Australia’s most decorated living veteran, Ben Roberts-Smith, did not seek bail after facing war crime murder charges in a Sydney court. He has been charged with two counts of war crime murder and three counts of aiding or abetting such crimes related to incidents in Afghanistan. The allegations stem from a 2020 military report that found evidence Australian special forces unlawfully killed civilians and prisoners. … Continue reading Decorated Australian veteran remains behind bars on Afghan war crime charges

A pastor, Cheryl Bartley, has been charged with gross negligence manslaughter following a baptism ceremony death in Birmingham. The victim, Robert Smith, 61, drowned during the ceremony in Erdington in October 2023. The Crown Prosecution Service said there is sufficient evidence to bring the case to court after working with police investigators. Bartley is scheduled to appear before Birmingham Magistrates’ Court in May, the Mirror … Continue reading Pastor charged with drowning someone to death during baptism

Israeli airstrikes hit residential areas in Beirut shortly after a U.S.-Israel ceasefire was announced, as Israel clarified the deal does not apply to its conflict with Hezbollah. The Israeli military launched over 100 strikes within minutes across Beirut, southern Lebanon, and the Bekaa Valley, killing at least 254 people, with the highest toll in the capital. Entire neighborhoods were struck, causing widespread destruction, fires, and … Continue reading Apocalyptic scenes in Beirut after Israel bombs 100 times in 10 minutes

President Donald Trump announced he would suspend planned U.S. attacks on Iranian infrastructure for two weeks, contingent on Iran agreeing to open the Strait of Hormuz. He described the pause as part of a potential “double-sided ceasefire” and said it followed discussions with Pakistani leaders. The announcement came shortly before a deadline he had set for Iran to comply, which had raised global concerns and … Continue reading Trump-Iran agree to two-week ceasefire

Russian artillery and aerial attacks across Ukraine killed nine people, including a child, in multiple strikes on Tuesday, officials said. The attacks included shelling in Kherson that killed four people and a drone strike on a passenger bus in Nikopol that killed four more and injured several others. Ukrainian officials described the strikes as deliberate terror and warned of worsening conditions in frontline areas. Meanwhile, … Continue reading Two children among 13 dead in fresh Ukraine, Russia strikes

An Iran-backed Iraqi group, Kataeb Hezbollah, released U.S. journalist Shelly Kittleson a week after she was kidnapped in Baghdad. The group said her release was conditional on her leaving Iraq immediately and described it as a one-time gesture. The announcement came shortly before a ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran following over a month of conflict. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed … Continue reading Iraqi armed group releases US journalist

North Korea launched several ballistic missiles toward the sea off its east coast on Wednesday, following a similar suspected launch the previous day. The missiles traveled about 240 km, and South Korean and U.S. authorities are analyzing the tests. South Korea condemned the launches as provocations that violate U.N. Security Council resolutions and held an emergency security meeting. Officials said Tuesday’s launch may have failed … Continue reading North Korea fires ballistic missiles as Pyongyang dismisses Seoul’s diplomacy hopes

Russia and China vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz, despite most members voting in favor. The vote came just hours before President Donald Trump’s deadline for Iran to stop threatening the key waterway or face potential U.S. strikes. The resolution had already been weakened to focus only on defensive measures and remove authorization for military force in an … Continue reading Russia, China veto UN resolution aimed at reopening Strait of Hormuz

China has reserved five areas of airspace off its northeast coast for 40 days, from March 27 to May 6, without explaining why. Such restrictions are typically linked to military drills, but no exercises have been announced, and drills by the People’s Liberation Army usually last only a few days. The restricted zones, issued as aviation notices called Notams, span about 340 miles from the … Continue reading China restricts airspace for 40 days in signal of intense military activity