World News in English

Number of births in Japan falls for tenth consecutive year

Japan's birth rate has declined for the tenth consecutive year, remaining one of the lowest in the world. The country continues to face significant challenges associated with a shrinking and aging pop...

Hungary accuses Ukraine of anti-Hungarian policies

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of anti-Hungarian policies in an open letter. Orbán called for Zelensky to change this approach and demanded ...

Premier De Wever announces air defense for Port of Antwerp

Belgian Premier Bart De Wever has announced that the Port of Antwerp will be equipped with a new NASAMS air defense system to protect against aircraft, drones, and missiles. The systems have already b...

Griekspoor beats Bublik to reach Dubai quarter-finals

Dutch tennis player Tallon Griekspoor advanced to the quarterfinals of the Dubai tennis tournament after defeating world number 10 Alexander Bublik on Wednesday. The victory secures Griekspoor a place...

Two friends start a guesthouse in Portugal with no experience: Another classic Ik Vertrek moment

US industry faces shortage of rare materials

The United States aviation and electronics industries are experiencing a growing shortage of rare materials necessary for manufacturing microchips and other components. Industry insiders report that t...

Sources to Politico: Better if Israel attacks Iran first

Senior advisors to President Donald Trump reportedly prefer that Israel conducts an initial strike against Iran before any direct US military intervention. This strategic preference was revealed by in...

Court of Appeal overturns one of Jimmy Lai's convictions

An appeals court in Hong Kong has overturned a fraud conviction against 78-year-old media mogul Jimmy Lai. The decision nullifies a previous ruling by a lower court regarding the tycoon's legal case.

‘Wopke Hoekstra, we are counting on you’: Brussels rules on sensitive abortion plan

The European Parliament in Brussels is set to vote on a controversial plan aimed at ensuring access to abortion care across all EU member states. This initiative has sparked significant debate and cou...

Rubio: US conducting own assessment of speedboat shooting near Cuba

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the United States will conduct its own investigation into an incident where a speedboat from Florida was fired upon by Cuba. The statement was made d...

Cuba shoots dead four on US speedboat

The Cuban coast guard shot and killed four people on an American speedboat after they reportedly opened fire during an interception attempt. According to the Cuban Ministry of Interior, the incident o...

US allows Venezuelan oil sales to Cuba again

The United States has authorized Venezuela to resume oil sales to Cuba, provided the supplies benefit the Cuban people instead of the government in Havana. The U.S. Treasury Department described this ...

Prominent Democrat Larry Summers resigns from Harvard

Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers will resign from his teaching position at Harvard University at the end of the current academic year. Harvard University has confirmed the departure, which...

Iceland brings forward EU referendum over Arctic tensions

Icelandic Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir announced that a referendum on resuming European Union accession talks will be held in the coming months, significantly earlier than the originally pla...

Florida opens investigation into deaths on speedboat near Cuba

Florida state prosecutors have launched an investigation into a fatal shootout between the Cuban coast guard and a U.S. speedboat. While Cuban authorities claim four crew members were killed after ope...

British Speaker warned police of Mandelson flight risk

Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the British House of Commons, reportedly warned police that former minister Peter Mandelson planned to flee to the British Virgin Islands prior to his arrest. The tip-off occ...

Brussels divided over abortion access fund

The European Commission is set to decide on a proposal to improve abortion accessibility for women across Europe. Internal divisions within the Commission have left the outcome of the upcoming vote un...

Iran arrests well-known journalist Elaheh Mohammadi

PvdD and DENK accuse D66 of not standing up for Palestinians

Zelensky calls Trump to discuss further negotiations

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with Donald Trump via telephone to discuss potential negotiations with Russia. Zelensky stated that preparations for a direct meeting involving himself, Tr...

Suriname President requests departure of 3 state company directors

Surinamese President Jennifer Simons has requested the resignation of three board members from state-owned enterprises following a scandal involving lucrative contracts. The controversy centers on the...

Brazilian politicians convicted of murdering city councilor

The Brazilian Supreme Court has sentenced two former members of parliament to 76 years and three months in prison for ordering the 2018 murder of Rio de Janeiro council member Marielle Franco. The sen...

World's most powerful banker warns of financial crisis: ‘People are doing stupid things again’

Jamie Dimon, the head of JPMorgan Chase, has warned of a potential financial crisis, comparing current market euphoria to the conditions preceding the 2008 crash. He cautioned that investors are repea...

Barcelona tourist tax doubles to a maximum of 15 euros per night

Starting in April, Barcelona will double its tourist tax to a maximum of 15 euros per night. The local government intends to use the additional revenue to address housing shortages in the city. Simila...

Francesco (91) and Agnieta (95) rest in Tilburg, but their missionary work continues in the Moluccas

Two elderly sisters in Tilburg, Francesco and Agnieta, recently reviewed the impact of their long-term missionary work in the Moluccas through photographs taken by Ton Toemen. The article reflects on ...

IKEA plush toy flies off shelves after rejected baby monkey goes viral

Demand for an IKEA orangutan plush toy has spiked after a video of a rejected baby monkey in Japan using it for comfort went viral. The stuffed animal has become a substitute companion for the young p...

Zelensky expects direct talks with Russia and US in early March

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expects direct negotiations between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States to resume in early March. While previous rounds of talks were held in Abu Dhabi and Ge...

Crans-Montana fire victims to receive nearly 55,000 euros each

Switzerland is providing a one-time payment of nearly 55,000 euros to survivors and families of victims of a New Year's fire at a bar in the Crans-Montana ski resort. The incident resulted in 41 fatal...

‘The Testament of Ann Lee’ speaks volumes about the role of religion and sex in America

Russian embassy: Jetten makes misstep with support for Ukraine

The Russian embassy in the Netherlands has criticized the Jetten cabinet for issuing a statement of support for Ukraine instead of resuming dialogue with Russia. In a social media post, the embassy st...