English

Gavin Blackburn

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.

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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.

Ukraine

Russia fired record number of drones at Ukraine in March, data show

Ukraine has sought to scale up its air defences in response, deploying cheap interceptor drones to destroy their Russian counterparts.

Israel

Iran launches biggest salvo of missiles in three weeks at Israel

Iranian missile fire on Israel has slowed in the past two weeks to around 10-15 missiles a day, down from around 90 on the first day of the war.

Japan

Macron lauds Europe's 'predictability' in apparent swipe at Trump

Macron's office had expressed surprise at Trump's criticism of France for not letting planes carrying military supplies for the conflict fly over its territory.

USA

Top court casts doubt on Trump's bid to limit birthright citizenship

Trump signed an executive order on his return to the White House last year decreeing that children born to parents in the United States illegally or on temporary visas would not automatically become US citizens

Switzerland

Switzerland eyes dropping purchase of US Patriot air defence system

Switzerland, which is not in NATO, had ordered five Patriot systems in 2022, with delivery scheduled to begin this year and to be completed in 2028.

Germany

German teams halt rescue efforts for whale stranded off Baltic coast

Since it was spotted last week the whale had prompted a large-scale rescue operation involving firefighters, scientists and the maritime police.

USA

Trump isn't immune from civil claims his 2021 speech incited riot

Trump spoke to a crowd of his supporters at the rally before the mob’s attack disrupted the joint session of Congress for certifying Democrat Joe Biden’s 2020 electoral victory over Trump.

Europe News

Dozens dead in separate migrant boat shipwrecks off Italy and Turkey

So far this year, 624 migrants have died or gone missing in central Mediterranean, according to the UN's International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

Iran

Trump considers pulling US out of 'paper tiger' NATO

Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the UK would host a meeting of about 35 countries to discuss reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which has been crippled by the Iran war.

Indonesia

Indonesia arrests Scottish man sought by Spain for crime group links

Police in Scotland and Spain carried out raids in connection with Lyons' case last week resulting in multiple arrests with the help of Europol, the European Union law enforcement cooperation hub.

Iraq

US journalist kidnapped in Baghdad, Iraqi officials say

It was not immediately clear if the kidnapping was related to the ongoing war, but Iran-backed militias in Iraq have launched regular attacks on US facilities in the country.

Iran

Iran has will to end war but wants guarantees, president tells EU

US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth said that the next days of the Iran war will be "decisive" while refusing to rule out US ground forces playing a role in the conflict.

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