Spain: Wildfire kills several amid heat wave
At least 12 people have been killed in a wildfire in a tourist area of Spain's south, authorities said on Friday, as a scorching heat wave spreads through the region.
Regional emergency authorities said the victims included British and other foreign nationals. More than 20 people are still unaccounted for.
What do we know about the wildfire?
Six people had died in the hamlet of Bedar, Andalusia, as of Thursday evening, with four of the bodies found trapped in vehicles.
Six more bodies were later discovered in Los Gallardos, Andalusia's regional government said in a statement on Friday morning, taking the total number to 12.
The RTVE broadcaster described it as the "deadliest wildfire of the 21st century" in the popular holiday destination.
Over 1,000 residents from several communities were evacuated due to the wildfire.
Andalusian Minister of the Presidency, Health, and Emergencies Antonio Sanz said that formal identification of the victims was still underway but "everything appears to indicate that the majority, or possibly all, of those who died were foreigners." That includes the four bodies found in the vehicle which was a right-hand drive, suggesting the victims were British nationals.
"There are no words for such grief," he said earlier on Friday, calling it an "unprecedented tragedy."
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, and the King and Queen expressed their grief over lives lost in posts on X.
Meanwhile, Sanz urged residents to avoid the impacted areas, not take any risks and choose escape routes after coordinating with emergency services.
"The absolute priority right now is to save lives, and that is what all operational services are working tirelessly to achieve," he said.
Other injured residents were treated for various degrees of burns and respiratory issues arising from smoke inhalation.
Spain's emergency services combat flames
Authorities have mobilized about 150 firefighters and 220 soldiers from Spain's military emergency unit to rein in the spreading fire.
The firefighters are backed by five fire trucks, fire suppression technicians, and medical units.
Residents of several neighborhoods, including Almocaizar, Fuente del Albarico, Los Pinos, La Serena, and El Pinar, had been evacuated.
What caused the wildfire?
Earlier, witnesses told authorities that the blaze may have started after a power line fell, igniting the dry vegetation.
Authorities have not confirmed if this was the cause of the fire.
Spain, among other European nations, is facing a heat wave with scorching temperatures triggering orange weather warnings in recent days. That's the second-highest level of alert, which indicates significant danger.
The high temperatures dry out vegetation, increasing the risk of forest fires.
In May, Sanchez had said that Spain would launch its largest-ever wildfire response this year.
Spain recorded its worst wildfire in recent history in 2025, according to the European Forest Fire Information System, burning over 393,000 hectares (971,000 Acres), or about three times the size of Los Angeles, US.
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Edited by: Sean Sinico
Nigerian military rescues 46 abducted school children
The Nigerian military rescued 46 children who had been abducted by Islamist militants, Nigeria's government said on Friday.
The abductions occurred some two months ago at three schools in the town of Orire in southwestern Oyo state.
A Nigerian government spokesperson said that several militants were killed and eight were arrested in the operation to rescue the students.
More to come...
EU threatens Meta with hefty fine over 'addictive design'
The European Union has charged social media giant Meta with breaching the bloc's tech rules, threatening it with a heavy fine unless it changes Facebook's and Instagram's "addictive design."
This was revealed in the preliminary findings of an EU probe launched in 2024 to look into the US-based company's practices, especially in regards to protecting children. Brussels already issued a similar warning to TikTokback in February.
It is part of wider efforts by the EU to force Big Tech to better protect its users.
What are the EU accusations against Meta?
The European Commission said Meta had failed to properly assess the addictive risks posed by certain features of its popular social media platforms.
It argued that features such as highly personalized recommendations, autoplay and infinite scroll continuously feed users new content, making them more likely to stay longer on the apps.
Reels and stories, different video-sharing formats offered by Facebook and Instagram, could lead to excessive or compulsive use, the commission found.
Brussels also addressed Meta's measures to mitigate such risks, finding them inadequate. It said time management tools are easily dismissable, whereas parental controls needsignificant time, effort and technical knowledge to become effective.
In April, the EU also accused Meta of failing to prevent children under 13, the minimum age for using Facebook and Instagram in the EU, from using the platforms.
In order to avoid hefty fines, the commission said Meta must:
- Disable features such as autoplay and infinite scroll by default
- Introduce effective screen-time breaks
- Make its recommendation system less centered on driving engagement
"Protecting the physical and mental health of Europeans must be a priority for social media platforms," EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen said in a statement.
How did Meta respond?
Meta rejected the EU accusations, saying they do not recognize the steps it has taken to protect teens.
"Since this investigation began, we rolled out Teen Accounts that automatically protect teens and put parents in control - allowing them to block access to Instagram at night and cap daily screen time at just 15 minutes," Meta spokesperson Ben Walters said.
It vowed to continue to engage constructively with EU regulators.
"We share the European Commission's commitment to providing teens with safe, positive online experiences and will continue to engage constructively with them," Meta said in a statement.
What happens next?
If Meta fails to comply, it faces a fine of up to 6% of its global annual turnover. The tech giant can respond to the charges before a final decision is issued in the coming months.
"Our starting point is that, based on our findings, this design is too addictive and changes need to be made," EU tech chief Virkkunen told Reuters. "The next step is either that Meta changes its design or a non compliance decision will follow."
Last month, Meta failed to dismiss claims by 29 US state attorneys general that its Facebook and Instagram platforms are addictive to children.
Friday's findings come ahead of a Monday EU session where a panel of experts is due to deliver recommendations on how the bloc can better shield children online from inappropriate content.
The bloc is mulling a social media ban for children, akin to the one introduced in Australia late last year.
Edited by: Natalie Muller
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UK police arrest murder suspect in Ann Widdecombe's death
Authorities arrested a man on suspicion of the murder of Ann Widdecombe, police in southwest England announced on Friday, a few hours after news of the once-prominent politician being found dead emerged.
A Conservative government minister in the 1990s known for her sharp tongue, Widdecombe became an ally of right-wing populist Nigel Farage later in her political career.
What did police say about the case?
Police said nothing initially about a potential motive or backdrop in the nascent case.
"Our murder enquiry is in its early stages but moving at a significant pace," Detective Chief Inspector Ilona Rosson said. "We are deploying all necessary resources to find out exactly what has happened and to locate the person responsible who we believe to be a white male."
But soon after their initial announcement, police said that a white male, a British citizen aged 26, had been arrested and remained in custody.
Matt Longman from Devon and Cornwall Police said that, at least based on preliminary inquiries, the incident "is not being treated as terrorism" or as being politically motivated.
Police said they were called to Widdecombe's address in Dartmoor in Devon around midday on Thursday where she was found to have died having "sustained serious injuries."
Rosson appealed to anyone with information to come forward, "however insignificant" it might seem.
"We are particularly keen to hear from anyone who may have seen anything suspicious in the vicinity of Haytor Vale, Haytor, or anyone with CCTV, doorbell or dashcam footage which could assist with our investigation," Rosson said.
How did Prime Minister Keir Starmer respond?
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed condolences to Widdecombe's family and friends amid the "really shocking news," hailing Widdecombe as a "distinguished" politician.
"I think this is really important that this a moment where we rise above any political differences, the political divide," Starmer said soon before news of the suspect's arrest, saying the priority was to identify and secure a man who was "clearly dangerous."
Starmer said he had spoken with the speaker of parliament, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, Reform UK's Nigel Farage, and his heir apparent Andy Burnham "to urge everybody to come together at a moment like this and to urge everybody to help the police."
Who was Ann Widdecombe?
Widdecombe, 78, was a former government minister and Conservative member of parliament from 1987 until 2010, who held ministerial positions in John Major's UK government in the 1990s.
Widdecombe served as prisons minister after junior posts in the Department of Employment and working on social security.
After Labour came to power in 1997, she was a senior shadow minister in opposition, first as Shadow Health Secretary and then as Shadow Home Secretary. She sought the party leadership in 2001 but couldn't drum up enough support among fellow MPs to launch a bid.
She retired from politics at the 2010 general election, but returned to the frontlines amid the 2016 Brexit referendum.
A prominent supporter of Brexit, she became closely tied to Nigel Farage in later life, first joining the now-defunct Brexit Party and later moving to Farage's latest party, Reform UK. She was serving as the right-wing populist party's immigration and justice spokeswoman.
Widdecombe also featured on reality TV as a contestant on the "Strictly Come Dancing" show in its heyday in 2010, and later in the 21st series of "Celebrity Big Brother" in 2018, finishing as runner-up.
A later life convert to Catholicism — who described the Anglican Church decision to ordain women priests as "the last straw" — Widdecombe was known for her traditional views on various issues like law and order, immigration, climate change and sexuality.
Edited by: Natalie Muller
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Passenger partly sucked from Ryanair plane during flight
A Ryanair flight to southern Germany had to return the Greek city of Thessaloniki on Friday after a passenger window broke shortly after takeoff.
The pressure difference pulled the head and shoulders of the man sitting by the window outside the aircraft, and a desperate rescue effort ensued.
What happened on the Ryanair flight?
Travelers heard a loud bang during Friday's flight to Memmingen Airport in Bavaria after which the window pane smashed, and oxygen masks dropped from the ceiling.
The passenger sitting by the window had kept his seat belt fastened, which helped prevent him from being pulled farther out of the aircraft and eased the rescue, a witness told Radio Thessaloniki.
"His head and shoulders were sticking out of the broken window," one witness told Greek broadcaster ERT.
Some passengers began screaming while others, including the man's wife, struggled to hold and successfully drag him to safety.
Greek media identified the man as a Serbian tourist. He was taken to hospital in Thessaloniki with abrasions but was otherwise in good condition, according to Greek authorities.
Ryanair said the aircraft returned to Thessaloniki shortly after departure because "a passenger window became dislodged during the flight." The airline said the plane landed normally and that a passenger had received medical treatment.
What might have caused the incident?
Greek media reported that a piece from one of the aircraft's engines had broken off and struck the window while the plane was flying over North Macedonia.
Two sources familiar with the incident gave the same account to the Reuters news agency, although Ryanair did not identify the cause.
The return flight to Thessaloniki took around 20 minutes after the incident, according to a passenger.
The plane was identified as a Boeing 737-800.
Flight data showed that the same aircraft had returned to Thessaloniki shortly after taking off for Sarajevo on Thursday evening. It was not immediately clear why that flight was diverted. Authorities have opened an investigation.
Ryanair provided a replacement aircraft, which departed Thessaloniki at 9:53 a.m. local time (0853 GMT) and later landed in Memmingen.
Edited by: Natalie Muller
China retrieves booster in reusable rocket breakthrough
China on Friday successfully recovered the booster of an orbital-class rocket for the first time, marking a major advance in its push to develop reusable launch systems.
The Long March 10B lifted off from the Hainan commercial space launch site in southern China at 12:15 p.m. on Friday and placed a satellite into its designated orbit, state media reported.
What do we know about the Long March flight?
Around six minutes after the booster separated from the rocket's upper stage, it descended vertically toward an offshore platform and was captured by a net-based retrieval system.
Unlike the rockets used by US companies SpaceX and Blue Origin, which land autonomously on deployable legs, the Long March 10B uses four hooks to catch a net suspended above the sea platform.
China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology expert Chen Muye said the approach simplifies the rocket's onboard structure, reduces its weight and could increase payload capacity.
"It is also highly adaptable to landing-point deviations, as coordinated net systems can effectively expand the capture window," Muye told state media agency Xinhua.
How is China planning to deploy reusable rockets?
China has spent nearly a decade developing reusable rocket technology as it seeks to cut launch costs and support its rapidly expanding commercial satellite networks.
Previous recovery attempts by private company LandSpace and the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation failed during the final landing stage last year.
The Long March 10B is also part of the broader Long March 10 family that China is developing for planned crewed lunar missions before 2030. Data from Friday's flight could help validate technology for the country's lunar program.
Shares in several Chinese aerospace companies surged following the test, with China Spacesat and China Satellite Communications reaching their daily trading limits.
The Long March 10B can carry at least 16 metric tons into low-Earth orbit and has been compared to SpaceX's Falcon 9, which has a maximum payload of 22.8 metric tons.
SpaceX first landed a Falcon 9 booster following an orbital mission in December 2015. It now launches the rocket around 150 times a year, frequently reusing individual boosters dozens of times.
Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko
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Ukrainian drone strikes ignite fires at Russian oil sites
Ukrainian drone attacks sparked fires at an oil refinery, fuel depots and a port in southern Russia, local officials said on Friday, forcing residents to evacuate affected areas.
The latest strikes have hit Russia's oil infrastructure after President Vladimir Putin acknowledged that the repeated attacks were causing fuel shortages across the country.
What do we know about Ukraine's latest strikes on Russia?
Officials said the Ilsky refinery in the Krasnodar region caught fire after drone debris fell across the surrounding Severskaya district, including into the courtyard of a private home.
The refinery, which can process around 138,000 barrels of oil a day, has been targeted several times before.
In the neighboring Rostov region, firefighters battled blazes at two fuel depots in the Azov district and at the Taganrog sea port, Governor Yury Slyusar said on Telegram.
The Kyiv Post newspaper said early reports suggested the fire was at Taganrog's Kurgannefteprodukt oil terminal, which unloads and loads petroleum products onto sea-going vessels.
Taganrog Mayor Svetlana Kambulova said residents were evacuated from homes in the affected areas. A private house was damaged, while the roof of an administrative building caught fire.
Local authorities reported no injuries.
Russian authorities frequently attribute fires and damage following drone attacks to falling debris from intercepted drones. Ukrainian and independent accounts often describe the same incidents as successful direct strikes.
How effective are Ukraine's attacks on oil infrastructure?
Ukraine has intensified attacks on Russian energy and other infrastructure in recent months in an effort to weaken Moscow's ability to finance and sustain its war.
Repeated strikes on Russian refineries have contributed to fuel shortages, long lines at filling stations and higher prices across the country.
Putin last month said a task force was working to ease the fuel shortages, while saying the problems were "not of a critical nature.”
Kyiv describes the strikes as retaliation for Russia's near-daily attacks on Ukrainian civilians and energy infrastructure since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Russia's Defence Ministry said air defense units intercepted 376 Ukrainian drones overnight, including aircraft approaching the Moscow region.
Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko
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Bayeux Tapestry arrives in British Museum for historic exhibition
The Bayeux Tapestry has arrived in London for the first time in nearly a millennium, completing a secretive and complicated journey back to British soil.
The metal case holding the 11th-century medieval masterpiece was unloaded from a truck at the British Museum on Friday.
"It's a unique moment," museum director Nicholas Cullinan said after the tapestry arrived from France in the darkness of the early morning hours.
"It's the first time in 1,000 years that such an important piece of British — French too — history is going to be on these shores," he said.
Secured on loan from France, the tapestry will go on display at the British Museum from September 10 until July 2027.
Some 100,000 tickets were sold just on the first day of sales this month.
"I don't take for granted that people care that much about a 1,000-year-old embroidery. I think that's an amazing Thing," Cullian said.
The threads of history
The UNESCO-listed tapestry is a symbol of the intertwined, sometimes frictional histories of Britain and France.
Stitched in wool on linen fabric, the masterpiece shows the story of the Norman invader William the Conqueror, who crossed the Channel and defeated the English king Harald in the 1066 Battle of Hastings.
That was the last successful conquest of England.
Historians believe the tapestry was commissioned by Bishop Odo of Bayeux, William's half-brother, giving it its name. It is believed to be sewn by women in England, possibly nuns, before it was taken to the town of Bayeux in northwest France where it has spent most of the last 1,000 years.
The top secret transfer mission
The transfer comes about a year after French President Emmanuel Macron announced it in a diplomatic spirit to celebrate French-British relations.
However, the timings and details of the transfer were kept completely under wraps as part of a sensitive operation.
In Bayeux, the 70-meter tapestry was folded in accordion-style and stored in a climate-controlled case which was put into a cradle built to cancel out any vibrations.
The cradle was placed in a truck which crossed France on a vehicle train, through the Channel Tunnel, into the UK.
After an 11-hour journey, escorted by police, the truck slowly backed into the loading bay at the British Museum where workers carefully eased the case out.
Museum staff and British and French diplomats who had been watching the whole thing with slow anticipation broke into applause.
Even now, the tapestry will not be unpacked but left to acclimatize for days in the new environment before it is displayed.
Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko
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UK: Police attempt to remove loyalist bonfire 'hate display'
Police in the United Kingdom attempted to remove a replica of a mosque from the top of a loyalist "Eleventh Night" bonfire in Northern Ireland on Thursday night, prompting organizers to light the pyre a day early.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) had earlier said the display on the bonfire in the town of Moygashel in County Tyrone was being treated as a "hate-motivated criminal offense" and had charged a 56-year-old man with incitement to hatred.
Officers said they launched a "significant and complex policing operation" to remove the "hate display" and secure "offending material." But they said the bonfire was lit prematurely while the operation was at an "advanced stage."
A PSNI spokesperson said: "Had the bonfire not been lit, police would have secured the site, removed the offending material and seized it as evidence."
Chief Superintendent Norman Haslett said: "Hate crime has no place in our society and will not be tolerated," and added:
"That is why tonight we commenced a proactive policing operation to take action and remove the hate display from Moygashel Bonfire. Before police arrival the bonfire was set alight a day in advance to prevent removal of the criminal material. Where there is evidence that offenses have been committed, we will take robust action."
Northern Ireland: What are the bonfires all about?
The mosque replica, which was visible atop a pyre labeled with the Arabic words "Islamic fascism," had been widely condemned by political parties, religious leaders and human rights groups.
Signs reading "Secure our borders" and "End the threat of radical Islam" have also been placed on the pyre, which is due to be set alight on Friday night to mark the "Eleventh Night" on July 11, ahead of further unionist celebrations and parades on "The Twelfth" – July 12.
For the loyalist community in Northern Ireland, the bonfires commemorate the Glorious Revolution of 1688, when the Protestant King William III of Orange deposed the Catholic King James II of England, and the subsequent Protestant victory at the Battle of the Boyne in what is now the Republic of Ireland in 1690.
The Protestant community in Northern Ireland wishes to remain part of the United Kingdom and is opposed to the idea of Irish unification.
Most "Eleventh Night" bonfires pass off without incident but, in some cases, Catholic and Irish Republican symbols such as Irish flags or religious effigies are placed on the pyres before they are set alight, sparking sectarian controversy.
In recent years, anti-immigration symbols have also appeared on bonfires, including in Moygashel last year, when politicians condemned effigies of migrants in a boat which were burned along with a sign reading "Stop the boats."
The three-word phrase refers to the illegal English Channel crossings by asylum-seekers and has become a rallying cry for anti-immigrant sentiment in the UK.
This year's controversy comes just weeks after Northern Ireland was rocked by violent anti-immigration rioting mainly in pro-British areas following a knife attack by a Sudanese asylum-seeker.
Bonfire organizers: Act of 'political protest'
The organizers of the bonfire, the Moygashel Bonfire Association, claimed the mosque replica was an act of "political protest" against "uncontrolled illegal mass immigration," which they said was "an issue of significant public interest."
A statement insisted that the bonfire display "expressly does NOT target any individual" and that the group was opposed to "ideology and government policy" rather than people.
"If there was no uncontrolled illegal mass immigration, we would have no need to protest on this issue," they said.
UK minister: 'Cowardly act of intimidation'
But local politicians, religious leaders and human rights organizations saw it differently.
The UK's Northern Ireland Secretary, Hilary Benn, described the addition of the replica mosque to the bonfire display as a "sickening and cowardly act of intimidation."
"This is not about tradition, and in no way does it represent the vast majority of people in Northern Ireland," he said.
Amnesty International described it as a "vile display" and a "blatant attempt to stir up anti-Muslim hatred and intimidate local families."
Local Protestant Archbishop John McDowell and Catholic Archbishop Eamon Martin issued a joint statement describing the incident as "grossly offensive" and urged people to show tolerance of other religions.
"We urge Christians, and all people of good will, to reflect carefully on their actions which can ignite violence against innocent people, all of whom are made in God's image and are therefore worthy of respect and compassion," they said.
"We want to assure our Muslim fellow citizens and those who are living and working here of the goodwill and respect of the majority of people here," they added.
Unionist politicians condemn 'offensive display'
Loyalist politicians emphasized the right of the unionist community to celebrate its traditions and to conduct political protests, but insisted that this should always remain lawful.
"The 11th of July bonfires are a historic and cultural tradition stretching back to the fires lit to welcome the arrival of King William III," said a spokesperson for the British nationalist Democratic Union Party (DUP).
"These should be positive cultural celebrations. We support those within our community that wish to celebrate their culture by continuing with that tradition in a peaceful way," the spokesperson said. "The placing of flags, effigies or other items on bonfires is not part of that tradition and should not take place."
Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) leader Jon Burrows called for the "immediate removal of the offensive display," which he said "undermined" an "important cultural tradition."
"Sadly," he said, "images of this bonfire will once again travel around the world, damaging Northern Ireland's reputation and playing into the hands of critics of unionist and loyalist culture."
Edited by: Sean Sinico
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US: Charlie Kirk murder suspect 'regretted' act, roommate says
Prosecutors in the US state of Utah on Thursday presented critical evidence in the case of the suspected murderer of high-profile conservative youth leader Charlie Kirk. Prosecutors played parts of an interview with the suspect's roommate, Lance Twiggs.
Kirk was shot in the neck last year in front of a large crowd of students who came to hear him speak at Utah Valley University.
A close ally of President Donald Trump, Kirk has been credited with motivating young voters to turn out for him in the 2024 US presidential election.
Tyler R. faces seven criminal charges, including aggravated murder. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
The suspect has not entered a plea in the case.
Twiggs, who was romantically involved with the suspect, agreed to be interviewed with prosecutors and police in exchange for immunity in the case.
Prosecutors allege that Tyler R. confessed to Twiggs in a note that he had the opportunity "to take out Charlie Kirk" and that he was going to take that opportunity. He also allegedly told Twiggs in a text message that he targeted Kirk because he "had enough of his hatred."
The roommate spoke to authorities two days after the Kirk murder and again on April 20.
The judge in the case barred parts of Twigg's interview from being played in the courtroom at the defense's request. The defendant's lawyers argued prosecutors would portray the clips as "confessions" and jeopardize the defendant's right to a fair trial.
What did the roommate say?
In what was played of the April 20 interview, Utah County prosecutor Ryan McBride asked Twiggs about text messages exchanged with Tyler R. in the hours after Kirk's killing.
The suspect allegedly admitted through text messages that he shot Kirk and returned to their three-bedroom townhouse the day after the murder.
"I just asked him in person if what he said was true the night before, and he said it was. He started crying a little bit and said he wishes he hadn't done it," Twiggs said in the interview.
Twiggs also told officials that he and the suspect rarely discussed politics and that the first time they spoke of Kirk was after the shooting had happened.
Kirk family wants evidence made public
Charlie Kirk's parents and his widow, Erika Kirk, attended the court hearing in person. Utah Republican Senator Mike Lee was also in attendance.
Attorneys for the media and for Erika Kirk asked the judge to make Twiggs' statements and other evidence public.
"To not be transparent, to not be open and let the world see what happened will create doubt and distrust in the judicial system,” Kirk family lawyer Jeffrey Neiman said.
The judge rejected the request, saying that not all evidence would be openly displayed. He reminded lawyers and the Kirk family that the rights of both victims and the defendant must be protected.
Edited by: Sean Sinico
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Vietnam's baby bonuses unlikely to stop the aging clock
On July 1, Vietnam's first Population Law took effect, introducing a range of measures aimed at encouraging couples to have more children.
Women in targeted groups will receive a minimum childbirth subsidy of about €66 ($75).
Female employees who give birth to a second child are now entitled to seven months of maternity leave, up from six, while paternity leave for fathers whose wives have a second child has doubled to 10 working days.
Subsidies for prenatal and newborn screening will initially be offered to targeted groups before expanding nationwide in January. Families with at least two biological children may also receive priority access to social housing.
The law follows Vietnam's decision last year to scrap its longstanding two-child policy. However, reversing demographic trends will not be easy. Vietnam's fertility rate dropped to a record low of 1.91 children per woman in 2024, well below the replacement level of around 2.1.
By 2050, the share of Vietnam's working-age population, those aged 15 to 64, is projected to fall from 68.6% to 63%. Meanwhile, the proportion of the population aged 65 and over is expected to rise from 8.4% to 21.2%, according to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.
A key concern is that Vietnam grows old before it becomes wealthy. GDP per capita reached about $5,000 last year, significantly lower than the levels achieved by Japan, South Korea and Singapore when they were at Vietnam's stage of societal aging.
"If countries age before becoming rich, economic growth may slow, while income inequality and pressure on healthcare and social support systems may increase," Bussarawan Teerawichitchainan, an associate professor of sociology and co-director of the Center for Family and Population Research at the National University of Singapore, told DW.
"This could have serious implications for well-being, especially among older adults with limited resources," she added.
A region aging at different speeds
Across Southeast Asia, falling fertility rates and longer life expectancy are reshaping societies, though at varying rates.
In Singapore, the number of people aged 60 and above surpassed those under 15 around 2010. Thailand reached the same point in the mid-2010s. Vietnam is projected to follow by around 2035, according to the UN.
A growing elderly population places additional strain on healthcare services and the state, which must cover pension payments and other forms of social support.
That is especially concerning in Vietnam, where pension and social-insurance coverage remains uneven, particularly among the country's large informal workforce.
Thailand's experience shows that higher income levels do not eliminate these challenges. Its welfare system, healthcare sector and labor market are already adjusting to a shrinking workforce and a rapidly growing elderly population.
Aging trends vary across Southeast Asia, creating both challenges and opportunities.
Thailand has long depended on migrant workers from neighboring Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, where working-age populations are expected to grow or remain static by 2050.
Migration can help ease labor shortages in sectors such as construction, agriculture, manufacturing and care work, though it also requires governments to strengthen migrant rights and access to services.
Singapore has long relied on immigration and foreign labor to support its workforce, even as migration remains politically sensitive.
Vietnam, by contrast, has a small immigrant population and has shown little inclination to rely on large-scale inward migration in response to aging.
Beyond the race for more babies
However, a growing chorus of analysts and experts argues that governments should rethink the conversation. Instead of viewing aging solely as an economic problem to be solved by increasing births, governments must focus on enabling people to live longer, healthier and more productive lives.
In Thailand and Vietnam, policy debates remain heavily focused on the total fertility rate because it provides a clear and measurable target, said Wiraporn Pothisiri, an associate professor at Chulalongkorn University's College of Population Studies.
Yet, "fertility has continued to decline despite these efforts, suggesting that low fertility is driven by broader structural economic and social changes that cannot be reversed through pronatalist policies alone," she told DW.
These underlying factors are the consequences of the rapid urbanization and industrialization seen across Southeast Asia since the early 1990s.
Pothisiri argued that a more effective approach would be to help couples achieve their desired family size while strengthening the health, productivity and resilience of the existing workforce.
"Unlike higher fertility, whose economic benefits will not be realized for at least two decades, reducing preventable mortality can strengthen demographic resilience immediately by preserving the existing and future workforce, particularly in countries with large avoidable mortality gaps," she added.
This would require investment not only in childcare and family support, but also in preventive healthcare, flexible retirement policies and technologies that help older people remain independent.
Countries that are better prepared are those that treat aging as a societal transformation, not only as a fertility problem, Teerawichitchainan said.
Singapore is a useful example, she noted. "It has combined efforts to raise fertility with policies on active aging, workforce retraining, extended working lives, healthcare planning and differentiated immigration channels for professionals as well as middle- and lower-skilled workers."
Mindset change needed?
Another mindset change would see an aging population as a sign of success.
"Everybody wants to live longer. Yes, there are challenges, but we should not forget that it is a celebration," Aris Ananta, a professor of economics at Universitas Indonesia, told DW.
Ananta said governments should promote "active and healthy aging," extending the period during which people remain healthy, independent and socially engaged.
That includes allowing older people to work for longer, easing the strains on the economy as the working-age population declines.
The success of this approach will mean that being "old" no longer starts at 60 or 65, but at 70, 75, or even 80, Ananta added.
Such a shift would not eliminate demographic pressures, but it would redefine success, moving beyond simply increasing birth rates to ensuring that longer lives are healthy, productive and secure.
Edited by: Srinivas Mazumdaru
Mayor of Berlin says he won't run for reelection
In the end, it was one little white lie too many: Kai Wegner, Mayor of the German capital Berlin and a member of Chancellor Friedrich Merz's center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), has decided not to run again in the upcoming Berlin state election in September. He made the announcement on Friday afternoon, insisting that he intends to remain in office until then: "I was elected as Mayor," he said, almost defiantly, at a press conference.
Since April 2023, Wegner has led a coalition of conservatives and center-left social democrats. He later drew negative headlines for his decision to play tennis during power outage across a sizeable stretch of the German capital at the start of the year.
Reputational fallout from Berlin power outage
On January 3, 2026, a power outage struck the southwestern part of Germany's largest city. The reason: Unknown perpetrators had carried out an arson attack on high-voltage cables.
This left some 45,000 households without electricity and heating during sub-zero temperatures. It took more than four days to reconnect all residents to the grid, making it the longest power outage in the city since World War II.
About 100,000 people were affected. The power outage hit private households, hospitals, schools and most dramatically nursing homes, from where the elderly had to be evacuated to heated shelters.
The far-left extremist group "Vulkangruppe" initially claimed responsibility for the attack but later denied it. The attack sparked a debate about the security of key infrastructure in Berlin, as well as the city's crisis response plans.
A tennis match instead of visiting a shelter
And Mayor Kai Wegner? He went to play tennis that day.
He only admitted this after persistent questioning by journalists. But, he said, he had been reachable at all times and had immediately begun to coordinate the city's efforts to help people via telephone.
Yet time and again, his account got tangled up in half-truths, and he only admitted what the media had already uncovered about his dubious role on that bitterly cold day in January. The reputational dent remained: Berlin's most powerful politician had not taken the city's worst power outage since the end of World War II seriously.
And this week it turned out that Wegner had not, as claimed, handled the situation by phone on the day itself. Now, suddenly, the talk was only of a few text messages. And that's when even the conservatives in the capital lost their patience: The CDU's youth organization, the Junge Union, called on Wegner to withdraw his candidacy for the September election, and CDU members in the capital made the same demand in an open letter.
Now, it is unclear who will run for the CDU in the September election in place of Wegner. In what has been seen as linked due to the scandals surrounding Wegner, the CDU has slipped to fourth place in the polls — behind the socialist Left Party, the environmentalist Greens, and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).
For that reason alone, it is hard to imagine that Wegner will be able to simply remain in office until the election, as announced.
This article has been translated from German.
Trump signals support for Patriot production in Ukraine
NATO members agreed a comprehensive military aid package for Ukraine totaling €140 billion at their recent Ankara summit. In addition, after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, US President Donald Trump announced that he intends to grant Ukraine a license to produce Patriot air defense missiles on its own soil.
These missiles are crucial for defending the country against Russian ballistic attacks. It has been reported that Ukrainian Patriot missiles stockpiles are running low. Indeed, the Ukrainian Air Force was unable to shoot down a single Russian missile during the massive attack on July 6.
The US intends to share its Patriot technology with Ukraine and grant it the right to produce the air defense missiles, Trump said. He also said the US was willing to provide any necessary support.
Trump also said he wants to buy Ukrainian drones, marking a complete reversal in his attitude toward Ukraine's defense industry, which he had previously dismissed. Now, however, he praised the country's extensive drone manufacturing capabilities.
He called it "amazing" that Ukraine was still able to build drones "in a war situation." Ukrainian drone expertise is widely sought after, including in Europe, and numerous countries signed drone agreements with Ukraine at the recent Ankara summit.
A historic decision
Ukraine would be the third country in the world — after Japan and Germany — granted the right to produce Patriot missiles. Going from political declarations to the actual production stage, however, will take years, says military expert Oleh Katkov, editor-in-chief of Defense Express, a Ukrainian media and consulting company.
"That's really great, it's a historic moment," Katkov told DW. "But it's important to realize that a process like this doesn't take just a few days or weeks. Despite its industry, skills, and expertise, it took Japan two years from reaching the agreement to starting production. We are likely still only in the stage of the Ukrainian and US governments reaching a general political agreement."
He told DW a government-level agreement needs to be finalized before defense contractors begin cooperation. Only then, Katkov said, will it be possible to negotiate with the US companies that hold the rights to the Patriot missiles.
"PAC-3 missiles are manufactured by Lockheed Martin, and PAC-2 missiles are built by RTX (Raytheon)," Katkov explained. "These companies must first draw up contracts with Ukrainian firms and only then can we talk about starting production in Ukraine."
Ukraine's Centre for Defence Strategies director Oleksandr Khara noted that the issue goes beyond whether Ukraine will receive a license to produce Patriot missiles. "I really hope there aren't any hidden conditions," Khara told DW. "Like expecting Ukraine to make concessions to Russia before it receives these Patriot missiles. We can expect all kinds of things from the current US administration."
Ihor Reiterovych of Kyiv's Taras Shevchenko National University, however, voiced doubts the Patriot missile agreement will be implemented soon. "This is more of a symbolic matter," the political analyst told DW. "First and foremost, it's a message to the Russian Federation: 'Look at what might happen next.' It is clear, however, that Ukraine will need a lot of time to actually establish Patriot missile production in its country."
The White House is showing the Kremlin that it is not abandoning Ukraine but supports it, Reiterovych said. "If it does not produce Patriots now, then Ukraine will do so in the future, and that should serve as a warning to Russia."
Is Ukrainian NATO membership off the agenda?
What was striking about the Ankara summit was that there was almost no discussion of Ukraine's potential NATO membership. Oleksandr Khara mainly attributes this to Trump's stance. "Even before his return to the White House, Trump made it clear that he is opposed to Ukraine joining NATO," adding that "if the alliance's most important country takes such a position, it's clear that no one is going to seriously discuss membership now." Khara nevertheless thinks Kyiv should not abandon its strategic goal of joining the bloc.
Europe will continue to maintain a collective security system, and Ukraine should be part of it, Khara told DW. "We will not be able to contain Russia on our own in the long run."
Even though Ukraine's possible NATO accession was not discussed in Ankara, Ihor Reiterovych believes the summit was still a success for Kyiv. That is because discussions focused on Ukraine, indicating its key role in European security matters, Reiterovych said.
This article was translated from German
Iran after Khamenei: A new order takes shape
The Islamic Republic of Iran is entering a new political era as Iranians on Thursday prepared to bury their slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in his hometown of Mashhad in northeastern Iran.
His son and successor Mojtaba Khamenei still remains hidden from public view after being disfigured in the US air strike that killed his father when the Iran war began on February 28.
The younger Khamenei — the Islamic Republic's third supreme leader since the 1979 Revolution — was conspicuously absent from even the official mourning ceremonies for his father.
This leadership transition in Iran represents far more than a simple change at the top of the state.
It is the culmination of a profound institutional transformation that unfolded during Ali Khamenei's nearly four decades in power.
Reza Talebi, a political analyst, said Khamenei gradually reshaped the power structures of the Islamic Republic.
"Unlike Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who established a system after the revolution that rested on revolutionary legitimacy and his personal authority, Ali Khamenei began systematically restructuring that system,” Talebi told DW.
Over the past 37 years, the influence of senior clerics and Shiite semnaries over key political decisions has steadily diminished, he pointed out. In their place, security institutions, the Office of the Supreme Leader, and the political and military networks associated with it have become increasingly dominant, the expert added.
Former presidents appear sidelined by the regime
This transformation has also altered the role of Iran's elected institutions. In Talebi's view, presidential elections have increasingly evolved into contests conducted within a pre-defined political framework.
Although presidents from different political factions were able to pursue their own domestic priorities, they had limited room for maneuver in strategic areas such as foreign policy, the nuclear program, and regional affairs, Talebi said.
Notably, during the six-day state mourning ceremonies for Ali Khamenei, none of the Islamic Republic's three former living presidents — Hassan Rouhani, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and Mohammad Khatami —appeared alongside other leading figures of the political establishment.
Instead, official images focused on representatives of the security apparatus, particularly commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as well as incumbent President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Pezeshkian is widely believed to have maintained a close working relationship with Mojtaba Khamenei. He played a central role in negotiations aimed at ending the Iran war.
The conflict, which began on February 28 with US and Israeli attacks on Iran and ended nearly six weeks later in a fragile ceasefire, gave way to a diplomatic process that Mojtaba Khamenei eventually approved.
Prior to that, according to a statement attributed to him and circulated by state media, he had "in principle" held a different position.
The statement said that he agreed to the negotiations after President Pezeshkian, acting as chairman of the Supreme National Security Council, assured him that he would "safeguard the rights of the Iranian people and the interests of the Axis of Resistance."
A more confident IRGC
Alongside Pezeshkian, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf — a former IRGC commander and current parliament speaker — also played a key role in talks with the United States.
On June 14, 2026, the United States and Iran agreed on a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) designed to serve as the basis for negotiations on a broader agreement.
However, following the latest escalation in the Strait of Hormuz, US President Donald Trump cast doubt on the future of the talks with Tehran, while leaving his next steps unclear.
"Iran interprets Article 5 of the Memorandum of Understanding to mean that the phrase 'the Islamic Republic of Iran will make arrangements' gives Iran the sole authority to establish the necessary conditions for reopening the passage [Strait of Hormuz]," wrote Hamidreza Azizi, a political scientist specializing in Iranian foreign and security policy, on the platform X.
Iran regards control of the Strait of Hormuz as one of its most important strategic bargaining chips. Tehran therefore wants to prevent the establishment of alternative shipping routes — such as those passing through Omani waters and involving the United States or international organizations — without Iranian approval.
The IRGC has played a decisive role in the escalating confrontation with Washington.
According to Mojtaba Najafi, a France-based researcher specializing in emerging political and social movements, the war involving the United States, Israel, and Iran has significantly strengthened the IRGC's confidence as a political and social force.
An internal power struggle?
The crisis has not translated into greater influence for moderate factions, including supporters of former President Rouhani, who signed the 2015 nuclear agreement.
"We are likely to witness an internal power struggle within the Revolutionary Guards, and Iran's future direction will revolve around this axis," Najafi told DW.
In her assessment, the core power centers in Iran currently see little reason to make significant concessions to moderate political forces outside their network.
Whether the Islamic Republic's entrenched power elite will rally behind Mojtaba Khamenei and allow him to redefine its direction — or whether he himself, reportedly having suffered serious injuries, will become an instrument of those same power centers — remains to be seen.
Edited by: Srinivas Mazumdaru
Why the World Cup can be good for your mental health
It's the kind of thing many football fans experience during World Cup watch parties: The "home" team scores a goal and fans in a beer garden or pub cheer as one – and may even embrace in celebration – even though they had been complete strangers just moments earlier.
For Katie Wood, a clinical psychologist at Swinburne University in Melbourne, these shared moments can actually support mental health.
"The greatest protective factor for our mental health is connectedness—the connection to ourselves, to other people, to our community, and to our culture," Wood told DW. And sport, in her view, hits exactly this note; it brings people together.
This form of connection isn't limited to families or friends. It can also emerge when, for a brief moment, one feels they are part of something bigger. A World Cup is the perfect setting for giving people this sort of feeling.
Americans celebrate alongside Algerians
What this looks like in practice has been on show throughout this World Cup: fans from a wide variety of countries cheer together, swap jerseys, or suddenly find themselves side-by-side supporting the same team.
In Lawrence, Kansas, the city center was spontaneously transformed into a green-and-white public viewing area during the match between Algeria and Austria. Because the Algerian national team had set up its World Cup base there, hundreds of local Americans turned up wearing Algerian jerseys, with the national colors painted on their faces and flags in their hands.
It is also becoming evident elsewhere just how quickly football can build bridges. After the Round-of-16 match between Switzerland and Colombia in Vancouver, DW observed two fans swapping jerseys as a memento of the evening they had shared. In Seattle, meanwhile, following the USA's elimination, a Belgium supporter was seen comforting a disappointed American fan.
A visitor to San Francisco told DW about a moment that stuck with him: "A man saw my jersey. He didn't know me at all. He walked up, hugged me, and simply said, 'This is the World Cup.'"
A sense of belonging: a fundamental need
Katie Wood sees this as the unique strength of a tournament like the World Cup. People who might never have crossed paths in everyday life share the same emotions for a brief time.
"You can come from vastly different walks of life. But the moment you support the same team, a collective experience with a shared goal emerges."
That goal taps into a fundamental need that many underestimate: the need to belong. It makes no difference whether someone has been a fan for decades or is watching a match for the very first time. What matters more is the shared experience, the tension before kickoff, the roar when a goal is scored, the shared frustration after a defeat.
"No one knows what we go through as human beings day in and day out," a visitor at a fan zone told DW. "That's why moments like these are so special."
And even those without a favorite team can get caught up in the atmosphere.
"I'm just happy," a visitor in Philadelphia told DW. "I don't even have a team, but I've come to love watching the games."
An escape from the stresses of everyday life
The World Cup can offer a way to step back from everyday life for a while.
"When so much is happening in the world, we look for ways to escape our daily routine for a bit," Wood explained. "And experiencing the World Cup—with all the excitement surrounding it—together with other people is a very healthy way to do that."
Of course, the focus of a tournament like the World Cup is usually the football itself. For many fans, however, the strongest memories of a World Cup are about the moments that happened on the fringes of the match itself.
This article was originally published in German.
Edited by: Jonathan Harding
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