Finnish court convicts Russian man for war crimes in Ukraine
Finnish court sentences Russian paramilitary to life imprisonment for war crimes against Ukrainian soldiers in 2014.
US arrests second student, imposes ‘receivership’ on Columbia University
The Trump administration has compared student protests at the New York school to support for 'terrorist' activities.
Federal agents raid Columbia dorm rooms as university expels students
Columbia University and the Department of Homeland Security are continuing their crackdowns on pro-Palestinian students.
Greek PM seeks ‘reset’ with former far-right activist as migration minister
Shaken by rail protests, Kyriakos Mitsotakis brings in new transport minister while tacking right on migration
The Greek prime minister has appointed a former far-right student activist to the helm of the migration ministry as part of a broad reshuffle aimed at “resetting” his government amid public outrage over its handling of a deadly 2023 train crash.
In an attempt to stem declining approval ratings, Kyriakos Mitsotakis placed the self-described nationalist, Makis Voridis, in the sensitive post while selecting a number of younger officials to key portfolios including the transport ministry.
Continue reading...Blockers, checkers, bats and chainsaws: don’t talk like Musk, Starmer is warned
PM has been urged to ‘get a grip’ on messaging after railing against the ‘flabby’ state and the civil service’s ‘tepid bath’
Keir Starmer has been warned against adopting the language of Elon Musk after railing against “blockers and checkers” and the “flabby” civil service this week.
Gus O’Donnell, the former cabinet secretary, was one of those urging the prime minister to “get a grip” on his messaging, telling the Institute for Government podcast: “My God, he has mishandled the communications on this terribly.”
Continue reading...Putin says Russia will spare Ukrainian forces in Kursk if they surrender
Putin's claim comes after US President Donald Trump urged him to avoid a 'horrible massacre' there.
‘Terrifying and exhausting’ – passengers describe escape from burning plane
Witnesses share their exhausting and terrifying escape after a plane forced to make an emergency landing caught fire.
Pope Francis’ condition remains stable as recovery progresses – Vatican News
- Pope Francis’ condition remains stable as recovery progresses Vatican News
- Catholics Around the Globe Heed Francis’ Call to ‘Pray for Me’ The New York Times
- In the hospital, pope celebrates anniversary of election with cake USCCB
- Timeline of Pope Francis’ hospitalization for pneumonia at the 1-month mark The Associated Press
- One month in the hospital: No news on Pope Francis is good news National Catholic Reporter
Canada ‘will never be part of the US’, says new PM Mark Carney amid trade war
Former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor sworn in and expected to call election soon
Mark Carney has said Canada will never be part of the US, after being sworn in as the country’s 24th prime minister in a sudden rise to power.
“We will never, in any shape or form, be part of the US,” the former governor of the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England told a crowd outside Rideau Hall in Ottawa, rejecting Donald Trump’s annexation threats. “We are very fundamentally a different country.”
Continue reading...Apple’s UK encryption legal challenge heard behind closed doors
Media organisations including the Guardian and the BBC fail to gain entry to proceedings
A hearing in Apple’s legal battle with the UK government over access to customer data was held behind closed doors on Friday after the press failed to gain entry to proceedings.
The US tech firm has launched an appeal with the investigatory powers tribunal after the Home Office demanded access to encrypted data stored remotely in Apple’s cloud servers.
Continue reading...Hamas says it will release American hostage Edan Alexander – ABC News
- Hamas says it will release American hostage Edan Alexander ABC News
- Hamas says it's willing to release the five American hostages in Gaza NPR
- Hamas says it will only release Edan Alexander if ceasefire deal implemented The Times of Israel
- US rebuts Hamas’s ‘entirely impractical’ ceasefire demands The Guardian
- Hamas Says It’s Willing to Release U.S.-Israeli Hostage Edan Alexander The New York Times
14 things the Trump administration did this week
This week in the White House, the US president escalated his global trade war and tried to broker peace in Ukraine.
Duterte appears for first ICC crimes against humanity hearing
Former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte appeared via video link at his first hearing at the ICC.
Germany is back, says Merz after historic deal on defence and spending – BBC.com
- Germany is back, says Merz after historic deal on defence and spending BBC.com
- A 3 a.m. Showdown Saved Merz’s Game-Changing Plan for Germany Bloomberg
- Germans Reach Deal to Spend Big on Defense, Climate and More The New York Times
- Europe stocks close higher led by Germany's DAX after lawmakers reportedly agree spending boost CNBC
- Can Europe cope with a free-spending Germany? The Economist
Germany is back, says Merz after historic spending deal
Germany's conservative leader clinches an major financial agreement ahead of a crunch vote in parliament.
Mark Carney sworn in as Canada’s new prime minister, replacing Trudeau
The former central banker has promised to deliver 'action' as country faces hostility on trade from the United States.
Pakistan accuses India of sponsoring militant terror group after train hijacking
A spokesperson offered no evidence for the claim after 26 people were killed on a train that was hijacked in Balochistan province on Tuesday
Pakistan’s military has accused neighbouring India of sponsoring militant groups in the south-west of the country as survivors recounted their ordeal from an unprecedented attack that killed 26 passengers on a hijacked train.
The scope of the attack in Balochistan province underscores the struggles that Pakistan faces to rein in militant groups.
Continue reading...US rebuts Hamas’s ‘entirely impractical’ ceasefire demands
Apparent rejection of new offer to free US-Israeli hostage dashes hopes of progress but will please Tel Aviv
The Trump administration has accused Hamas of making “entirely impractical” demands and stalling on a deal to release a US-Israeli hostage in exchange for an extension of the Gaza ceasefire.
“Hamas is making a very bad bet that time is on its side. It is not,” the office of Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and the US national security council said in a statement. “Hamas is well aware of the deadline, and should know that we will respond accordingly if that deadline passes,” it said, adding that Trump had already vowed Hamas would “pay a severe price” for not freeing hostages.
Continue reading...Greenland’s politicians unite against Trump
In an unusual show of unity, party leaders say they "cannot accept the repeated statements about the annexation of Greenland."
30,000 jobs could go in Labour’s radical overhaul of NHS
Loss of staff will be at least twice as big as thought, as new NHS England chief tells regional boards to cut costs by 50%
The jobs cull from the government’s radical restructuring of the NHS will be at least twice as big as previously thought, with other parts of the health service now being downsized too.
The staff shakeout caused by NHS England’s abolition and unprecedented cost-cutting elsewhere will mean the number of lost posts will soar from the 10,000 expected to between 20,000 and 30,000.
Continue reading...