An American preacher who was taken hostage by armed men while preaching a sermon in a South African township last week has been rescued in a fierce gun battle with his kidnappers, police said Wednesday. Josh Sullivan, 45, was kidnapped last Thursday during an evening service in Motherwell, a township in Gqeberha, formerly known as Port Elizabeth, in South Africa’s ...

Prosecutors in Berlin on Wednesday charged a doctor suspected of administering lethal amounts of various medications to palliative patients under his care with 15 counts of murder. Prosecutors are also seeking a lifelong professional ban for the 40-year-old suspect, detained since August 2024, who had been active in several German states. The suspect, not officially named in line with German ...

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said he hopes Iran-backed Hezbollah can be disarmed this year, following an Israeli military campaign that left the group decapitated and significantly weakened. “We hope that Hezbollah’s weapons will be withdrawn or that their possession will be restricted to the state in 2025, and this is what I am striving for,” the United States-backed president said ...

Before Swedish slow TV hit “The Great Moose Migration” began airing Tuesday, Ulla Malmgren stocked up on coffee and prepared meals so she doesn’t miss a moment of the 20-day, 24-hour event. “Sleep? Forget it. I don’t sleep,” she said. Malmgren, 62, isn’t alone. The show, called “ Den stora älgvandringen ” in Swedish, and sometimes translated as “The Great ...

Putting prisoners of war in front of reporters and news cameras is almost certainly a violation of international humanitarian law. But Ukraine clearly felt any reputational damage it might suffer by doing so in a news conference this week would be outweighed by the fact that it featured two alleged captured fighters from China. There was more value in giving ...

The Maldives has banned Israeli passport holders from entering its territory, the president’s office said on Wednesday, accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza war, an allegation Israel has repeatedly denied. Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu ratified an amendment to the country’s immigration law after it was passed by parliament on Tuesday, a statement from his office said. ...

Nora Aunor, who became one of the biggest stars of Philippine cinema during a career that spanned seven decades, has died. Aunor died Wednesday, according to social media posts from her children. She was 71. No further details on the cause or place of her death were immediately given. Filipina actor Lotlot de León said on Instagram that her mother ...

Epic things are coming to Orlando. In a little more than a month, Universal will officially open the doors of its newest theme park, the first major theme park in the Florida area in 25 years, spurring a major shift in Orlando’s tourism industry. Epic Universe is the largest of all Universal properties at 750 acres and features five themed worlds: The ...

Chinese online retailer Temu, whose “Shop like a billionaire” marketing campaign made its way to last year’s Super Bowl, has dramatically slashed its online ad spending in the U.S. and seen its ranking in Apple’s App Store plunge following President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs on trade partners. Temu, which is owned by Chinese e-commerce giant PDD Holdings, had been on an online advertising blitz in recent ...

The proposal, received by Hamas on Monday, outlines an initial framework for a 45-day truce in the Palestinian enclave during which the two sides would aim to negotiate a permanent ceasefire, according to the official. The Israeli proposal also calls for the disarmament of Gaza, previously a red line for Hamas. It does not include a guarantee of a permanent ...