Author: Gulf News Week
DSU via ReutersAbout 70 people were evacuated as the fire was put outA Russian drone hit an apartment building in Romania, the country’s defence ministry said early on Friday, causing a fire and injuring two people. The drone crashed in the eastern city of Galati as Russia carried out attacks in Ukraine near the border, the ministry said in a statement. The Romanian General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations said the drone’s entire explosive payload detonated, causing a fire on the 10th floor of the residential building. Russian drones have strayed across the border of the Nato member country a number…
Israel intensifies strikes on Lebanon during ceasefire, videos showVerified videos show strikes on densely populated neighbourhoods in southern Lebanon.11 hrs agoMiddle East
Moment Blue Origin rocket explodes during test in FloridaA Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploded on a launch pad at Cape Canaveral in Florida on Thursday night.1 hr agoScience & Environment
Are the US and Iran close to reaching a peace deal… again?BBC’s Sarah Smith looks at why both countries are in a tense cycle of negotiations, despite the progress President Trump consistently claims.4 hrs agoMiddle East
Getty ImagesThe best child spellers in the US are competing in an annual spelling bee to see who knows their ABCs best – and who will win $52,000 (£39,000) in cash.The 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee finals began on Tuesday with 247 spellers aged nine to 15. The 101-year-old contest concludes Thursday evening when nine spellers will take to the stage in front of their parents, teachers, friends and TV audiences to go letter-by-letter through some of the toughest words in the English language.Whoever wins takes home The Scripps Cup and the prize money. Test your spelling skills with our…
PA MediaAn AI facial recognition tool that aims to detect adult migrants posing as children will be deployed at the UK’s borders next year.A software company has been awarded a contract to develop and test the technology, which will estimate a person’s age by analysing photographs of them taken at the border.The Home Office says the technology will make it easier to identify adult migrants “attempting to game the system”, after initial testing indicated “promising performance and accuracy”.But Human Rights Watch urged the government to scrap the scheme, describing it as “unproven technology” that will undermine the protections vulnerable children…
How did this novel about food win a Booker Prize this year?Taiwan Travelogue is the first novel translated from Mandarin Chinese to win the prestigious award.1 hr agoAsia
Watch: China’s electric vehicle success in light of Iran warGlobal carmakers are facing a reckoning as US, European and Japanese brands lose ground to Chinese rivals setting the pace not only in electric vehicles, but also in batteries, design and software. The BBC visited factory floors in Beijing and Hefei on the sidelines of Auto China 2026 – the world’s largest car show – and found striking levels of automation and software development speed, leaving foreign brands that once dominated the Chinese market struggling to keep up. “We have no chance against this,” Honda chief executive Toshihiro Mibe told Japanese…
ReutersFibre-optic drones have become Hezbollah’s primary weapon against IsraelFibre-optic drones have become Hezbollah’s primary weapon against Israeli soldiers and civilians, along both sides of the Lebanese border, and are now seen as the biggest threat there, as fighting continues six weeks into a supposed ceasefire.One Israeli soldier was killed and two others injured in a drone attack near the Israeli border community of Shomera on Wednesday.Of the 11 Israeli soldiers and one civilian defence contractor killed since the ceasefire came into force, eight have been killed by fibre-optic drones.Most of the attacks have targeted Israeli forces, which are currently occupying…
EPA/ShutterstockTaylor Swift had said the foiled attack had filled her with “a new sense of fear”A 21-year-old Austrian man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for planning a jihadist attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna during the US singer’s Eras tour in August 2024.The man, named only as Beran A in line with Austrian privacy laws, was also found guilty of a string of other terrorism-related offences.He was arrested after a tip-off from the CIA just before the first of three sold-out Taylor Swift concerts was due to take place in Vienna’s Ernst Happl stadium.All three…