English

Gavin Blackburn

Ukraine

Zelenskyy seeks talks with US and Europe to discuss slow peace efforts

Zelenskyy accuses Russia of dragging out negotiations, including by putting off a summit with the argument that the groundwork for a possible peace settlement must be thrashed out first by lower-level officials.

Gaza

Israel says hostages' bodies returned as IDF prepares Gaza City action

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which has organised mass protests demanding a ceasefire to return the hostages, said Israeli leaders should prioritise a ceasefire deal to return both the living and the dead.

World News

Fatal wildfire on Cyprus caused by 'discarded cigarette,' report finds

The fire in July near the coastal town of Limassol claimed the lives of two people, wrecked 700 structures and scorched more than 100 square kilometres of land.

Iran

European nations start process to impose 'snapback' sanctions on Iran

The mechanism freezes Iranian assets abroad, halts arms deals with Tehran and penalises any development of its ballistic missile program.

ADVERTISEMENT

Yemen

Israeli air strikes hit Yemen’s capital Sanaa, Houthi-run media say

Thursday's strikes come after the Israeli military struck Sanaa on Sunday, killing at least 10 people.

Lebanon

US diplomat apologises for calling Lebanese reporters 'animalistic'

The American ambassador to Turkey made the comment during a visit to Beirut on Tuesday.

Switzerland

Swiss court upholds Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan's rape conviction

The federal court said on Thursday it had rejected Ramadan's appeal, which alleged procedural flaws and an "arbitrary assessment" of the evidence examined by the appeals court in Geneva.

USA

Two children killed and 17 injured in shooting at Minneapolis school

The Minneapolis city government said the shooter had been "contained" after the gunfire at Annunciation Catholic School and there was no longer any "active threat" to residents.

Gaza

Israeli military calls Gaza City evacuation 'inevitable'

Aid groups have warned that an expanded military offensive could worsen the humanitarian crisis in the territory, where most of its over 2 million residents are displaced.

Austria

IAEA chief gets Austrian police protection over 'unspecified threat'

Iran accused the International Atomic Energy Agency, without providing evidence, of aiding Israel and the US in air strikes targeting its nuclear sites.

China

China rejects joining US-Russia denuclearisation talks

A spokesperson for Beijing's foreign ministry said on Wednesday it was "neither reasonable nor realistic" to expect China to participate in the discussions.

United Kingdom

'Weak sauce': Elon Musk reignites public spat with Nigel Farage

On Tuesday, Farage vowed to pull the UK out of the European Convention on Human Rights and start mass deportations of anyone who arrived in the country illegally.

Culture news

Singer Taylor Swift and football player Travis Kelce get engaged

There were those who speculated, with no evidence, that the relationship was not genuine but a cynical ploy for more fame, while some even theorised it was a plot to influence the US elections.

Iran

Europe and Iran fail to agree on how to avoid reviving UN sanctions

The Europeans’ concern over Iran's nuclear programme has only grown since Tehran cut off all cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Germany

German authorities charge suspect in Munich car ramming attack

Federal prosecutors said in a statement that on the morning of 13 February, the suspect "deliberately drove his car" into the union event in downtown Munich.

Pakistan

Evacuations ongoing in Pakistan as India releases water from rivers

The move came a day after New Delhi alerted Islamabad about possible cross-border flooding, marking the first public diplomatic contact between the two nuclear-armed rivals in months.

Poland

Polish president vetoes bill to extend support for Ukraine's Starlink

Monday's veto will also affect benefits Ukrainian refugees living in Poland receive from the state, as well as limiting their access to child benefits and healthcare.

United Kingdom

Reform UK will mass deport migrants if it wins election, Farage says

Despite holding just four of the 650 seats in the House of Commons, the Reform party has gained momentum by seizing on public frustration over successive governments' inability to bring down the number of migrants coming by boat.

Israel

Israeli activists demand government secure release of Gaza hostages

Responding to a call from Israel’s Hostages and Missing Families Forum for a "National Day of Struggle," protesters waved banners that read "Hostage Deal Now".

Lithuania

Former labour union leader Ruginienė becomes Lithuania's new premier

Ruginienė, a former head of Lithuania’s labour union confederation, joined the centre-left Social Democratic Party just before a general election last year.

ADVERTISEMENT