Talks to secure Cyprus reunification enter ‘final stages’
A historic effort to end the division of Cyprus begins in earnest on Monday when Greek and Turkish community leaders resume reunification talks ahead of a high stakes multilateral conference, the first since the island’s partition 43 years ago. After 18 months of intensive negotiations to settle inter-ethnic divisions,...
Kim Kardashian robbery: at least 15 people arrested
At least 15 people have been arrested in France in connection with the robbery of reality TV star Kim Kardashian in Paris last October, French media have reported. French police said at the time that the 36-year-old was robbed at gunpoint of €9m- (£7.8m) worth of jewellery by masked men who tied her up in her Paris...
How do we fix air pollution? It’s simple but it needs political will
Cutting toxic levels of city air pollution to safer levels is simple, but not easy – it requires resolve. Yet, despite the key culprit in the UK being well known – diesel vehicles – the government has been asleep at the wheel for years. Levels of nitrogen dioxide have been illegally high across much of the UK...
NASCAR star Tony Stewart’s darkest day: Revisiting Canandaigua Motorsports Park
There isn’t much to Canandaigua Motorsports Park. Located on the Ontario County Fairgrounds in Canandaigua, New York, the small track is flanked by pole barns. Racing is suspended for a week at the end of July every year so those barns can be filled with livestock to be shown and judged during the Ontario County Fair. The...
German police quash Breitbart story of mob setting fire to Dortmund church
German media and politicians have warned against an election-year spike in fake news after the rightwing website Breitbart claimed a mob chanting “Allahu Akbar” had set fire to a church in the city of Dortmund on New Year’s Eve. After the report by the US site was widely shared on social media, the...
Pope Francis encourages mothers to breastfeed in Sistine Chapel
Pope Francis has encouraged women attending a ceremony in the Sistine Chapel to feel free to breastfeed their children in the church. “The ceremony is a little long, someone’s crying because he’s hungry. That’s the way it is,” the pontiff said. “You mothers, go ahead and breastfeed, without...
All the secret messages David Bowie left in his final album Blackstar before his death
Music icon David Bowie released Blackstar, his 25th and final studio album, a year ago today (8 January 2017) on his 69th birthday. Two days later, the Space Oddity star died after losing his battle with cancer – but he left behind even more than his incredible legacy of music as fans are still unearthing secret messages...
Commodities Round-up: Oil heads sideways, gold slides as traders book profits on recent highs
Oil headed sideways while gold futures slid on Friday (6 January), after a strong US jobs report boosted the dollar, and traders booked profits on recent commodity contract highs. The US economy added less jobs than expected in December, but wages increased at the fastest pace since 2009, according to Department of Labor's...
Car bomb kills at least 12 and injures dozens in eastern Baghdad
At least 12 people have been killed and 50 injured in a car bomb explosion at a vegetable market in eastern Baghdad, police said. The blast took place in the mainly Shia district of Jamila, Reuters reported. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Interior ministry spokesperson Saad Maan told AFP "A soldier at...
Tony Stewart against Kevin Ward family. The final decision! Do You still support Tony?
Last year three-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart filed an appeal in his lawsuit against the family of Kevin Ward Jr. after his insurance company claimed he wasn’t covered for the incident that resulted in the death of Ward. This week Stewart has withdrawn that appeal. Bob Pockrass of ESPN was the first to report that the...
US magician David Blaine shoots himself in the mouth as ‘bullet catch’ stunt goes wrong
US magician David Blaine said that he thought he was dead after a 'bullet catch' stunt went wrong and he injured his mouth. The 43-year-old's latest show Beyond Magic aired on E4 on Friday (6 January) with his famous bullet catch trick as the main act. He has been practising the act since 2010 and has developed the...
Former soldier charged with murder following Fort Lauderdale shooting
The former soldier arrested after a shooting spree inside a Florida airport killed five and injured six has been charged with murder. Esteban Santiago, 26, is alleged to have opened fire in baggage collection at Terminal 2 in Fort Lauderdale International Airport (COMBO) This combination of pictures created on December...