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French rail network damaged by ‘malicious acts’ before Paris Olympics
On the day of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, "Malicious acts" disrupted France's high-speed TGV rail network, causing several of the country's busiest lines to fail. State-owned train operator SNCF said on Friday that "simultaneous malicious acts" had started to damage our facilities. The "massive attack" on the rail network was described as an "outrageous criminal act" by Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete.
Phone and broadband costs will climb again as corporations consider poll tax-style pricing hikes
We expect the cost of millions of mobile phone and broadband contracts to skyrocket, with the poorest users facing the steepest price increases of up to 11%. This year, mobile phone and internet users faced rip-off price increases of up to 7.9% as carriers passed on the cost of inflation, typically with an additional 3.9%. However, the bill increases that broadband and mobile phone providers like BT, EE, and Vodafone already anticipate will dwarf those price increases for some customers.
The ‘monster’ fires may have devastated half of a historic Canadian town
Huge, fast-moving wildfires have destroyed up to half of the ancient Canadian town of Jasper, according to officials, as firefighters work to rescue as many structures as possible. The blazes have destroyed entire streets, with video footage showing smoking ruins where homes once stood and charred remains of cars. On Thursday, cooling temperatures brought some relief, but park officials cautioned that the fires remained out of control and predicted more warm weather.
Anthropologists find ‘sensational’ site where Jesus was resurrected
Near the alleged burial and resurrection site of Jesus, archaeologists discovered a long-lost altar. Construction workers discovered the graffiti-covered massive stone slab leaning against the wall of Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre when they turned around. The stone, which was eight feet long and five feet wide, was decorated with ribbon embellishments, a common Roman practice during the Middle Ages, and had particular marks that led researchers to assume it was the altar consecrated in 1149.
Doctor describes HIV preventive drug trial breakthrough
The results overwhelmed the doctor in charge of a new HIV preventive medication trial with emotion. "I literally burst into tears," Prof. Linda-Gail Bekker admitted. "I'm 62, and I've witnessed this plague... I have family members who died from HIV, as did many, many Africans and others all around the world," she explained. Bekker described the difficulty of preventing HIV infection, particularly among adolescent girls and young women, as "intractable." However, lenacapavir provided 100 percent protection to thousands of women aged 16 to 25 in South Africa and Uganda.
Reeves is likely to expose a public finance shortfall of billions
An assessment of public spending pressures will reveal accusations of a "black hole" worth tens of billions of pounds by the new administration. Chancellor Rachel Reeves said she will make a presentation to Parliament on Monday that is "honest" about the nature of the problem before the new Labour government. She promised to "fix the mess we inherited," but refused to confirm reports that the "black hole" amounted to more than £20 billion per year.
Barack Obama backs Kamala Harris for 2024 US president
Barack Obama has backed Kamala Harris as the Democratic presidential nominee, ensuring that the vice president has the support of all of the party's politically active high-profile figures in her White House run. Following Joe Biden's decision to withdraw from the campaign, the former president pointedly withheld his endorsement, leading to initial speculation that he supported an open nomination process at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next month.
Harris urges Netanyahu ‘it is time’ to cease the conflict in Gaza
US Vice President Kamala Harris, who is likely to be the Democratic contender in the November presidential election, has held "frank and constructive" conversations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Ms. Harris took a stronger tone than President Joe Biden, expressing her "serious concerns" about losses in Gaza and warning Mr. Netanyahu that how Israel defended itself was important.
Government stats show greatest drink-drive deaths since 2009
Drink-driving deaths on British roads have reached a 13-year high, according to government estimates. According to the most recent Department for Transport data, an estimated 300 persons were killed in collisions involving at least one driver who exceeded the legal alcohol limit in 2022. That is up from 260 the previous year, and it is the biggest yearly total since 2009 when 380 deaths occurred.
Frankfurt airport runways are blocked by climate activists
Frankfurt, Germany's largest airport, was forced to postpone arrivals and departures following a protest by climate activists who glued themselves to the runways. Frankfurt Airport, one of the country's busiest airports and a primary international gateway, advised passengers on Thursday to check the status of their flights due to the "ongoing demonstration." While operations resumed and all four runways were operational a few hours later, an airport official reported that approximately 140 of the 1,400 scheduled flights had been canceled.
A ‘zombie drug’ is found in one in six school vapes Spice
A frightening new study discovered that one in every six vapes confiscated from schoolchildren in England was spiked with Spice, the 'zombie drug.' Testing hundreds of confiscated vaping devices from 38 schools revealed an alarming presence of the illicit synthetic street drug, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes. Police, schools, and experts believe the drug is being swapped into vapes labeled as containing cannabis oil.
CrowdStrike criticizes $10 apology voucher
CrowdStrike is receiving further criticism after offering a $10 UberEats ticket to employees and businesses it works with to apologize for a global IT failure that caused mayhem across airlines, banks, and hospitals last week. The cybersecurity company, whose software upgrade on Friday affected 8.5 million machines worldwide, acknowledged in an email to its partners that the incident had resulted in additional work. To show our appreciation, your next cup of coffee or late-night snack is on us! CrowdStrike said, instructing users to enter a code to receive the $10 reimbursement.
