Thousands have been evacuated in the Philippines ahead of super typhoon Ragasa, with winds of 230 km/h (143 mph) and life-threatening storm surges forecast. The typhoon is expected to hit northern islands before moving toward southern China, bringing heavy rain, flooding, and landslides. Schools, government offices, and transport services have been suspended in affected areas, including Manila and parts of Taiwan, the BBC has reported. … Continue reading Super typhoon nears Philippines as thousands evacuate

The UK has officially recognized a Palestinian state, with Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper warning Israel not to annex parts of the West Bank in response. The move, also followed by Canada, Australia, Portugal, and soon France and Belgium, aims to revive the two-state solution while ensuring Hamas has no role in governance. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu condemned the recognition as rewarding terrorism, while Palestinian Authority … Continue reading UK warns Israel not to retaliate against Palestinian statehood push

German and Swedish fighter jets intercepted a Russian IL-20M reconnaissance plane that entered neutral airspace over the Baltic Sea on Sunday, after it flew without a flight plan or radio contact. NATO ordered Germany’s quick reaction force to respond before handing the escort over to Swedish jets. The incident follows a series of recent Russian airspace violations, including three Russian MiG-31s entering Estonia on Friday … Continue reading German and Swedish jets intercept Russian military plane over Baltic Sea

Authorities in the Dominican Republic said they recovered 377 packages of cocaine from a speedboat destroyed by the U.S. Navy, in what they called the first joint anti-narcoterrorism operation in the Caribbean. The boat, allegedly carrying over 2,200 pounds of cocaine, was struck about 80 nautical miles south of Isla Beata before Dominican forces secured the drugs. U.S. officials say the naval mission, launched in … Continue reading Speedboat destroyed by U.S. Navy held 1,000 kilos of cocaine, Dominican Republic says

Violence erupted in The Hague as a demonstration over immigration turned chaotic, with rioters clashing with police, torching a police car, and vandalizing the D66 party office. Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd, while a group of 1,500 protesters blocked the A12 highway. Dutch media reported rioters carrying nationalist and symbols, which party leader Rob Jetten condemned as intimidation. Caretaker … Continue reading Violence erupts at protests in the Netherlands ahead of election

Australia has formally recognized Palestine as a sovereign state, joining the UK and Canada in a coordinated move announced at the UN by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. The decision, intended to build momentum for a two-state solution and a Gaza ceasefire, drew fierce condemnation from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who warned of possible military responses. Albanese stressed that Hamas must have no role in … Continue reading UK, Canada, Australia formally recognize Palestinian state

Israel launched a major wave of airstrikes in southern Lebanon, claiming to target Hezbollah infrastructure and weapons sites after issuing evacuation warnings in several villages. Footage showed heavy smoke in Mais al-Jabal, one of the affected areas, though casualties have not been reported. Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned the attacks as violations of the US- and France-brokered ceasefire and urged international pressure on Israel … Continue reading Israeli air strikes hit southern Lebanon

The Taliban has imposed a nationwide ban on fiber-optic internet in Afghanistan, cutting Wi-Fi access for homes, businesses, and government offices for the first time since taking power in 2021. Authorities say the move is part of a crackdown to “prevent immorality,” though mobile internet remains available. Provinces including Balkh, Baghlan, Badakhshan, Kunduz, Nangarhar, and Takhar have already confirmed shutdowns. Media groups condemned the ban, … Continue reading Taliban’s internet ban spreads across Afghanistan as more provinces are shut down

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck near Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on Thursday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The quake initially prompted tsunami advisories for Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, though they were later canceled. Russian officials issued warnings along the east coast of Kamchatka, urging residents to stay alert, but reported no damage. The U.S. National Weather Service confirmed there was no tsunami threat to Hawaii, while … Continue reading Magnitude 7.8 earthquake strikes off Russia’s coast

Outgoing MI6 chief Sir Richard Moore said there is “absolutely no evidence” that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants peace in Ukraine, accusing him of “stringing us along.” Speaking in Istanbul, Moore argued that Putin underestimated Ukraine, has weakened Russia’s future, and is lying to his people and the world. He noted the war has strengthened Ukrainian identity, pushed Sweden and Finland into NATO, and accelerated … Continue reading U.K.’s MI6 spy chief says Putin has no interest in peace in Ukraine

An elderly British couple, Peter (80) and Barbie Reynolds (76), have been freed by the Taliban after nearly eight months in detention and reunited with their daughter in Qatar. The couple, who lived in Afghanistan for almost two decades running a training charity, were detained on 1 February and released through Qatari mediation. Their family, who had raised alarms over their deteriorating health in prison, … Continue reading British couple freed by Taliban hug daughter in emotional reunion

Protesters across France launched strikes and demonstrations Thursday, crippling Paris Metro services and blocking roads in opposition to President Emmanuel Macron’s proposed cuts to public services. Clashes with police and teargas erupted early in Paris, with unions warning that the austerity measures would worsen poverty and inequality for low- and middle-income workers. Opponents argue the government should tax the wealthy and businesses instead of reducing … Continue reading Strikes and protests roil France

Two people were shot dead Thursday at an Israeli-run crossing between the West Bank and Jordan, Israeli medics said, with the attacker reported “neutralized.” Jordan acknowledged a security incident but gave no details. The attack follows a similar shooting at the crossing in September 2024, when a retired Jordanian soldier killed three Israelis, the Associated Press has reported. Violence in the West Bank has sharply … Continue reading Shooting at Israeli-run border crossing with Jordan kills 2, medics say

Gunmen on motorbikes killed 22 people, including 15 at a baptism ceremony, in Niger’s Tillabéri region near the Mali and Burkina Faso borders. Local activists described the attack as a massacre that spread to nearby areas, while authorities confirmed an incident but gave no casualty figures. The assault highlights worsening jihadist violence by groups linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State, which has surged since March … Continue reading Gunmen kill 22 after shooting at baptism ceremony in Niger

Fifteen people from Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Ukraine have been charged over a Russia-backed plot to carry out arson attacks across Europe, Lithuanian prosecutors said. Investigators linked the suspects to Russia’s GRU and found they used courier services to send incendiary devices hidden in massage pillows and cosmetics. Explosions occurred in the UK, Germany, and Poland in 2024, including at a DHL warehouse in … Continue reading Russia-backed network behind detonating parcels in Europe, Lithuania says

NATO jets intercepted two Russian Su-30 fighters armed with supersonic Kh-31 missiles over the Baltic Sea, alongside an Il-20 intelligence aircraft. Sweden and Denmark carried out the operation after detecting aircraft flying without flight plans or transponders. The incident comes amid a surge in Russian provocations, including drone incursions into Polish, Romanian, and Latvian airspace, and large-scale Zapad 2025 war games with Belarus. In response, … Continue reading NATO jets intercept Russian warplanes carrying supersonics over Baltic

Denmark is leading a major NATO exercise in Greenland, involving over 550 troops from Denmark, France, Germany, Sweden, and Norway, to boost Arctic defense readiness amid growing tensions over the region. The drills include ship boardings, live-fire exercises, and F-16 flyovers, with U.S., U.K., and Canadian observers present. Danish commanders cite Russia as a regional threat but stress strong ties with the U.S. military, despite … Continue reading Denmark leads drills in Greenland at time of tensions with U.S.

Independent lab tests on smuggled samples from late Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny indicate he was poisoned while imprisoned in a Siberian penal colony, his widow Yulia Navalnaya has said. Navalny, a vocal critic of Vladimir Putin, died in February 2024 at age 47, with Russian authorities claiming he collapsed during a walk. Navalnaya has long accused Putin of responsibility and called on labs to … Continue reading Alexey Navalny’s widow says lab tests prove Russian opposition figure was poisoned in prison

Christian Brückner, the prime suspect in Madeleine McCann’s disappearance, has been released from a German prison after serving time for a separate rape conviction. The 48-year-old, a convicted sex offender with a history of crimes in Portugal, was fitted with an ankle tag but faces no charges in relation to Madeleine’s case, which remains unsolved. German prosecutors suspect his involvement, citing phone data placing him … Continue reading Madeleine McCann suspect freed from German prison

Thieves have stolen $700,000 worth of gold samples from Paris’s Natural History Museum after breaking into its geology gallery with power tools. The theft exploited a security weakness caused by a recent cyberattack that disabled alarms and surveillance. The museum warned the stolen items carry irreplaceable heritage value despite their raw gold worth, CBS News has reported. The heist is the latest in a series … Continue reading Gold worth $700,000 stolen from Paris’s Natural History Museum amid string of similar heists

Israeli forces have intensified their ground offensive in Gaza City, carrying out heavy air and artillery strikes that have destroyed residential blocks, hit a children’s hospital, and forced mass displacement. The UN says Israel is committing genocide, while the Palestinian death toll has reached 65,000. Hundreds of thousands have fled south, though many remain trapped due to hunger, cost, or fear that the south is … Continue reading IDF try to force civilians out of Gaza City as ground offensive continues

Constance Marten, a 38-year-old British aristocrat, and her boyfriend Mark Gordon, 51, were sentenced to 14 years in prison for the manslaughter of their newborn daughter while on the run in 2023. The couple hid from authorities after Marten secretly gave birth, living in a tent during freezing weather where their baby, Victoria, died of hypothermia. Her body was later found in a shed in … Continue reading British aristocrat and her boyfriend sentenced to 14 years in prison for killing their newborn

Polish authorities detained a young Belarusian woman and a Ukrainian man after a drone was spotted flying over the presidential palace in Warsaw on Monday night. The drone was neutralized by state security, and officials stressed it was too early to determine the suspects’ motives, rejecting rumors of a major espionage operation. The incident comes as Poland remains on high alert following recent Russian drone … Continue reading Suspects accused of flying drone over Polish presidential palace are Belarusian and Ukrainian

The Israeli military launched a ground offensive into Gaza City on Tuesday, advancing toward the territory’s largest urban center after weeks of bombardment. Hundreds of thousands have fled, but many remain as the assault intensifies. Israel says the operation aims to destroy Hamas’ remaining fighters and infrastructure, though officials warn it could last months. The push came the same day U.N.-commissioned experts accused Israel of … Continue reading Israel’s military begins its ground offensive in Gaza City

China and the Philippines clashed near the disputed Scarborough Shoal after China accused a Philippine ship of ramming one of its vessels, while Manila said Chinese forces damaged its fisheries ship with water cannons, injuring a crew member. The incident came days after Beijing declared part of the shoal a nature reserve, prompting a Philippine protest. Manila said Chinese coast guard ships blasted its vessel … Continue reading Tensions flare as Chinese and Philippine ships collide in South Sea