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Gavin Blackburn

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.

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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.

Europe News

Church of Sweden launches ethics inquiry into PM's ordained wife

The Lutheran Church of Sweden, which has some 5.4 million members in a country of 10.6 million, formally separated from the Swedish state in 2000.

USA

Trump ballroom cost soars to €516m with half coming from taxpayers

The project began last year when Trump, with little warning and without consulting Congress, tore down the entire historic East Wing of the White House.

Europe News

Russia says yacht on 'dangerous approach' in Channel prompted shots

The incident comes two days after armed British forces boarded and detained a sanctioned tanker in the Channel that is suspected of being part of Russia’s shadow fleet.

Europe News

Norway's crown prince cuts workload to be with gravely ill wife

Mette-Marit, 52, was diagnosed in 2018 with a rare form of pulmonary fibrosis, or scarring of the lungs, that causes breathing difficulties.

Europe News

Swedish court jails man for pressuring wife into mass prostitution

Prosecutor Ida Annerstedt told the AFP news agency at the start of the trial in April that the woman had "a serious fear" of her husband.

Europe News

Russian artist critical of Putin shot dead in Poland, officials say

Skrepetsky was known for his sometimes provocative caricatures, which targeted prominent Russian political figures ranging from Putin and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin.

Switzerland

UN says 2.4 million refugees will need resettling in 2027

Afghan refugees are the largest group in need of resettlement, followed by people from South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, living in vast camps in Bangladesh.

Europe News

Delays to UK Parliament renovation could add £420m to final bill

Plans to restore the Victorian neo-Gothic edifice, which is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring Westminster Abbey, stretch back more than a decade.

Europe News

Swedish army consultant on trial for attempted spying for Russia

The trial, scheduled to last three days, is being held largely behind closed doors, given the sensitive nature of the information involved.

Haiti

At least 2,300 killed this year in Haiti gang violence, UN says

Haiti has been plagued by worsening gang violence since the 2021 assassination of its then-President Jovenel Moïse.

South Korea

Starbucks to close Korea stores for history lesson after ad fiasco

The day of the reusable cup promotion coincided with the anniversary of the Gwangju uprising in which 165 civilians were killed, though many believe the real figure to be much higher.

Europe News

EU leaders welcome US-Iran deal to end 'costly war'

The US and Iran said they had reached a deal to end the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, and reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz, though they offered few details about Tehran's nuclear programme.

Europe News

Norway crown princess' son sentenced to four years in prison for rape

Marius Borg Høiby, 29, is the eldest son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit from a previous relationship and the stepson of the heir to the throne, Crown Prince Haakon.

Pakistan

Police mistakenly shoot and kill Australian child in Pakistan

Australian media reported the family, from the western city of Perth, were visiting relatives in Pakistan when the incident took place.

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