English

Gavin Blackburn

Culture news

World says goodbye to fashion icon Valentino Garavani at Rome funeral

Valentino Garavani, who died aged 93 at his Rome residence on Monday, was adored by generations of royals, first ladies and celebrities.

USA

Outrage in UK after Trump claims NATO troops avoided Afghan front line

According to official UK figures, 405 of the 457 British casualties who died in Afghanistan were killed in hostile military action.

Belgium

NATO chief and Danish prime minister agree to boost Arctic security

NATO said that the United States, Denmark and Greenland would negotiate on stepping up efforts to stop Russia and China gaining a "foothold" on the territory.

South Korea

Seoul slaps travel bans on civilians over drone flights to North Korea

Analysts say North Korea's drone accusations were likely driven by its efforts to dial up anti-South Korea sentiment ahead of the ruling Workers' Party congress.

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Japan

Japan's PM dissolves parliament after only three months in office

The move by Sanae Takaichi is an attempt to capitalise on her popularity to help her governing party regain ground after major losses in recent years.

Iran

Death toll in Iran's protest crackdown reaches 5,002, activists say

The US military meanwhile has moved more military assets toward the Middle East, including the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and associated warships.

France

France stops sanctioned oil tanker from Russia in the Mediterranean

French maritime authorities for the Mediterranean said the ship, the Grinch, is suspected of operating with a false flag.

Switzerland

'We need help,' Ukraine energy provider CEO says during Kyiv blackout

Russia has repeatedly hit Ukrainian energy infrastructure throughout the nearly four-year war, but Kyiv says this winter has been the toughest yet.

Switzerland

Activists caught trying to paint German chancellor's plane pink

Police and a protest group calling itself the Resistance Collective confirmed the early-morning incident at the airfield where Merz, a hobby pilot, parks his plane.

Russia

Russian man under arrest accused of spying for Moldova, FSB says

Moldova's Information and Security Service told local media it "rejects the accusations made by the authorities of the Russian Federation."

Ukraine

Witkoff hints peace deal for Ukraine is close ahead of Moscow visit

The US has held talks with Russia as well as with Ukraine and European partners on various drafts of a plan to end the war in Ukraine but so far a deal has remained elusive.

Japan

Restart of world's biggest nuclear plant paused, Japan's TEPCO says

The restart, initially scheduled for Tuesday, had been pushed back after another technical issue related to the control rods' removal was detected last weekend.

Finland

Risk of drones drifting into Finland growing, intelligence chief says

Europe is on high alert after a string of violations into NATO airspace, prompting leaders to agree to develop a "drone wall" to better detect, track and intercept drones.

Norway

Norway will not participate in Trump's 'Board of Peace,' officials say

Trump's Board of Peace was originally conceived to oversee the rebuilding of Gaza, but according to its charter the scope does not appear to limit its role to the Palestinian territory.

Turkey

French journalist detained at pro-Kurdish rally in Istanbul released

Raphael Boukandoura, who works for French publications including Liberation and Courrier International, was detained on Monday at a protest against a military operation targeting Kurdish fighters in northern Syria.

Ukraine

Over half of Kyiv still lacks power after air strikes, Zelenskyy says

Russia has been pounding Ukraine's energy system since the start of its invasion, in what Kyiv says is an attempt to sap morale and weaken Ukrainians' resistance.

Germany

Arrests made in Germany as police target pro-Russian networks

German authorities have repeatedly warned about agents supposedly recruited online to carry out tasks such as taking photos of key industrial and military sites.

Greenland

France pitches NATO exercise in Greenland amid Trump takeover threats

At the White House on Tuesday, Trump said "you'll find out," when asked how far he was willing to go to seize the world's largest island.

Japan

Man who killed former Japanese prime minister gets life in prison

Abe was serving as a regular lawmaker after leaving the prime minister's job when he was killed in 2022 while campaigning in the western city of Nara.

Iran

Iran issues most direct threat yet to US as protester death toll rises

The death toll from the protests has reached at least 4,519 people, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said.

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