The world will be less peaceful in 2026 than it was a year earlier, but a small group of countries remain remarkably stable. According to the Global Peace Index, the peace situation deteriorated in 99 countries, though Iceland, New Zealand, Switzerland, Slovenia, and Ireland in particular remain at the top of the rankings. This is according to the 2026 Global Peace Index.
Het grootste geheim rond de Noord-Koreaanse leider Kim Jong-un is misschien wel zijn moeder. In vijftien jaar aan de macht heeft hij haar nooit publiek bij naam genoemd. Dat is zeker geen toeval. Haar afkomst botst immers frontaal met het door Pyongyang gekoesterde verhaal van de heilige “Paektu-bloedlijn”, de dynastieke mythe waarop de legitimiteit van het regime rust.
Elon Musk has given Armie Hammer’s comeback a major boost. The tech billionaire shared the new film “Citizen Vigilante” on X, instantly bringing director Uwe Boll’s controversial action film to a much wider audience. Boll had made the film available for free on the platform for 48 hours just before that.
Is Russia the promised land for those who are frustrated by the erosion of moral standards and want to return to traditional values? BBC World set out to investigate and sought out Westerners who are openly anti-woke and have moved to Russia.
Swiss glaciers are once again losing ice at an alarming rate this year, due to the ongoing heat wave in Europe. According to Glacier Monitoring in Switzerland (GLAMOS), the snow and ice cover that built up last winter will have completely melted away by Monday. This means that the so-called “glacier loss day” will once again occur exceptionally early.
When the summer heat in Rome becomes unbearable, residents are increasingly seeking relief underground. After all, beneath the city lies a vast network of catacombs, caves, tunnels, and ancient ruins where the temperature remains remarkably constant, usually around 17 to 18 degrees.
U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose a 100 percent import tariff on goods from countries that introduce a digital tax on U.S. technology companies. With the warning, he is primarily targeting European countries that, according to him, are on the verge of implementing such taxes.
After nearly two weeks on the run, Gracie the giraffe has been found in the rugged Texas Hill Country. The three-year-old giraffe was suddenly spotted from a helicopter on Friday morning, about six kilometers south of the ranch where she lives.
A preliminary investigation has been launched in France into reports of possible child trafficking via the secondhand platform Vinted. The investigation has been entrusted to the Office for Minors (Ofmin), the Nanterre public prosecutor’s office told AFP on Friday evening.
Starting in the 2026–2027 academic year, the Belgian Odisee University College will phase out the traditional bachelor’s thesis and associate degree thesis. These will be replaced by a practice-oriented final project directly linked to an internship or on-the-job training.