Jens Spahn, the head of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag, has announced his resignation, as pressure built over his decision to have a child through a surrogate mother in the United States. ADVERTISING ADVERTISING In a letter to members of the Union group, he said that he had already informed German Chancellor and […]
Continue ReadingOn The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch The largest residential fire in modern Norwegian history has destroyed more than 100 homes and forced hundreds of people to evacuate, authorities said Saturday. The fire in southern Norway […]
Continue ReadingCows are looking for shelter from the heat in Ruswil, Lucerne, and the grass is very dry.Image: keystone analysis Switzerland and Europe are experiencing an extraordinarily hot and dry summer. This could give solar power and electric cars a new boost. Or not. July 18, 2026, 3:14 p.mJuly 18, 2026, 3:14 p.m follow me Summer […]
Continue Reading“The gap between my private decision to have a child through surrogacy and the understandable expectations placed on me as chair of our parliamentary group has become greater than I anticipated,” he added. Although surrogacy itself is illegal in Germany, there is no penalty for bringing up a child born through a surrogate mother abroad. […]
Continue ReadingSerhii Kuzan, chairman of the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Centre, told the BBC that Wildberries was a “vital component” of Russian logistics, and that its website had been used by Russian volunteers to purchase military equipment including walkie-talkies, body armour and drone components. “The primary rationale for striking Wildberries’ warehouses is to disrupt Russian logistics […]
Continue ReadingAn elderly driver injured seven people in an accident in Carinthia, Austria, on Saturday.Image: keystone Police report July 18, 2026, 3:00 p.mJuly 18, 2026, 3:00 p.m An elderly driver accidentally drove her car into a busy garden restaurant near the casino in the center of the Wörthersee town in Velden in Carinthia, Austria, on Saturday […]
Continue ReadingThe roofs of Istanbul.Image: AP July 18, 2026, 2:59 p.mJuly 18, 2026, 3:01 p.m Turkish police have arrested 119 people suspected of having links to the terrorist organization “Islamic State” (IS). The operation was carried out nationwide, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on Saturday. “As part of an operation carried out by our gendarmerie in […]
Continue ReadingPublished on 18/07/2026 – 14:52 GMT+2 Nigel Farage, the leader of the right-wing Reform UK party, is set to face a “record” number of opponents in a by-election for the coastal constituency of Clacton in August. ADVERTISING ADVERTISING A total of 34 candidates will contest the seat, thought to be the highest number recorded in […]
Continue ReadingThe California-based tech company plans to send two satellites into space this year.Image: reddit July 18, 2026, 2:50 p.mJuly 18, 2026, 3:07 p.m “We are shaping the future of sunlight” – these are the words the US start-up Reflect Orbital uses to promote its project. The company wants to use thousands of space mirrors to […]
Continue ReadingExtreme weather July 18, 2026, 2:46 p.mJuly 18, 2026, 2:48 p.m At least four people have died in severe floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains in Vietnam, state media reported on Saturday. Since Wednesday, more than 238 hectares of rice fields and other crops have been damaged in four mountainous provinces in the north […]
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