Latest news

von der Leyen’s State of the Union address
Carney: Canada and Europe should form an alliance

Canada and Europe should join forces to protect their markets, democracies, and the rule of law. This was the message delivered by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in a speech to the European Parliament, Reuters reports.

Carney emphasized that this is particularly important given the power wielded by the US and China.

The speech was delivered just hours after US President Donald Trump threatened new trade sanctions against the EU should it choose to forge closer ties with Canada—a move proposed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in a speech on Wednesday.

"Europe and Canada are strong individually, and Europe and Canada are even stronger together," Carney said.

Crime in South Africa
Fears of a serial killer in South Africa – nine victims

On Thursday, the body of a woman was found in Ekurhuleni, near Johannesburg, South Africa. A total of nine women have been found dead in the area over the past two months, international news agencies report.

The public has been warned; the similarities between the incidents are significant enough to warrant a general alert, sparking fears of a serial killer.

The unidentified woman found on Thursday is estimated to have been around 30 years old. She had a clear stab wound to her side, and it appears her throat had been slit.
The climate threat • Himalayan floods
Researchers: Climate change caused the disaster

Human-induced climate change was behind the flash flood disaster in the Himalayas. This is the conclusion of a new report by the research network World Weather Attribution, as reported by TT. The conclusion is that a combination of several factors and weather events led to the disaster. Key causes cited include a 2015 earthquake, thawing permafrost, and the increasing frequency of torrential rains in the region.

"There is absolutely no doubt that human-induced climate change contributed to creating the conditions for the disaster," says Friederike Otto, a climatologist and head of WWA. 

The fight against HIV
HIV cases rising rapidly in Fiji – state of emergency declared

Fiji has declared a national state of emergency following a rapid rise in HIV infections in the country, news agencies report.

Last year, 2,016 people were diagnosed with HIV in the island nation. This is 16 times higher than in 2019, and the government now estimates that one in 60 of the country's population of just over 900,000 is living with HIV.

The declaration of the state of emergency comes with promises of expanded access to prevention services, free HIV testing, and treatment. The country is set to receive financial assistance for these efforts from sources including Australia, New Zealand, and the UN. 

The fight against HIV
HIV cases rising rapidly in Fiji – state of emergency declared

Fiji has declared a national state of emergency following a rapid rise in HIV infections in the country, news agencies report.

Last year, 2,016 people were diagnosed with HIV in the island nation. That is 16 times higher than in 2019, and the government now estimates that one in 60 of the country’s more than 900,000 inhabitants is living with HIV.

The declaration of a state of emergency comes with promises of expanded access to prevention services, free HIV testing, and treatment. The country is set to receive financial assistance for this from sources including Australia, New Zealand, and the UN.