Russia is testing its readiness for a possible new wave of military mobilization, including exercises in the Kaliningrad region and other parts of the country. Western intelligence officials say the preparations are designed to determine how Russia would house, feed and arm large numbers of new recruits, although the Kremlin has not yet decided whether to order a mobilization. Russia is struggling to replace heavy … Continue reading Russia Tests Readiness for New Round of Military Mobilization

CIA Director John Ratcliffe is in Moscow, Russia, for meetings, according to sources familiar with the trip. His visit was revealed after a U.S. Air Force C-17 transport plane and a U.S. diplomatic motorcade were spotted at a Moscow airport. Neither the U.S. nor Russian governments has publicly confirmed the purpose of the visit, and the CIA has not commented. The trip comes as U.S. … Continue reading CIA Director John Ratcliffe on secret trip in Russia

Israeli crime figure Yanis Yushvaev was shot and killed at a gas station in Caesarea, with security footage appearing to show a gunman approaching him from behind and firing at close range. Yushvaev, described by Israeli police as the head of a criminal gang involved in violent feuds, had previously survived an assassination attempt about a decade ago. He had been arrested multiple times over … Continue reading One of Israel’s most dangerous mob bosses shot dead by assassin at point-blank range

A 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck Japan early Sunday near southern Ibaraki Prefecture, close to Tokyo, causing strong shaking and injuring at least 37 people. The Japan Meteorological Agency said the earthquake occurred about 68 kilometers deep and posed no tsunami threat. One person was seriously injured, and a building was damaged in neighboring Saitama Prefecture. The quake was felt across Tokyo, Ibaraki, Saitama and Chiba, while … Continue reading 5.9-magnitude earthquake strikes Japan, injuring at least 37

A powerful cyclone brought heavy rain and strong winds to Latvia and Lithuania, killing two people and leaving around half a million without electricity. Latvia experienced some of the storm’s worst impacts, with one person killed by a building collapse, widespread injuries, power outages and disruptions to transportation and mobile services. In Lithuania, another person was killed by a falling tree, while more than 200,000 … Continue reading Powerful storm hits Baltic countries, killing 2

Sixteen people were injured when a coach carrying German high-school students collided with a delivery van in the eastern Netherlands. Eight people, including the van driver, were seriously injured, while the others suffered minor injuries and were taken to hospitals. More than 50 students and four teachers were traveling from a school in northern Germany to Paris when the crash occurred near Wezep. The coach … Continue reading Crash involving coach carrying German students injures 16

Sixteen people were injured when a coach carrying German high-school students collided with a delivery van in the eastern Netherlands. Eight people, including the van driver, were seriously injured, while the others suffered minor injuries and were taken to hospitals. More than 50 students and four teachers were traveling from a school in northern Germany to Paris when the crash occurred near Wezep. The coach … Continue reading Crash involving coach carrying German students injures 16

Typhoon Narra brought heavy rains, floods and landslides to northern Vietnam and southern China, damaging infrastructure, crops and communities. In China, rising floodwaters forced authorities to relocate about 54,000 people, with more than 8,000 moved into emergency shelters. Northern Vietnam reported one death and the displacement of more than 4,300 households, while flooding and landslides damaged roads and disrupted tourism, fishing and transportation. Nearly 55,000 … Continue reading Typhoon Narra wreaks havoc in China, Vietnam as rains lead to floods

Indonesian police have arrested 72 people suspected of deliberately starting forest and peatland fires that have produced dangerous haze across parts of the country. The suspects are being investigated in connection with 89 fires across several provinces on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra, with many accused of burning land to clear areas for plantations. Authorities are also investigating whether companies financed or ordered the … Continue reading Indonesian police arrest 72 people suspected of starting forest fires

A landslide at a massive waste dump in Guinea’s capital, Conakry, killed 30 people after heavy overnight rains caused the site to collapse. The disaster buried nearby tents and shacks, with six people seriously injured and 16 others suffering lighter injuries. Rescue workers used excavators and other equipment to search through the debris, while witnesses said the landslide was large enough to bury an apartment … Continue reading Landslide at waste mound in Guinea capital kills 30, government says

Ukrainian drones killed at least six civilians overnight in a series of strikes across several Russian regions, according to Russian officials. The attacks hit an Ozon logistics center and an industrial facility in the Samara region, with Ozon reporting injuries and a temporary halt in operations. In the southern city of Yeysk, two children were killed and two adults were wounded, while strikes in Belgorod … Continue reading Ukraine drone strikes target second Russian retail giant

The Democratic Republic of the Congo and the M23-led rebel alliance have agreed on a roadmap for peace talks as fighting continues in eastern Congo. The agreement outlines steps and timelines for negotiations under a framework deal signed in Doha in November. The roadmap was developed during five days of talks in Switzerland involving representatives from the United States, Qatar, Togo, Switzerland and the African … Continue reading DR Congo, M23 rebels agree on roadmap for peace talks

The Kremlin has strongly criticized Britain’s decision to provide Ukraine with classified information about British-made components used in SCALP long-range cruise missiles. Russian officials said the move would “add fuel to the fire” and accused Britain of working against efforts to reach a peaceful settlement in Ukraine. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham visited Kyiv on his first overseas trip and was expected to announce support … Continue reading Kremlin says British missile help for Ukraine ‘adds fuel to the fire’

The United States has cancelled a major joint amphibious exercise with South Korea scheduled for next month because of limited U.S. military forces due to the war in Iran. The biennial Ssangyong drills are designed to strengthen combined operations between South Korean and U.S. Marine forces through amphibious landing exercises. The cancellation comes after President Donald Trump ordered the separate Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises to … Continue reading South Korea says US cancelled joint marine drills over force constraints from Iran war

Somali pirates hijacked the oil products tanker M.T. Sibu 1 off Yemen, marking the latest in a resurgence of piracy across the Gulf of Aden and western Indian Ocean. Six armed pirates seized the tanker Thursday and reportedly took it toward Somalia’s Puntland coast, with 20 crew members aboard. The Sibu 1 is managed by a UAE-based company and was previously sanctioned by the U.S. … Continue reading Somali pirates hijack oil tanker off Yemen in latest attack

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has called for an end to the months-long war with the United States, saying Iran is negotiating from a position of strength. Pezeshkian accused the U.S. of attacking Iranian schools, hospitals and infrastructure and said the international community recognizes Iran as having prevailed. He also defended a recently expired memorandum of understanding with Washington, rejecting accusations from Iranian hardliners that his … Continue reading Iranian president says time to end war with US from ‘position of strength’

Russian drone and missile strikes across Ukraine killed at least seven people Saturday, while a Ukrainian drone attack in Russia’s Krasnodar region killed three people, including two children. The attacks came one day after a Russian strike on a Ukrainian shopping center killed at least 16 people and injured about 130 others. In Kyiv, a Russian ballistic missile strike on railway infrastructure killed one person … Continue reading Russian and Ukrainian attacks kill 10 people, a day after deadly shopping mall drone strike

Wildfires across Europe this summer are exposing a dangerous threat from unexploded bombs and mines left behind from World War I and World War II. Some of the buried weapons have exploded because of the intense heat, with incidents reported in France, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. Heavy rains earlier this year caused vegetation to grow rapidly, which later became fuel for fires amid extreme … Continue reading European wildfires expose, detonate buried bombs and mines from past wars

An 18-year-old suspect carried out a sword attack at Brinell School in Fagersta, Sweden, killing a 17-year-old student and injuring three others. Two of the injured, ages 12 and 17, were seriously wounded, while a third person under 18 suffered minor injuries. Police arrested the suspect and are investigating the incident as murder and attempted murder, with no indication that another attacker was involved. Authorities … Continue reading Sword attack at Swedish school kills 17-year-old girl, injures 3 others

A 4.9-magnitude earthquake struck southern Spain on Tuesday, injuring three people and causing evacuations in Granada. Falling debris damaged buildings, cars and streets, while emergency services received more than 50 reports of cracks and other damage. Hotels, museums and other public buildings were evacuated or closed, and train speeds were reduced as a precaution. The historic Alhambra Palace was partially evacuated, with access to some … Continue reading Spain hit by 4.9 magnitude earthquake

The Israeli military said it carried out an airstrike in northern Gaza City on Tuesday targeting Hamas commanders who were allegedly planning attacks against Israeli troops. The IDF said four Hamas commanders were among those targeted, including Nukhba force members and a militant it said had participated in the October 7 attack. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry reported that six people were killed and 10 … Continue reading At least six killed in IDF strike on Gaza City cafe targeting Hamas commanders

A 29-year-old American tourist from Kansas was killed by a lightning strike while hiking Mount Etna in Sicily, Italy, firefighters said Monday. The man was struck Sunday evening in an exposed area of the volcano at about 4,600 feet and was rescued by helicopter before being pronounced dead by medical personnel. Authorities have closed some areas of Mount Etna to hikers because of the volcano’s … Continue reading U.S. tourist dies after being struck by lightning while hiking Sicily’s Mount Etna

Russia launched an overnight attack on Pechenhy in Ukraine’s eastern Kharkiv region, killing 10 people, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy vowed that Ukraine would respond and urged its international partners to increase pressure on Russia and continue supporting Ukraine. Russian officials accused Britain of escalating the conflict by supplying drones that Ukraine has allegedly used in strikes deep inside Russian territory. The U.K. … Continue reading Russia warns U.K. will pay price for supplying attack drones

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has renewed efforts to regain wartime control of the country’s military from the United States and called for faster development of nuclear-powered submarines. His push comes after President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to substantially reduce joint US-South Korean military exercises, saying North Korea had been respectful and that he had a good relationship with Kim Jong-un. Lee said … Continue reading South Korea president calls for military independence in wake of Trump call to cut joint drills

Australia’s New South Wales state will begin a major gun buyback program on November 2 following a shooting at a Jewish festival in Sydney that killed 15 people. The program will offer up to 1,000 Australian dollars in compensation for each surrendered rifle or handgun. The buyback is part of broader gun-control measures introduced after the attack, including tighter licensing requirements and limits on gun … Continue reading Australia gun buyback to start in November in clampdown after Bondi Beach shooting