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Columbia University president Shafik resigns after Gaza protests
The president of New York's renowned Columbia University, Nemat ‘Minouche’ Shafik, resigned on Wednesday, effective immediately, following persistent criticism of her handling of pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus. In a letter to the university community, Shafik said the Ivy League school had made "progress in a number of important areas" during her one-year term at the school, but "this period has taken a considerable toll on my family, as it has for others in our community." Shafik wrote that she decided to resign after thinking about the situation over the summer. Katrina Armstrong, the chief executive of Columbia University Irving Medical Center, replaced Shafik...
Last Generation climate activists start protest at German airports
The environmental activist group Last Generation started protest actions at several German airports on Thursday, forcing suspension of flights in at least one, the group and police said. Two activists in orange high-visibility waistcoats each entered the airports in Berlin-Brandenburg, Stuttgart, Nuremberg, Cologne-Bonn, the organization said. Dpa photographers on site confirmed this. They did not enter the runways, the group said Flight operations in Nuremberg were suspended until further notice, a police spokeswoman said. The activists peacefully expressed their resistance by displaying banners reading “Oil kills” and “Sign the treaty,” the organization reported. It did not specify the treaty, but it likely refers to the fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty initiative. In October 2022 the European Parliament passed a resolution calling on nation-states to work on such a treaty.
Climate protestors halt flight operations at Cologne/Bonn airport
Flight operations at the Cologne/Bonn Airport are currently suspended while police respond to a protest organized by climate activists from the Last Generation group, an airport spokesman said on Thursday. Unauthorized persons have gained access to the airside area of the airport premises in Cologne/Bonn, he said. This generally refers to the part of the airport that is past the security checks and customs control. It was initially unclear exactly where the activists were located. Earlier the organization said, in a press release describing the protest actions at several German airports, that the "runways were not entered."
'Alien Romulus' brings fresh ideas in part VII of cult sci-fi series
With "Alien," a sci-fi shocker thick with atmosphere, Ridley Scott set a new benchmark for the genre - in 1979. Then came a spectacular sequel thanks to action expert James Cameron, who gave us "Aliens" in 1986. Four more "Alien" films followed, though none ever rivalled the first two. Now cinemas are set to show the seventh film, "Alien: Romulus," with the action taking place between those first two cult films. Ridley Scott as producer After veteran director Ridley Scott directed "Prometheus" (2012) and "Alien: Covenant" (2017) - both of which tell the prequel story - he limited himself to producing the film, leaving...
Social media firms failing to remove suicide content, research shows
Some of the biggest social media platforms are failing to detect and remove dangerous suicide and self-harm content, according to a new study. Research from the Molly Rose Foundation found that of more than 12 million content moderation decisions made by six of the biggest platforms, over 95% were detected and removed by only two sites – Pinterest and TikTok. The charity said Meta’s Instagram and Facebook were each responsible for just 1% of all suicide and self-harm content detected by the major sites studied, and X, formerly known as Twitter, is responsible for just one in 700 content decisions. The study analysed...
AI-powered bowel tests 'will save lives,' researchers say
Artificial intelligence (AI) could help medics identify and remove abnormalities in the bowel before they develop into cancer, a trial has found. The device, known as GI Genius, analyses the video feed of a colonoscopy – where a camera is inserted into the bowel – in real-time. The system places a green box around any potential cancerous and precancerous polyps, known as adenomas, on the video monitor and sounds an alert to let medics know to focus on the highlighted area. Using the device “will save lives”, according to the researcher who led the study. He also said the technology allowed doctors to find...
Ukraine is adhering to humanitarian law, Zelensky stresses
Ukrainian troops are "strictly" adhering to international conventions and humanitarian law in their advance into the western Russian region of Kursk, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday. This was discussed at a meeting of the Ukrainian leadership, Zelensky said on the social media platform X. Humanitarian aid had been prepared for the civilian population of the occupied territories. Representatives of international organizations are to be allowed access to the areas. Ukraine's stressing that humanitarian law will be respected goes back to atrocities committed by Russian troops during their advance on Kiev almost two and a half years ago. At that time, numerous civilians were...
Hamas not expected to take part in new round of Gaza ceasefire talks
A Hamas representative said on Wednesday that the Palestinian Islamist group was unlikely to take part in the next round of Gaza ceasefire talks. The official, who asked not to be named, told dpa that Hamas had no plans to directly engage in Thursday's negotiations because mediators had yet to present a plan to implement the ceasefire framework outlined by US President Joe Biden in late May. The negotiations are to take place in the Qatari capital Doha, sources told dpa. CIA chief William Burns, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Egypt's intelligence chief Abbas Kamel are set to take...
WHO declares global emergency over mpox
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), its highest level of alert, due to a new variant of the mpox viral disease in Africa. The WHO asserted that there is a risk that mpox could spread internationally again after 2022 and become a health risk in several countries. The WHO followed the recommendation of independent mpox experts, who had met at the WHO's invitation in the so-called emergency committee, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in Geneva. The declaration of the emergency does not have concrete consequences. Instead, it aims to alert authorities...
German military airbase case now probed for trespass, not sabotage
Cologne police on Wednesday said an incident at a western German military airbase is now being treated as a trespassing case, after initial suspicions of sabotage to the base's water supply proved unfounded. A spokeswoman said police are investigating after an "unauthorized person" was spotted on the Cologne-Wahn airbase early on Wednesday, leading military officials to conduct an unsuccessful search. Earlier reports suggested the unidentified individual may have tampered with the barracks' water supply. A spokesman for the German Air Force earlier said abnormal water levels had been recorded, while also confirming that a hole was discovered in a fence at the site,...
Prime ministers of Finland and Estonia sweat it out in sauna
The prime ministers of Finland and Estonia held their first meeting in a sauna, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said at a press conference with his Estonian counterpart Kristen Michal on Wednesday. Orpo praised the excellent relations between the Baltic nations that are closely related culturally and linguistically. "We started ... yesterday in very Finnish and Estonian way - in the sauna," Orpo said. "Today our bilateral relations are excellent and Estonia is one of our closest allies." Michal thanked Orpo for the "very warm welcome" during his first foreign visit since taking office nearly three weeks ago. "Two prime ministers discussing politics and world affairs in the sauna shows well how close we are - both culturally and politically."
Officials present new findings a week after Swift concerts cancelled
A week after the cancellation of three Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna due to a feared terrorist threat, Austrian officials on Wednesday disclosed initial findings from their investigation. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner explained that five individuals have now been identified who, from the perspective of the domestic intelligence agency, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, are associated with monitored suspects in connection with the feared threat. These people were supposed to be working in the facility and catering areas at the concerts, Karner said. Following the terrorism alert, three young men were arrested, two of whom are suspected of planning an...
Severe weather causes over 40 flight cancellations on Mallorca
A severe storm in the Spanish Mediterranean region is disrupting air traffic on Mallorca. By Wednesday afternoon, 44 flights had been cancelled at Palma airport due to weather conditions, according to the relevant authorities of the Spanish holiday island. Authorities said 23 arrivals and 21 departures were affected. Almost all other connections experienced significant delays. The worst part of the storm was yet to come. "The night worries me the most," the head of the emergency operations centre, Toni Plata, told journalists. The low-pressure area brought heavy rain showers, thunderstorms, hail and gale-force winds to Mallorca and other Spanish Mediterranean areas. Firefighters were repeatedly called...
WHO declares global emergency over mpox
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), its highest level of alert, due to a new variant of the mpox viral disease in Africa. The WHO asserted that there is a risk that mpox could spread internationally again after 2022 and become a health risk in several countries. The WHO followed the recommendation of independent mpox experts, who had met at the WHO's invitation in the so-called emergency committee, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in Geneva. The declaration of the emergency does not have concrete consequences. Instead, it aims to alert authorities worldwide to prepare for possible outbreaks.
France investigates cyberbullying against Algerian boxer Imane Khelif
French authorities are investigating claims of cyberbullying against Algerian boxer Imane Khelif during the Olympic Games in Paris. The Paris public prosecutor's office on Wednesday announced that an investigation has been launched into cyberbullying on the basis of gender, public defamation and public incitement to discrimination. The office for hate crimes and crimes against humanity is responsible for the investigation. It did not disclose who the investigation was targeting. According to the authorities, Khelif filed a complaint on Monday. Her lawyer Nabil Boudi wrote on the social media platform X that the investigations should reveal who was behind the "misogynistic, racist and sexist campaign" against the boxer. Khelif and Lin Yi-ting from Taiwan were at the centre of a highly charged gender debate during the Olympics, after they were excluded from the 2023 world championships by the International Boxing Association (IBA) due to allegedly failing gender eligibility tests. However, the IBA is not recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the boxers were allowed to compete in Paris. Both won gold medals.
Ukraine is adhering to humanitarian law, Zelensky stresses
Ukrainian troops are "strictly" adhering to international conventions and humanitarian law in their advance into the western Russian region of Kursk, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday. This was discussed at a meeting of the Ukrainian leadership, Zelensky said on the social media platform X. Humanitarian aid had been prepared for the civilian population of the occupied territories. Representatives of international organizations are to be allowed access to the areas. Ukraine's stressing that humanitarian law will be respected goes back to atrocities committed by Russian troops during their advance on Kiev almost two and a half years ago. At that time, numerous civilians were indiscriminately killed in the Kiev suburb of Bucha before the Russian military was forced to retreat from the area. According to the Ukrainian agency Unian, it was decided at the government meeting to allow international organizations access to the occupied territories in western Russia. These included the International Committee of the Red Cross, the United Nations and other international organizations which provide humanitarian aid.
WMO says July may have been hottest month on record
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on Wednesday said July may have been the hottest month ever recorded, after initial estimates suggested it did not surpass the record set in July 2023. After the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service differed on whether July reached a new record, the WMO said the differences were "within the statistical margin of error used to calculate global temperatures." The WMO said the data once again proved "that greenhouse gases from human activities are changing our climate." "Widespread, intense and extended heatwaves have hit every continent in the past...
Probe launched into Katy Perry over illegal video shoot in Ibiza
The authorities in Spain are investigating US pop star Katy Perry's team due to a music video shot illegally in a nature reserve on Ibiza. The producers of the video had not applied for a filming permit, according to the Balearic Islands' Ministry of Environment in Palma on the main island of Mallorca. Perry filmed the video for her new single "Lifetimes" on Ibiza and the neighbouring island of Formentera. The 39-year-old singer - who has had numerous hits, including "Teenage Dream," "Dark Horse," and "California Gurls" - was initially unavailable for comment. Due to the filming carried out without permission, "preliminary investigations" have been initiated, the ministry said. However, the authority emphasized that, in principle, no "environmental offence" is suspected, as photo and video recordings in the affected Ses Salines Nature Park are permissible with prior permission. In the video for "Lifetimes," Perry can be seen in holiday spirit, running and dancing through the dunes, jumping from rocks into the Mediterranean Sea, or partying in clubs. The video was viewed more than 2.5 million times on the singer and songwriter's official YouTube channel within just five days.
Heavy police presence at Austrian festival after Swift cancellations
A week after the cancellation of three Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna due to a feared terrorist threat, the next major musical event in Austria is under special police protection. For the four-day Frequency Festival in the city of Sankt Pölten, security measures have been further intensified despite no specific terrorist alert, said Interior Minister Gerhard Karner. The top act on the first day is the British singer Ed Sheeran. Undercover officers are also said to be present in the audience. Additionally, special units have been strategically positioned to intervene quickly if necessary, Karner stated. The festival is expected to attract around 50,000 fans...
German ambassador to Israel demands ceasefire, release of hostages
Germany's ambassador to Israel on Wednesday called for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages held by the Palestinian militant group Hamas, ahead of a crucial round of peace talks. At a press conference with the British and US ambassadors in Tel Aviv, Steffen Seibert said there was "no more important duty at the moment" than to achieve the release of the hostages as quickly as possible. "Their suffering is beyond comprehension," said Seibert, referring to the “horrible reports” from those who have been released so far. “We also know that some will not return alive,” he added. The next round of negotiations on ending the conflict in Gaza is due to be held in Doha on Thursday. However, on Wednesday, Hamas said it would not attend the talks.
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