Author: damazah@gmail.com

Former Olympian indicted after reaching into reflecting pool – reportA three-time US Olympian and canoeist has been indicted by a grand jury in Washington DC after reaching into the reflecting pool, according to a report by CNN, citing a source familiar with the charges.David Hearn was arrested last month on a misdemeanor charge of destruction of government property, after noticing a partly detached piece of the blue liner and reaching into the water to see what it felt like.“I didn’t vandalize anything,” Hearn, who had been cycling, told the Washington Post. “I didn’t destroy or break or peel anything. By…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.The once-purring engine of the German auto industry is sputtering. Volkswagen, the world’s second-biggest carmaker, is planning to end production at four plants and cut up to 100,000 jobs. What will be one of the largest downsizing programmes in corporate history is also a test of German industry’s ability to reform itself for the electric vehicle era and to confront “China shock 2.0”.The pressure has been clear since 2024, when VW warned it needed to axe thousands of jobs and shut three…

It was once a truth universally acknowledged that an ageing console in possession of good revenue must be in line for a price reduction. Those days may be over. In March, Sony announced a price increase of £90 for the PS5, while last month Microsoft informed gamers that it would be charging at least £75 more for the Xbox Series S and X consoles from August. All three were first released back in 2020. The Switch 2 will also be more expensive globally from September.The main culprit, of course, is AI, or more specifically the exploding demand for semiconductors and…

A man has been rescued from a collapsed building eight days after twin earthquakes devastated Venezuela.The rescue on Thursday came as attention has begun to shift from finding survivors under the rubble to addressing the humanitarian needs of the thousands of residents displaced.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listAn estimated 60,000 buildings were damaged or destroyed in last week’s earthquakes, which hit magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, respectively. An estimated 13,000 people have been left homeless.In its last official update, Venezuela’s government said that at least 2,295 people have been confirmed killed, with 11,000 injured. The death toll was expected…

Mantle waves and tectonic stretching lofted polar mountains into a deep freeze

Pubs in England and Wales will now be allowed to stay open until 05:00 on Monday, allowing football fans to watch the Three Lions’ World Cup clash with Mexico to the final whistle.The round-of-16 match in Mexico City kicks off at 01:00 UK time. The government had initially said it would not relax licensing laws further than they already have been for the World Cup.But in a U-turn later on Thursday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said pubs could stay open until the final whistle.Monday’s match is not expected to finish until after 03:00.Sir Keir said the decision was good…

Donald Trump’s first term in office was a test run — four years spent mapping the ins and outs of how to leverage the federal government to make himself, his family, and his cronies as rich as possible. He’s spent the past 18 months putting what he learned into practice. The president’s financial disclosures revealed this week that in 2025 he made $2.2 billion — including $1.4 billion on crypto. This is more than he made across all four years of his first term combined. It’s also over three times the $622 million he made in 2024 before returning to…

President Bola Tinubu has said the opening of the new headquarters of the Economic Community of West African States in Abuja will renew the commitment to regional integration, peace, industrialisation and shared prosperity across West Africa. He called the new building a symbol of renewal, of resilience, and of confidence in the future of ECOWAS and urged a shift from regional market to regional production base. Speaking at the commissioning of the new edifice on Thursday in Abuja, President Tinubu, who was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, said the new ECOWAS complex, described as the “Eye of Africa,” is…

Melina Cotlar, a Non-Executive Director at AXA Mansard Insurance Plc, has resigned from the Board, effective 29 May. Ms Cotlar obtained regulatory approval to join the board of the company as a Non-Executive Director on 6 April 2023. The insurance company announced her resignation in a regulatory filing on Thursday. She served as a member of the Board Technical and Risk Management Committee at the insurance company. “The Board and Management of the Company commend Ms. Melina Cotlar for her positive contribution and service to the growth of the Company during her tenure on the Board,” the insurance company stated.…

Labour chiefs have been warned they must placate disgruntled Labour members who are angry at the lack of party democracy because Andy Burnham is not expected to face a challenge to become Labour leader.MPs have told the party there are growing complaints from members about the lack of involvement from members if Burnham does not face a leadership contest from any other MP.Labour is understood to have considered hiring Everton FC’s ground to announce Burnham – a lifelong Everton fan – as the new Labour leader, but insiders have raised concerns that hiring the venue in advance – before the…