English

Gavin Blackburn

Qatar

Israel considering alternatives to talks with Hamas, Netanyahu says

All sides have held weeks of ceasefire talks in Qatar, reporting small signs of progress but no major breakthroughs have happened.

Europe News

UK and Australia to sign 50-year nuclear submarine treaty

The three-way alliance was announced in 2021 to contend with growing Chinese military might in the Asia-Pacific region.

Europe News

France’s top court upholds some of Bashar al-Assad's legal protections

The Cour de Cassation upheld Assad’s head-of-state immunity, but added that since he is no longer in office, “new arrest warrants may have been or may be issued against him for acts that may constitute war crimes or crimes against humanity.”

Qatar

US team cuts short Gaza ceasefire talks in Qatar, blaming Hamas

A breakthrough in talks on a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas has eluded Trump's administration for months as conditions continues to deteriorate in Gaza.

ADVERTISEMENT

Iran

Iran says it's ready for nuclear talks if US works to rebuild trust

Iran is set to meet on Friday in Istanbul with Britain, France and Germany, known as the E3 nations, and the European Union’s deputy foreign policy commissioner.

Culture news

Professional wrestling icon Hulk Hogan dies at 71, WWE says

He was the main draw for the first WrestleMania in 1985 and was a fixture for years, facing everyone from Andre The Giant and Randy Savage to The Rock and even company chairman Vince McMahon.

Europe News

Ex-UK Labour leader Corbyn says he's starting a new left-wing party

Corbyn led Labour to election defeats in 2017 and 2019, but the veteran socialist campaigner remains popular with many grassroots supporters.

Syria

At least six killed in explosion in northern Syria, officials say

The Syrian Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, confirmed at least six deaths from the blast, which took place in the town of Maarat Misrin north of the city of Idlib.

Afghanistan

Taliban tortured Afghans expelled from Pakistan and Iran, UN says

Afghan authorities have urged nationals to return, pledging amnesty for anyone who left after the Taliban returned to power in 2021.

France

Macrons sue Candace Owens over claims first lady is transgender

In the suit filed in the Delaware Superior Court, the Macrons said Owens had waged a "campaign of global humiliation" for personal gain to promote her podcast.

Cyprus

Crews in Cyprus battle huge wildfires, villages forced to evacuate

Wednesday's fires broke out on the first day of a heatwave in Cyprus with forecasters expecting temperatures on Thursday to hit 45 degrees Celsius, making it the hottest day of the year.

Thailand

Thailand closes border crossings with Cambodia after landmine blast

Many border checkpoints had already been closed by one side or the other after relations deteriorated following an armed confrontation in which one Cambodian soldier was killed.

Syria

Syria asks Turkey for defence support after sectarian clashes

Turkey, which has long expressed readiness to assist Damascus, was working towards providing training and technical support to help strengthen Syria's defence capacity, the officials added.

Indonesia

Indonesian police arrest 44 people suspected of starting forest fires

The fires are often started illegally by plantation owners or traditional farmers to clear land for planting, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency said in a statement.

Israel

Israeli woman arrested on suspicion of plot to kill PM Netanyahu

The woman was arrested two weeks ago, but was released on condition she stay away from all government buildings and from approaching the prime minister.

Europe News

UK and Turkey sign preliminary deal for Eurofighter Typhoon jets

Turkey is also seeking to return to the US-led F-35 fighter jet programme, from which the country was ousted in 2019 following its purchase of Russian-made S-400 missile defence systems.

Culture news

Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne dies aged 76, his family says

Either clad in black or bare-chested, the singer was often the target of parents’ groups for his imagery and once caused an uproar for biting the head off a bat.

Gaza

Over 1,000 aid-seekers killed in Gaza since May, UN says

In January, Israel banned the main UN organisation delivering aid to Palestinians in Gaza, UNRWA, from operating, claiming the agency turned a blind eye to Hamas members in its ranks.

Europe News

Italy says one woman in same-sex union entitled to paternity leave

The court argued that the child’s interest in having time with both parents and the parents responsibilities didn’t depend on their sexual orientation.

South Korea

Initial probe into South Korea's Jeju Air crash hints at pilot error

The findings sparked vehement protests from bereaved families who accused authorities of trying to shift responsibility for the disaster to the deceased pilots.

ADVERTISEMENT