Posts by Riah Stelmack
Singer in Iran arrested after performing on YouTube without a hijab
A woman was arrested in Iran after she posted a video of herself singing without a hijab on YouTube, despite the Iranian parliament passage of a new, stricter law on women’s modesty that has been criticized by rights groups. Parastoo Ahmady posted a 27-minute long video of her concert performance on Wednesday, in which she…
Read MoreHundreds feared dead as Cyclone Chido hits French island of Mayotte
Hundreds of people are presumed dead on the French territory of Mayotte after Cyclone Chido hit the Indian Ocean archipelago. Prefect François-Xavier Bieuville told the Mayotte la 1ère radio station that no official death toll is available, one day after the storm struck the islands. However, he said: “I think there are certainly several hundred,”…
Read MoreMoscow criticizes German ambassador over Berlin’s support for Ukraine
The Russian Foreign Ministry has criticized German Ambassador Alexander Graf Lambsdorff following his calls for peace in Ukraine. The spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, wrote on her Telegram channel on Sunday that Lambsdorff should direct his appeals to the West and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Direct responsibility for deaths lies with the…
Read MoreFrench police detain man and seize firearms after 5 people shot dead near Dunkirk
DUNKIRK, France (AP) — French police are investigating the deaths of five people who were fatally shot in the Dunkirk area, in northern France, on Saturday. A 22-year-old man later turned himself in to police, according to authorities and local media. An unnamed company owner in Wormhout, located south of Dunkirk, was killed first, followed…
Read MoreWest African military states promise visa-free travel to rival bloc
Three West African states ruled by military leaders have announced visa-free travel and residency rights for citizens in the 15-member regional bloc Ecowas, ahead of the trio leaving the group. The leaders of the states – Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger – said the visa and residency decision had been taken in the spirit of…
Read MoreWest Africa regional bloc says the impending exit of three coup-hit member states is disheartening
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — West Africa’s regional bloc, ECOWAS, said Sunday that the impending exit of three member states led by military juntas is disheartening after a nearly yearlong process of mediation to avert the unprecedented disintegration of the grouping. In a first in the 15-nation bloc’s nearly 50 years of existence, the military juntas…
Read MoreSuspected sabotage of European undersea cables shows just how vulnerable these critical lines are to attack
Undersea cables between Finland-Germany and Lithuania-Sweden were cut, potentially sabotaged. The incident is one of a number of similar incidents in recent years, highlighting the vulnerability of these lines. NATO is enhancing surveillance and coordination to protect critical underwater infrastructure. Last month, an underwater data cable between Finland and Germany and another between Lithuania and…
Read MoreTurkish authorities: More than 7,500 Syrians have returned home
More than 7,500 refugees have returned to Syria from Turkey since the regime of long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad was toppled last week, according to Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya. More than 1,000 Syrians had crossed the border daily from Monday up to and including Friday, he wrote on social media platform X late on Saturday.…
Read MoreAt least 11 dead after cyclone hits Mayotte
France’s Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte has been struck by the worst cyclone to hit the islands in nearly a century. At least 11 people were reportedly killed when Cyclone Chido made landfall on Saturday, causing wind gusts of more than 225km/h (140mph), with fears the death toll could rise. French President Emmanuel Macron said…
Read MoreGermany warns Assad supporters involved in atrocities in Syria against trying to flee there
BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s foreign minister is warning anyone involved in atrocities for the ousted Syrian government against seeking refuge in her country, saying they would face “the full force of the law.” Germany has been a major destination for Syrian refugees over the past decade, and several hundred thousand Syrian nationals live there. In…
Read MoreMalaysia’s Belmond Express is back—here’s what it’s like aboard Asia’s lux tiger train
This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK). This isn’t a dream — I’m being bumped out of bed. I drop back onto the mattress, bleary-eyed and blinking away residual sleep in the inky darkness of early morning, and then there’s one second, two seconds of rattling before the next bump comes. For one…
Read MoreTransport group says German buses, trains depend on Syrian drivers
The public transport sector has added its voice to the current debate in Germany as to whether Syrian refugees should return to their country of origin, following the overthrow of the Assad regime. And like managers and union leaders in other sectors, the president of the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV) said Syrian workers…
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