35,900 events tracked
military · geopolitical
Dutch Defence Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius has said that the Netherlands is no longer able to provide additional direct military assistance to Ukraine.
social demographic · sports
The French government is lowering its growth forecast for the year to 0.7% after a delayed budget and the Middle East conflict held back output, Finance Minister Roland Lescure told Le Parisien newspaper.
geopolitical · geopolitical
At least 18 people have been wounded after two bombs exploded in the centre of Damascus near the hotel where French President Emmanuel Macron is staying. This comes as Ahmed al-Sharaa is trying to convince the world that Syria is dealing with important security challenges, in a bid to attract foreign investment to rebuild the war-torn country. FRANCE 24's Angela Diffley tells us more.
geopolitical · geopolitical
Rewatch Macron and al-Sharaa's press conference during the French president's landmark visit and after two bombs exploded in Damascus, near Macron's hotel.
geopolitical · geopolitical
French President Emmanuel Macron has told Syria that 'France stands by its side' at a press conference in Damascus during his landmark visit to Ahmed al-Sharaa. Both leaders are hoping to bring more investment into the war-torn country as it looks to rebuild, although security challenges still remain - and were highlighted by a twin explosion near Macron's hotel. FRANCE 24's Angela Diffley tells us more about why Macron is so keen on normalising Europe's relationship with Syria.
social demographic · culture
Two optimistic drinkers bumble around with a lovelorn student in tow in a depressing yet funny, faintly baffling tragicomedy Francesco Sossai’s new film is not one that recognises the spoilsport clinical concept of “alcoholism”. Rather, it is the cynically amused and lenient witness to drunkenness, bleariness, sadness and intermittent nausea; to the tragicomic optimism of ageing boozers, ruined romantics with a superhuman ability to keep imbibing throughout the day, always wanting just one last drink, and then one last drink after that in the hope that elusive happiness will finally arrive. Either that, or they hope that liquor will accelerate the arrival of some wisdom that can never arrive. Pointedly, the film begins and ends with the same deadpan gag when someone, on the point of permanent farewell, shouts a crucial piece of life advice that is bewilderingly inaudible. It is a road movie, a buddy movie and a faintly baffling shaggy-dog tale; a coming-of-age story that embraces infantilism and not coming of age; a bittersweet comedy without the sweet. It is intensely depressing yet funny at the same time. Doriano (Pierpaolo Capovilla) and Carlobianchi (Sergio Romano) are two middle-aged wasters who are always amiably drunk, living hand-to-mouth, evidently on the fringes of petty crime and living in the luxurious car they bought with their share of a scam set up some time ago by their buddy Genio (Andrea Pennacchi). This involved Genio stealing designer glasses and sunglasses made at the factory that employed him and, with Doriano and Carlobianchi, selling them on at knockdown prices. Continue reading...
social demographic · culture
Nothing announced a new pair of budget-friendly wireless earbuds, but not as part of the company's affordability-focused sub-brand, CMF. The new Nothing Ear 3A are available starting today through the company's online store for $99, which is the same price as Nothing's original Ear (a). That's good news in a time when price increases are […]
social demographic · sports
South African police say they are investigating a case of attempted murder but that no arrests have been made so far.
geopolitical · geopolitical
A man in Kyiv Oblast spent the entire day searching for his dog, Sima, after she ran away from home during Russia's attack on 6 July, frightened by the explosions.
geopolitical · geopolitical
Poll: 30 percent of American Jews believe Israel committed genocide in Gaza About one-third of Americans, including a similar share of American Jews, believe Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, according to an AP-NORC poll reported by the Times of Israel. The survey found that about one-third of US adults, including roughly half of Democrats, believe Israel committed genocide during its war on Gaza. About 20 percent of Americans said Israel had not committed genocide, while roughly half said they did not know enough to answer, the TOI reported. Among Jewish Americans, 30 percent said Israel had committed genocide, while 49 percent said it had not, according to the poll. Also, about 58 percent of Democrats said the United States is "too supportive" of Israel, up from 45 percent in an AP-NORC poll conducted in January 2024. Among Jewish Democrats, 51 percent shared that view, the report said. Around 62 percent of Democrats said the US is "not supportive enough" of Palestinians, compared with 49 percent in 2024. The increase was particularly notable among Democrats aged over 45, with 57 percent now saying Washington should do more for Palestinians, up from 39 percent two years earlier.
social demographic · culture
Belgium considers becoming latest EU country to recognise Palestinian statehood Submitted by Fleur Hargreaves on Tue, 07/07/2026 - 10:24 Agreement by Hamas to relinquish control of Gaza could meet Belgium's key condition for recognising a Palestinian state Swedish activist Greta Thunberg holds a placard reading 'Don't forget Palestine' during a demonstration demanding EU leaders ban goods from illegal Israeli settlements, in Brussels on 17 June (AFP/Nicolas Tucat) Off The Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said on Monday that he has instructed his cabinet to prepare for the recognition of the state of Palestine . Speaking to VRT , he said “I don’t know if we will be ready by Friday”, referring to the scheduled ministerial council meeting, “but it will be on the table soon.” The move comes after Hamas announced that it would dissolve its administration of Gaza after nearly two decades of running the Strip, which was one of Prevot’s prerequisites for recognising Palestine. Monday's announcement clears the way for governmental transition to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), a committee comprised of Palestinian technocrats from Gaza based in Cairo. The administration is intended to govern daily affairs in the enclave as part of the ceasefire deal brokered by the US , Qatar and Egypt in September 2025. In 2025, Prime Minister Bart De Wever announced at the United Nations headquarters in New York that Belgium would recognise Palestine under certain conditions, including the release of all hostages and the removal of Hamas from Gaza’s administration. Nephew of PA vice president arrested over Gaza smuggling with Israeli soldiers Read More » “We reached an agreement with the federal government last summer, after a long struggle,” said one MP on Monday, whose party had pushed for the Belgium government to make this move, saying “Belgium must not break its word.” Belgium would become the latest of several European countries that have moved to recognise Palestine in recent years since the start of Israel’s genocide on the Palestinian enclave in October 2023, which has killed over 73,000 Palestinians, with thousands more missing or presumed dead under the rubble. Spain, Ireland and Norway all formally recognised a Palestinian state in 2024 to join over 140 United Nations member states. The UK , Canada and Australia officially announced their recognition of Palestinian statehood in September 2025, and was followed immediately by France and Portugal , in a move that was condemned by the US and Israel . Israel's genocide in Gaza News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0
social demographic · culture
With their rounded faces, rosy cheeks, and joyful demeanour, Da A Fu dolls are beloved emblems of good fortune in China and have become celebrated icons of the nation’s cultural heritage. Traditionally crafted from clay, these figures represent the most famous example of Huishan claywork, an esteemed Chinese art form that traces its origins back to the Ming dynasty (1368–1644). These delightful artefacts were among the first to be included in China’s National List of Intangible Cultural...
social demographic · culture
In the course of the voyage, the expedition's participants will undergo studies of anxiety levels, concentration of voluntary attention, heart rate variability at rest and during orthostatic testing
social demographic · education
According to the expedition leader Alexander Saburov, the current weather conditions favor research
geopolitical · geopolitical
The United States is edging back into the junta-led Sahelian states from which it was evicted just a couple of years ago, but this time it has abandoned the comprehensive, reform-minded approach that prevailed prior to the coups that reshaped the African region between 2020 and 2023. Its new approach is narrower, quieter and more […] The post Washington’s Quiet Return to the Sahel appeared first on Geopolitical Futures .
social demographic · culture
Howe rebuilding side after Tonali and Gordon exits Widely hyped as Amsterdam club’s next De Jong Newcastle are close to completing the signing of Sean Steur from Ajax for around £23m. The two-footed central midfielder is only 18 but has been widely hyped as the Amsterdam club’s brightest emerging midfield talent since Frenkie de Jong. While De Jong has graduated to Barcelona, Steur, who can operate as a No 6 or a No 8, seems almost certainly Tyneside bound. At St James’ Park he is likely to start next season competing with Lewis Miley to fill Sandro Tonali’s old central midfield role and will be given time to adjust to the Premier League’s physicality. Continue reading...
social demographic · sports
Door is ajar for Rassie Erasmus’ side to surpass All Blacks when leading sides converge on Australia next year The best sports teams constantly look to reinvent themselves. Their core principles remain in place but, crucially, they never, ever stand still. To do so is to risk slipping backwards relative to their competitors and arrive at the worst of all possible outcomes: a poorer, less successful version of themselves. The ultimate example in rugby, until now, has probably been the All Blacks. For decades it was not only about winning the next game, but underlining their position, to quote one of their motivational whiteboard slogans from 2013, as “the most dominant team in the history of the world”. When you are chasing that kind of rarefied target you don’t allow the grass grow beneath your jandals. Continue reading...
social demographic · sports
Our cartoonist looks at the big stories from the World Cup as England reach the last eight but the US slump out Buy David’s cartoons | Some of his favourite works And his latest book, Chaos in the Box: get it now Continue reading...
social demographic · sports
Norwegian striker Erling Haaland isn’t just a footballer anymore. He’s become an internet character perpetuated by fans and AI.
social demographic · sports
Mohamed Salah and Lionel Messi will meet in the last 16 of the World Cup on Tuesday with their nations' hopes resting firmly on their shoulders.
geopolitical · geopolitical
Top stories from the Russian press on Tuesday, July 7th
economic · economic
'We were scared to die': The West Bank workers hiding in bins to reach Israel Submitted by Jared Hillel on Mon, 07/06/2026 - 18:29 Cut off by Israel from the employment they once held legally, Palestinian labourers are risking arrest and gunfire to feed their families Israeli soldiers keep watch as Palestinians gather at the Qalandia checkpoint in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah on 20 February 2026, to enter Jerusalem (Jaafar Ashtiyeh/AFP) Off In April, around 70 Palestinian men climbed into the back of a rubbish truck, hoping to cross into Israel undetected and search for work. Quickly discovered at a West Bank checkpoint, the men were left to languish under trash bags for over two hours in sweltering heat, before being pulled out and detained by Israeli soldiers. Majd, a 37-year-old from Beit Furik, just south of Nablus, was one of the labourers crammed inside. He asked that his real name not be used. “At the beginning when they stopped us, we were afraid to go to jail,” he told Middle East Eye. “Then when it took longer to get out, we were scared to die.” The lengths Majd has gone to in order to find work – and provide for his family – are far from unique. In the immediate aftermath of 7 October 2023, Israel cancelled around 150,000 work permits. As savings have dried up, many Palestinians have had no choice but to sneak into Israel. Permit revocations are only one of the drivers behind the West Bank's economic crisis, which has seen GDP contract by more than 20 percent. While the current Israeli government has manufactured this collapse, controls imposed since the start of the occupation have left the territory uniquely exposed to such damage. Wages initially rose at the start of the occupation, after Palestinians gained access to Israeli labour markets. But the following decades saw a phenomenon known as "de-development" take hold, as a stunted agricultural and industrial base emerged with little room to grow. 'We are talking about a system in which Israel is dominating, and imposing severe restrictions in order to control and manage the Palestinians' - Walid Habbas, analyst According to a UN report published in 1984, restrictions on agricultural and industrial production, import and export controls, and a lack of investment in the absence of a financial system left the West Bank economically dependent on Israel. Such changes brought a "relative lack of opportunities for employment in the occupied territories, with consequent daily commuting to Israel by the Palestinian labour force," the report noted that s. That commuting pool grew steadily, and by the 1980s a third of the Palestinian workforce was employed in Israel. To control this flow of labour, a general exit permit was introduced in 1972. It allowed relatively easy movement between the occupied territories and Israel, as workers did not need case-by-case approval to enter. The first major reform came in 1991, when the general system was scrapped and permits were individualised. Free movement, previously the default, now required specific authorisation. Speaking to Middle East Eye, Walid Habbas of the Palestinian Forum for Israeli Studies said this shift, coupled with the building of the separation wall from 2002, meant "the system became more effective in controlling the mobility, the labour force and the trade". 'I looked for jobs here [in the West Bank], and I couldn't find anything' - Majd, Palestinian labourer From the 1990s onwards, the authorities showed a willingness to weaponise the system, freezing permits after Palestinian-led attacks and during the Second Intifada (2000-2005). During the Oslo era, Israel formalised its control over the economy through the Paris Protocol. Under the agreement, it began collecting tariffs, purchase taxes and VAT on imports on behalf of the newly established Palestinian Authority. These funds, known as clearance revenues , were meant to be transferred to the Palestinian treasury each month. But, as with the permit system, Israel has often used them as a lever against the West Bank, delaying or withholding payments. For Habbas, treating the Palestinian economy as separate from Israel's is misleading. "We are talking about a system in which Israel is dominating, and imposing severe restrictions in order to control and manage the Palestinians," he said. Accelerated collapse In the months before 7 October, a fifth of the West Bank's labour force crossed into Israel for work. Clearance revenue, another major component of the Palestinian economy, accounted for about 70 percent of the PA's total income. Immediately after the attack, the Israeli government pulled both levers, revoking all permits and withholding funds. Misyef Misyef of the Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute said the sudden loss of both private wages and public revenue hit the entire West Bank, including those working inside the territory. Israel killing Palestinian children in the West Bank at highest rate since 1967, B'Tselem says Read More » "The private sector is suffering and cannot sell their product because the purchasing power of the family is now very low," he told MEE. Majd and his family are among the hundreds of thousands bearing the brunt of the closures. Before the war, he had spent six years working in construction around Tel Aviv, earning between 7,000 and 8,000 shekels a month. The work was gruelling – on the road by 3am and home only in the evening – but it came with insurance, and he was able to save about half of what he earned. Through the first year of closures, those savings kept his family afloat. As the money ran out, the father of two twice jumped a wall near Jerusalem, staying in Israel for several weeks at a time to work illegally. "I looked for jobs here, and I couldn't find anything," he said, adding that "when there is a pressure on you to provide, you have to think of a way." Crossing without a permit was common before the war – an estimated 50,000 Palestinians worked without one – but it has become far more dangerous. Alongside the arrests, around 50 men have been killed . Israel's national security minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, said the shooting of labourers was "starting to bring the numbers down". For his third crossing, Majd chose the truck after being told it would be safer. "No one sees you, so at least you don't get shot," he said. 'There's no country that has 15 percent unemployment … in Palestine, we're now talking about 30 percent' - Misyef Misyef of the Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute Even so, Majd and the other labourers were arrested and held at a police station in a nearby settlement. Those without prior convictions, including him, were released the next day and made to walk home past settlements in the early morning. Nearly three years on from the initial closures, the ban shows no sign of being lifted. Israel has restored about 7,000 permits in industries it deems critical, but the vast majority of Palestinians remain unable to work. Misyef underlined how far the situation had deteriorated: "This has not happened in any economy anywhere in the world," emphasising that "there's no country that has 15 percent unemployment … in Palestine, we're now talking about 30 percent." Such widespread joblessness has helped push the poverty rate to more than double its pre-war level, from 12 percent to 28 percent. Today, Majd gets by on what little his father can spare, unsure whether he will risk the journey again. His children weigh most heavily on him. "What's going to happen to them in the future? I am worried I am not able to provide what they need," he said. His father walked by with a small herd of sheep – now the only source of income for a once financially comfortable family. "I am depressed from everything that happened," he said. "I have become like a dead body." Occupation Jerusalem News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0
social demographic · sports
Belgium thrashed the USA 4–1 to knock the host nation out of the World Cup, leaving home fans stunned.
geopolitical · geopolitical
Office for Budget Responsibility’s annual report says urgent action is needed to cut spending
economic · economic
NATO foreign ministers to meet Gulf Arab counterparts to discuss Hormuz tensions NATO foreign ministers will meet Gulf Arab counterparts on Tuesday to address the stalemate over reopening the Strait of Hormuz, including a Franco-British proposal for a multinational maritime mission that Iran has so far dismissed. The meeting on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Ankara will bring together ministers from Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates following weeks of tensions in the strategically important waterway despite an interim US-Iran peace deal. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO) said early on Tuesday that a tanker was struck east of Oman's Limah. Axios reported earlier that Iran's Revolutionary Guards fired at least two missiles at commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. "In the Gulf region, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates were directly targeted by Iranian attacks this spring," Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said before the meeting. "Their stability and ours are inextricably linked. This goes far beyond the Strait of Hormuz alone, however crucial it may be for Europe’s energy security," he added. (Reuters)
social demographic · culture
Syria says 18 wounded in Damascus blasts during Macron visit The blasts occurred in central Damascus near the hotel where France's president spent the night, with the Elysee Palace saying his visit is ongoing. The blasts came moments before Syrian state television announced Emmanuel Macron's arrival to the presidential palace to meet his counterpart Ahmed al-Sharaa. The Syrian interior ministry said that "18 people, including four police officers, were injured" as a result of the two explosions caused by "two improvised devices, the first of which was placed inside a car parked on the side of the road, while the second was placed inside a garbage container". The ministry said the devices exploded "while preparations were underway" to dismantle them. A security source told AFP earlier the bombs were placed near the Four Seasons hotel, where Macron had spent the night. Macron had left the hotel before the blasts took place, and they were not heard by the French presidential convoy, according to two AFP journalists traveling with them. The second explosion occurred near Victoria Bridge in central Damascus, about two hundred meters from the hotel. Before arriving at the presidential palace, Macron held a meeting Tuesday morning with civil society representatives at the Four Seasons Hotel. The explosions are the second since Thursday, when 10 people were killed in a bombing in a Damascus cafe. Cameras recorded the exact moment of the blast in Damascus, close to where the French president was staying (AFP). pic.twitter.com/fuqMCgVJv2 — IRNA News Agency ☫ (@IrnaEnglish) July 7, 2026
economic · economic
Uptick in wages alongside inflation is what central bank wants to see to persist with lifting interest rates
social demographic · sports
PRESS REVIEW: Tuesday, July 7 – While Marine Le Pen hopes for an acquittal – or a tad more leniency – over the alleged embezzlement of €4.4 million from the European Parliament, has her party already moved on? In other news, New Zealand and Australia reel after a Chinese missile test in the Pacific Ocean. Finally, the captain of the French national football team responded to the racist tirades of a Paraguayan senator.
social demographic · culture
Operators from Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces struck eight tankers belonging to Russia's so-called shadow fleet in the Sea of Azov on the night of 6-7 July.
social demographic · culture
The massively multiplayer online role-playing game has grown into a virtual social space and part of daily life for thousands of players In a small stone chapel, on the edgelands of a medieval wilderness, two women are getting married. The attenders are draped in rainbow capes, glowing armour and top hats. A scantily clad, muscular man with angel wings officiates the ceremony. Over the heads of the two brides hover the words “I do” in bright yellow text. This is RuneScape, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (or MMO) set in the Tolkienesque realm of Gielinor. Turning 25 this year, it has, over its lifetime, become a crucial virtual social space and part of daily life for thousands of players. Lancashire-born Amelia, one of the pixelated newlyweds, met her wife on a dating app but first bonded through their love of the game. “Our first and second date was pretty much exclusively talking about RuneScape,” she recalls. Four years later they were married, shortly followed by their in-game ceremony. Morgan – a 26-year-old from the Midlands – is one of Amelia’s closest friends. They met through the game and run UWU Girls together, a RuneScape clan that Morgan founded in a bid to cater to players across the gender spectrum. “We do IRL meetups, and for a lot of these women, it’s been their first meetings with strangers online – and that’s the same for me.” Continue reading...