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Ukraine dismisses Iranian threats as Caspian Sea strike directly links wars
Ukraine has rejected Iranian threats of retaliation after Ukrainian forces struck an Iranian cargo vessel in the Caspian Sea, an incident that marks the first direct crossover between the Ukraine and Iran conflicts. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called Iran’s threats “unjustified and groundless”, accusing Tehran of being a “direct accomplice” to Russia’s war by…
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Waltz slams France after stunning social media attack on US after UN vote
France’s mission to the United Nations in Geneva launched a strongly worded social media attack on the United States after a UN vote to grant High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk a further four-year term. France accused Washington of abandoning its role as a defender of human rights, prompting a sharp rebuttal from US…
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Cycling in rude health thanks to awesome Pogacar and stringent testing
Tadej Pogačar sealed his fifth Tour de France title in Paris, drawing level with cycling legends Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain as joint-most successful rider in the race’s history. The victory, achieved despite illness affecting much of his UAE Team Emirates-XRG squad in the race’s second half, cements the 27-year-old Slovenian’s…
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Krallice Announce New Album Scour Order: Hear “Living Useless Ritual”
Krallice, the experimental New York black metal band formed in 2007 by Mick Barr and Colin Marston, have announced their first-ever European tour alongside a new double LP titled Scour Order, the follow-up to 2024’s Inorganic Rites. The announcement is notable both for the rare pan-European trek from a band known for its dense, dizzying…
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Devastating European wildfires in maps – and how they’re being tackled
Wildfires raging across France and Spain have forced more than 300,000 people to evacuate their homes, with France recording more land burnt than in any year this century and Madrid officials calling the blazes the worst the region has ever seen. The fires follow a summer of intense heatwaves across Europe, with temperatures exceeding 40C…
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Before-and-after images reveal devastating full extent of French wildfires as flames bear down on Bordeaux
Before-and-after images have revealed the devastating full extent of wildfires in southwestern France , as flames bear down on Bordeaux.
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Watch: New NEVERMORE Lineup Kicks Off Summer 2026 European Tour At Bulgaria’s HILLS OF ROCK Festival
The new line-up of American progressive metal band Nevermore has kicked off its summer 2026 European tour, performing at the Hills of Rock festival in Plovdiv, Bulgaria on 26 July. The performance follows the band’s live debut with its refreshed roster in April, marking a further step in Nevermore’s return following its effective split in…
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Fears Iran and Ukraine wars could merge into one conflict as Kyiv strikes Caspian Sea weapons ship heading for Russia and the Islamic Republic threatens revenge
Concerns are growing that the wars in Ukraine and Iran could become intertwined after Ukrainian forces reportedly struck a cargo ship in the Caspian Sea that was carrying weapons bound for Russia, prompting Iran to threaten retaliation. The development highlights how the two conflicts, previously seen as largely separate, may be increasingly linked through Iranian…
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Rienzi review – Wagner’s early opera makes its Bayreuth debut as frenzied contemporary election drama
Wagner’s early opera Rienzi has received its first ever staging at the Bayreuth festival, opening the 150th anniversary season as an exception to the festival’s usual canon of his 10 “mature” works. The opera has long been avoided at Bayreuth partly because it was Adolf Hitler’s favourite work and because no authentic complete score survives,…
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AstraZeneca boss urges western drugmakers to move at ‘Chinese speed’
AstraZeneca’s chief executive, Pascal Soriot, has warned that western pharmaceutical companies must adopt “Chinese speed” in drug development or risk being overtaken by increasingly innovative Chinese rivals, much as European and American carmakers lost ground to Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers. Speaking as the FTSE 100 firm reported its half-year results, Soriot said AstraZeneca was closely…