English

Gavin Blackburn

Europe News

Two seriously injured as train derails in south England, police say

The ambulance service said there were around 150 passengers on board the train which departed from London Victoria station and veered off the tracks shortly before 4:00 pm local time.

Vietnam

Vietnam discovers tonne of hidden ivory illegally shipped from Africa

Most trade in ivory from elephants and other endangered animals is banned by international agreement under CITES, a treaty to which almost all UN member countries are parties.

Health news

Ebola outbreak spreads to sixth DR Congo province, Africa CDC says

The DRC's deadliest Ebola outbreak from 2018-2020 killed nearly 2,300 people out of 3,500 recorded cases.

Europe News

Swedish parliament cuts age of criminal responsibility to 14

The Scandinavian country has been rocked by gang battles for more than a decade, particularly for control of the drug market.

ADVERTISEMENT

Zimbabwe

Survivors recount Zimbabwe ferry sinking as death toll climbs to 46

The overloaded government ferry, a vital link for villagers and fish traders around the vast Lake Kariba, overturned in choppy waters on Tuesday in one of the country's worst passenger boat disasters.

Europe News

Explosion rocks ammunition factory near Rome, Italian police say

Italian media reported that there were no casualties, with the AGI news agency saying employees sheltered in secure areas at the facility.

Europe News

Tourists rescued by boat as forest fire threatens Greek beaches

A fire service spokesman said the evacuation had to be by sea as the flames were getting close to the beaches.

Europe News

Poland detains Russian over 'execution' plot in Warsaw, PM Tusk says

Poland, a NATO and EU member state along the alliance's Eastern flank, has accused Russia of "sabotage" on several occasions since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Europe News

Explosion at Dutch port of Rotterdam leaves one dead, police say

The explosion happened at a refinery and fuel terminal run by Gunvor Energy in an industrial section of the vast port premises.

Iran

Iran rejects Trump claims of US control over Hormuz as 'lies'

Iran has kept control of Hormuz, a vital energy conduit, since the outbreak of the war on 28 February, requiring vessels to obtain permission and pay transit fees before using the waterway.

Europe News

Romania shuts down Cernavodă nuclear plant as Danube water level drops

Nearly two-thirds of the Danube has seen flow rates that are the lowest on record for a month of July in 34 years, according to an analysis published on Monday by the European climate change observatory, Copernicus.

USA

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt to leave role, Trump says

Leavitt's departure comes as Trump faces steadily sinking poll numbers and the Republican Party risks defeat in the November midterm elections.

Culture news

Eurovision to exclude countries at war from hosting contest, EBU says

The EBU said it could commission an independent security assessment before deciding whether a winning country is capable of hosting the event safely.

USA

'I think we will keep it,' Trump says about control of Hormuz strait

Iran maintains it effectively controls much of the waterway and intends to impose a toll system in response to the US war launched by Trump on 28 February.

Europe News

Solar eclipse plunges large swathe of Spain into total darkness

The eclipse, a first in mainland Europe since 2006, also cast its shadow through parts of Greenland, racing south to smother part of Iceland before arcing across the Atlantic Ocean towards northern Spain.

Europe News

Germany beefs up intelligence services as 'foreign' threats rise

German officials accuse Moscow of waging a "hybrid" campaign of sabotage, espionage and disinformation against the country, which is among Ukraine's biggest military supporters in the war with Russia.

Europe News

Two Portuguese tourists found, two still missing off Croatia

The four had set off from a local campsite in a small 1.5-metre inflatable boat, intending to paddle along the coast, but contact was later lost, rescuers said.

Europe News

Extreme weather knocks one-fifth of France's nuclear capacity offline

France uses nuclear power to generate around 70% of its electricity. The country has seen nuclear power production disrupted by multiple heatwaves and droughts this year.

Colombia

Colombia declares three days mourning for earthquake victims

The quake overwhelmed parts of the health system, turning the rescue effort into one of Colombia's largest disaster responses in years.

Europe News

Hungary parliament approves Orbán-critic former judge as president

Besides a brief stint as a lawmaker, elected from the conservative Hungarian Democratic Forum's party list in 1990, after the democratic transition, Baka did not hold any political positions.

ADVERTISEMENT