Author: Gulf News Week
Anadolu via Getty ImagesMany migrants have attempted to swim from Morocco to the Spanish enclave Ceuta This weekend, Mohammed wants to travel from Morocco to the neighbouring Spanish enclave of Ceuta, on the northern tip of Africa.He’s a Moroccan man in his twenties and wants to emigrate to Europe – not least because he’s been seeing lots of videos on Instagram that make the trip look easy.He contacts several of the Instagram accounts and one replies, claiming to have helped “many people” and offering him advice on how to cross for hundreds of pounds.Except Mohammed isn’t real – he’s a…
Getty ImagesBulgarian singer Dara won this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, after topping both the public and the jury voteOrganisers of the Eurovision Song Contest are proposing major rule changes to discourage voting campaigns that aim to influence the results.Under the current system, viewers can vote up to 10 times for their favourite act by phone, text message or online.In a letter to participating broadcasters, the EBU reportedly suggested moving the vote entirely online and forcing the public to select their top three acts – instead of being able to vote multiple times for one contestant.The EBU said politically motivated voting…
BBC MundoDeivi (left) with Winder and their father Deivid”The earthquake is haunting me,” Deivi Delfín says.The 15-year-old feels like he and his brother, Winder, have been chased by tremors these past few months, having lived through two that struck with devastating effect in Venezuela, only to get caught up in another this week after moving to Colombia.He tells the BBC that he and his brother, 17, no longer felt like children, having witnessed corpses damaged beyond recognition.After their home in La Guaira – the area of Venezuela hardest hit by the twin quakes on 24 June – was reduced to…
Watch: What happens if Luigi Mangione pleads guilty?Mangione is accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York – but any plea deal in his federal case could impact a separate state trial.10 hrs agoUS & Canada
LIVEParliamentary investigation resumes into Farage hours after he wins Clacton by-electionThe Reform UK leader won the contest, which was boycotted by major political parties, but didn’t attend the declaration.
New Zealand break with Oceania Football Confederation to withdraw Infantino supportNew Zealand break rank with Oceania’s football governing body to become the latest nation to withdraw support for Fifa president Gianni Infantino.3 hrs agoWorld Cup
LIVE’Survival has become the priority’: Afghan women speak to BBC after five years of Taliban ruleSince seizing power in 2021, the ultra-conservative rulers have severely restricted the freedoms of women and girls.
Watch: Record rainfall causes flooding in Japan’s Chiba regionAt least six people have died and five others are wounded in eastern Japan as record rainfall pummelled the Chiba prefecture near the capital Tokyo.The rains, which authorities have described as “unprecedented”, cut power to more than 20,000 households while 7,000 travellers were stranded overnight at Tokyo’s Narita airport.Local authorities issued a level five emergency warning, its highest alert, on Thursday. This was downgraded to a level four by Friday morning, but they continue to warn of landslide and flooding risks.The deluge comes after a series of storms swept through Japan and…
Getty ImagesThe airline said in a memo that the move would reassure passengers and stakeholdersAir India is to test all of its pilots for banned substances, starting immediately. It comes after an incident last week in which its Phuket to Delhi flight suddenly lost altitude, with a preliminary report saying the senior pilot had to retake their substance test. Reports say they had tested positive for marijuana.Pilots at the airline’s budget arm, Air India Express, will also be subject to the tests from Thursday.Existing rules require at least 10% of pilots to be tested at random.It is being investigated by…
ReutersMany scrambled to get hold of special solar eclipse glasses to protect their eyesMillions of us were treated to a stunning spectacle on Wednesday during mainland Europe’s first total solar eclipse for more than 25 years.And for some in the UK, it was a race against time to find a pair of eye-protecting eclipse glasses as shortages grew.If you did manage to grab some, you might be asking – what do I do with them now?”Eclipse glasses are a great example of our single-use culture,” says Dr Renee Tonkin, the founder of Science Owl, an environmental education organisation focused on…