▶️Germany bridges require more funding, audit authority Bundesrechnungshof warns

▶️Datum: 2025-04-30

▶️Germanys deteriorating bridges require increased financial support, German federal authority for audit matters, Bundesrechnungshof, warned on Tuesday. According to the report, the country faced significant infrastructure challenges as many bridges are aging and in urgent need of repair or replacement. Despite some government funding, experts said the current budget and pace of renovations are insufficient to address the backlog, risking further traffic disruptions and economic damage. The Bundesrechnungshof have called for increased funding for the state-owned Autobahn GmbH but did not specify a precise amount, as the final requirement depends on how construction costs evolve. Many bridges were built in the 1960s-1980s, reportedly for lighter, less frequent traffic and now cannot handle current loads.

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▶️CDU/CSU nominates Johann Wadephul as German Foreign Minister

▶️Datum: 2025-04-29

▶️On Monday, the alliance of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) and the Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CSU)CDU/CSUnominated Johann Wadephul for German Foreign Minister. Specifically, Friedrich Merz, Chancellor-designate of the CDU, did the nomination. Wadephul would have to navigate maintaining Germanys close ties with the United States while also advancing efforts for Europe to act more independently in matters of security and foreign policy. Wadephul supports for more weapons to help Ukraine in the Russo-Ukraine War. Wadephul is a former military service member, lawyer, and conservative member of parliament. The CDU/CSU will be in office on May 6.

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▶️Explosion in Iran's largest port, Shahid Rajaee, heard 50 km away, leaves dozens killed, thousands injured

▶️Datum: 2025-04-29

▶️Tuesday, April 29,2025On Saturday morning, an explosion occurred at the Shahid Rajaee port in Bandar Abbas, Iran, leaving at least 40 dead and over 1000 injured, according to the Red Crescent Society. The explosion, which was reported to have been heard up to 31 miles away, caused windows in nearby office buildings to be blown out. Photographs showed "twisted" scraps of metal sprawled across the streets. At least one roof also collapsed. There were reports of victims pinned under collapsed walls. One of the people in the area told state TV "The entire warehouse was filled with smoke, dust and ashes. I don't remember if I went under the table or was thrown there by the blast". Prior to the explosion, there was a fire that was described as a "huge inferno. " One witness reported that the fire spread quickly before causing the explosion. According to a crisis management official, the incident stemmed from "the explosion of several containers stored in the Shahid Rajaee Port wharf area, " which were likely storing chemical materials. One private maritime risk firm, Ambrey Intelligence, said that the fire was the result of "improper handling of a shipment of solid fuel intended for use in Iranian ballistic missiles", "a shipment of sodium perchlorate rocket fuel discharged at the port in March 2025". The Financial Times newspaper had earlier stated that two vessels had brought the fuel from China to Iran. Ambrey has also quoted Iran's National Disaster Management Organisation's prior warnings to Shahid Rajaee port regarding the safe storage of chemicals. The resulting fire from the explosion was still burning one full day after the incident, and was characterized as expelling "thick columns of thick, black smoke" into the air. Rescue efforts are underway, and helicopters were dispatched in an attempt to subdue the flames.

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▶️Indian government bans 16 Pakistani YouTube channels in India

▶️Datum: 2025-04-29

▶️On Monday, April 28, the Government of India has blocked sixteen YouTube channels based in Pakistan, citing concerns over content it described as incitement and communally sensitive, particularly in the wake of a recent attack on tourists in Pahalgam, Kashmir. The Indian government has also issued a warning to the BBC. According to a report by NDTV, the decision was made following a recommendation from the Union Home Ministry. The banned channels reportedly had a combined subscriber base of around 63 million. Among those affected are major Pakistani news outlets, including Dawn, Sama TV, ARY News, Bol News, Raftar, Geo News, and Suno News. YouTube channels belonging to journalists Irshad Bhatti, Asma Shirazi, Umar Cheema, and Muneeb Farooq were also blocked. Additional channels named in the ban include Pakistan Reference, Sama Sports, Uzair Cricket, and Raji Nama. Officials have not disclosed specific details about the content in question, but emphasized the action was taken in line with Indias regulations on digital content and national security considerations.

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▶️Los Angeles Police release body cam footage of armed standoff between officers and wife of Weezer bassist

▶️Datum: 2025-04-29

▶️Tuesday, April 29,2025On Friday, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) released bodycam footage of an April 8 incident where Jillian Lauren writer, and wife of Weezer bassist Scott Shriner was shot by officers, arrested and charged with attempted murder following an armed standoff. Officers are heard in the video saying: "Maam, put the gun down! Drop the gun! Its the police. Maam, were trying to help. Come out with your hands up! Youre going to get shot! "The incident began when a large quantity of officers gave chase into the Eagle Rock neighborhood while attending to an unrelated hit-and-run incident on 134 Freeway. Lauren allegedly emerged from her home with a 9mm handgun, and officers say that when they demanded she drop the handgun, she failed to do so. This led officers to the conclusion that she was involved in the hit-and-run. Lauren had allegedly fired her gun at one of the hit-and-run suspects before pointing it LAPD forces, who had mounted their presence from behind a fence. She then allegedly opened fire on them. Officers fired at least eight shots in response. Lauren was struck by gunfire twice in the shoulder, prompting her to retreat back into her home. According to a 911 call, she believed she was defending her home against the hit-and-run suspects. She reemerged from the home an hour later along with someone who was reported to have been her child's babysitter. Both were taken into custody, and Lauren was hospitalized with what was said to have been "non-life-threatening" injuries. Lauren was the only injury reported in the incident. She was released from police custody after USD1 million bail was posted. Her next court date is scheduled for April 30. A spokesperson for LAPD noted they will analyse the footage, forensic and interview data for a few months and "evaluate the evidence to determine whether the officers tactics, drawing and exhibiting a weapon, and use of deadly force in this incident complied with LAPD policy. "On April 12, Weezer performed at the Coachella 2025 music festival in Indio, California with bassist Scott Shriner, only four days after the incident. Two days prior to the band's appearance at Coachella, Scott Shriner made a statement affirming that his wife was "alright. " The band did not make any mention of the incident during their set. The band's set contained a cover of "Enter Sandman" by Metallica.

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▶️Russian Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik dies in car bombing assassination in Moscow

▶️Datum: 2025-04-29

▶️Tuesday, April 29,2025On Friday, April 25, Russian Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik was assassinated in a car bomb explosion in Balashikha, a city east of Moscow, the country's Investigative Committee confirmed. According to local media outlets, Moskalik was walking past a car parked next to his house when a homemade improvised device detonated. Videos on social media showed a vehicle bursting into flames in front of a block of buildings. A second unidentified victim was also killed in the attack. A Ukrainian special services agent was detained on suspicion of carring out the attack, Russian authorities said. State-owned news organisation TASS reported that the suspect had been rewarded with US15,000 for the attack, which was planned since September 2024. The assassination occurs in the wake of similar killings of high-profile people linked to the Russian government, such as military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky in April 2023 and Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov last December. On the same day, US special envoy Steve Witkoff held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in order to discuss a possible end to the war.

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▶️Streaming platform Twitch bans rapper Kanye West seven minutes into first stream for performing "Nazi salute"

▶️Datum: 2025-04-29

▶️Tuesday, April 29,2025On Friday, streaming platform Twitch banned the channel of hip hop artist Kanye West seven minutes into his first stream. The reason for his ban was because he said "Heil Hitler" on his stream and did the Nazi salute. He implored his followers to "wear Swastika's. "Afterwards, his channel read, "This channel is temporarily unavailable due to a violation of Twitch's Community Guidelines or Terms of Service. "Although the channel was banned, the video generated millions of views on other social media platforms, such as YouTube. The incident came one month after West posted a video of himself wearing a diamond-encrusted swastika necklace with known racist Nick Fuentes, whom West referred to as his white supremacist homeboy. The two had attended a dinner at US president Donald Trump's Mar-a-lago home in 2022, which resulted in backlash. Earlier, West was quoted on X, saying: "Im a Nazi. . . . I dont like or trust no Jewish person, and this is completely sober with no Hennessy. He was also quoted saying: "Im racist. Stereotypes exist for a reason and they all be true. . . . You can get money with Jewish people but they always gonna steal and invite you over to they house on Friday. "There were calls for Elon Musk to ban West from X, including from David Schwimmer, who starred in the US sitcom Friends. Schwimmer was quoted saying: "We cant stop a deranged bigot from spewing hate-filled, ignorant bile. . . but we CAN stop giving him a megaphone, Mr Musk. "

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▶️Stunt pilot Rob Holland dies after crashing experimental aircraft

▶️Datum: 2025-04-29

▶️Tuesday, April 29,2025On Thursday, aerobatic pilot Rob Holland, 50, died when he crashed his experimental Aircraft MXS plane at Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, Virginia, United States. The message on the Rob Holland's official Facebook and Instagram pages says "It is with the heaviest of hearts that I am sharing that Rob Holland lost his life today, 24 April 2025, in an accident at Langley AFB, VA. The cause of the crash is not known at this time and is under investigation by the FAA, NTSB and DOD". The National Transportation Safety Board's lead investigator Dan Boggs said that there were no acrobatic maneuvers involved with the crash, and that Holland was attempting a "normal landing. "Prior to his death, Rob Holland was scheduled to make an appearance at the Air Power Over Hampton Roads airshow taking place the weekend of Saturday, April 26. The investigation is pending.

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▶️Iran and United States schedule fourth round of talks

▶️Datum: 2025-04-28

▶️On Saturday, April 26, Iranian delegation led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and United States (U. S. ) delegation led by U. S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff held the third round of talks for around six hours in Muscat, the capital of Oman, with Omani diplomats mediating. The high-level talks have aligned with the technical talks which have been postponed from Wednesday, the originally scheduled date, to Saturday. Majid Takht-Ravanchi and Kazem Gharibabadi from Iran and Michael Anton from U. S. lead the expert delegations. After the talks, Abbas Araghchi said "During the recent round of negotiations, we provided answers to the other side's questions, and the atmosphere was completely serious and work-focused. . . . It was agreed that further reviews would be conducted in the capitals ahead of the next meeting to identify ways to narrow the gaps. "Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr al-Busaidi stated that the talks had indicated "a shared aspiration to reach agreement based on mutual respect and enduring commitments". A senior US administration official spoke of the talks as productive and positive, saying "There is still much to do, but further progress was made on getting to a deal" and that both sides agreed to meet again in Europe "soon". Before this round of talks, Araghchi also attended the 29th Muscat International Book Fair on Friday, where he signed copies of his book "The Power of Negotiation" at the Dar Luban pavilion. The exhibition includes Iran's pavilion organized by the Iran Book and Literature House, in collaboration with the Cultural Attach Office in Oman. The next round of talks, both high-level and technical, was provisionally scheduled to be held on May 3, also in Muscat.

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▶️Kangala Wildlife Rescue rescues miniature dachshund Valerie 529 days after its escape on Kangaroo Island, Australia

▶️Datum: 2025-04-28

▶️On Friday, April 25, Kangala Wildlife Rescue have finally successfully trapped miniature dachshund Valerie that has escaped from her pen when her owners Georgia Gardner and Josh Fishlock visited Kangaroo Island in Australia in November 2023. The local team has set up a "rescue site" with cameras and a large dog trap designed as "her own little room". The large dog trap included dog toys and other scents of home to attract Valerie and remind her of home. One of the challenges was to set up a remotely operated trap door, since a simpler mechanism would be triggered by the local wildlife, such as possums who enjoyed visiting the large cage.

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