Tens of thousands of people rallied in the Czech Republic on Sunday to support President Petr Pavel amid his dispute with Foreign Minister Petr Macinka. The conflict escalated after Pavel accused Macinka of attempting to blackmail him over a cabinet appointment. At the center of the row is Pavel’s refusal to approve Filip Turek as a government minister due to past scandals. Organizers estimated 80,000 … Continue reading Tens of thousands back Czech president amid cabinet dispute

An 18-year-old Swiss national has died from injuries suffered in a deadly bar fire in the Swiss Alps, raising the death toll to 41 a month after the incident. The fire broke out shortly after midnight on Jan. 1 at the packed Le Constellation bar in the ski resort of Crans-Montana. Investigators believe sparkling candles placed on Champagne bottles ignited the blaze when they came … Continue reading Swiss Alpine bar fire claims 41st victim, an 18-year-old Swiss national

Gaza’s Rafah border crossing with Egypt reopened Monday for limited operations under the Israeli-Hamas ceasefire, restoring a key gateway that had been largely closed for nearly two years. Movement is tightly restricted, with no commercial goods allowed and only up to 50 Palestinians permitted to cross in each direction on the first day. The narrow reopening comes as tens of thousands of Gazans with urgent … Continue reading Gaza’s Rafah border crossing partially reopens under ceasefire deal

Heavy gunfire and explosions erupted early Thursday near Niamey’s international airport in Niger before subsiding within hours, residents reported. Videos showed bright streaks in the sky, large flames, and burned vehicles near the Diori Hamani International Airport, which also hosts an air force base about 10 km from the presidential palace. The cause of the attack and whether there were any casualties remained unclear. Calm … Continue reading Gunfire and explosions heard near airport in Niger’s capital

The European Union has designated Iran’s Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization in response to the regime’s deadly crackdown on nationwide protests, a largely symbolic move meant to increase pressure on Tehran. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the move puts the Guard on the same level as al-Qaida, Hamas, and ISIS, condemning its role in killing thousands of protesters. The U.S. and Canada … Continue reading EU lists Iran Revolutionary Guard as terror organization

U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly considering military options against Iran, including targeted strikes on security forces and leaders to encourage protesters, following a nationwide crackdown that killed thousands. Sources say he aims to create conditions for “regime change,” though no final decision has been made, and options also include larger strikes on Iran’s missile and nuclear programs. The deployment of a U.S. aircraft carrier … Continue reading Trump weighs Iran strikes to inspire renewed protests, sources say

A controversial new book claims William Shakespeare was not the true author of his plays, arguing instead that they were written by Emilia Bassano, a Tudor court poet. Feminist historian Irene Coslet contends Bassano, whom she describes as a Jewish woman of Moorish descent, used “Shakespeare” as a pen name because Elizabethan society favored a white male genius. She argues Bassano’s education, cultural background, and … Continue reading Feminist historian claims Shakespeare was actually a black Jewish woman in new book

Spain’s left-wing government has approved a fast-track plan allowing up to 500,000 undocumented migrants to apply for legal residency, marking one of Europe’s largest regularizations in years. The measure applies to people who have lived in Spain for at least five months by December 31, 2025, have no criminal record, and will allow them to work nationwide under renewable permits. Migration Minister Elma Saiz called … Continue reading Spain to grant legal status to 500,000 migrants

Russia’s Maritime Board, led by security official Nikolai Patrushev, has proposed measures to protect Russian shipping and strategic maritime routes, citing alleged violations of international maritime law by “unfriendly” states. The move follows several recent interceptions of Russian oil tankers, including the Fitsburg, Marinera, and Grinch, by Finnish, US, and French authorities. The proposed measures are expected to include naval deployments to safeguard Russian interests, … Continue reading Russia hints it will deploy Navy to protect ‘shadow fleet’

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni visited the Sicilian town of Niscemi after a massive landslide triggered by days of heavy rain destroyed homes and forced more than 1,500 residents to evacuate. The landslide stretched about four kilometers, prompting authorities to create a wide no-go zone as the ground remains dangerously unstable. Civil protection officials warned that many homes near the edge can no longer be … Continue reading Sicily landslide forces evacuation of 1,500

China has executed 11 people linked to criminal gangs operating scam centres in Myanmar, including key figures involved in large-scale fraud operations, according to state media. The individuals were sentenced to death in September by a court in Wenzhou for crimes including homicide, unlawful detention, fraud and running illegal casinos. Authorities said the group’s activities, including those of the “Ming family criminal group,” were linked … Continue reading China executes 11 people linked to Myanmar scam operation

The United States plans to prosecute the captain and first officer of a Russian-flagged tanker seized in the North Atlantic for allegedly breaching US sanctions. The vessel, the Marinera (formerly Bella 1), was intercepted south of Iceland and escorted to Scotland, where the two officers were taken into US custody and will be transferred to the United States. The remaining 26 crew members have been … Continue reading US to prosecute captain of seized oil tanker

Colombia’s Ministry of Transportation confirmed that a Satena-operated flight carrying 15 people crashed near the eastern border with Venezuela, killing all on board. Transportation Minister Maria Fernanda Rojas expressed condolences and said a full investigation is underway, though the cause of the crash remains unclear. The flight was traveling from Cucuta to Ocana when it lost radar contact, with data showing a sudden drop in … Continue reading Colombian lawmaker among 15 killed in plane crash near Venezuela

A tourist in China was injured after being mauled by a snow leopard while attempting to take photos of the rare animal, officials said. The incident occurred Jan. 23 in Koktokay town in the Xinjiang region when the skier left her car and approached the leopard. Authorities said the woman was bitten and taken to a local hospital, where she is in stable condition. Video … Continue reading Snow leopard mauls tourist who tried to take its photo in China

A Russian drone strike hit a passenger train in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region on Tuesday, killing five people, according to prosecutors. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack as terrorism, saying there was no possible military justification for striking a civilian train carrying more than 200 passengers. The train, traveling from western Ukraine toward Barvinkove, was struck by one drone, while two others hit nearby areas, setting … Continue reading Russian drone strike on Ukrainian passenger train kills five

The wife of South Korea’s ousted president, Kim Keon Hee, was sentenced Wednesday to 20 months in prison for corruption, while her husband Yoon Suk Yeol awaits a verdict on rebellion charges that could bring life imprisonment or the death penalty. The couple fell from power after Yoon’s failed martial law declaration in December 2024 led to his impeachment and removal from office. A Seoul … Continue reading South Korea’s former first lady sentenced to 20 months in prison for corruption

Scientists warned that humanity is closer than ever to catastrophe following the latest reset of the Doomsday Clock. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists set the clock at 85 seconds to midnight, advancing it four seconds and marking the closest point since its creation in 1947. The group cited rising catastrophic risks and a global failure of leadership as key reasons for the change. Bulletin … Continue reading ‘Doomsday Clock’ moves closer to midnight over threats from nukes, AI

A deadly landslide in West Java, Indonesia, has left 80 people missing, including 19 elite marines, after heavy rain swept through a mountainside camp and nearby village. The disaster, which occurred predawn Saturday on Mount Burangrang, buried the marines’ training site and 34 homes in Pasir Langu village. So far, 17 victims have been confirmed dead, including four marines, while others remain unaccounted for as … Continue reading Indonesian marines among 80 missing in deadly West Java landslide

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has rejected calls for a separate European army, saying it would weaken Europe and benefit Russia. Speaking to the European Parliament, he insisted Europe should strengthen its own defense efforts within NATO, not outside the U.S.-led alliance. Rutte dismissed doubts about U.S. commitment under President Donald Trump, arguing Washington remains firmly behind NATO despite tensions over Greenland. He warned a … Continue reading NATO boss Rutte slaps down calls for European army

Israel has recovered the body of Rani (Ran) Gvili, the final deceased Israeli hostage held in Gaza since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack, following a military operation in northern Gaza. Gvili, a 24-year-old Israeli Police Special Forces officer, was killed during the attack and identified through dental records after his body was found in a cemetery. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his return means … Continue reading Body of last remaining hostage retrieved from Gaza, Israel says

A poem written in 1905 by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad has resurfaced amid fears it foretells a modern global catastrophe, with some interpreting it as a warning of World War III. The poem describes massive earthquakes, widespread destruction, rivers of blood, and ominous events in the sky, which believers link to current global tensions involving Russia and the West. Ahmad, founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement … Continue reading Prophecy from apocalyptic ‘messiah’ warns of death so widespread ‘even birds won’t escape’

More than 1,000 residents have been evacuated from the Sicilian hill town of Niscemi after a massive 4km-long landslide caused by days of heavy rainfall. Aerial images show buildings perched dangerously close to a cliff edge, with deep chasms and large sections of earth torn away. No deaths or injuries have been reported, but officials estimate damage at around €740 million. Local authorities closed schools, … Continue reading 3-mile-long landslide leaves houses teetering on cliff edge in Sicily

Heavy snow and rainfall over the past three days have killed at least 61 people and injured more than 100 across 15 provinces in Afghanistan, according to disaster authorities. Hundreds of homes have been damaged or destroyed, livestock lost, and many villages remain cut off as officials struggle to reopen roads. Afghanistan is highly vulnerable to extreme weather, with weak infrastructure, poverty, deforestation, and climate … Continue reading Heavy snow and rainfall kill 61, injure 110 over 3 days in Afghanistan

Japanese panda fans gathered at Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo for a final viewing of twin pandas Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei ahead of their return to China this week. Their departure will leave Japan without pandas for the first time in 50 years, as strained relations between Tokyo and Beijing make replacements unlikely. The twins, born at the zoo in 2021, have drawn huge crowds, with … Continue reading The last 2 pandas in Japan are leaving for China as ties are strained

A ferry carrying more than 350 people sank early Monday near an island in the southern Philippines, with at least 316 passengers rescued and 15 bodies recovered. The M/V Trisha Kerstin 3 was traveling from Zamboanga to Jolo when it reportedly suffered technical problems and went down shortly after midnight in good weather near Basilan province. A coast guard safety officer on board alerted authorities, … Continue reading Ferry with more than 350 people sinks in the southern Philippines leaving at least 15 dead