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On Friday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said his country was prepared to supply mine clearance and maritime reconnaissance to help secure the Strait of Hormuz. "We could provide mine-clearance vessels — we are good at that," Merz said, adding that a "sound legal basis" would be needed for such an intervention. His announcement followed consultations with

Skip next section Merz to convene National Security Council on energy crisis April 19, 2026 Merz to convene National Security Council on energy crisis Merz was speaking in Hannover where he met earlier with Brazilian President LulaImage: Martin Meissner/AP Photo/picture alliance German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he would "soon" convene the National Security Council to

Parts of rural northern India are currently exploding in color. Not just from the coming of spring, but seasonal festivals characterized by folk music, dancing, farmers in traditional dress, and dishes like sweet saffron rice.   Among them is Vaisakhi, which is an important festival date on the Sikh calendar. Held in the northern province of Punjab, it marks the successful growth of winter wheat, and crops like mustard, chickpeas, lentils, barley and sunflower seeds.  "When the crop

Ahead of the presentation of the 2025 figures for crime in Germany by the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), Susann Prätor has shared her thoughts on the issue of nationality and statistics. She is a sociologist, psychologist and legal scholar. Her work as an expert on crime draws on these diverse perspectives. More than a

Choked off shipping in the Strait of Hormuz isn't just grinding oil tankers to a halt. The Iran war is creating a one-two punch for the world's fertilizer supply, blocking both the export and one of its critical ingredients from leaving the Persian Gulf. It remains to be seen whether the temporary ceasefire reached on

Commuters drive past a giant billboard referring to the 'Strait of Hormuz' along a busy street in Tehran on April 19, 2026. Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images A U.S. negotiating team is headed to Pakistan Monday for a second round of peace talks with Iran –

Theonila Roka Matbob of Papua New Guinea is one of this year's Goldman Environmental Prize winners. She is being recognized for her efforts to repair the environmental and social harms caused by a copper and gold mine. Goldman Environmental Prize hide caption toggle caption Goldman Environmental Prize Theonila Roka Matbob was born in what should

Trump and Iran Talks, Iran Reacts to Ship Seized, Tariff Refunds Good morning. You're reading the Up First newsletter.  Subscribe  here to get it delivered to your inbox, and  listen  to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day. Today's top stories U.S. forces seized an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel

The groups on either side of the redistricting vote in Virginia have used images of former President Barack Obama and Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger on their mailers. Jahd Khalil/VPM News hide caption toggle caption Jahd Khalil/VPM News When Randi Buerlein arrived to vote early in Virginia's redistricting election, she said she didn't like what she

Johannes González, an instructor at Speedway Driving School in Hialeah, Florida, teaches Spanish-speaking students to memorize key words in order to pass the state's new English-only driving exam. David Ovalle/NPR hide caption toggle caption David Ovalle/NPR HIALEAH, FLORIDA - Construction worker Alex López, a native of Guatemala, gets by on job sites with broken English.