Author: fotiosgrigoriou@gmail.com
CNN — At least eight people have been killed and 750 injured in a huge explosion at the port of Bandar Abbas in southwestern Iran, according to official Iranian media citing the country’s interior ministry. The explosion sent a huge plume of thick, gray smoke from the Shahid Rajaee part of the port complex, according to videos geolocated by CNN, with the government saying the blast was likely linked to chemicals being stored. Iran’s Minister of Interior Eskandar Momeni said firefighters continue to work to extinguish the blaze, despite challenges posed by high winds, Iranian media reported. A video distributed…
IMF managing director Kristalina Georgieva has urged the US to strike trade deals urgently to limit the damage to the global economy from Donald Trump’s tariff policies.Speaking at a press conference at the IMF’s spring meetings in Washington, Georgieva declined to criticise the US administration directly; but warned that what she called “major trade policy shifts” had “spiked uncertainty off the charts”.“A trade policy settlement among the main players is essential, and we are urging them to do it swiftly, because uncertainty is very costly,” she said.“I cannot stress this strongly enough: without certainty, businesses do not invest, households prefer…
Musk to shift focus from DOGE to Tesla after profits plungeElon Musk told investors he will refocus on Tesla and begin scaling back his involvement with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in May.unbranded – NewsworthyWASHINGTON – Approximately 700 scientific research projects funded through the National Science Foundation were canceled on April 25 amid scrutiny from President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency.It came the day after the agency’s director, Sethuraman Panchanathan, abruptly resigned from his position, and a week after the agency cut another 400 grants touted by the Department of Government Efficiency as “wasteful DEI” funding. Panchanathan was…
Labor unions and allied organizations representing students, staff, researchers and faculty at Harvard University are holding a rally on 27 April on campus to raise awareness and support for the role workers at the university have in research and education on campus in the face of attacks on the university by the Trump administration.The unions have supported Harvard’s stand against Donald Trump’s funding freezes and threats to the university and are calling on school leadership to work with them, including at the bargaining table, to uphold and support their work and safety.Harvard filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration this…
Pope Francis’ casket met by thousands of mournersPope Francis’ casket was met by thousands of mourners in honor of his 12-year papacy.Pope Francis, the humble pontiff whose acts of inclusiveness, modesty and mercy rippled through his 12-year papacy, was laid to rest Saturday in a service he deliberately simplified.Hundreds of thousands of mourners and dozens of world leaders and dignitaries packed St. Peter’s Square in Rome for the funeral. After the Mass, Francis’ coffin was placed on an open-air popemobile and transported to the burial site outside the Vatican by a motorcade that traversed the streets of Rome, lined by…
CNN — Boston Celtics stars criticized the Orlando Magic for being overly physical and NBA referees for not controlling the game on Friday, after the Celts suffered their third injury in three games during a 95-93 Game 3 loss. Jaylen Brown was pulled to the ground by Cole Anthony while trying to make a shot during the second quarter, landing awkwardly on his left hand and dislocating his index finger. A flagrant foul was called but despite initially appearing to be in serious pain, the 2024 NBA Finals MVP was able to continue. Kristaps Porziņģis played the game with a…
Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. CNN — The head of the US National Science Foundation, a $9 billion agency charged with advancing discoveries across the scientific spectrum, resigned Thursday amid sweeping changes spearheaded by the current Trump administration. NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan has led the agency since he was selected by President Donald Trump during his first term and unanimously confirmed by the Senate in June 2020. “I believe I have done all I can to advance the critical mission of the agency and feel that…
CNN — Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed that his country has regained control of Kursk, the border region where Ukraine launched a surprise offensive last year, though Ukraine’s army says fighting continues. “The Kyiv regime’s adventure has completely failed,” Putin said Saturday, congratulating the Russian forces that he said defeated the Ukrainian military in the region in what would be a symbolic boost for Moscow at a crucial point in the war. But the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said in a Telegram post that Putin’s claim about the end of hostilities in Kursk was “not true.” “The…
US postal workers – and many who depend on them – may have sighed in relief when the Trump-appointed postmaster general, Louis DeJoy, resigned last month. Now, postal workers and others fear the worst is to come.Many feared DeJoy, a prolific Trump donor and trucking logistics executive who pushed a 10-year consolidation plan at the agency, would be the man who would finally dismantle the United States Postal Service (USPS). Now the service is facing off with an empowered Trump and Elon Musk, his billionaire backer and chainsaw-wielding leader of his government job-cutting “department of government efficiency” (Doge).At stake, supporters…
The funeral Mass for Pope Francis was attended by many world leaders including President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump. Also there: former President Biden and former first lady Jill Biden.World leaders gather at Vatican for Pope Francis’ funeralCurrent and former U.S. presidents and other world leaders gathered at the Vatican for Pope Francis’ funeral.World leaders including President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden convened in Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis.Other world leaders in attendance included include UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Britain’s Prince William, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres, French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.In…