Author: Gulf News Week
BBCOn the streets of Barcelona, fiery red and gold Chinese dragons (presumably with very sweaty people inside the costumes) danced among delighted crowds, while Chinese acrobats elicited gasps of amazement as they rolled, tossed and threw spherical lanterns in the air, keeping – as if by magic – the candle inside them upright at all times.Shanghai made history this week: the first Asian metropolis to be invited as the city of honour to Barcelona’s famously rambunctious cultural festival, La Merce. Vast street processions here are overwhelmingly aimed at celebrating centuries-old Catalan traditions. So it was quite something to witness velvet-clad…
WATCH: Crypto thieves attack man in home and threaten him and his pregnant wifeWarning: This story contains distressing detailsA businessman was beaten with hammers by masked men who broke into his home and threatened to kill his heavily pregnant wife unless he transferred hundreds of thousands of pounds of cryptocurrency.Speaking to the BBC, the couple, who want to remain anonymous, described the attack as “horrific” and said they feared for their unborn baby’s life.The attackers left in a car driven by a getaway driver after the man transferred his crypto savings. Experts say it is one of a growing type…
SpaceX launches crew to ISSThe Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral with two Americans, a Russian and a Canadian who will spend up to six months aboard the International Space Station.7 hrs agoUS & Canada
ShutterstockDonald Trump has said he may ask European countries to release some of their diesel reserves as he mulls a ban on US exports of the fuel amid a global shortage.The comments followed his Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urging for Europe to immediately ready and release such supplies. “American farmers, truckers, and businesses should not be left carrying the burden” as prices soar, he argued.The US has threatened to restrict diesel exports amid surging costs due to the war in Iran. The issue is top of mind for US voters ahead of the crucial midterm elections. On Thursday, Britain held…
Getty ImagesVladimir Putin has said Russia will use all weapons at his disposal if it considers its Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad to have come under direct attack.The Russian president insisted that Moscow was “not threatening anyone” and merely responding to statements by Western leaders that it was preparing for war in 2029 or 2030.Throughout this week, Russia has accused Nato of preparing to blockade its territory, which borders Lithuania and Poland, warning that it would even be prepared to use nuclear weapons if the West tried to cut off Kaliningrad from the rest of Russia.Nato has sought to calm the…
Watch: Renée Good’s partner speaks publicly for first time since her deathThe family of a woman who was killed by an immigration agent in Minneapolis has announced two lawsuits against the US government and members of the Trump administration.Renee Good, a US citizen, was shot to death by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer during a major immigration sweep in January. Millions watched the video recorded of her killing and residents of the Minnesota city took to the streets to protest.One lawsuit blames the government for her death, claiming the operation created “an unprecedented environment for state-sponsored violence”, a…
AFP via Getty ImagesA heavy police presence could be seen near the base after a major incident was declared on SundayA UK-Iranian dual national has been arrested on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts in connection with the incident at RAF Fairford, counter-terror police have said.The 27-year-old man was arrested in Westminster, London. A second man, a 26-year-old UK national, has also been questioned under caution, and two properties in the area have been searched.Five men in their twenties who were arrested near the Gloucestershire airbase on Sunday remain on police bail. All five were UK nationals from London.Counter-terror police…
AFP via Getty ImagesIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says investigations suggest the man who stabbed his fellow pilot and tried to take over a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv had undergone “Islamist radical indoctrination”.The Flydubai plane plunged more than 17,000ft (5,200m) two hours into its journey on Wednesday, before passengers and crew overpowered the attacker and retook control to land safely.Netanyahu told Fox News that it was looking “very likely” that the attacker, who he said was an Omani national, “was going to down the plane”.Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) state news agency reports investigations have begun there…
Watch: Witnesses recount Christa Pike’s failed execution attemptExecutions in Tennessee have been halted for the rest of the year, Governor Bill Lee has said, after two attempts to execute death row inmate Christa Pike by lethal injection failed.Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Lee said he was “highly disappointed” about the botched execution, which he called one of the state’s “most serious responsibilities”. He has ordered an independent review.Tennessee prison officials on Wednesday attempted to administer two lethal doses of pentobarbital to Pike but she survived and was taken to hospital. Her medical condition is unclear. Pike, 50, was sentenced to…
Watch: Why are students protesting at schools in France?The BBC’s Hugh Schofield is in Paris as a wave of school protests over overcrowded classes and teacher shortages spreads across France.4 hrs agoEurope