English

Gavin Blackburn

World News

Over 180 dead or missing in Mediterranean in last 10 days, IOM says

The IOM has previously highlighted the Central Mediterranean as the deadliest migration corridor in the world.

Iran

Trump says 'whole civilisation will die tonight' if Iran refuses deal

Previously, the US president has warned that unless Tehran reopened the Strait of Hormuz, the US would unleash what he called the "complete demolition" of Iran's critical infrastructure overnight on Wednesday.

Iran

US launches search after state TV says American pilot ejected in Iran

The incident is the first report of a US fighter jet being downed in Iranian territory since the United States and Israel launched its war on the Islamic republic on 28 February.

France

New Paris mayor vows end to sexual violence in schools with €20m plan

Claims of sexual abuse in schools were a central issue in the campaign leading up to last month's Paris mayoral election.

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USA

Trump says US can open Strait of Hormuz with 'a little more time'

Lying between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, the Strait of Hormuz is one of the most strategic and vital corridors for the transport of energy and has been effectively closed by Iran since the start of the war.

Iran

Israel's PM says 70% of Iran's steel production capacity destroyed

Friday began with Israel saying it was under attack by a new barrage of missiles from Iran, as President Donald Trump warned the United States had yet to begin "destroying what's left" of the Islamic republic's infrastructure.

Kuwait

UK deploys Rapid Sentry anti-drone system to Kuwait, air force says

Gulf countries including Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have been pulled into the Iran war, targeted by Iranian strikes in retaliation to attacks launched by the United States and Israel on 28 February.

Europe News

Swedish coastguard boards tanker off Gotland subject to EU sanctions

According to the ship tracking site Marine traffic, Flora 1 departed the Russian oil port Primorsk headed for Santos in Brazil, flying the flag of Sierra Leone.

Ukraine

Kyiv region under 'massive' daytime drone and missile attack

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv was ready for a truce over the Easter holidays, but the Kremlin said it had not received any proposals.

Europe News

Three Greek MPs quit over EU farm subsidy scandal, state TV says

Most of the fraudulent subsidies went to the island of Crete, where the family of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has been politically influential for over a century.

Economy

Macron and Lee say they'll work together to reopen Strait of Hormuz

Iran warned the UN Security Council against any "provocative action", ahead of a scheduled vote on a draft resolution on the Strait of Hormuz that ended up being postponed.

Iran

Israel under fire from Iranian missiles as Trump issues new warning

Israel's military reported a new missile salvo from Iran on Friday, with its air defences operating to down them, but there were no immediate reports of casualties.

Belarus

Belarus’ parliament passes bill to crack down on LGBTQ+ rights

Belarus decriminalised homosexuality in 1994 after the collapse of the Soviet Union, but it doesn’t recognise same-sex marriages and lacks protection for LGBTQ+ rights.

Culture news

Priceless golden helmet from Romania stolen from Dutch museum found

The helmet was on display at the small Drents Museum in January 2025, the last weekend of a six-month-long exhibition, when thieves broke in and grabbed it, along with three golden wristbands.

USA

Trump sacks attorney general and replaces with ex-personal lawyer

Bondi has reportedly drawn Trump's ire by falling short with efforts to prosecute perceived opponents such as former FBI director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Cuba

Russia plans to send second oil tanker to Cuba, energy minister says

Cuba produces barely 40% of its required fuel and relies on imports to sustain its crumbling energy grid.

Culture news

German artist given jail by Russian court for display mocking Putin

Jacques Tilly has been designing and building floats for Düsseldorf’s Carnival parade, one of Germany’s best-known, since 1984.

Iran

Iran vows 'crushing' attacks on US and Israel after Trump threats

The comments come after a prime-time address at the White House in which US President Donald Trump threatened to bomb Iran "back to the Stone Ages, where they belong."

Europe News

Austria refuses US overfly requests, citing its neutrality policy

US President Donald Trump has criticised European allies for refusing US military aircraft permission to use their airspace for operations connected to the war in Iran.

France

Trump undermining NATO by casting doubt on US commitment, Macron says

The US president has repeatedly railed against Western partners for not responding to his call to assemble a naval force to help reopen the crucial Strait of Hormuz, which has effectively been closed by Tehran.

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