The Nobel Prize in Physics goes to Francis Halzen

The former director of the German Foreign Intelligence Service (BND), August Hanning, was arrested on suspicion of espionage, the Federal Public Prosecution announced today (Tuesday).

According to Agence France-Presse, the Public Prosecution said in a statement: “Hanning is strongly suspected of committing acts of espionage that constitute treason to the state... collecting information that falls within state secrets,” as well as “attempting to commit high treason... and working as an agent for an intelligence service.”

Hanning led the Foreign Intelligence Service from December 1998 to November 2005.

The Bulgarian government announced that two commercial ships were attacked by drones, today (Tuesday), in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea, noting that one of them had sunk, according to Bulgarian maritime rescue services.

According to Agence France-Presse, Roman Nikolov, director of the Maritime Rescue Operations Coordination Center in the city of Varna, said in statements reported by Bulgarian Public Radio that one of the two ships sank and its crew was lost, while the crew of the other ship was rescued.

A rescue operation is currently underway about 80 nautical miles (150 kilometers) east of the coastal city of Byala, according to Bulgarian Radio.

For his part, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev condemned the attack, describing it as “completely unacceptable.”

“Such an attack in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic waters is absolutely unacceptable,” Radev told reporters before an emergency meeting of his government, adding that it is “a flagrant violation of the law of the sea and, in general, of the rules of navigation.”

According to the specialized website "Maritime.bg", a ship flying the Togolese flag suffered severe damage before it sank.

The site indicated that a fire broke out on board another ship flying the Palau flag, and its 18 crew members were evacuated by a Bulgarian ferry.

This incident comes the day after an attack targeted the Turkish cargo ship “Royad Mammadov” in Romania’s exclusive economic zone, killing two crew members and saving eleven others.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had accused Russia of hitting the ship with two drones, which led to its sinking.

France is preparing for a day of nationwide action today (Tuesday), as student protests over school conditions and learning environments enter their second week.

Student representatives called for marches across the country. In Paris, a demonstration is scheduled for 2 p.m. local time (12:00 GMT) in Place de la République.

Protests are also scheduled to be held in major cities, including Lyon, Lille, Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Rennes, Rennes and Strasbourg, according to what the German News Agency reported.

Several major education unions supported the protests, while some also called for a strike, which could expand the scope of the movement beyond students.

The protests sometimes turned violent, as video clips showed young men pushing, kicking, and beating police officers.

The accident of a 15-year-old student, who lost one of his hands after reportedly picking up a projectile that later exploded in the city of Lens in northern France, caused widespread shock on Monday.

The police are said to have thrown the projectile into a group of protesting students. The General Inspectorate of Police and the riot control unit concerned are investigating the incident. According to a French broadcaster, the projectile was a non-lethal stun grenade.

The incident may fuel protests that are already witnessing serious violence. These developments come against the backdrop of previous accusations of violence against the police, which intensified condemnation of the methods used against young demonstrators.

On Sunday evening, Prime Minister Sebastian Lecorno called on ministries to make tangible improvements in schools across the country and to listen to the legitimate concerns of students. However, 589 schools witnessed new protests yesterday, Monday.