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  • 2 min

Spain to axe ‘golden visas’ scheme

The Spanish government has begun the process of eliminating the so-called “golden visa” scheme. Under the scheme, foreign investors are provided with fast-tracked residency. At a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, ministers agreed to end the awarding of the visa, which can be obtained in exchange for buying property worth €500,000 (£428,000) or more. The visa scheme was…
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  • 1 min

At least four dead in power plant dam blast in Italy

Fire brigade officials said the explosion also sparked a fire. A rescue operation is under way in the hope survivors can be found. Four bodies have been recovered following an explosion at a power plant next to a dam in Italy. Sky News’ Italian branch reported five others were injured in the blast and another three are…
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  • 2 min

Florida woman is sentenced to a month in jail for selling Biden’s daughter’s diary

A Florida mother was sentenced Tuesday to a month in prison and three months of home confinement for stealing and selling President Joe Biden’s daughter’s diary four years ago to the conservative group Project Veritas. Aimee Harris was sentenced in Manhattan federal court by Judge Laura Taylor Swain, who called the Palm Beach, Florida, woman’s actions “despicable.”…
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  • 4 min

Michigan school shooter’s parents sentenced to 10 years in prison for not stopping a ‘runaway train’

The first parents convicted in a U.S. mass school shooting were sentenced to at least 10 years in prison Tuesday as a Michigan judge lamented missed opportunities that could have prevented their teenage son from possessing a gun and killing four students in 2021. “These convictions are not about poor parenting,” Oakland County Judge Cheryl Matthews said.…
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  • 1 min

Over 100 dead in Mozambique ferry incident, president says

More than 100 people died after a ferry boat sank off the northern coast of Mozambique, President Filipe Nyusi said on Monday, and almost 20 others were still missing. An official from the country’s Maritime Transport Institute (INTRASMAR) said the vessel carrying 130 passengers was an overloaded fishing boat and was not licensed to transport people. It…
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  • 2 min

Ukraine ‘will lose the war’ if US fails to approve aid, says Zelensky

Ukraine “will lose the war” if the United States Congress does not approve military aid to help it resist Russia’s invasion, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. “It’s important to specifically address the Congress: if the Congress doesn’t help Ukraine, Ukraine will lose the war,” Zelensky said Sunday during a video meeting of the Ukrainian fund-raising group UNITED24. “If…
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  • 2 min

Netanyahu sets date for Rafah operation, pushes back at US

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir threatened to leave the government if the IDF did not enter Rafah or if it prematurely ended the war. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu set a date for an IDF operation in Rafah to destroy the remaining Hamas battalions, as the United States reiterated its opposition to such a step, which it fears…
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  • 2 min

Thailand Travel Visa: Bangkok Mulls Single Schengen-Style Visa For Six Countries To Boost Tourism; Full Details

Thailand Schengen-style visa: Thailand and Malaysia together accounted for more than half of the tally of the 70 million tourists generating around USD 48 billion in tourism revenue. This visa facility is directed to enable seamless mobility for travellers among the six neighbouring countries of Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar and Vietnam. Thailand Schengen-style visa: Thailand, which has witnessed…
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  • 1 min

‘Dialogue Important To Resolve Pakistan-India Tensions’: Saudi Crown Prince MBS Tells Pak PM Shehbaz

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday told Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif that dialogue was needed to resolve “heightened friction” between Pakistan and India during a meeting in Riyadh, news agency Reuters reported. The comments came during Shehbaz Sharif’s first overseas visit since being chosen to lead the country following the controversial February elections. Pakistan’s…
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  • 1 min

Hong Kong makes largest-ever gold smuggling bust

Hong Kong authorities have made the city’s largest ever gold smuggling bust, seizing 146kg of the precious metal disguised as machine parts. The haul is estimated to be worth more than $10m (£8m) and was intercepted last month on route to Japan. A 31-year-old man has been arrested and released on bail pending further investigations. Smuggling is…
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  • 2 min

Vatican blasts gender-affirming surgery, surrogacy and gender theory as violations of human dignity

The Vatican on Monday declared gender-affirming surgery and surrogacy as grave violations of human dignity, putting them on par with abortion and euthanasia as practices that it said reject God’s plan for human life. The Vatican’s doctrine office issued “Infinite Dignity,” a 20-page declaration that has been in the works for five years. After substantial revision in…
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  • 1 min

UN Security Council refers Palestinian application to become full UN member to committee

The United Nations Security Council president on Monday referred the Palestinian Authority’s application to become a full member of the world body to the committee on the admission of new member. Malta’s U.N. Ambassador Vanessa Frazier proposed that the committee meet on Monday afternoon to consider the application, adding that deliberation has to take place this month.…
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  • 2 min

Weather is the hot topic as eclipse spectators stake out their spots in US, Mexico and Canada

Eclipse spectators staked out their spots across three countries Sunday, fervently hoping for clear skies despite forecasts calling for clouds along most of the sun-vanishing route. North America won’t see another coast-to-coast total solar eclipse for 21 years, prompting the weekend’s worry and mad rush. Monday’s extravaganza stretches from Mexico’s Pacific beaches to Canada’s rugged Atlantic shores,…
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  • 2 min

Secretive Chinese military advancements ‘could pose threat’ to US

China’s military suffers a “transparency” issue while secret technological developments could pose a threat to the US, an expert has warned. China’s military is currently undergoing clandestine “progress in modernization” under the leadership of Xi Jinping who wants to thrust his troops into 21st century warfare. Xi previously announced that he would see to a significant overhaul…
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  • 2 min

US company hoping to bring back the dodo and the mammoth – but here’s why it won’t be like Jurassic Park

Dallas-based firm Colossal Biosciences is attempting to “de-extinct” the mammoth, the dodo, and the Tasmanian tiger, using genetic engineering. The idea of scientists bringing pre-historic creatures back to life with some clever DNA trickery might sound familiar to fans of the 1993 Hollywood blockbuster Jurassic Park. But for Colossal Biosciences – a company that hopes to reintroduce…
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  • 3 min

AI is taking over your web browser

Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 33, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you’re new here, welcome, so psyched you found us, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.) This week, I’ve been writing about the end of Google Podcasts and the rise of AI…
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  • 2 min

Terrifying video shows engine of Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 ripping apart during takeoff

Scary moments for passengers on a Southwest flight from Denver to Houston when the engine cover ripped off during flight , forcing the plane to return to Denver Sunday morning. pic.twitter.com/BBpCBXpTsl — Sam Sweeney (@SweeneyABC) April 7, 2024 Passengers on a Houston-bound Southwest Airlines flight watched in horror Sunday as an engine on the Boeing 737-800 appeared…
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  • 2 min

Israel withdraws almost all troops from southern Gaza

Israel’s defence minister Yoav Gallant says troops had been pulled out to prepare for future missions, including in Gaza’s southern city of Rafah. Israel has withdrawn almost all of its troops from southern Gaza. Only one brigade remains in Khan Younis and is tasked with securing the Netzarim corridor that divides the Gaza Strip, according to The…
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  • 1 min

Russia evacuates almost 4,500 people after dam burst

MOSCOW: Russia on Saturday (Apr 6) said it had evacuated almost 4,500 people in the Orenburg region in the southern Urals due to flooding after a dam burst. Emergency services worked through the night after a dam burst in the city of Orsk, near the border with Kazakhstan, on Friday. The press service of the Orenburg governor…
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  • 2 min

Biden and Democrats report raising $90 million-plus in March, stretching their cash lead over Trump

President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign and the Democratic National Committee said Saturday that they raised more than $90 million in March and ended the year’s first quarter with $192 million-plus in cash on hand, further stretching their money advantage over Donald Trump and the Republicans. The Biden campaign and its affiliated entities reported collecting $187 million from…
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  • 2 min

Jorge Glas: Ecuadorian police break into Mexican embassy in Quito to arrest former vice president

Mexico’s president has called the arrest a “flagrant violation of international law”, adding his country is cutting ties with the South American nation. Police broke into the Mexican embassy in Quito to arrest a former Ecuadorian vice president who had sought political asylum there while being investigated on corruption charges. Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said…
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  • 2 min

Two planes collide at Heathrow Airport while aircraft being towed

Virgin says it has launched an investigation into the collision An investigation has been launched after two passenger planes collided while one of the aircraft was being towed at Heathrow Airport. Footage posted on social media shows a Virgin Atlantic plane’s wing touching a British Airways aircraft, surrounded by emergency services. The Virgin Boeing 787-9 plane had…
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  • 2 min

Tens of thousands march in Budapest against Orban

Tens of thousands protested against the government of Viktor Orban in downtown Budapest on Saturday, led by a lawyer formerly close to the administration who recently launched a political movement that aims to challenge the prime minister. Protesters marched to parliament in the unusually warm spring weather, some of them shouting “we are not scared” and “Orban…
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  • 2 min

Ukraine’s Zelenskiy warns of dwindling air defence missiles

Ukraine could run out of air defence missiles if Russia keeps up its intense long-range bombing campaign, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned in remarks aired on Saturday. The Ukrainian leader’s starkest warning to date of the deteriorating situation faced by his country’s air defences follows weeks of Russian strikes on the energy system, towns and cities using a…
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  • 3 min

Latin American governments rally around Mexico after embassy raid in Ecuador

Latin American governments, including regional heavyweight Brazil, rallied around Mexico on Saturday after its embassy in Ecuador was raided to arrest a controversial politician who had been granted asylum by Mexican authorities. The late Friday night seizure of Jorge Glas, Ecuador’s former vice president who was detained on graft charges, triggered a suspension of relations with Quito…
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  • 2 min

Greta Thunberg detained by police in the Netherlands

The 21-year-old climate activist was detained twice by police on Saturday after protesters blocked roads in The Hague. Climate activist Greta Thunberg has been detained by police in the Netherlands. The 21-year-old was among dozens of people held after protesters partially blocked a road in The Hague. After she was released, Ms Thunberg quickly rejoined a small…
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  • 2 min

Maldives Expresses Gratitude To India For Essential Commodities Amid Diplomatic Tensions

India’s gesture to renew the quota allowing the export of certain quantities of essential commodities for the Maldives signifies the longstanding bilateral friendship and commitment to further expand trade and commerce, as stated by Maldivian Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer on Saturday. The export of certain quantities of essential commodities for the year 2024-25 was allowed by India…
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  • 2 min

Russia under state of emergency after mystery nuclear leak

A state of emergency has been imposed in a Russian city due to nuclear contamination. The Russian authorities have not explained what is causing the alarming radiation in Khabarovsk. A mystery radiation source was today ‘removed and placed in a protective container’ and ‘transported to a radioactive waste storage facility’ in the city, the largest in Russia’s…
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  • 1 min

TOTAL COINCIDENCE Conspiracy theory runs wild linking New York City’s 4.8-magnitude earthquake to date of solar eclipse

WILD claims have circulated online about a supposed link between the 4.8 magnitude earthquake that shook New York City and a solar event next week — and some eclipse reason. An estimated 42 million people across the northeast were jutted out of their routines when the earthquake shook buildings and rattled windows at about 10:23 am on…
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  • 2 min

How A Steel Ball Shielded Taiwan’s Tallest Skyscraper During Earthquake

The tallest skyscraper in Taiwan boasts a unique mechanism safeguarding it against earthquakes and strong winds. Taiwan’s tallest skyscraper, Taipei 101, survived a recent 7.4-magnitude earthquake with minimal damage. This is credited in part to its innovative design, which includes a giant pendulum, according to CNN. The large yellow pendulum at the building’s centre helped absorb the…
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  • 2 min

DEEP COVER Putin’s spies caught working at Nato HQ in humiliating intelligence breach – and they’ve been active in Europe for YEARS

It comes after Ukraine warned Germany is ‘riddled with Russian spies’ SPIES for Vladimir Putin have been caught working at the Nato headquarters in a humiliating intelligence breach. Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg revealed Russian snoops have been active in Europe for years. He said the Russian secret agents have been thrown out of the HQ in Brussels,…
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  • 3 min

US preparing for significant Iran attack on US or Israeli assets in the region as soon as next week

The US is on high alert and actively preparing for a “significant” attack that could come as soon as within the next week by Iran targeting Israeli or American assets in the region in response to Monday’s Israeli strike in Damascus that killed top Iranian commanders, a senior administration official tells CNN. Senior US officials currently believe…
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  • 2 min

NYC and tri-state rocked by biggest area earthquake since 1884, sending terrified residents into the streets

A rare earthquake rocked the New York City area Friday morning, swaying buildings and sending terrified residents into the streets — the strongest temblor to strike near the Big Apple in 140 years. City officials quickly warned people of the danger of potential aftershocks — which began in the early afternoon in New Jersey, a report said.…
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  • 1 min

World’s oldest man, Juan Vicente Perez, dies aged 114

The Venezuelan attributed his longevity to “working hard, resting on holidays, going to bed early” and drinking a glass of strong liquor every day. The world’s oldest man has died at the age of 114, just under two months before his 115th birthday. Juan Vicente Perez, from Venezuela, was confirmed to be the world’s oldest living man…
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  • 2 min

Indian sibling duo makes waves at Toronto chess tournament opening

Toronto chess tournament features historic sibling debut: Teen Grandmaster Praggnanandhaa competes in Open, sister Vaishali in Women’s section. As a major international chess tournament opened in Toronto on Wednesday evening, it also marked a historic occasion, featuring siblings for the first time, with teen Grandmaster Praggnanandhaa R in the Open section and his sister Vaishali Rameshbabu competing…
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  • 1 min

Japan Rolls Out e-Visa. Here’s How Indians Can Apply For It

Japan rolled out its e-Visa programme for several countries, including India, on April 1. This single-entry visa, which eliminates the need for physical visa stickers in passports, grants a validity of up to 90 days. The e-Visa programme is specifically designed for travellers planning to enter Japan by air holding an ordinary passport. WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR…
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  • 2 min

India concerned over aerial attack on Iran consulate in Damascus, asks Israel to ensure safety of Indian citizens

New Delhi refrained from condemning Israel for the attack but sent out a message to Israel by stressing that all parties should avoid flouting commonly accepted norms of international law. New Delhi: India on Thursday expressed concern over the recent attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, the capital of Syria, and expressed distress over escalating tensions…
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  • 2 min

‘Grave Mistake’: IDF Apologises After Sunak, Biden Hit Out At Israel For Killing Aid Workers In Gaza

The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) chief Herzi Halevi apologised for the strike that killed seven aid workers in Gaza. The deaths prompted a chorus of international outrage with global leaders condemning Israel for the strike. Halevi said the strike was “grave mistake”. “This incident was a grave mistake. It shouldn’t have happened. (There was a) misidentification. We…
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  • 2 min

Botswana threatens to send 20,000 elephants to Germany in trophy hunting dispute

Botswana’s President Mokgweetsi Masisi has threatened to send 20,000 elephants to Germany amid a dispute over the import of hunting trophies. ”Twenty thousand elephants for Germany, this is not a joke,” Masisi told German tabloid Bild. The African leader criticised the German government – particularly the environment ministry – for seeking to ban the import of trophies…
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  • 2 min

Pregnant Stingray Charlotte Undergoes Another Ultrasound For Asexual Pregnancy In North Carolina Lab

According to Kady Lyons, a research scientist at the Georgia Aquarium, Charlotte’s pregnancy marks the first known instance of a round stingray becoming pregnant through parthenogenesis. Charlotte, a California round stingray, grabbed national attention when Team ECCO staff revealed that she had been pregnant for eight years without any male stingray in the tank. Team ECCO’s Aquarium…
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  • 3 min

Bird flu pandemic in future? EU warns of potential spread to humans due to ‘lack of immune defense’

As avian influenza (bird flu) continues to spread among wild birds in the European Union, officials are warning of the potential for a future human pandemic. On Wednesday, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) issued an alert noting that “transmission between bird and mammal species has been observed, particularly in fur animal farms, where outbreaks have been…
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  • 1 min

New York’s antiquated adultery ban one step closer to being tossed: ‘Down to 9 commandments!’

A bill to scrap New York’s antiquated state law banning adultery now heads to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s desk after being approved by legislators. The measure sailed through the state Senate 57-4 Wednesday without any debate on the Senate floor. “We’re down to 9 commandments!” one lobbyist outside the Senate chamber said with a chuckle. The current law,…
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  • 1 min

French couple who kept 159 cats banned from keeping pets

A French couple have been given a one-year suspended sentence for keeping dozens of animals in cruel conditions. The couple, from Nice, had kept 159 cats and seven dogs in their 80sqm (861sqft) flat. Animals were discovered last year living in filth, many dehydrated, suffering from malnutrition or infected with parasites. The judge said the couple had…
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  • 2 min

Virgin’s Richard Branson urges businesses to ditch Russia

Sir Richard has been introduced as a character in the hugely popular computer game Minecraft as part of a fundraising effort for Ukraine. Richard Branson has criticised companies still operating in Russia accusing them of sustaining Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. The Virgin founder told Sky News “too many companies continue to profit from doing business with…
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