Qatari Investors Withdraw Bid for Manchester United
The Qatari group led by Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad J.J. Al Thani has withdrawn its bid to buy
2023-10-15 02:29
Bailey Says Workforce Dropouts Hit UK’s Growth and Stoke Prices
Changing attitudes to work since the pandemic and sluggish business investment have hit the UK’s economic capacity and
2023-10-15 01:45
Ukraine Recap: Russian Forces Step Up Offensive Near Kupyansk
Russian attempts to capture Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine, a move that Moscow’s authorities claim will mark the end
2023-10-15 00:46
Louvre Museum in Paris evacuated after bomb threat
The Louvre Museum in Paris has been evacuated after a bomb threat. Thousands of visitors and staff were escorted from the building and the hugely popular attraction was closed early Saturday because of a written warning. Parents were seen dragging children towards the exits as alarms rang out through the vast museum in central Paris overlooking the Seine River. The evacuation was announced at 11am with tourists seen flooding out of the underground shopping centre beneath its iconic art gallery’s glass pyramid. A spokesperson for the museum the response was linked to the government’s decision to put France on high alert after a fatal school stabbing by a suspected extremist. “The Louvre received a written message stating that there was a risk to the museum and its visitors”, a spokeswoman told AFP after announcing the closure on social media. “We have decided... to evacuate and close it for the day, while we carry out the necessary checks”. The Louvre communication service added that no-one had been hurt. Videos posted online showed people leaving, some hurriedly and some stopping to take photos, others apparently confused about what was happening. It came as the French government raised the threat alert level and is deploying 7,000 troops to increase security after Friday’s school attack. French authorities say a former student suspected of Islamic radicalization killed a teacher and wounded three other people before being captured. Dominique Bernard, 57, a French literature teacher, was stabbed to death in the courtyard of the Gambetta-Carnot secondary school in Arras on Friday. Three other members of staff were injured, two of them critically. The suspect, identified by prosecutors as Mohamed M., who has been arrested, was a former student of the Lycee Gambetta high school where the attack happened, a police source said. One of the attackers’ brothers was also detained nearby. Numerous witnesses heard Friday’s attacker shouting “Allahu Akbar”, according to prosecutor Jean-Francois Ricard. The government is also concerned about fallout in France from the war between Israel and Hamas. The Louvre, home to masterpieces such as the Mona Lisa, welcomes between 30,000 and 40,000 visitors per day. Read More The Louvre Museum in Paris is being evacuated after a threat while France is under high alert Scientists winkle a secret from the `Mona Lisa' about how Leonardo painted the masterpiece Russia and US say attacks by Putin’s forces in east are ‘new offensive’ - live Russia and US say attacks by Putin’s forces in east are ‘new offensive’ - live Reuters videographer killed in southern Lebanon by Israeli shelling is laid to rest Russia pounds Ukraine’s Avdiivka for fourth straight day
2023-10-14 22:28
Ukraine-Russia war – live: Moscow and US say attacks by Putin’s forces in east are ‘new offensive’
Fighting on Ukraine‘s eastern front has “significantly worsened” in recent days, the commander of Kyiv’s ground forces said on Saturday. Oleksandr Syrskyi, visiting troops in the area, said Russian forces had regrouped after losses and were attacking around the village of Makiivka and towards the city of Kupiansk. “The main objective of the enemy is the defeat of a grouping of our troops, the encirclement of Kupiansk and to reach the Oskil River,” he said in comments carried by an official military platform. Syrskyi added that Russian forces were carrying out “dozens” of assaults each day, but that Ukrainian troops had been ready and were holding their ground. The development comes as Kremlin forces were also pummelling the strategic Ukrainian city of Avdiivka, on a different section of the eastern front, in what Russian and Western officials said amounted to a new offensive. A four-month-old Ukrainian counteroffensive has made some progress in both the east, near Bakhmut, and in the south, where Kyiv hopes to reach the Sea of Azov, but gains have been incremental. Read More IOC suspends Russian Olympic Committee for incorporating Ukrainian sports regions French police probe ‘poisoning’ of TV journalist who denounced Putin’s war live on air Russia loses vote to rejoin UN’s top human rights body despite Putin’s charm offensive with stolen grain Putin scales up attack on key town in eastern Ukraine as three dead in drone strikes on Russia
2023-10-14 21:24
Reuters videographer killed in southern Lebanon by Israeli shelling is laid to rest
Reuters videographer Issam Abdallah who was killed in Israeli shelling of southern Lebanon, was laid to rest in his hometown Saturday in a funeral procession attended by hundreds of people. Draped in a Lebanese flag, Abdallah’s body was carried on a stretcher through the streets of his southern town of Khiam, from his family’s home to the local cemetery. Dozens of journalists and Lebanese lawmakers attended the funeral. Abdallah was killed Friday evening near the village of Alma al-Shaab in south Lebanon when an Israeli shell landed on a gathering of international journalists covering exchange of fire along the border between Israeli troops and members of Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group. Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry asked Beirut’s mission to the United Nations to file a complaint against Israel over Friday’s shelling calling it a “flagrant violation and a crime against freedom of opinion and press.” The statement was carried by the state-run National News Agency. Israeli military spokesperson Lt. Col. Richard Hecht told the Associated Press in Jerusalem Saturday: “We are aware of the incident with the Reuters journalist and we are looking into it.” Hecht did not confirm that the journalists had been hit by Israeli shells, but called the incident “tragic,” adding, “we’re very sorry for his death.” Reuters said in a statement that two of its journalists, Thaer Al-Sudani and Maher Nazeh, were wounded in the same shelling while Qatar’s Al-Jazeera TV, said its cameraman Elie Brakhya and reporter Carmen Joukhadar, got wounded as well. France’s international news agency, Agence France-Presse, said two of its journalists were also wounded: photographer Christina Assi, and video journalist Dylan Collins. AFP reported Saturday that photographer Christina Assi was in need of blood donations at the American University Medical Center in Beirut where she was hospitalized. The Lebanon-Israel border has been witnessing sporadic acts of violence since Saturday's surprise attack by the militant Palestinian group Hamas on southern Israel. Journalists from various countries have been flocking to Lebanon to monitor the situation as tensions have been escalating between Hezbollah and Israel. Read More Police in Warsaw seal off a large square after a man climbs a monument and reportedly makes threats Blinken calls for protection of civilians as Israel prepares for expected assault on Gaza Armenian president approves parliament’s decision to join the International Criminal Court
2023-10-14 20:20
The Trading Tycoon Steering Russia’s Global Oil Business
Igor Sechin, the boss of Russia’s state oil company and longtime associate of Vladimir Putin, celebrated New Year’s
2023-10-14 19:58
Australia Voice Referendum Defeated After Divisive Campaign
Australia has voted against including First Nations people in the country’s constitution, projections show, rejecting a proposal to
2023-10-14 17:45
Ukraine’s Avdiivka ‘completely ablaze’ as Russia pounds city for fourth straight day
Russia has pounded Eastern Ukrainian’s Avdiivka for the fourth straight day, further destroying the city that is reportedly already “ablaze.” “The fighting has been going on for four consecutive days...They have substantial reserves of personnel and equipment. Avdiivka is completely ablaze,” Vitaliy Barabash, head of the city’s military administration, told Ukrainian national TV. “They shoot, using everything they have. The hospital is again under fire, as are administrative buildings and our volunteer centre,” Mr Barabash said. Russian attacks on the city, known for its large coking plant, have gutted it, according to Reuters. In what is considered the biggest military offensive of the ongoing conflict in months, Russia has moved a large column of three battalions, including about 2,000 troops, dozens of armoured vehicles, as well as jets into the northern flank of Avdiivka. Officials say the attacks on Avdviivka were relentless and that the enemy was attacking from all sides. The region is a crucial gateway to the Donetsk territory which is the primary communication hub within the occupied territories. “The enemy does not stop storming, they come from all directions,” Vitaliy Barabash, the head of the city’s military administration, said. Both Washington and Russia’s UN representative say the intensified battles in the east signified a new stage in the campaign. “Russian troops have, for several days now, switched over to active combat action practically throughout the entire front line. The so-called Ukrainian counteroffensive can therefore be considered finished,” UN’s Russia representative Vasily Nebenzia said. However, the US said it is confident Ukrainians would beat back Russian forces, although Russia does not seem ready to give up its campaign. “All Russian attacks have resulted in significant losses for them,” military analyst Serhiy Zgurets said. Russia’s own military has also suffered its worst combat losses since mid-February, according to Kyiv Post. The new offensive also suggests Russia could be unwilling to give up its campaign. “On average, there are 50-60 instances of intense shelling with artillery and rockets targeting the town. As for military positions, they get hit at least 500-600 times a day,” Mr Barabash added. Read More Ukraine-Russia war – live: Zelensky and Dutch PM visit Odesa and agree to boost air defence Israel-Hamas war live: Tens of thousands of Gazans flee homes as IDF launches ground raids US says North Korea delivered 1,000 containers of equipment and munitions to Russia for Ukraine war
2023-10-14 16:48
Zimbabwe Worker Exodus Intensifies With Economy in Meltdown
Years of mass migration from Zimbabwe has gained fresh impetus as an economic meltdown continues unabated, further denuding
2023-10-14 14:30
Israel Latest: Army Focuses on Gaza City as Ground Attack Looms
Israel is focusing its main military activities on Gaza City in the north of the Gaza Strip, as
2023-10-14 14:26
UK Jobs Market Has One Recession Warning Signal Flashing Red
With 4.3% unemployment, the UK economy would seem to be holding up well against a barrage of headwinds.
2023-10-14 13:49