a judge on Thursday, who ordered one boy be remanded in custody and the other placed on strict home bail conditions until a hearing, which…
The organisation behind the Eurovision Song Contest has confirmed it will hold a vote on whether or not Israel should be allowed to participate next year.The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) confirmed it will invite 68 member countries to give their view at a general assembly meeting in early November.A decision will be taken by a simple majority, meaning that if more than 50% of members vote to exclude Israel, the country would not take part in 2026.Israel’s continued participation in Eurovision has been controversial due to the ongoing war in Gaza, and several countries had already called for their exclusion.The…
A Turkish attempt to force kebab shops in the EU to adhere to strict rules on how to make a doner kebab has been withdrawn.If the bid for a “Traditional Speciality Guaranteed” label had succeeded, restrictions would have been imposed on the types of ingredients that could be used.Germany’s kebab industry would have particularly skewered, as the quintessential high street doner has evolved over the decades to be rather different than the original from Turkey.Turkish authorities argued the doner should be viewed a national dish that spread to Europe through the migration of Turks. But German officials said its take…
Since 2014, Yemen has been engulfed in conflict between the internationally recognised government and Houthi militants (formally known as the Ansar Allah movement). A fragile truce brokered in 2022 has helped reduce the fighting but violations are ongoing.Millions have been displaced across the country – already one of the poorest in the Middle East – while public services and infrastructure have collapsed.Humanitarian workers have also been targeted by the Houthis – who control large swathes of the country including the capital – with dozens of UN staff detained by the group and agency offices raided.“The Houthi militias are no longer…
Regularly exfoliating your face can promote softer, smoother, and fresher-looking skin by removing dead skin cells and improving your skin’s texture and appearance. However, when not done properly, exfoliation can cause redness, flaking, and irritation. The key is to find the right balance for your skin type and its needs. When you exfoliate your skin, you are removing the top layer of dead skin cells. These dead skin cells can cause your skin to look dry and dull. Removing them may help your skin look brighter and feel smoother. Below are some general instructions on how to exfoliate skin, but…
“This brings the total functioning hospitals in Gaza to only 14…the situation at the remaining eight hospitals and one field hospital in the city is critical,” said WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic.The development comes as Israeli forces continue to push into Gaza City with the declared aim of dislodging Hamas fighters believed to be based there. At the same time, repeated Israel Defense Forces evacuation orders have been issued to communities in Gaza City, uprooting hundreds of thousands of people and affecting hundreds of health facilities.“Even if hospitals are not asked to evacuate, there is a lack of access, there is…
The Israeli prime minister, who is subject to an international arrest warrant for war crimes charges, avoided France and Spain, which have sharply criticized the war in Gaza. Source link
A logo sits illuminated at the Accenture booth in Mobile World Congress 2025 on March 03, 2025 in Barcelona, Spain.Xavi Torrent | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesTech consultancy Accenture has laid out plans to lay off staff that aren’t able to reskill on artificial intelligence amid a broader restructuring strategy which will see the company prioritize AI efforts.Accenture CEO Julie Sweet said in a call Thursday that as advanced AI becomes “a part of everything we do” and the global professional services company continues to invest significantly in the area, it expects employees to “retrain and retool” at scale.”We…
Israel’s isolation deepens with a wave of recognitions of Palestinian statehood. Source link
Throughout Asia, the source of about 40 percent of U.S. imports, countries have little to show for weeks of talks trying to finalize deals. Source link
In a preview of their flight, the crew of Artemis II, three Americans and a Canadian, struck a tone that veered away from the political currents of the moment. Source link
SHANGHAI, CHINA – MARCH 27, 2025 – Pedestrians walk past a ARC’TERYX flagship store in Shanghai, China on March 27, 2025. Cfoto | Future Publishing | Getty Images Canadian outdoor apparel brand Arc’teryx’s bold fireworks campaign at the foothills of the Himalayas last Friday was meant to promote its commitment to nature. Within days, it drew fiery social media backlash over the risk it posed to one of the world’s most fragile ecosystems and prompted a government investigation.The mountaineering brand’s poor public response and reports of residual debris across the mountain slopes that followed has further fueled outrage and offered…
Franz Lidz is fascinated by the eclectic and global nature of the archaeology beat. Source link
Microsoft has blocked an Israeli military unit from accessing some services after preliminary evidence supported a media investigation that the software was used for surveillance of millions of Palestinian civilian phone calls.The unit used Microsoft’s Azure software to store “millions” of recordings of mobile phone calls made by Palestinians living in Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank, according to a joint investigation by The Guardian and other outlets published in August. The investigation prompted an internal review by Microsoft, which found details of the Israel Ministry of Defence’s (IMOD) consumption of Azure storage capacity in the Netherlands and the use…
This summer, the monster toy Labubu charmed the world with its cute and chaotic energy, commanding resale markups that would make day traders or Rolex flippers blush. One secret blind box edition was selling for over 2,000% above retail prices, according to Nomura. Last month, robbers in California staged a $30,000 heist.Now, there are signs that the secondary market is losing steam — scalpers are panic-selling, watching prices crater by half or more. But Pop Mart, the Chinese company behind the phenomenon, said the crash was just what they wanted.”Our products are made for people who really connect with the…
A new visa for science and engineering graduates is part of China’s effort to establish itself as the world leader in science and technology. Source link
At the heart of his speech was the urgency of breaking free from spiralling violence, alongside a call to close what he described as two centuries of historical injustice.Laurent Saint-Cyr painted a bleak picture: murders, gang rapes, famine and more than a million people displaced.“It is a war between criminals who want to impose violence as the social order and an unarmed population struggling to preserve human dignity,” he said.Armed gangs now control much of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and continue to spread terror nationwide.Support mission stretched thinFor the past 15 months, a Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) – authorized…
In an aerial view, trucks line up to enter a shipping berth at the Port of Oakland on Aug. 26, 2025 in Oakland, California.Justin Sullivan | Getty ImagesU.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday night stateside that he would impose a 25% tariff on imported heavy trucks from Oct. 1, part of his broader push to boost domestic manufacturing.”All ‘Heavy (big!) Trucks’ made in other parts of the world” will face the higher tariffs, Trump said in a post on Truth Social, attributing the move to protecting U.S. manufacturers from “unfair outside competition” and addressing national security concerns.”Large Truck Company Manufacturers,…
Cityscape and Tokyo Tower at sunset, Tokyo, Japan.© Marco Bottigelli | Moment | Getty ImagesAsia-Pacific markets were set for a weaker open Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump announced fresh tariffs on furniture, heavy trucks and pharmaceutical products. Starting from Oct. 1, kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities and associated products will face a 50% tariff, while a 30% tariff will be charged for upholstered furniture, Trump said on Truth Social early Friday. Additionally, heavy trucks will be imposed a 25% levy. Meanwhile “any branded or patented Pharmaceutical Product” faces 100% duties, except for companies that build drug manufacturing plants in the…
British oil and gasoline company BP (British Petroleum) signage is being pictured in Warsaw, Poland, on July 29, 2024.Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesFive months ago, British energy major BP was firmly in the spotlight as a prime takeover candidate. Now, not so much.Shares of the London-listed oil giant have climbed more than 32% since early April, outperforming many of its U.S. and European rivals.The improving sentiment can be attributed to a range of factors, including BP’s fundamental strategic reset, a leadership shake-up, progress on its cost-cutting program and a string of recent oil discoveries.It marks a stark contrast to…
Bosch is set to cut 13,000 jobs as part of its plans to save €2.5bn (£2.06bn).The engineering giant said the losses, in its mobility division in Germany which provides vehicle parts and software, came as a result of a stagnated market and pressure from rival companies. The market has seen increased competition from the likes of Tesla and China’s BYD.It also blamed increased costs arising, in part, from US president Donald Trump’s tariffs.Bosch said there was a “cost gap” of €2.5bn (£2.06bn) in its auto business and it would “reduce costs at all levels as quickly as possible”.In addition to…
