The Global News Desk 115

July 14 - (The Global News Desk 115) — Turkish state media announced that Field Marshal Asim Munir arrived in Turkey on Monday for a two-day official visit.  It is anticipated that he will engage with Turkish military and political officials while there. Conversations with influential people in these sectors are also scheduled. According to PTV, which cited security sources, Field Marshal Munir received a warm reception upon his arrival. Before this visit, General Metin Tokel, who leads the Turkish Land Forces, met Field Marshal Munir in Pakistan a few weeks earlier. Both sides discussed the importance of regional security and discussed ways to improve bilateral defense cooperation, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations. General Tokel also met the air force and naval leaders of Pakistan on the same tour. This month, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif made a trip to Turkiye, concentrating on enhancing trade and economic connections between the two nations.

July 10 - (The Global News Desk 115)  —  About 12 people were burned alive as a wildfire raged through the Almería region of southern Spain, coinciding with a severe heatwave that has impacted the entire country. The government announced on Friday that several of the deceased in Bedar town, which is in the Almería province, were found in their cars. As the temperature rose to 40C, more than 150 firefighters, supported by five fire vehicles, were sent to the scene. As the fire progressed, roads were closed, and locals were evacuated; around fifty people were sheltered in a cultural center. At least six victims were hurt in the incident, including a woman and men.  Witnesses informed police that the fire may have originated when a power cable collapsed, sparking dry grass and quickly spreading across the adjacent woods, but officials have not confirmed the cause. Victims, who suffered from burns and smoke inhalation, were transported to local medical facilities. ...

Belgian officials report that a fire at an apartment building in Antwerp, a port city, has claimed the lives of at least six people.  Antwerp police announced on Wednesday afternoon that the fire was nearly extinguished and was caused by a mechanical problem on the bottom floor. Unexpectedly, many people have been hurt, and six died, according to the police. At 9:53 a.m., a fire was reported on the eighth floor of a building in the Linkeroever area, according to a police statement.  Bart De Wever, the Prime Minister of Belgium, expressed his condolences to the victims and the local community. I'd like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the emergency services, who are working diligently to aid the countless people impacted as soon and safely as possible, and to bring the fire under control," he added.

Six people were killed in a shooting at a youth welfare facility in Germany, according to the police, which described the incident as a "family tragedy." Gunshots were heard in Stade, a city in northern Germany, on Monday, resulting in several fatalities. Police detained the accused gunman on the site and said that the gunshots were related to a custody issue. Law enforcement officials first said that five people had died, but later clarified that the death toll had increased to six.  According to the authorities, five youngsters were killed at the site, while the sixth died in the hospital from injuries sustained in the shooting. Authorities in Stade reported that two people have been taken into custody, including the person believed to be the shooter. The police representative told Reuters that there are no further suspects evading capture. Several people were also hurt in the incident; however, authorities could not provide a precise number. The news agency was...

Eleven people died in the terrible private aircraft crash near the town of Tomblaine in eastern France on Sunday.  According to the media reports, the aircraft was carrying a party of people who were going skydiving. The pilot, five pupils, and five instructors were killed, according to the prefecture. "There were no bystanders among the victims," officials claimed during a press briefing. The aircraft was registered in Germany, the report said.  It crashed in a grassy area near the runway at Nancy-Essey airport. The cause of the accident was not immediately determined.  According to Amaury Lacote, who serves as the deputy public prosecutor in Nancy, an eastern city, authorities have started a technical investigation.   The Interior Ministry has announced that Interior Minister Laurent Nunez was en route to the disaster site. The police have called on citizens to "firmly stay away" from the vicinity of Tomblaine airport.

Córdoba, Spain -  At least 39 passengers were killed when two trains crashed in Córdoba at around 19:45 on Sunday.  Córdoba is a city in Andalusia, a southern region of Spain, and it is the provincial capital. According to official reports, out of 122 people who received medical care for their injuries, 48, including five children, are still in the hospital. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has announced three days of mourning and vowed to conduct a "thorough and absolutely transparent" investigation into the incident.  The high-speed train service between Madrid and Andalusia will be halted until at least Friday.  Local media reports that authorities have started up offices in numerous locations where victims' relatives may provide DNA samples to assist in the deceased's identification.

Switzerland, Bern  —    Police sources report that a deadly fire at a ski resort bar in southern Switzerland killed around 40 people. 112 people are injured, with several sustaining "severe" injuries. The fire started at 01:30 (00:30 GMT) during the New Year's party at Le in Crans-Montana. People from various countries were affected. Regional police chief Frédéric Gisler told reporters that the objective is to promptly identify the deceased and return their corpses to their relatives.  overnight, more than 200 emergency workers, 30-40 ambulances, and eleven helicopters were dispatched to the fire site in Valais, a renowned tourist destination in Switzerland. At a news conference on Thursday morning, Mathias Reynard, the region's council head, told reporters that the majority of the injured had horrific burns and had been transported to Valais hospital.

Norway's $2 trillion fund  is divesting from 11 of 61 Israeli firms and reviewing other investments; the Norwegian  finance minister  commends its prompt action.  Norway's $2 trillion sovereign wealth fund , the world's largest, has decided to withdraw investments from certain Israeli companies and end contracts with Israeli asset managers .  This move is due to the current situation in Gaza and the West Bank . The newspaper,  The Aftenposten , disclosed that the fund invested in  Bet Shemesh Engines , an Israeli company specializing in the production of components for  fighter jet engines .  Aftenposten is Norway's biggest printed newspaper by circulation. The fund maintains holdings in 61 Israeli companies , predominantly those included within its benchmark index . However, 11 of these companies are unlisted and fall outside the index parameters. Under public pressure, the fund's management announced last week that it would quickly...

BERLIN, Germany —   German Authorities reported that three passengers lost their lives and many others sustained injuries when a passenger train derailed in southwestern Germany on Sunday. About 100 people were on board when two train carriages derailed between Riedlingen and Munderkingen, near the Germany-France-Switzerland border, according to the security officers.  The train operated along an approximately 90 km route between Sigmaringen and the city of Ulm in southern Germany. According to the police statement, the cause of the crash is still being investigated. The German national rail operator, Deutsche Bahn, reported numerous injuries and extended its heartfelt sympathies to the victims and their families.  

Helsinki, Finland —    At least 5  people died after two helicopters collided and crashed in Finland, according to state media reports.  The police report confirmed that the deadly accident happened in the vicinity of Kauttua city, near Eura Airport in southwestern Finland.  "The National Bureau of Investigation reported that a helicopter accident on Saturday resulted in the deaths of 5 people." According to the flight plans, the law and order department reported that one helicopter had two people on board, while the other carried three. One helicopter was registered in Estonia, and the other in Austria. Both helicopters belonged to Estonian companies. Eleon owned one, and another belonged to NOBE. 

Lisbon, Portugal  —  Pakistan's president, Asif Ali Zardari, flew to Lisbon on Sunday to extend his condolences on the passing of Prince Karim Aga Khan,  Pakistani media said.  The foreign office announced that President Zardari planned to visit Prince Rahim Agha Khan during the visit to offer his condolences on losing his father.  Furthermore, a meeting between President Zardari and his Portuguese counterpart, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, was scheduled.   Muhammad Aurangzeb, Pakistani Finance Minister, attended the funeral services for Prince Karim Aga Khan in Lisbon, but the Prince's burial took place in Egypt.

  B erlin, Germany —  A 28-year-old Afghan man stabbed a two-year-old child and his 41-year-old father in a German park, killing both. Police officers closed off the public park after two more people were critically injured and moved to the hospital. The state interior minister claims that the suspect, who had been jailed at least three times before for suspicious conduct, was let go after psychiatric therapy. Joachim Herrmann, the interior minister of Bavaria, said that he was supposed to return to Afghanistan after his refugee application was turned down. The incident is still being investigated, according to the police.  The attack occurred at Schöntal Park in Aschaffenburg, about 36 kilometers southeast of Frankfurt, at approximately 11:45.  man stabbed a two-year-old child and his 41-year-old father in a German park, killing both. Police officers closed off the public park after two more people were critically injured and moved to the hospital. The state interio...

Slovakia and Hungary blocked EU sanctions against Georgia. As protests continued, Hungary and Slovakia blocked an attempt to impose EU sanctions on Georgian officials.  Kaja Kallas, an Estonian politician and diplomat, urged sanctions against Georgian state personnel who were allegedly involved in the suppression of pro-European protesters. Meanwhile, a second measure to prevent visa-free travel for Georgians with diplomatic and service passports will move forward, as it only requires a qualified majority.  The European Commission is in charge of creating the strategy, according to Euronews. High Representative Kaja Kallas had proposed sanctions on Georgia during a foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels in early December 2024. "I think it would be a geostrategic mistake to push this country back now," the Austrian foreign minister told reporters on Monday, in addition to advocating for dialogue. We need to keep talking. In Georgia, the majority still desired EU membership...

BERLIN, Germany —  Barbel Bas, the president of the Bundestag, said on Monday that most of the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag) voted against Chancellor Olaf Scholz's cabinet, opening the door for early elections in February. Of the 717 lawmakers who cast ballots, 394 opposed Scholz's bid for chancellor, 207 voted in favor of him, and 116 refused to vote. He slumped very short of the 367 majority required to win. The elections for a new parliament will take place on February 23, 2025. Early in November, Scholz's coalition government fell apart after he dismissed Christian Lindner, the head of the Free Democratic Party and Finance Minister, for refusing to approve new budget projections for 2025 and increased aid for Ukraine.  The opposition also attributes the deteriorating economic situation to Olaf Scholz's coalition government.  Source: Sputnik 

European News — A security source informed the media on Sunday that 14 people were killed and 249 more were seriously injured by a Cyclone on the French island territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean.  The powerful hurricane progressed close to Mozambique's coast after wreaking havoc on Mayotte's shantytowns, the French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau warned that the final toll might be high.  Damage to airports and electrical distribution will likely hamper the efforts of rescue workers and supplies being transported by air and sea in an area where even clean drinking water was already facing chronic shortages.  Government officials in the French area in the Indian Ocean said Sunday that Cyclone Chido's route of devastation over Mayotte might kill "several hundred people. "All stuff has been swept away, everything is destroyed," said one of the Cyclone victims, whose property was wrecked in the Kaweni neighborhood in Mamoudzou's east - France's l...

The Irish government has taken out millions of euros from several Israeli firms. About 3 million euros have been pulled from the Irish Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) global equities portfolio by the Irish National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA), according to a statement made by Yedioth Ahronot on Friday.  The move to divest includes shareholdings worth a total of 2.95 million euros in 6 entities: Bank Hapoalim BM, Bank Leumi-le Israel BM, Israel Discount Bank, Mizrahi Tefahot Bank Ltd, First International Bank, and Rami Levi Chain Stores. Irish Finance Minister Michael McGrath described the measure as the "right decision." "ISIF believed that the risk profile of these investments no longer fits within its investment parameters and that the commercial objectives of these investments may be accomplished through other investments. " The decision will be implemented as soon as possible in the coming weeks," he added.  Irish Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik ...

Czech emergency services said on December 21 that at least 15 people were killed and 24 more were injured in a shooting at Charles University in Prague.  The Czech police report that the attacker, who acted alone recognized as a university understudy, is among the dead. At about 5 pm in the afternoon at the time of publication, the Prague Emergency Medical Service reported eleven people with critical injuries, eight with serious injuries, and five with minor wounds were received.  Prague is the Czech Republic's capital and largest city, as well as the historical capital of Bohemia. On the banks of the Vltava.  At about 3 p.m., the shooting started at the Faculty of Arts on Jan Palach Square in Prague's Old Town. During a news conference at 6 p.m. police claimed the suspect was a 24-year-old from a hamlet outside Prague, and his father had been discovered dead earlier in the day.  Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, extended her sympath...