World

Russia has reopened a historic theater in the occupied Ukrainian city of Mariupol, more than three years after Russian forces pummeled it with an airstrike, killing civilians sheltering inside. The attack on the Mariupol Drama Theater in 2022 killed 12 people, according to Human Rights Watch. Hundreds had been sheltering inside the theater and the world "children" had been written in giant letters on the street outside in order to be visible by fighter pilots. The incident became a symbol of Russia's three-month-long siege of Mariupol in which 90% of the city was destroyed, according to the United Nations, and some 8,000 were killed, according to Human Rights Watch.The Russian word for 'children' was painted outside the theater where civilians were sheltering when it was attacked by Russ...

Hollywood superstar George Clooney and his well-known wife Amal Alamuddin Clooney have acquired French citizenship along with their twin children, according to an official decree published in the French government gazette. Clooney, now a dual US-French citizen, has previously praised France's strict privacy laws, especially when it comes to children. "I love the French culture, your language, even if I'm still bad at it after 400 days of courses," the 64-year-old actor told RTL radio early in December. "Here, they don't take photos of kids. There aren't any paparazzi hidden at the school gates. That's number one for us." Happiest in their home in France, says Clooney The couple lives with their 8-year-old twins on a farm in southern France. Clooney's wife, a British-Lebanese human ri...

Three years ago, German high-end domestic appliances maker Miele began selling refurbished washing machines in the Netherlands alongside its regular products. This involves collecting Miele washing machines that have been returned, including those with scratches or easily repairable faults, fixing them up and reselling them online. The German company chose the Netherlands because Miele products have proven popular in the country and because consumers there are comparatively open to refurbished products. The firm hopes the project will reach new customer groups. Max Wagner, who heads Miele's sustainability team, say the sale of refurbished appliances has not cannibalized his company's sale of new models, as was initially feared. "We have been able to expand our customer base to include yo...

Acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti won a clear victory in Kosovo's second parliamentary election in 2025 with some 49.3% of the vote, results suggested on early Monday, with most of the votes counted. Kosovo has been mired in political paralysis for most of the year, after Kurti's leftist party lost the absolute majority it had won in 2021 and failed to secure the support of any other party to form a government. Months of unsuccessful coalition talks led to President Vjosa Osmani dissolving the parliament in November and calling an early election. What are the Kosovo election results? Kurti's left-leaning Self-Determination party fell just short of an absolute majority. But it remains to be seen whether he will need a coalition in order to form a government. According to the preliminar...

At least 13 people were killed and more than 90 others were injured after an intercity train derailed in the Mexican state of Oaxaca on Sunday. The Interoceanic Train was carrying 250 people when it derailed near Nizanda, according to the Mexican Navy, which oversees the railway line. President Claudia Sheinbaum said on X that five ‌of ⁠the injured were in critical condition. She said senior officials had been dispatched to the site to assist the families of the victims and that an investigation is underway. Oaxaca state Governor Salomon Jara Cruz also offered his condolences to those who had lost loved ones in the accident.At least 13 people were killed and scores more were injuredImage: Rusvel Rasgado/AFP Mexico's railway push The Interoceanic Train was inaugurated in 2023 by Sheinb...

China announced "major" military exercises around Taiwan on Monday amid rising tensions with Japan over the status of the self-governing island that Beijing claims as its territory.The maneuvers around Taiwan come after Beijing expressed anger at US arms sales to Taipei and a statement from Japan that its military could get involved if China acted against Taiwan. While China's military has conducted live-fire drills and practiced port blockades around Taiwan in the past, Monday's announcement was the first time it publicly stated that drills were aimed at "deterrence" of outside military intervention. China said its live-fire drills simulate a blockade of Taiwan's key portsImage: Eastern Theatre Command/Handout via REUTERS What we know about China's latest drills around Taiwan Giving d...

Italy's competition authority (AGCM) has hit Ryanair with a fine of more than €255 million ($300 million) for abusing its dominant position. The regulator said the low-cost airline blocked or restricted travel agencies from offering flights combined with other airlines or services. The alleged practices took place from 2023 and continued "at least" until April 2025. Ryanair used 'an abusive strategy' The AGCM said the company tried to prevent or complicate travel agents’ ability to buy Ryanair flights on its website, whether alone or bundled with other airlines or services. The agency described it as "an abusive strategy to hinder travel agencies." "Ryanair rolled out facial recognition procedures on its website aimed at users who purchased their ticket through a travel agency," the ...

Lawmakers in Japan's Niigata Prefecture have approved a request from the operator of the world's largest nuclear power plant to resume operations, overriding the concerns of local residents and anti-nuclear campaigners. The prefectural assembly voted on Monday to permit Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) to restart the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, on the north coast of Japan and about 220 kilometers (136 miles) northwest of the capital, Tokyo. TEPCO has indicated that it will restart one of the seven reactors at the plant as early as January 20. Japan ordered the shutdown of all 54 nuclear power stations across the country in the immediate aftermath of the disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi plant in March 2011. Three of the six reactors at the plant suffered catastrophic breaches at the t...