Entertainment
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Greece introduces ‘MyCoast’ App to tackle beach violationsIn an effort to enforce newly implemented stringent beach regulations, Greece has launched the ‘MyCoast’ app, empowering users to report beach violations effortlessly.03 May 2024Read More...
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European Court of Human Rights rejects Kirkorov’s case against Lithuania entry banThe European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has dismissed a complaint filed by Russian pop star Philipp Kirkorov against Lithuania's decision to bar his entry into the country.23 April 2024Read More...
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Risnjak National Park: Croatia's hidden gem wins Europe's top spotNestled within Croatia's picturesque Gorski Kotar region, Risnjak National Park emerges as a beacon of untouched beauty, earning recognition as one of Europe's premier destinations sans the23 April 2024Read More...
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Swiss castles experience record visitor numbersIn 2023, the National Association of Swiss Castles witnessed a historic milestone, welcoming over 1.3 million visitors to its 28 castles. This achievement marks a new record for the organization,23 April 2024Read More...
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Underground surge: Belgium grapples with 2,214 illegal gambling websitesResearch conducted by gambling analysis firm Yield Sec has unveiled a concerning trend in Belgium's online gambling landscape. According to their findings, a staggering 2,214 illegal gambling14 April 2024Read More...
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Flanders and Brussels Embrace Slow Art Day, inviting visitors to savor artistic experiencesOn April 13th, several museums in Flanders and Brussels will once again host a variety of activities as part of Slow Art Day, an annual tradition aimed at encouraging a deeper12 April 2024Read More...
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4 Croatian beaches named Europe’s bestAs Croatia gears up for what promises to be its most spectacular summer season yet, the BookRetreats Summer 2024 Report has officially unveiled the top beaches across Europe, catering to10 April 2024Read More...
Economics
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Polish unemployment rate hits EU low at 2.9% in March: EurostatIn March, Poland recorded an unemployment rate of 2.9%, the lowest among the 27-member European Union, as reported by the bloc's statistical agency.Read More...
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Navigating Dutch housing: challenges and controversies in constructionConstruction of potentially up to 470,000 homes in the Netherlands is in jeopardy, according to experts, due to a recent guideline issued by the Ministry of Infrastructure and WaterRead More...
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Surge in burnout and depression among Belgian workers sparks concernThe number of individuals in Belgium experiencing prolonged absence from work due to burnout or depression has surged by 43% over the past five years. By the conclusion of 2022,Read More...
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Inflation up in four German states, pointing to modest national risePreliminary data released on Monday indicated that inflation increased in four key German states in April, hinting at a potential halt to the national downward trend and a slight reboundRead More...
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New regulations for non-EU workers in Flanders take effect in MayStarting from May 1st, significant changes to labor migration regulations will come into play in Flanders. While some procedures will become more streamlined for specific profiles,Read More...
News
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Belgian Princess Elisabeth sets course for HarvardThe Belgian Royal Court has confirmed that Princess Elisabeth, the heir to the throne, will pursue her education at Harvard University in Boston, marking a significant step in herRead More...
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Education unions initiate series of strikes across FlandersEducation unions ACOD Education, COC, and VSOA Education are set to organize demonstrations across five Flemish cities in May as part of a series of strikes. The unions' discontent stemsRead More...
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Algerian nationals can now be detained prior to deportation, court decidesThe highest Dutch court ruled on Monday that Algerian nationals whose asylum requests have been rejected can once again be detained pending their deportation.Read More...
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Transfers of asylum seekers to other EU member states increasingBelgium transferred 1,241 asylum seekers to another European Union member state last year, where they already had a pending procedure. The number of transfers by Belgium has been onRead More...
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Polish cheesecake ranked as world's No.1Polish ‘sernik’ has claimed the top spot on the list of the Top 8 cheesecakes in the world. Cheesecake. Cheesecake. Photo: PAP/Darek Delmanowicz According to TasteAtlas, which curated theRead More...
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Wealthy family to clear debts for 3,000 Rotterdam families, mirroring Arnhem's initiativeFollowing Arnhem's announcement to absolve debts for around 50 households in Immerloo, recognized as the most financially distressed area in the Netherlands, a Rotterdam-based family,Read More...
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'Good to be together': celebrating 20 years of Poland in the EUPoland's government has initiated a special social and informational campaign titled "Good to Be Together: 20 Years of Poland in the European Union," marking a significant milestone in theRead More...
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ÖBB unveils Summer Train Timetable with construction updatesAs summer approaches, Austria's ÖBB gears up for extensive construction activities in the eastern region, leading to adjustments in train schedules along certain routes.Read More...
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Rare book theft: Europol cracks down on international gangIn a collaborative effort involving European law enforcement agencies, Europol successfully apprehended four suspected individuals involved in the theft of antique and rare books.Read More...
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Entertainment
Malaysians went to the polls Wednesday in one of the country's closest ever elections which pits scandal-hit Prime Minister Najib Razak against his one-time mentor, 92-year-old former
President Hassan Rouhani said Wednesday that Iran "does not intend any aggression" against its neighbours but will continue to produce all the weapons it needs for its defence.
An asylum seeker claiming to be from Afghanistan faces his verdict in Germany on Thursday for the rape and murder of a student that fuelled a backlash against a mass migrant influx.
Trolling, impersonating, demonising: these are just some of the behaviours encouraged in a new online game launching Tuesday in which young players become "fake news tycoons"
A senior British MP on Wednesday accused Facebook of failing to seriously investigate possible Russian influence in the Brexit vote, after it found just three adverts linked to a known
A non-existent restaurant supposedly based in a garden shed briefly became London's top eating place on travel and restaurant website TripAdvisor, who on Thursday (Dec 7)
British low-cost airline EasyJet has named Johan Lundgren, the former deputy of TUI travel group, as its new chief executive, it said Friday.
Top fashion designers set out Sunday to prove the saying that a stylish woman can even look good in a bin bag.
Belgian husband and wife team Filip Arickx and An Vandevorst turned black plastic bin liners and dry cleaning sheaths into skirts and elaborate embroidered ball gowns in their debut Paris haute couture show.
Haute couture is the very pinnacle of the fashion world, with only an elite band of designers allowed to show their luxurious handmade creations in the French capital, some of which cost tens of thousands of dollars.
Mali's fabled city of Timbuktu on Thursday celebrated the recovery of its historic mausoleums, destroyed during an Islamist takeover of northern Mali in 2012 and rebuilt thanks to UN cultural agency UNESCO.
The dusty desert city formally received the keys to the precious shrines to Muslim saints dating back to medieval times at a ceremony consecrating their return that was held in the legendary Djingareyber mosque.
Al-Qaeda-linked insurgents wrecked 14 of the city's iconic earthen shrines built during Timbuktu's 15th and 16th century golden age as an economic, intellectual and spiritual centre.
To mark their reconstruction, five heads of cattle were ritually sacrificed just after dawn, ahead of a reading of the entire Muslim holy book the Koran and the handing of the keys to the families in charge of their care.
"This day celebrates the remarkable and courageous work accomplished to recover your dignity," UNESCO's Lazare Eloundou told the officials, diplomats and religious and traditional dignitaries attending the ceremony.
UNESCO has listed the city as a world heritage site in danger due to "its important role of commercial, spiritual and cultural centre on the southern trans-Saharan trading route, and its traditional characteristic construction techniques."
Islamist fighters destroyed the centuries-old shrines after seizing the city in April 2012, swiftly implementing a version of Islamic law which forced women to wear veils and set whipping and stoning as punishment for transgressions.
- 'Idolatrous' -
They considered the shrines, as well as priceless ancient manuscripts, to be idolatrous.
But in January 2013 they fled the city, driven out by a French-led international force which is still stationed in Mali but has failed to take control of remote northern reaches of the vast desert nation.
On billboards across the Florida Everglades, a burly Native American man pries open an alligator's mouth, pressing his face dangerously close to the reptile's 80 glinting teeth. "Adventures Await," the ads promise, as motorists whiz by.
The man's name is Rocky Jim, Jr., a 44-year-old Miccosukee Indian who has been wrestling alligators for 31 years, entertaining countless tourists from a sand pit and pond beneath a chickee hut along the Tamiami Trail, a two-lane road linking Miami to the port city of Tampa.
But on the final Sunday of 2015, the last remaining Miccosukee Indian in the century-old tradition of wrestling alligators decided it was time to step down, leaving no successors in sight among the tribe of around 600 people.
The end came just minutes into the 1 o'clock show, when Jim coaxed the alligator's mouth open by gently tapping its snout, then placed his hand inside.
The move is perilous only if something touches the alligator's palate -- a drop of sweat, a grain of sand -- causing the jaw to reflexively snap shut.
While pulling out his hand, he rotated it slightly and accidentally grazed a tooth.
The feeling was like "a door slamming on your hand. With sharp teeth," Jim said in an interview later.
But in the moment, as he looked down at his palm and forearm encased in the alligator's jaw, he had only one thought: "Don't shake."
"If it shakes, my hand is going to go with it," he told AFP, describing the thrashing motion alligators use to slice up fresh meat, much the same way as sharks.
"Its natural instinct is to do that," said Jim, who had been bitten several times before.