English

Gavin Blackburn

Cuba

Cuba's president admits 'urgent changes' needed to overcome crisis

The oil blockade imposed by President Donald Trump in January has brought the island's already moribund economy to the brink of collapse, marked by power cuts sometimes lasting over 30 hours.

USA

Joyful New York celebrates Knicks NBA win with ticker-tape parade

New York erupted in jubilant scenes on Saturday when the Knicks broke a 53-year drought to defeat the San Antonio Spurs away in Texas.

Iran

Iran's ayatollah says approved US deal despite 'different view'

Meanwhile, US Vice President JD Vance defended the deal, saying he would likely head to Switzerland for talks to turn it into a long-term agreement.

Europe News

UK police arrest man after toddler 'ended up' in crocodile pen at zoo

Cambridgeshire Constabulary said the toddler had sustained "serious injuries" and was in a "critical but stable" condition at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.

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Europe News

Foreign aid cuts and climate change pushing migrant flows, IOM warns

Several rich Western countries, particularly the United States but also many European nations, have cut their development aid budgets in recent years.

Europe News

Switzerland heading towards referendum on new nuclear power plants

During the debates in parliament, Energy Minister Albert Rosti stressed the need to keep the nuclear power option open to guarantee the country's long-term energy supply.

Europe News

Two Chinese-British dual nationals jailed in dissident spying case

The sweeping National Security Law, which severely curtailed freedoms in Hong Kong, contributed to years of strained ties between Beijing and London.

Europe News

Graft probe into Spanish ex-PM expanded to daughters, court says

The former premier defended his innocence during a three-hour hearing before Calama on Wednesday, becoming the first former or serving Spanish head of government to declare as a suspect in a corruption investigation.

Europe News

Poland arrests suspect in killing of Russian artist critical of Putin

Since it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia has been accused of trying to assassinate its opponents abroad, including targeting exiled activists in France and Lithuania.

Europe News

Row between Elon Musk and Germany's ZDF sparks major controversy

German broadcaster ZDF has reacted to a cease-and-desist suit from Elon Musk, deleting a line from a programme intro over his links to UK right-wing activist Tommy Robinson.

Europe News

UN World Food Programme welcomes €695 million donation from US

The WFP has said it wants to reach 110 million people in the most acute need around the world this year, for which it would require €11 billion.

Europe News

Finland's parliament backs lifting total ban on nuclear weapons

Finland dropped decades of military non-alliance to join NATO in April 2023 in response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Europe News

Germany and Poland sign defence deal as European power balance shifts

Poland’s importance as a logistics hub for Ukraine, alongside its growing economy and heavy defence investment, has made it a compelling partner for Germany and other core European countries.

USA

Mangione to use psychiatric defence in health CEO murder trial

Brian Thompson was killed in December 2024 as he walked to a Manhattan hotel for UnitedHealth Group’s annual investor conference.

Europe News

Spanish ex-PM Zapatero defends 'honesty' after graft hearing

The investigation into the Socialist titan comes as a string of graft probes into Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's family and former top political allies have threatened to topple his minority coalition.

Iran

Read the full text of the 14-point US-Iran deal as released by Tehran

After a draft agreement was leaked earlier this week, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian published Tehran's copy of the framework deal he and US President Donald Trump separately signed on Wednesday. Here are its contents.

Afghanistan

Afghan government staff told to abandon smartphones or face prison

How widely the rule is being implemented across Afghanistan and the scale of its impact were not entirely clear.

Europe News

Groundbreaking US astronaut Christina Koch wins top Spanish award

Koch was part of the four-member crew of the Artemis II mission which in April flew around the Moon and is widely viewed as a potential candidate for future lunar-surface missions.

Haiti

UN chief in Haiti as gang violence soars, displaced people hit 1.5m

Guterres’ first stop was the headquarters of the new gang-suppression force, which the UN Security Council approved in September.

Europe News

At least 58 states and territories contaminated by landmines, UN says

At least 945 people were killed and 4,325 injured by landmines and explosive remnants of war in 2024 alone, the UN said, citing the Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor.

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