World

Israel has been accused of carrying out a “massacre” of journalists in Gaza in two separate reports from media freedom organisations this week that analysed the deaths of reporters worldwide this year.According to calculations from Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF) published on Thursday, the Israeli army killed 18 journalists as they were working this year …

Israel condemned by media groups over Gaza journalist ‘massacre’ Read More »

Taiwan said Thursday it detected 16 Chinese warships in waters around the island, one of the highest numbers this year, as Beijing intensifies military pressure on Taipei.The navy vessels, along with 34 Chinese aircraft, were spotted near Taiwan in the 24 hours to 6:00 am (2200 GMT) Thursday, according to the defence ministry’s daily tally.Beijing …

Taiwan detects 16 Chinese warships around island Read More »

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol vowed on Thursday to fight “until the very last minute” in a defiant address defending his shock decision to declare martial law and deploy troops to the country’s parliament last week.The South Korean leader is barred from foreign travel as part of a probe into his inner circle over …

South Korea’s Yoon vows to fight ‘until the very last minute’ Read More »

Gaza’s civil defence agency reported that Israeli air strikes on Thursday killed at least 33 people, including 12 guards securing aid trucks in southern parts of the Palestinian territory.The latest bloodshed occurred just hours after the UN General Assembly called for an immediate ceasefire in the devastated territory.Seven guards were killed in a strike in …

Gaza rescuers say Israel kills 33 in morning strikes Read More »

French politics was on hold Thursday during a day trip to Poland by President Emmanuel Macron, who is expected to name a new prime minister a week after MPs toppled the government.Macron had promised to name a replacement government chief within 48 hours after meeting party leaders at his Elysee Palace office Tuesday, participants said.But …

Suspense mounts as Macron prepares to unveil new French PM Read More »

Riyad Avlar spent 20 years languishing in Syria’s jails, including a decade in the infamous Saydnaya prison, the scene of some of the Bashar al-Assad government’s most brutal abuses. Those long years behind bars have left him with one obsession: documenting and healing the atrocities committed inside the prison where he himself was locked up.”I am …

How an ex-inmate of brutal Syria jail overcame trauma by helping others Read More »

At a popular meeting spot for substance abusers near central Helsinki, even the addicts warn that Finland has a spiralling drug problem, particularly among young people. The situation had reached “a whole new level”, one man in his early 30s, who introduced himself only as Stefano, told AFP. Government statistics lay bare the extent of the problem: …

Fears for the future as drug deaths among young Finns soar Read More »

Slovakia’s Culture Minister Martina Simkovicova has sparked uproar by dismissing several heads of major cultural institutions and halting projects steered by LGBT+ associations under the pretext of promoting “Slovak culture”.Protesters at a Bratislava rally Thursday will take aim at Simkovicova, who has been a controversial figure since taking office in October 2023.”The culture of the …

Nationalist minister tests Slovak culture, LGBT limits Read More »

Her husband orchestrating her sexual abuse by strangers could have broken her. But by standing up to her abusers in court and demanding they be ashamed, France’s Gisele Pelicot has become a feminist champion.Three and a half months of sometimes gruelling hearings, including graphic video evidence, are set to culminate when judges hand down sentences …

Gisele Pelicot: France rape survivor who became a feminist hero Read More »

US heavyweight Kevin Johnson came close to the top of the boxing world before his star dimmed. Now, he wants to relaunch his career from Russia, where he has become a cheerleader for President Vladimir Putin.Relations between the West and Russia have hit record lows over Moscow’s almost three-year Ukraine offensive — also hitting the …

Kevin Johnson: US boxer fighting for Putin’s Russia Read More »