The US has carried out air strikes against Iran-linked groups in eastern Syria after a drone attack killed a US contractor, the US defence chief said. Eight pro-Iran fighters were killed, according to a monitoring group. Defence officials said the air strikes happened on Thursday night, hours Continue Reading
Foreign
King Charles III’s state visit to France has been postponed, as the nation faces further protests over pension reforms. France’s Elysée Palace said the decision was taken because of a 10th day of protests planned for Tuesday. The trip to Paris and Bordeaux was due to begin on Sunday, but both cities saw some of […]Continue Reading
Barrister Alexander Cameron, brother to former United Kingdom’s Prime Minister, David Cameron, is dead. Alexander died aged 59 after battling cancer since 2020. Before his death on Wednesday, cancer had forced him to step down from the bar. Alex’s chambers, Three Raymond Buildings, confirmed his death in a statement on Wednesday, according to a UK […]Continue Reading
People who identify as gay in Uganda risk life in prison after parliament passed a new bill to crack down on homosexual activities. It also includes the death penalty in certain cases. A rights activist told the BBC the debate around the bill had led to fear of more attacks on gay people. “There is […]Continue Reading
At least four persons have been killed in a fresh Russian attack on several Ukrainian cities. Upper floors of two student dormitories were hit early on Wednesday in a drone strike in the city of Rzhyshchiv, on the outskirts of the capital. A rescue service said an 11-year-old was among the wounded. Separately, officials in […]Continue Reading
At least 12 people were killed in Afghanistan and Pakistan by a strong earthquake felt across thousands of kilometres, but the region appeared Wednesday to have dodged the mass casualties usually associated with a tremor of such scale. The United States Geological Survey said the magnitude 6.5 quake was centred near Jurm in northeastern Afghanistan, […]Continue Reading
Saudi Arabia has released a US citizen from prison more than a year after his conviction over tweets critical of the government. Saad Ibrahim Almadi, 72, who also has Saudi citizenship, was arrested in November 2021 when he arrived in Riyadh to visit his family. He was sentenced in October to 16 years in prison. […]Continue Reading
The US has urged Chinese President Xi Jinping to press Vladimir Putin on ceasing the “war crimes” being carried out by Russia in Ukraine. The two will meet again on Tuesday for official talks during Mr Xi’s first visit to Moscow since the invasion. The White House’s National Security Council spokesman called on Mr Xi […]Continue Reading
China’s President Xi Jinping says the killers of nine Chinese goldmine workers in the Central African Republic (CAR) must be “severely” punished. Two Chinese workers were also wounded when gunmen stormed a mining site near the central town of Bambari on Sunday. The local mayor blamed a rebel group for the killings. But the rebels […]Continue Reading
Thailand has dissolved its parliament, ahead of what is expected to be a fiercely contested general election scheduled for early May. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha’s new United Thai Nation party will be challenged mainly by the Pheu Thai party, led by former PM Thaksin Shinawatra’s daughter Paetongtarn. Mr Thaksin, a billionaire, was deposed by a […]Continue Reading
One person has just been shot at a market near Kibera slum in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, as protests are underway in the city. According to reports, traders are screaming that he is a mechanic and not a protester. They say it’s a police officer who fired at him. The wounded person has been taken to […]Continue Reading
At least 12 people have died after a powerful earthquake struck the southern coast of Ecuador.Buildings have been damaged in several cities following the 6.7 magnitude quake, which hit at around midday local time (17:00 GMT). The southern province of El Oro was the worst affected, where emergency services have reported people remain trapped inside […]Continue Reading
Tens of thousands of Israelis have marched again in nationwide protests against the government’s plan to curb Supreme Court powers. This is the 11th week of mass demonstrations, as opponents of the reforms accuse right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of undermining judicial independence. Mr Netanyahu, who is on trial on corruption charges, says his aim […]Continue Reading
US President Joe Biden has welcomed the International Criminal Court’s issuing of an arrest warrant against his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. The ICC accused President Putin of committing war crimes in Ukraine – something President Biden said the Russian leader had “clearly” done. The claims focus on the unlawful deportation of children from Continue Reading
Wyoming became the first US state to ban the use of abortion pills, the latest salvo in a campaign by conservative-led states to roll back access to abortion. After signing the ban on abortion pills, Wyoming Governor, Mark Gordon, appealed to legislators to act further by proposing a total ban on abortion be added to […]Continue Reading
Venezuela’s Supreme Court has annulled a controversial article of the military justice code that had criminalised homosexuality within the armed forces. The court annulled the provision, which had provided for a penalty of up to three years in prison, “for lacking sufficient clarity and legal precision with regard to the conduct it intended to punish,” […]Continue Reading
Three Ugandan students were killed after a lorry rammed into their classroom at a school near the capital, Kampala. At least 18 other learners were injured in the incident at Kasaka Secondary School on Tuesday afternoon. The lorry got nearly halfway into the building and tore up part of the roof. Uganda police said the […]Continue Reading
The US has accused Russia of reckless behaviour after an American surveillance drone crashed into the Black Sea following an encounter with Russian fighter jets. The US says the drone was on a routine mission in international airspace when two Russian jets tried to intercept it. The incident highlights the increasing risk of direct confrontation […]Continue Reading
China is to resume issuing visas to foreign tourists for the first time since the Covid pandemic broke out three years ago. The major easing of restrictions comes after Beijing declared victory over the virus and retreated from a zero-Covid strategy that has hurt its economy. Valid visas issued before China closed to the world […]Continue Reading
Madagascar Island Maritime Authorities say no fewer than 22 migrants died when their boat sank off the coast of Madagascar over the weekend. “Forty-seven people had clandestinely taken a boat headed to (the French territory of) Mayotte, but that sank,” the Madagascar maritime authority APMF said in a statement. “Twenty-three of the passengers were able […]Continue Reading
Turkish President Recep Erdogan, says the number of people killed by the devastating earthquakes in Turkey’s SouthEast has reached 48,000, with over 115,000 people injured. “The death toll has reached 48,000 and the number of injured has exceeded 115,000,” Erdogan said in a televised address to the nation from the Samandag district of Hatay province. […]Continue Reading
*Says history will hold Trump accountable for Capitol attack A former United States Vice President, Mike Pence, on Saturday, said history would hold former President Donald Trump “accountable” for his role in the 2021 attack on the US Capitol, US media reported. The remarks are likely to widen the rift between the former running mates, […]Continue Reading
Hundreds of thousands of Israelis have taken part in what some are calling the biggest protest in the country’s history. Protests against government plans for a radical overhaul of the judicial system have been running for 10 weeks. Record numbers of demonstrators turned out in cities such as Haifa, while about 200,000 are believed to […]Continue Reading
A large operation is underway off Italy’s coast to rescue 1,300 migrants in overcrowded boats. The country’s navy and coastguard say they are racing to help three vessels near the southern region of Calabria. Italy’s coastguard described the operation as “particularly complex”, because of the number of boats and people at risk. The rescue Continue Reading
Malaysia’s former prime minister, Muhyiddin Yassin was charged with abusing his power to obtain bribes and money laundering linked to the alleged misuse of a COVID economic recovery fund. Muhyiddin was prime minister for 17 months between 2020 and 2021, at the height of Malaysia’s battle against the coronavirus, and now leads an opposition coalition […]Continue Reading