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OECD: Development aid plummets in 2025 amid USAID gutting

International development aid fell by 23% in real terms in 2025 to the lowest levels since 2015, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said on Thursday.  Preliminary data pointed to the largest dip in donations from members and associates of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) since records began.  For the first time on record

Hungary voters want new EU approach but tough on Ukraine

As Hungary's April 12 general election nears, opinion polls continue to point to a slight lead for Peter Magyar, the challenger to longstanding incumbent Viktor Orban, albeit with many voters still undecided and results varying by polling institute.  A poll published by IDEA in Hungary on Thursday found that 30% supported Orban's Fidesz party, 39%

Fact check: Orban points to Ukraine over pipeline bomb

During Easter, Serbian officials discovered two backpacks containing bombs and detonators near a key gas pipeline that transports Russian gas through the Balkans to Hungary.   "Our ⁠units ⁠found an explosive of devastating power," Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said in a post on Instagram.  Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto immediately hinted that

Coachella: History, Criticism and 2026 Sellout

It all started in 1993 when the rock band Pearl Jam were looking for an alternative venue that was not controlled by Ticketmaster, which it was boycotting at the time.  The Empire Polo Club, a desert oasis in the Coachella Valley in California, hosted some 25,000 people for their gig, giving the promoters the inspiration for an outdoor festival at the same site.  

Germany: Fare Evasion Can Lead to Prison

Does everyone who boards a public bus or train in Germany even know that riding without a ticket is a criminal offense that usually results in a €60 ($70) fine? Or that people who don't pay the fine might end up in jail? The somewhat unwieldy German word for this harsh penalty is "Ersatzfreiheitsstrafe" —

Hungary election: How football has helped Orban keep power

Amid the rhetoric and rabble rousing of JD Vance's promotional tour of Budapest in support of the "fantastic" Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, the significance of one of the venues may have been lost on many. The US vice president addressed a pre-election rally on Tuesday at the MTK Sportpark in Hungary's capital, Budapest. The venue, opened in 2025

Empty churches, new temples: Germany’s faith shift

In Erlangen, a city of 119,000 residents in northern Bavaria, a great deal is happening at once. Preparations are underway for a new synagogue for which the state of Bavaria has provided a plot of land near the university. The city's two major mosques are planning expansions. And in one of the city's suburbs, an association

Communities Waiting on Billions in FEMA Disaster Funding

The 2021 Caldor fire was a wake-up call for California's El Dorado County. The community is one of hundreds around the country waiting on a backlog at FEMA that's holding up disaster preparation projects. JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images/AFP hide caption toggle caption JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images/AFP Placerville, Calif. bears all the markers of

Women Are Getting Most New Jobs. What About Men?

The Labor Department says the vast majority of new jobs created over the last year went to women, most of them in health care. melitas hide caption toggle caption melitas In December 2016, as Donald Trump was headed to the White House for the first time, Betsey Stevenson offered the incoming president some economic advice.

This week’s quiz reveals a dramatic twist! OR DOES IT?

From left: Arsenio Hall, Stephen Colbert, Zendaya. Kevin Winter/Getty Images; Michael Loccisano/Getty Images; Monica Schipper/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Kevin Winter/Getty Images; Michael Loccisano/Getty Images; Monica Schipper/Getty Images Big news! Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of bitcoin, has — maybe — been unmasked. Coupled with the recent revelation of Banksy's — maybe — true
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