eBay snaps up Depop in $1.2 billion deal targeting Gen Z

eBay has agreed to buy Depop from Etsy in a $1.2 billion deal, a move that deepens the online marketplace’s push into secondhand fashion and the Gen Z resale economy. The companies said the transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of this year. The acquisition is aimed at broadening eBay’s reach with younger shoppers and reinforcing its long-term growth strategy in “pre-loved” apparel and accessories, a category that has surged alongside climate-conscious and cost-aware buying habits. “Depop has built a…

Study finds Gaza’s 16-month death toll higher than reported

A peer-reviewed study published in The Lancet estimates that more than 75,000 people were killed in Gaza during the first 16 months of Israeli attacks, a toll researchers say is significantly higher than the figure announced by authorities there. The analysis covers October 2023 through January 2025 and concludes Gaza’s health ministry is not inflating its numbers — if anything, it is undercounting the dead. “We can conclude with great confidence that the ministry of health for Gaza is not inflating the death toll and in…

Trump launches Peace Board targeting Gaza and wider global conflicts

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is gathering a slate of foreign leaders in the U.S. capital to inaugurate the “Board of Peace,” a new initiative he casts as a vehicle to consolidate a fragile calm in Gaza and project an alternative model of U.S.-led crisis management far beyond the Middle East. About two dozen heads of state and senior officials are expected, including several of Trump’s closest ideological allies — among them Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Argentina’s President Javier Milei — but few of the…

Former British prince Andrew arrested in UK, held in custody

Thames Valley Police are reported to have arrested Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on suspicion of misconduct in public office, and he is said to be in police custody. The development follows growing public scrutiny tied to documents related to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In information shared Wednesday morning, the force was cited as confirming an arrest connected to allegations raised after the recent release of files linked to Epstein. Axadle Times has not independently verified the arrest…

Mark Zuckerberg: Meta has abandoned maximizing screen time in app design

Zuckerberg disputes claim he misled Congress as LA jury hears emails on time-spent goals in youth social media addiction trial Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg pushed back in a Los Angeles courtroom against a lawyer’s suggestion that he misled U.S. lawmakers about how the company designed Facebook and Instagram, as a landmark jury trial over youth social media addiction pressed forward. Questioned about his 2024 congressional testimony — in which he said Meta did not direct teams to maximize time spent on its apps —…

White House presses Iran on deal as Trump signals possible U.S. strikes

White House warns Iran to ‘be wise’ and take deal as U.S. weighs strikes, bolsters forces The White House urged Iran to “be wise” and strike an agreement with the United States as Washington readies military options and builds up forces near Iran, even as Oman-mediated talks resume in Geneva. U.S. forces could be prepared to launch strikes as early as this weekend, CNN and CBS reported, though President Donald Trump has not made a final decision. “Iran would be very wise to make a deal with President Trump and with his…

Ireland backs international call for probe into Sudan war crimes

Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee was among 32 foreign ministers to cosign a joint statement denouncing possible war crimes and crimes against humanity in Sudan’s nearly three-year war, urging urgent protection for civilians and the unhindered delivery of aid. The ministerial statement, backed by EU nations, the United Kingdom and Canada among others, calls out “widespread violations” and presses for accountability. “These violations may amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity and must be promptly and…

UN atomic agency chief hails progress in Iran–US nuclear talks

GENEVA — The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog said talks between Iran and the United States in Geneva made “a step forward,” but warned that time is running out to lock in an agreement as military threats hover over the diplomacy. “We made progress, but there is still work to be done, and the problem is that we don’t have much time,” International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi told France’s LCI television in an interview. “There is the possibility of a dialogue that is really beginning, for the first time, to…

UN official says Israel’s West Bank moves amount to gradual de facto annexation

Top UN official warns of ‘gradual de facto annexation’ as Israel tightens West Bank control; Al‑Aqsa access curbed for Ramadan A senior United Nations official warned the Security Council that recent Israeli steps to expand control over parts of the occupied West Bank administered by the Palestinian Authority amount to “gradual de facto annexation,” escalating diplomatic tensions as Ramadan begins with new limits on access to Jerusalem’s Al‑Aqsa Mosque. “We are witnessing the gradual de facto annexation of the West Bank, as…

Man missing amid flooding as France endures record 35 straight days of rain

France braces for worsening floods as a man went missing in the Loire River and the country marked a record 35 consecutive days of rain, national forecasters said Wednesday, with Storm Pedro set to drive fresh downpours across the west. Meteo-France, the national weather service, said the streak is the longest series of rainy days since measurements began in 1959, surpassing a previous record set in 2023. The relentless precipitation has saturated soils and swollen rivers across western regions, pushing several waterways to…