World News
Brazil freezes Neymar’s mansions as PSG star faces new investigation over tax
Paris Saint-Germain striker Neymar's off-pitch woes continue to mount, as Brazilian tax authorities put a freeze on dozens of his mansions and other properties amid a long-running tax dispute, local media reported Monday. The Folha de S.Paulo newspaper reported that Brazilian authorities blocked 36 properties in Brazil as they seek 69 million reais (£14 million) in back taxes. They claim that amount is due in connection with Neymar's 2013 transfer from Santos to Barcelona. The action means Neymar can use...
Trump says U.S. agency will begin removing millions of illegal immigrants
President Donald Trump said on Monday that U.S. authorities would begin next week removing millions of immigrants who are in the United States illegally. "Next week ICE will begin the process of removing the millions of illegal aliens who have illicitly found their way into the United States," Trump tweeted, referring to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. "They will be removed as fast as they come in," he said. He did not offer specifics. There are an estimated 12...
Berlin’s ballooning rents to be frozen for five years
Berlin's city government decided on Tuesday to freeze rents for five years, heeding complaints from residents that their once famously affordable city was pricing them out. For decades after German unification in 1990, the capital was a magnet for artists, musicians and students drawn by housing far cheaper than in other major European cities - partly the legacy of Berlin's decades marooned inside Communist East Germany as a mere satellite of the capitalist West's economy. But around 40,000 people a...
With Med crossing claiming 500 migrants this year, Europe warned it’s about to risk more lives
a “declaration of war against the NGOs who are saving lives at sea”
Tsunami warning as 6.8 magnitude earthquake strikes Japan
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.8 struck Japan's northwest coast around Niigata prefecture on Tuesday, with shaking strong enough to damage buildings and prompting a 0.2-1.0 metre tsunami warning, reports Reuters. There were no immediate reports of damage, although areas hardest hit by the quake could not be contacted by telephone, according to public broadcaster NHK. Tokyo Electric Power Co's Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant was not affected by the quake, which hit 85 km ( 53 miles) northeast off the coast,...
EU issues ‘green’ investment guide to help combat climate change
Europe sought to increase the flow of money into businesses that tackle climate change on Tuesday with the publication of European Commission guidelines on what qualifies an investment as environmentally friendly. The European Union has agreed to substantial reductions of carbon emissions by 2030 and its executive wants the bloc to reduce them to zero by 2050 to help stop global warming, the rise of average worldwide temperatures. In order to cut emissions by 2030, many sectors of the economy,...
Iran says it won’t wage war as U.S. deploys more troops to Middle East
President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday Iran would not wage war against any nation, sounding a note of restraint after the United States announced more troop deployments to the Middle East. Fears of a confrontation between Iran and its long-time foe the United States have mounted since Thursday when two oil tankers were attacked near the strategic Strait of Hormuz shipping lane, which Washington blamed on Tehran. Iran denied involvement in the attacks and said on Monday it would soon...
Southeast Asia should ban foreign trash imports – environmentalists
Environmental groups called on Tuesday for Southeast Asian countries to ban waste imports from developed countries to help tackle a pollution crisis, as regional leaders prepare to meet this week in Bangkok. Southeast Asia has seen a staggering spike in imports of plastic and electronic waste from developed countries after the world's top recycler, China, banned imports, causing millions of tonnes of the trash to be diverted to less regulated countries. Thailand will from Thursday host four days of meetings...
Far-right sympathiser suspected of killing German pro-migrant politician
A man arrested in Germany on suspicion of murdering a senior local politician known for pro-migrant views was a far-right sympathiser, the Federal Prosecutor's Office said on Monday. Walter Luebcke, a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats, was found lying in a pool of blood on the terrace of his home in the state of Hesse two weeks ago. He had been shot in the head. Police special forces, acting on DNA evidence found at the scene, on Saturday...