Author: Gulf News Week
BBCMatt left Crewe as soon as he could, aged 18, feeling that he wasn’t accepted as a young gay man. The only LGBT scene to mention was a tiny, makeshift bar behind a curtain in the back of an out-of-town pub.He left in 2015, but this June found himself returning home, for Crewe Pride.For Matt, it was a significant homecoming. “It really took me back to when I was a kid growing up here, trying to navigate my identity. It felt so important to be there and see how a town that wasn’t particularly welcoming… has changed and flourished.”For many,…
ReutersPolice used a robot to defuse an explosive device found on a drone at Leipzig Airport earlier this monthGerman Chancellor Friedrich Merz has warned that those responsible for drone attacks and other hostile acts against Germany, including a recent case at Leipzig Airport, would “pay a price”.Merz said the incident showed Germany was “facing a very real threat” and was increasingly becoming a target.On 4 August, a drone carrying an explosive device was discovered at Leipzig/Halle Airport in eastern Germany, close to Ukrainian cargo planes. However, it failed to explode as the detonator was apparently faulty.Police defused the explosives and…
ReutersCanada described its counter-tariffs on the US as “proportionate” and “strategic”.Canada has announced counter-tariffs as high as 50% on a range of US goods in retaliation to the latest wave of levies on Canadian imports imposed by President Donald Trump last weekend. The Canadian tariffs will apply to nearly C$28bn ($20bn; £15bn) worth of American products, ranging from steel to furniture, fresh tuna and cotton T-shirts, officials announced on Tuesday.The list of targeted products is designed to match Canadian goods hit by the US. The Canadian levies are set to come into effect on 8 September.It is the latest escalation…
House Oversight CommitteeMaxwell appeared virtually before the US House Oversight Committee in February this yearGhislaine Maxwell’s latest bid to overturn her sex trafficking conviction has been rejected by a US judge, who dismissed her claims as “frivolous” and “meritless”. The 64-year-old is serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in procuring girls for the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein after being found guilty in December 2021.Maxwell had appealed against her five felony convictions, claiming her constitutional rights had been “violated in multiple respects”.But a New York judge flatly rejected the appeal, describing it as “lengthy and rambling”.But the judge…
Dolly Parton: The life of an iconic country singerIconic country musician Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80, the singer’s team announced on social media.2 hrs agoUS & Canada
Brain disease in dead NFL players ‘higher than previously shown’A new study says at least one in four ex-NFL players who died between 2016 and 2021 had a degenerative brain disease but the true figure could be much higher.8 hrs agoAmerican Football
Dolly Parton: The life of a legendary country singerDolly Parton, the country singer from the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, will be remembered for her songs that told beautiful stories so honestly, such as Coat of Many Colors, Jolene and I Will Always Love You.In a seven-decade career, Parton won 10 Grammy awards, sold more than 100 million records worldwide, and wrote in excess of 3,000 songs.Parton took her writing seriously, and considered herself a songwriter over everything else. “It’s my way of expressing myself,” she said. “It’s my therapy.”She was also a savvy businesswoman who wasn’t afraid to make tough…
Getty ImagesJohn Ratcliffe reportedly travelled to the Russian capital on board a military plane on TuesdayThe head of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has travelled to Moscow for unannounced talks, the BBC’s US news partner CBS has reported.John Ratcliffe reportedly arrived in the Russian capital earlier on Tuesday. Neither Washington or Moscow have confirmed the nature of the visit or who he was due to meet.In-person talks between high-level American and Russian officials are rare.Flight tracking data confirmed a large US military aircraft travelled to Russia from the US via Latvia on Tuesday. It departed later on Tuesday.Footage posted…
Watch: What are these sanctions and who will be affected?US President Donald Trump has said that the US Navy has removed or detonated all mines in the Strait of Hormuz – the vital waterway which Iran has largely closed since the beginning of the war in the Middle East.”Iran has been notified that any ship or boat placing new mines will be immediately and systematically destroyed,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.There is no comment from Iran. Closure of the strait has caused wild fluctuations in the price of oil on world markets. Trump has often…
Watch: What are these sanctions and who will be affected?The US has said “the single greatest financial offensive ever” will help it and Israel end their ongoing war with Iran.However, Iran is no stranger to these tactics.The regime has faced near continuous US sanctions since the Islamic Revolution of 1979. In that time, it has developed deep trade ties with several countries which either have a history of ignoring US economic pressure themselves or cannot afford to stop trading with Iran.As a result, Iran says it is “fully prepared” for the new US sanctions and many economists argue the impact…