Chief constable on £170k to retire for just one day to protect pension
A police chief constable on a £170,000-a-year salary has asked to retire for a single day – before being reappointed to her role – to protect her pension. North Wales Police Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman will “retire” on 15 January…
US lifts sanctions against Brazilian judge in Bolsonaro case
The US has lifted sanctions on a Brazilian judge who led investigations into Jair Bolsonaro, days after a bill which would cut the former president’s jail sentence passed a major hurdle. Bolsonaro is serving a 27-year sentence for plotting a…
Venezuela Says US Suspended Migrant Flight, US Says Deportations Will Continue
The Venezuelan government said the US administration has unilaterally suspended deportation flights from the United States, including at least one that was due to land Friday, but a US administration official denied that was the case. “This Thursday, the Venezuelan…
Eurovision chief addresses Ireland and other countries over boycott
Eurovision Song Contest director Martin Green has told Irish fans that he respects RTÉ’s decision to boycott next year’s competition and hopes Ireland will return “soon” to the contest. In a new open letter to Eurovision fans, Green addressed the…
Austria bans headscarves in schools for girls under-14
Austria has passed a law banning headscarves in schools for girls under the age of 14. The conservative-led coalition of three centrist parties, the ÖVP, the SPÖ and the Neos, says the law is a “clear commitment to gender equality”,…
Australia becomes World’s first country to ban Social Media for teenagers under the age of 16
Australia has become the first country in the world to ban children under the age of 16 from using social media platforms, as a new law took effect at midnight. The ban covers platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, Twitch…
Iceland becomes fifth country to boycott Eurovision 2026 over Israel
Iceland joins Spain, Slovenia, the Netherlands and Ireland in neither participating in nor broadcasting event Iceland has become the fifth country to boycott next year’s Eurovision song contest after Israel was given the go-ahead to compete, deepening the crisis…
Guatemalan mayor shot dead during Christmas parade
Mayor Nelson Marroquin was killed by gunmen at a Christmas parade in Guatemala, a country battling high gang violence and prison escapes GUATEMALA CITY: A small-town mayor was shot dead by gunmen while participating in a Christmas parade. Nelson…
Legendary US architect dies aged 96
Frank Gehry, one of the most influential architects of the last century, has died aged 96. Gehry was acclaimed for his avant garde, experimental style of architecture. His titanium-covered design of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, catapulted him to…
UAE organizes mass wedding for Gaza couples on 54th Union Day: All you need to know
Gaza Strip: Eman Hassan Lawwa was dressed in traditional Palestinian prints and Hikmat Lawwa wore a suit as they walked hand-in-hand past the crumbled buildings of southern Gaza in a line of other couples dressed in exactly the same way….