Author: Gulf News Week
BBC/ Lulu LuoMae Sot has become home to so many who left Myanmar to oppose the junta – and their future is increasingly uncertain”One day we will get our freedom back.”The 22-year-old has spent much of his adult life fighting for it. But now, after five years of civil war in Myanmar, he has had enough of war and political struggle.”I want to help our people as much as I can. But I choose another way. A non-violent way.”The young man is part of a huge exodus of people from Myanmar seeking sanctuary in the Thai border town of Mae…
NEW YORK (news agencies) — Ancient mummy DNA recovered in Chile has yielded the firmest evidence yet that European colonization brought smallpox to the Americas.Smallpox was one of the deadliest diseases in human history before it was eradicated in 1980, largely thanks to vaccination. For centuries, the virus had killed about one-third of the people it infected and left most survivors with deep and sometimes disfiguring scars.Outbreaks struck Asia and Europe and eventually spread to the Americas, where colonial writings, administrative records and missionary reports documented how it killed millions and devastated Indigenous populations who had never been exposed to…
What could happen to Fifa if Uefa boycotts World Cup?It’s been a seismic 48 hours for football after Uefa threatened to boycott the World Cup and Concacaf rejected Gianni Infantino’s funding plan – what happens now, and can Fifa’s president survive?16 mins agoWorld Cup
PA MediaGlen Hansard died in a motorbike crash in Dublin on WednesdayThe death of Oscar-winning singer-songwriter Glen Hansard in a motorbike crash in Dublin on Wednesday has been met with widespread shock and grief.The 56 year old, who shot to prominence when he was cast in 1991 musical comedy film The Commitments, was long-time frontman of rock band The Frames.From Bono to Bruce Springsteen, tributes have poured in from around the world with friends and fans sharing stories about his life and the impact he made. His was a life in music, from first picking up a guitar as a…
EPAThe level of the water of the Danube is so low that the nuclear power plant’s suction nozzles cannot reach itHungary’s only nuclear power plant will be forced to shut down entirely for the first time due to record low water levels of the River Danube, Prime Minister Péter Magyar has said.The Soviet-era Paks power plant uses the Danube for cooling but the water level is so low that the suction nozzles cannot reach it. Magyar warned Hungary’s energy supply could become “critical” from Monday due to the Paks shutdown and the ongoing heatwave, which will see temperatures hover around…
Migrants swim to Spain’s Ceuta from Morocco in mass crossingHundreds of migrants have entered Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco over the past week, the territory’s leader has said.Juan Jesús Vivas said the influx is overwhelming resources and urged the Spanish government to intervene. Spain’s Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska is expected to visit on Friday, according to news agency Reuters.Footage showed migrants swimming and using inflatable rings and other flotation devices to swim to Ceuta on Thursday, while others ran through a gate in the border fence.Ceuta, on Morocco’s northern coast, is separated from mainland Spain by the…
Fourteen countries, including Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, Sudan and Djibouti, issue a joint statement supporting the proposed coalition[Editor’s Note: For the latest updates on US-Iran hostilities since a 14-point deal was signed on June 12, follow the media live blog.] Saudi Arabia on Thursday unveiled plans for a multinational maritime defence coalition aimed at protecting international shipping and energy supply routes in the Red Sea region after attacks by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis disrupted one of the world’s busiest trade corridors. The Saudi defence ministry said representatives from 43 countries and the European Union attended an international meeting that discussed the proposed coalition,…
Anadolu via Getty ImagesHostilities between the two countries have flared up again in recent daysAt first glance, Iran’s surprise missile strike on a US base in Jordan earlier this week appeared difficult to explain. The attack effectively ended the fragile pause in direct US-Iran fighting and prompted Washington to resume strikes inside Iran. It was also unusual.If Tehran’s priority had been a ceasefire, the strike is difficult to explain. But if Iranian leaders judge that a controlled confrontation could offer greater strategic leverage, the decision becomes more understandable.One possible explanation is that Tehran believes that, despite its risks, a limited…
Getty ImagesZendaya and Tom Holland first met in 2016Newlyweds Tom Holland and Zendaya stepped out together on Wednesday to promote their fourth Spider-Man film together.Over the course of a decade we have seen them grow up together on the big screen.Let’s spin a web back to the past and compare how they looked when their spider-senses first started tingling to now.Spider-Man: Homecoming – 2017Getty ImagesHolland and Zendaya were just 20 and 19 years old when they first met in 2016 on the set of Spider-Man: Homecoming, during the film’s casting and initial production.The film showed British actor Holland as Peter…
NEW YORK (news agencies) — A Senate committee on Thursday advanced Dr. Erica Schwartz’s nomination to be director of the nation’s top public health agency, setting aside concerns that she will not stand up to political meddling.If confirmed by the full Senate, the 54-year-old would become the 22nd director of the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is charged with protecting Americans from preventable health threats. Her resume includes medical and law degrees, a stint as deputy surgeon general, and a leadership position at the U.S. Coast Guard. Schwartz appeared to be on shaky ground after a hearing…