Europe News Sweden clears Bulgarian ship of sabotage in Baltic Sea cable rupture The incident was one of several recent cases of undersea cable ruptures, sparking fears over potential Russian sabotage and spying in the region. 03/02/2025
Panama US tells Panama to 'reduce China's influence' over the canal US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino on Sunday to discuss the management of the Panama Canal. 03/02/2025
USA Netanyahu to become first foreign leader to visit Trump in White House The new US administration, which claims credit for the current ceasefire in Gaza, has called for a permanent end to the war between Israel and Hamas. 29/01/2025
Syria Russian delegation visits Syria for first time since al-Assad's fall While Russia has maintained its military presence in Syria, recent reports suggest that key agreements — among them a Russian-managed Tartus port project — have been cancelled. 28/01/2025
Sudan ICC to pursue arrest warrants over atrocities in Sudan's West Darfur ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan told the UN Security Council that 'criminality is accelerating in Darfur", with gender-based violence a particular concern. 28/01/2025
China China’s first corgi police dog loses bonus after sleeping on the job Despite his misdemeanours, Fu Zai was honoured for his exceptional service in 2024 as an explosives-detection dog and received a Lunar New Year gift package, including gourmet pet treats. 27/01/2025
Afghanistan Iranian foreign minister meets Taliban in first visit in eight years Abbas Aragchi spoke with Taliban leaders about border tensions, Afghan refugees in Iran and the Helmand River water treaty. 27/01/2025
Afghanistan Afghans who fled Taliban urge Trump to lift refugee scheme suspension Afghans who fled Taliban rule are pleading with US President Donald Trump to reverse refugee programme suspension, saying it puts them in danger. 22/01/2025
Colombia Colombians flee to Venezuela as rebel violence escalates At least 80 people have been killed and more than 18,000 forced to leave their homes in Colombia amid escalating violence between rebel groups. 22/01/2025
South Korea Yoon Suk-yeol denies ordering military action against lawmakers Yoon Suk-yeol appeared before South Korea's Constitutional Court for the first time, defending his actions as a warning to the opposition, not a threat of violence. 21/01/2025
Afghanistan Taliban-US prisoner swap: Two Americans exchanged for Afghan national The Taliban described the exchange as a step toward normalising ties with the US, but broader recognition of the regime in Kabul remains unlikely. 21/01/2025
Europe News Macron urges Europe to boost defence spending as Trump takes office Donald Trump has criticised the cost of US military assistance to Ukraine and aims to transfer a greater share of responsibility to Europe. 21/01/2025
Yemen Yemen’s Houthis to limit attacks in Red Sea to Israeli-linked vessels While the rate of attacks has slowed, uncertainty looms because the incoming US President Donald Trump could redesignate the Houthis as a terrorist organisation. 20/01/2025
Europe News Poland focuses on border security at start of EU presidency Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has said that protecting borders is a 'sacred duty', but humanitarian organisations have expressed concerns. 20/01/2025
Europe News Bulgaria’s centre-right party tasked with forming new government The GERB party won 69 seats in the October vote for the 240-member legislature, the most of any party but well short of a majority to govern alone. 15/01/2025
Australia Australia vows strong response if citizen killed in Russian captivity Oscar Jenkins, a former school teacher from Melbourne, was seen being struck by a Russian interrogator in a video posted in December. 15/01/2025
Vietnam Vietnam and Russia sign agreement to boost nuclear energy cooperation Hanoi is seeking to revive its nuclear programme in order to achieve energy self-sufficiency and meet its 2050 greenhouse gas emissions goals. 14/01/2025
Europe News European defence ministers say Trump’s 5% spending goal is unrealistic US President-elect Donald Trump has called for NATO's 32 member states to spend 5% of their GDP on defence, up from the existing target of 2%. 14/01/2025
Europe News Istanbul's municipal mayor detained amid bid-rigging probe The Republican People’s Party, Turkey’s main opposition party, condemned the arrest as politically motivated, with Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu calling it an attempt to sway public opinion. 13/01/2025
Europe News Captured Pyongyang soldiers in Ukraine won't defect to South Korea Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has suggested returning the soldiers to North Korea in exchange for Ukrainian prisoners held by Russia. 13/01/2025