All posts tagged: Collections: World

Albania’s Rama Vows to Push on With Kushner-Linked Luxury Resort Despite Protests

Albania’s Rama Vows to Push on With Kushner-Linked Luxury Resort Despite Protests

Published by Sam Flores

TIRANA, June 8 (Reuters) – Albania will plough on with a luxury resort planned ⁠by ⁠Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner on a remote stretch ⁠of Balkan coast despite persistent protests over its environmental impact, Prime Minister Edi Rama told Reuters on Monday. Thousands of ​people have taken to the streets of the capital Tirana and on the southern coast where the resort has been proposed, calling for the project to be scrapped because ‌of the impact on a protected wetland home ‌to flamingoes, seals and sea turtle nesting sites. The flamingo has emerged as the movement’s symbol: protesters hoist inflatable pink birds and signs saying “Flamingo Revolution”.  Rama is unmoved, telling Reuters ⁠that the developers will “stun” ⁠onlookers with their plans in the coming months and that parts of the resort could be open ​to the public before the end of the decade.  “I’m telling you, it’s going to be a beautiful project and we’re going to do it and we’re going to be proud to contribute to Europe,” Rama said during an interview in …

Germany and France Drop Joint Fighter Jet Project

Germany and France Drop Joint Fighter Jet Project

Published by Sam Flores

By Andreas Rinke and Tim Hepher BERLIN/PARIS, June 8 (Reuters) – The leaders of Germany and France ⁠have ⁠agreed to scrap a landmark project to develop and ⁠build a new-generation fighter jet, officials said on Monday, bowing to industrial rivalries over Europe’s most ambitious defence programme. German ​Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed the troubled project on the sidelines of the EU-Western Balkans summit in Montenegro last week and concluded that there was no ‌prospect of breaking months of deadlock between arms ‌firms involved in the plan, German officials said. Merz has therefore advised Macron not to pursue the construction of a joint fighter aircraft any further, they said. Macron’s office said ⁠the two had discussed ⁠the project at length and regretted that the main industry partners, European aerospace group Airbus, which ​represents Germany and Spain, and France’s Dassault Aviation, had not been able to reach an agreement. The decision to end the core pillar of Europe’s largest defence project comes at a time when Western military officials have warned of a …

Ukraine Recaptures More Than 600 Square Km of Territory in 2026, Military Chief Says

Ukraine Recaptures More Than 600 Square Km of Territory in 2026, Military Chief Says

Published by Sam Flores

June 8 (Reuters) – Ukrainian forces have recaptured more than ⁠600 ⁠square km of territory so ⁠far this year, Ukraine’s top military commander Oleksandr Syrskyi said ​on Monday, the latest sign of shifting momentum after years of slow but relentless Russian gains. In ‌May alone, Ukraine recaptured 100 square ‌km more of territory than it lost, Syrskyi said on the Telegram messaging ⁠app. Syrskyi did ⁠not specify where the gains took place, saying only that in certain ​areas of the 1,200 km (800-mile) frontline, Ukrainian forces continued to maintain the initiative. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy also said last month that Ukraine had recaptured around 600 square km in 2026. Reuters was not able ​to verify the assertions. Independently determining lines of territorial control in Ukraine is ⁠difficult because ⁠of drone warfare that ⁠has created ​a wide no-man’s land “kill zone” along the front. But independent groups that map the battlefield ​have also reported Russia’s ⁠total advances slowing or reversing in recent months, for the first time since a failed Ukrainian counter-offensive in 2023. Syrskyi said Russian …

Gaudí’s Legacy Celebrated by Papal Visit a Century After His Humble Death

Gaudí’s Legacy Celebrated by Papal Visit a Century After His Humble Death

Published by Sam Flores

BARCELONA, June 8 (Reuters) – When Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí ⁠was ⁠fatally struck by a tram in ⁠Barcelona in 1926, he did not receive immediate medical attention as onlookers initially thought ​he was a vagabond.  At the time, he was sleeping in a modest room in the grounds of the Sagrada Familia basilica ‌which was under construction. Throughout his ‌career, some of his distinctive, undulating and colourful buildings were harshly mocked in the local press. This week, however, 100 ⁠years on from ⁠Gaudí’s death, Pope Leo XIV will visit Barcelona and his most famous creation, ​the Sagrada Familia (Holy Family), on Wednesday to inaugurate its 172.5-metre Tower of Jesus Christ.  The structure’s completion makes the Sagrada Familia the world’s tallest church. Gaudí’s legacy draws millions of visitors to Barcelona each year and seven of his works are UNESCO heritage sites. The ​main Gaudí buildings in Barcelona generate annual revenues of around 240 million euros ($276 million) combined thanks to ticketing, ⁠according ⁠to local newspaper La Vanguardia. Pope Leo’s ⁠visit, the third ​by a pope, comes a …

Colombia Set for Presidential Runoff After Leftist Cepeda Acknowledges First Round Loss

Colombia Set for Presidential Runoff After Leftist Cepeda Acknowledges First Round Loss

Published by Sam Flores

BOGOTA, June 7 (Reuters) – Right-wing ⁠lawyer ⁠Abelardo De La Espriella will ⁠face left-wing candidate Ivan Cepeda on June 21 in a ​presidential runoff in Colombia, after Cepeda on Sunday belatedly acknowledged his defeat in the first ‌round of voting. De La Espriella ‌of the Defenders of the Homeland movement,  who presents himself as a political “outsider”, ⁠won 43.7% ⁠of the votes, while Cepeda reached 40.9%, after the counting of ​all polling station ballots was completed. Initially, Cepeda did not acknowledge the results, alleging a discrepancy in the voter registry and possible irregularities in more than 800,000 identity cards, but later ​said he had no evidence of irregularities. The right-wing candidate made his attendance at ⁠a ⁠televised debate conditional on Cepeda, ⁠an ally ​of current President Gustavo Petro, acknowledging last week’s first-round results. “In my capacity as ​presidential candidate for the Historic ⁠Pact and the Alliance for Life, I inform the public that, once the counting is finished, I acknowledge the results of the first round of the presidential election,” Cepeda said on his X …

Israeli Military Has Struck ‘Terrorist’ Headquarters in Beirut, Government Says

Israeli Military Has Struck ‘Terrorist’ Headquarters in Beirut, Government Says

Published by Sam Flores

June ⁠7 (Reuters) – ⁠The Israeli ⁠military has ​struck ‌on Sunday “terrorist” ‌headquarters ⁠in the ⁠Lebanese capital Beirut’s southern ​suburbs, ​a Hezbollah stronghold ⁠known as ⁠Dahiyeh, ⁠in response ​to the group’s ​fire ⁠toward ⁠Israeli territory, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ⁠and Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a ⁠joint statement. (Reporting by Steven ScheerEditing ​by Tomasz ​Janowski) Copyright 2026 Thomson Reuters. Photos You Should See – April 2026 Source link

Gunman Kills One, Wounds Five in Drive-By Attacks in Israel

Gunman Kills One, Wounds Five in Drive-By Attacks in Israel

Published by Sam Flores

JERUSALEM, June 7 (Reuters) – A gunman in a car ⁠opened ⁠fire at three locations in ⁠Israel close to the border with the occupied West Bank ​on Sunday, killing one man and wounding several other people, Israeli authorities said. The police said ‌they killed the suspected gunman following ‌a brief pursuit and recovered the firearm and vehicle used in the shootings, ⁠which took ⁠place in and around Kochav Yair, inside Israel close to the ​West Bank city of Qalqilya. A second suspect was later arrested after he “made statements suggesting involvement in the attack”, the police said, without giving details of his alleged role. He tried to ​assault officers with a glass bottle when he was arrested. “This morning, a heinous terrorist ⁠went ⁠out, reached Kochav Yair, and ⁠unfortunately managed, ​before being eliminated, to murder an Israeli citizen and injure others,” Prime Minister Benjamin ​Netanyahu said, praising the ⁠police officers. President Isaac Herzog said he was “shocked by the horrific terror attack”, offering sympathy for the family of the slain victim and prayers for a …

Armenians Vote in General Election Under Russian Pressure Aimed at Preventing a Drift Toward West

Armenians Vote in General Election Under Russian Pressure Aimed at Preventing a Drift Toward West

Published by Sam Flores

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Armenians voted in a parliamentary election Sunday as the incumbent government, under mounting Russian pressure, sought to loosen ties with Moscow and deepen cooperation with the West. Polling closed at 8 p.m. local time, with preliminary results expected Monday. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his governing Civil Contract party are looking for a strong mandate for a new geopolitical course for Armenia. The opposition they face includes some parties that are vocally pro-Russia. Casting his vote on Sunday, Pashinyan said that the country would continue strengthening its independence, statehood, democracy and rule of law. “The European Union is our main partner in democratic reform implementation, and we will continue that path,” he said. He also stressed that there were no tensions between Armenia and Moscow, saying “our relations with Russia are institutional and based on mutual respect,” the Armenpress news agency reported. Russian officials have hit Armenian exports with a barrage of restrictions in recent weeks. President Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials have made thinly veiled threats comparing Armenia’s path …

Trump Says He Will Press Israel to Hold Back After Iran Retaliates for Beirut Attack

Trump Says He Will Press Israel to Hold Back After Iran Retaliates for Beirut Attack

Published by Sam Flores

By Alexander Cornwell, Parisa Hafezi and Bo Erickson BEIRUT/DUBAI/NEW BRUNSWICK, New Jersey, June 7 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump said on ⁠Sunday ⁠he would tell Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to strike ⁠back after Iran fired a salvo of missiles at Israeli targets in retaliation for an attack on the outskirts of Beirut, news outlet Axios reported. Iran has ​long said any peace deal with the U.S. would depend on a ceasefire also holding in Lebanon, which Israel invaded in March in pursuit of Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters who fired rockets and drones across the border in solidarity with Tehran. But Israel ‌earlier on Sunday launched strikes in the Beirut area for ‌the first time since the U.S. announced a truce plan for Lebanon last week. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had targeted Ramat David air base, near Nazareth. The Israeli military said it identified missiles launched from Iran and that its defense ⁠systems had intercepted them.  Trump, who ⁠was spending the weekend at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, and Netanyahu spoke …

Cuba Ex-President Raúl Castro Makes First Appearance Since US Charges to Celebrate Birthday

Cuba Ex-President Raúl Castro Makes First Appearance Since US Charges to Celebrate Birthday

Published by Sam Flores

HAVANA (AP) — Raúl Castro, Cuba’s low-profile former president and revolutionary guerrilla, appeared in public for the first time since being indicted by the United States for his alleged role in the 1996 downing of two civilian aircraft, official video released Saturday showed. Castro’s celebration of his 95th birthday with top officials and military leaders at the Ministry of Interior in Havana on late Friday offered Cuba’s socialist government an opportunity to close ranks and project defiance as the Trump administration escalates its pressure campaign on the fuel-starved island. State TV broadcast footage of Castro, clad in his olive-green military uniform, entering a packed theater to a standing ovation, followed by his grandson and bodyguard, Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez, and Cuban President Miguel Diáz-Canel. Diáz-Canel delivered an effusive tribute to the “heroism and dignity” displayed by Castro and his late brother, the central figure of the Cuban revolution, Fidel Castro. He praised Raúl Castro, who served as defense minister of Cuba for nearly 50 years, for his “courage and loyalty (that) made him a target from …