The Russian cargo ship Ursa Major, which sank off the coast of Spain in December 2024, was reportedly carrying components for two nuclear reactors allegedly destined for North Korea. The ship’s sinking remains mysterious, with investigators suggesting explosions or a possible torpedo attack may have breached the hull. Before the incident, the vessel was escorted by Russian military ships and had listed Vladivostok as its … Continue reading Russian ship ‘carrying nuclear reactors to NKorea’ sinks off Spain

Saudi Arabia reportedly carried out secret airstrikes on Iran in late March in retaliation for Iranian missile and drone attacks during the wider Middle East conflict. The strikes marked the first known direct Saudi military action on Iranian soil and signaled a more assertive stance by Riyadh against Tehran. After the attacks, Saudi Arabia and Iran engaged in intensive diplomacy and reached an informal agreement … Continue reading Saudi Arabia launched covert attacks on Iran as regional war widened

The Rwanda-backed AFC/M23 rebel group has withdrawn from several key positions in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo’s South Kivu province, marking the first major battlefield shift in months. Congolese military officials said the retreat followed pressure from the national army and diplomatic efforts led by the United States. Rebels pulled back from areas near the city of Uvira toward positions closer to Bukavu, while … Continue reading Congo rebels pull back from key positions amid US pressure

A new surge of gang violence in Haiti has forced hundreds of people to flee neighborhoods in the capital, Port-au-Prince, with many taking shelter along roads near the main airport. Residents described armed gangs burning homes and spreading fear as criminal groups continue to control more than 90% of the city following the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. Doctors Without Borders evacuated a hospital … Continue reading New gang violence in Haiti displaces hundreds of people

A report by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights found that state actors in Mexico are involved in disappearances at an “alarming” rate, often working in collusion with organized crime groups. More than 130,000 people have gone missing in Mexico, mostly during the last two decades of violence linked to the country’s war on drug cartels. The report says disappearances are carried out both directly … Continue reading Disappearances in Mexico involving state at ‘alarming’ rate, says report

Iran executed 29-year-old graduate student Erfan Shakourzadeh on espionage charges, accusing him of collaborating with the CIA and Israel’s Mossad during a period of heightened tensions with the United States and Israel. Rights groups said the elite aerospace engineering student from Tehran’s Iran University of Science and Technology was tortured, held in solitary confinement, and forced to give false confessions before his execution. In messages … Continue reading Iran hangs grad student accused of spying for the CIA and Israel’s intel agency

Israel’s Knesset passed a bipartisan law to create a special military tribunal for roughly 300 Palestinian attackers captured during the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led invasion, with the vote passing 93-0. The tribunal would prosecute suspects for crimes including genocide, terrorism, harming Israeli sovereignty, and assisting an enemy during wartime, with genocide convictions carrying the possibility of the death penalty. Supporters described the legislation as a … Continue reading Knesset passes law establishing military tribunal to try October 7 perpetrators