English

Gavin Blackburn

Europe News

Italy halts Israel defence agreement renewal, PM Meloni says

Rome froze its defence deal with Israel on Tuesday after an incident in Lebanon involving a UN peacekeepers convoy and sharp criticism from Antonio Tajani over attacks on Lebanese civilians in Israel's ongoing war against Hezbollah.

Algeria

Algeria hit by two suicide attacks during pope's visit, sources say

No link has yet been established between the attacks and the pope's visit to the country, which was conducted under tight security.

Turkey

Gunman opens fire at high school in Turkey, wounding at least 16

The 18-year-old attacker, armed with a shotgun, fired randomly at a high school in Siverek in Şanlıurfa province, before hiding inside the building.

Lebanon

Hezbollah leader asks Lebanon to cancel Tuesday meeting with Israel

Israel and Hezbollah have fought multiple wars since the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group was formed in the 1980s as a guerrilla force fighting against Israel’s occupation of southern Lebanon at the time.

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USA

Judge tosses Trump $10bn defamation suit against Wall Street Journal

The judge, who was appointed by former president Barack Obama, gave Trump the opportunity to amend his complaint and refile the suit by 27 April.

Nigeria

Up to 200 civilians dead in Nigeria after air force misfire on market

Such misfires are common in Nigeria, where the military often conducts air raids to battle armed groups who control vast forest enclaves.

Lebanon

Israel summons Italy's ambassador over comments on Lebanon attacks

Lebanon was pulled into the Middle East war when Iran-backed group Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel on 2 March, days after the opening salvo of US-Israeli strikes killed Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

Iran

Iran executed at least 1,639 in 2025, international NGOs say

Rights groups including Amnesty International say Iran carries out the most executions of any nation worldwide per capita, and the most of any country other than China, for which no reliable data is available.

Iran

US blockade of Iran's ports starts as Trump threatens Tehran's navy

In a social media post on Sunday, Trump said his goal was to clear the Strait of Hormuz of mines and reopen it to all shipping, but that Iran must not be allowed to profit from controlling the key cargo waterway.

Germany

Union Berlin backs coach Marie-Louise Eta after sexist abuse online

Eta has been named interim coach for the last five games of the season as Union aims to avoid relegation from Germany's Bundesliga.

Hungary

Seismic shift: How 16 years of Hungarian politics changed in one day

The National Election Commission said voter turnout was at a record 77.8%, the highest ever recorded in a Hungarian election.

Ukraine

Russia and Ukraine announce truce for Orthodox Easter

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had previously signalled Kyiv's openness to a potential Easter truce.

USA

US First Lady Melania Trump denies any links to Epstein abuse

Epstein died in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges involving minors, but the scandal has repeatedly overshadowed Trump's second presidency.

Venezuela

Venezuela police use tear gas against protesters demanding pay rises

The monthly minimum wage in Venezuela is 130 bolivars (€0.23), unchanged since 2022, and roughly 330 times lower than the UN poverty line of $3 (€2.56) a day.

Netherlands

EU police smash ring smuggling Vietnamese nationals to Europe

Europol said the people smuggling network transported at least 15 migrants per month, charging them up to €22,000 for the full journey.

Cuba

Cuba accuses US of 'extorting' Latin America in row over doctors

According to official figures, some 24,000 Cuban doctors and other healthcare professionals were deployed in 56 countries in 2025.

Germany

Germany resumes talks with Iran, Chancellor Friedrich Merz says

Merz also said that the continued Israeli military campaign in Lebanon could jeopardise peace talks expected between the United States and Iran over the war in the Middle East.

Lebanon

Israel's cabinet told 'to begin direct negotiations' with Lebanon

The statement from the prime minister's office comes on the same day that the Israeli military warned residents of Beirut's southern suburbs of imminent strikes and called for them to evacuate.

USA

Trump again berates NATO, calls it 'disappointing'

Trump's outrage at NATO allies over their failure to join the Iran war had prompted fears he would seek to pull the United States out of the nearly eight-decade-old alliance.

Iran

Iran rules out restriction on enrichment programme, nuclear chief says

The issue of uranium enrichment has been central to Western relations with Iran for more than two decades, with the US and its allies accusing Tehran of seeking atomic weapons.

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