World news in brief
Germany’s new defence minister faces Ukraine decision
The government in Germany has named Boris Pistorius as the new defence minister, as pressure mounts on Berlin from Western allies to allow Ukraine to use German-made tanks in the war with Russia.
Christine Lambrecht resigned as defence minister on Monday, ahead of a conference on Friday at the US military base in
Ramstein on Western plans to provide Kyiv with more arms. Until now, Germany has been cautious about approving heavy Leopard tanks to be sent to Ukraine – due to worries that such a move could be seen as an escalation of the war. Other countries with such tanks also need Berlin’s approval before they can be passed on to another country.
“There are important decisions to be made in the short term, in particular the urgent question of how we continue to support Ukraine in its right to self-defence,” the economy minister, Robert Habeck, said in a statement. “Germany bears a responsibility here and has major tasks to accomplish,” he added. The tank decision will be the first item on the agenda for Mr Pistorius, according to Mr Habeck. Reuters
‘Lost world’ of Indian Ocean giant tortoises revealed
Before human arrival, islands of the western Indian Ocean were dominated by giant tortoises weighing about 200kg, according to a new study that sheds more light on the past diversity of life forms in the region. The research, published last week in the journal Science Advances, assessed ancient DNA data from bones and museum specimens originating from Madagascar and neighboring islands to reconstruct the evolution and extinction of these giant animals.
“Our study is part of new research that looks at the historical impact of humans on biodiversity,” study co-author Uwe Fritz from the Museum of Zoology in Dresden, Germany, said in a statement. Tracing the evolution and spread of these creatures, researchers found that Madagascar, Aldabra, and the Seychelles were home to three closely related species of giant tortoises, two of which became extinct in the Middle Ages, a few centuries after Madagascar was colonised by humans.
Hunt for man ‘who posed as Abu Dhabi royal family employee’
Police in India are looking for a man who allegedly posed as an employee of Abu Dhabi’s royal family and fled a luxury hotel
where he was staying for months without paying the hefty bill. The man, identified as Mohammed Sharif, fled the Leela Palace hotel in the capital Delhi after living there for four months and raking up a bill of Rs 23,00,000 (£23,022). The man has been charged with fraud and theft based on a complaint filed by the hotel’s management on Saturday.
Mr Sharif checked into the hotel on 1 August 2022 and stayed till 20 November 2022, the police in Delhi said. Mr Sharif then reportedly left room number 427 without informing anyone. The hotel management has also accused him of nicking silverware, a mother-of-pearl tray and other items from his room. The man introduced himself as an employee with the office of Sheikh Falah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and provided a forged business card, according to the police. He allegedly told the staff that he was visiting India for official work and gave them a UAE resident card.
“It seems the guest purposely gave these cards to create a false image and garner extra trust with an intent to cheat and deceive the hotel at a later stage,” the hotel management said in its complaint, according to the news agency PTI.
Australian woman eyes world record for most daily marathons
Erchana Murray-Bartlett, who started running from the top of Australia’s Cape York and reached the country’s southern edge, is on her way to set a new world record. Ms Murray-Bartlett, a 32-year-old runner from Australia, completed a record-breaking feat on Monday by running 150 marathons in 150 days, or 6,300km (3,900 miles) in nearly five months. She crossed the finish line on Monday, beating the previous world record of 106 consecutive marathons set by British woman Kate Jayden last year, if confirmed.
With her run, Ms Murray-Bartlett is raising money for conservation charity the Wilderness Society and spreading the message that “Extinction is a CHOICE”. She has raised A$100,000 (£60,000), well above her goal to raise A$62,000, which will go into preserving parks and ecosystems. The
professional marathon runner set her eyes on the record after she narrowly missed out on the Tokyo Olympic Games.
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