Author: Milton Fernandez

“When I was abroad, I saw them on pretty much every city block. I would love to have the same thing here in the US.” Whenever you visit a new place, there are likely to be aspects of daily life there that feel totally new. And personally, I love discovering international habits or customs I wish I could adopt back home. So Redditor u/danielgmal asked, “What did you experience in another country that you wish you could make a part of your regular life?” Here’s what people said. 1. “The cafe culture that is so common in France. I loved just sitting at an outdoor cafe…

Beijing, Dushanbe announced upgrading of diplomatic relations. Chinese President Xi Jinping has promised to defend the “territorial integrity” of Tajikistan as he announced a boost to diplomatic relations with the neighbouring country on a rare visit. Xi arrived in the Tajik capital Dushanbe, Thursday night from Kazakhstan following a gathering of leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), during which he held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and urged the bloc to “resist external interference”. Central Asia is a vital link in China’s flagship Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a massive infrastructure project that Beijing has used to expand…

Paris/Jakarta (24/7 – 28.57). “Coffee is the common man’s gold, and like gold, it brings to every person the feeling of luxury and nobility.” – Sheik-Abd-al-Kadir A friend recently opened a coffee shop is called after its owner, Muteeya. Though modest, it embodies the burgeoning coffee culture found in Paris, London, the US, and now Jakarta. The coffee is steaming hot, and soft tunes fill the air. Outside, rain pounds against the window, streaking down and forming small puddles on the street. As I gaze through the glass blurred by water, I take a sip of my warm coffee,…

Kyiv (8/07 – 62.5) Ohmatdyt Children’s Hospital in Kyiv was hit in renewed strikes by Russian terror attacks with rockets against Ukrainian targets. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said at least 41 civilians dead, seven of them children, and many others were injured. Search parties combed the debris and continued to look for the killed and injured. Volunteers are searching for the destroyed children hospital on the ground. Nurses and doctors are working to save and evacuate patients and visitors. Cries of young patients are heard rising from the debris with emergency services not reaching them. The Russian terror attack comes…

Budapest (5/7 – 11.11) Former European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker defended U.S. President Joe Biden after his disastrous debate performance last week and warned of his rival Donald Trump’s “incomplete mind and flawed reasoning,” in an interview with Brussels Playbook. Juncker, who was Commission president from 2014 to 2019 during much of Trump’s presidency, said he had yet to watch last week’s debate, which triggered calls for Biden to step aside and make room for someone else to run as the Democratic presidential candidate. Still, Juncker insisted that “one can be of a certain age … and do a good job.” But Juncker…

Paris, Brussels, Kiev (11 June – 75) This meeting followed Macron’s announcement that France would be supplying Mirage combat aircraft to Ukraine, bolstering the country’s defense against Russia’s aggression. Zelenskyy’s visit to France coincided with his quest for additional Western support, particularly as Ukrainian forces battled fiercely to repel a Russian offensive near the eastern city of Kharkiv. The conflict, escalating rapidly, has become the largest in Europe since World War II, underscoring the urgent need for international solidarity and assistance. Amidst these grave circumstances, the diplomatic exchange between France and Ukraine exemplifies the crucial alliance and shared commitment to…

Dubai/Astana (10 June – 60). The Pamiris are an ethnic minority group in Tajikistan, culturally distinct from the majority Tajik population. They have faced persecution and discrimination in their mountain homeland bordering Afghanistan that some experts say amounts to ethnic cleansing and even genocide. One of the lead persecutors is Ministry of Internal Affairs “Maj. Gen.” Shorukh Syedzada, a former football team manager with no law enforcement experience and a confidante of the president’s son and heir designate. The Pamiris continue to be marginalized and oppressed by the authorities. As a result, many Pamiris have been forced to flee their…

Kiev, London (25/3 – 50) Kiev is being bombed by the Russians, but despite the dangers the indiscriminate bombing brings, Ukrainians have their humor, and a bit of the “so what” attitude. Let’s call her Maria, because we don’t know her correct name and we don’t want to endanger the young coffee aficionado to targeted Russian attacks targeting the Ukrainian spirit of everything can be fixed with a good cup of coffee. The young Ukrainian barista keeps working despite today’s Russian missile strike destroying large parts of her cafe. “They won’t be able to break us,” Maria tells the reporter…

Rome, Georgia: Early in his remarks at what was effectively his first campaign rally of the general election, former president Donald Trump blasted US President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address as an “angry, dark, hate-filled rant” that was more divisive than unifying. Then, in the nearly two hours that followed, Trump, speaking in Rome, Georgia, used inflammatory language to stoke fears on immigration, and repeated his false claim that the 2020 election was stolen from him. The former president, who faces four criminal cases, called the press “criminals”. He mocked Biden’s stutter and revived a litany of grievances against…

Jackson County residents are finishing casting their ballots for the Tuesday, Nov. 7 general election, where they will decide the fate of Jackson’s mayor, a proposed Jackson College millage, a recall in Parma Township and school bond proposals. Live results will be posted and updated in this story as the numbers come in after 8 p.m. when the polls close. Keep refreshing this story to see the latest numbers. Winners will be highlighted in bold once all the results are in. Jackson Mayor (14 of 14 precincts reporting) Daniel Mahoney (I) – 2,020 John Wilson – 1,741 Jackson City Council…