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Gavin Blackburn

Iran

Iran executed at least 1,639 in 2025, international NGOs say

Rights groups including Amnesty International say Iran carries out the most executions of any nation worldwide per capita, and the most of any country other than China, for which no reliable data is available.

Iran

US blockade of Iran's ports starts as Trump threatens Tehran's navy

In a social media post on Sunday, Trump said his goal was to clear the Strait of Hormuz of mines and reopen it to all shipping, but that Iran must not be allowed to profit from controlling the key cargo waterway.

Germany

Union Berlin backs coach Marie-Louise Eta after sexist abuse online

Eta has been named interim coach for the last five games of the season as Union aims to avoid relegation from Germany's Bundesliga.

Hungary

Seismic shift: How 16 years of Hungarian politics changed in one day

The National Election Commission said voter turnout was at a record 77.8%, the highest ever recorded in a Hungarian election.

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Ukraine

Russia and Ukraine announce truce for Orthodox Easter

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had previously signalled Kyiv's openness to a potential Easter truce.

USA

US First Lady Melania Trump denies any links to Epstein abuse

Epstein died in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges involving minors, but the scandal has repeatedly overshadowed Trump's second presidency.

Venezuela

Venezuela police use tear gas against protesters demanding pay rises

The monthly minimum wage in Venezuela is 130 bolivars (€0.23), unchanged since 2022, and roughly 330 times lower than the UN poverty line of $3 (€2.56) a day.

Netherlands

EU police smash ring smuggling Vietnamese nationals to Europe

Europol said the people smuggling network transported at least 15 migrants per month, charging them up to €22,000 for the full journey.

Cuba

Cuba accuses US of 'extorting' Latin America in row over doctors

According to official figures, some 24,000 Cuban doctors and other healthcare professionals were deployed in 56 countries in 2025.

Germany

Germany resumes talks with Iran, Chancellor Friedrich Merz says

Merz also said that the continued Israeli military campaign in Lebanon could jeopardise peace talks expected between the United States and Iran over the war in the Middle East.

Lebanon

Israel's cabinet told 'to begin direct negotiations' with Lebanon

The statement from the prime minister's office comes on the same day that the Israeli military warned residents of Beirut's southern suburbs of imminent strikes and called for them to evacuate.

USA

Trump again berates NATO, calls it 'disappointing'

Trump's outrage at NATO allies over their failure to join the Iran war had prompted fears he would seek to pull the United States out of the nearly eight-decade-old alliance.

Iran

Iran rules out restriction on enrichment programme, nuclear chief says

The issue of uranium enrichment has been central to Western relations with Iran for more than two decades, with the US and its allies accusing Tehran of seeking atomic weapons.

Iran

Pro-Iran groups use AI to troll Trump and try to control war narrative

Analysts say the memes appear to be coming from groups linked to the government in Tehran and are part of a strategy of leveraging its limited resources to inflict damage on the US.

United Kingdom

UK and Norway foil Russian submarine plot to survey undersea cables

Britain and Norway announced new joint naval patrols aimed at protecting undersea cables from Russia in December, with a fleet of at least 13 warships protecting critical infrastructure in the North Atlantic.

Turkey

Turkey puts 11 leaders of LGBTQ+ association on trial for 'obscenity'

Homosexuality is not illegal in Turkey, but the LGBTQ+ community is frequently targeted by authorities who blame it for the country's declining birth rate.

Culture news

'Ketamine Queen' jailed for 15 years over Matthew Perry drugs death

Perry, 54, had openly struggled for decades with addictions, but had appeared to colleagues to be beating his demons when he died in 2023.

Iran

Israel ready to 'return to battle' against Iran, Netanyahu says

In a televised speech, Netanyahu also hit back at opposition leaders who chastised him for agreeing to the truce before Israel achieved its objectives in the war.

Iran

Closing Strait of Hormuz 'completely unacceptable,' White House says

One of the major points in the two-week ceasefire agreement was that Iran would allow the resumption of shipping through Hormuz, easing a disruption in the flow of oil and gas which has sent prices soaring around the world.

Switzerland

Former fire safety chief remains silent in Swiss bar fire probe

Prosecutors believe the fire started when champagne bottles with sparklers attached were raised too close to the ceiling in the bar's basement level, igniting the sound insulation foam.

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