Author: Olive Metuge

There were so many details in the women’s reports to law enforcement that were hard for me to read. That they were just little girls when it happened. That a man many knew as the “fun uncle” had touched them sexually under their skirts and tops. And that it happened in church or while swimming at the lake or during games of hide-and-seek. They were as young as 5 years old, according to the police reports. Some could even remember what they were wearing when it happened: a fluffy multicolored skirt; a pair of jeans with purple flowers on them.…

Germany’s parliament, the Bundestag, has voted to introduce voluntary military service, in a move aimed at boosting national defences after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.It marks a significant shift in Germany’s approach to its military and follows Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s push to create Europe’s strongest conventional army.The change means that all 18-year-olds in Germany will be sent a questionnaire from January 2026 asking if they are interested and willing to join the armed forces. The form will be mandatory for men and voluntary for women.Students at schools across Germany have said they will join strikes in as many as 90…

Listen to this articleEstimated 5 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday revived a redrawn Texas electoral map designed to add more Republicans to the U.S. House of Representatives, boosting President Donald Trump’s quest for his party to keep control of Congress in the 2026 midterm elections.The Supreme Court, whose 6-3 conservative majority includes three justices appointed by Trump, granted a request by Texas officials to lift the lower court’s ruling blocking the map. The lower court had concluded in a 2-1 decision the map likely…

Nearly a quarter-century ago, the Supreme Court rejected a challenge in Federal Election Commission v. Colorado Federal Republican Campaign Committee to the constitutionality of limits on the amount of money that political parties can spend in coordination with a candidate for office. On Tuesday, Dec. 9, the justices will hear oral arguments in a case, National Republican Senatorial Committee v. Federal Election Commission, asking them to strike down the coordinated party expenditure limits and, if necessary, overrule that 2001 decision. Defending the limits, the Democratic National Committee argued that a ruling in favor of the challengers “will fundamentally reshape the…

Sponsored: Celebrate the season with skyline views, family feasts and a take-home roast, all in one waterfront addressIf your December calendar needs style and zero stress, Address Beach Resort in JBR has the season mapped out. The headline moment sits at ZETA Seventy Seven, the world’s highest outdoor infinity pool. On Wednesday, December 25, the Christmas Day brunch pairs panoramic sea and skyline views with a refined menu and live atmosphere. Prices are Dhs977 per person, Dhs1,777 per couple, with an elevated package at Dhs2,777. It is the kind of once-a-year setting that turns gifting into a view you will…

President Vladimir Putin has warned again that Ukrainian troops must withdraw from Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region or Russia will seize it, rejecting any compromise over how to end the war in Ukraine.”Either we liberate these territories by force, or Ukrainian troops will leave these territories,” he told India Today. Moscow controls some 85% of Donbas.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has ruled out ceding territory.Putin’s comments come after Donald Trump said his negotiators discussing a US peace plan believed Russia’s leader “would like to end the war” after Tuesday’s talks in Moscow.Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff, who was in Moscow, was due to…

Listen to this articleEstimated 4 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.The death toll from last week’s catastrophic floods and landslides in parts of Asia surged past 1,500 on Thursday as rescue teams raced to reach survivors and hundreds of people remained unaccounted for across the region.The latest figure came as meteorologists warned of renewed rainfall across parts of Indonesia — including the provinces of North Sumatra, West Sumatra and Aceh — in coming days, sparking fears of further devastation in areas already reeling from deadly floods.The tragedy was compounded by…

The Supreme Court on Thursday gave the green light to Texas’ efforts to be able to use a new congressional map favorable to Republicans in the 2026 elections despite a lower court’s ruling that the map unconstitutionally sorts voters based on race. In a brief, unsigned opinion, a majority of the court granted the state’s request to pause the ruling issued earlier this month by a three-judge district court in El Paso. That ruling had been on hold since Nov. 21, when Justice Samuel Alito – who handles emergency appeals from Texas – temporarily stayed it to give the justices…

It happens to be a What’s On favourite, too…The F1 drivers are in Abu Dhabi and have been spotted across the country over the past few days. As part of tradition (as of the last four years), the drivers got together for a group dinner to celebrate the end of the season.For their 2025 dinner, the group dined at none other than Zuma Abu Dhabi at The Galleria Al Maryah Island – widely regarded as one of the capital’s finest restaurants.The high-end Japanese restaurant is known and loved across the UAE for its cool vibe and modern Izakaya dining, which…

Reporting Highlights Powerful Friends: Well-placed allies, from U.S. senators to county officials, give ranchers leverage against regulators. They’ve sometimes pushed for fewer consequences for rule breakers. Chilling Regulators: Multiple current or former BLM and Forest Service employees told us that ranchers’ influential allies make enforcement of grazing regulations politically fraught. The Most Influential Ally: Trump is increasing support for ranching and appointing individuals sympathetic to the industry, including some who’ve sued over the enforcement of grazing regulations. These highlights were written by the reporters and editors who worked on this story. In late 2019, a pair of Montana ranchers got…