English

Gavin Blackburn

France

France's PM proposes suspending retirement age law until 2027

With his government hanging by a thread, France's newly reappointed prime minister must make concessions to avoid a no-confidence vote this week.

Europe News

Three Italian police killed in apparently deliberate house explosion

The two-storey farmhouse had been filled with gas and the explosion was set off when authorities opened the door, regional governor Luca Zaia told Sky TG24.

Ukraine

Russian strikes hit Kharkiv hospital as Ukraine urges more air defence

Zelenskyy again urged foreign countries to help blunt Russia’s long-range attacks by providing more air defence systems for the country, which is vast and complex to defend from Moscow's daily air raids.

Gaza

Thousands of Palestinians return north as Gaza ceasefire starts

The Israeli military has said it will continue to operate defensively from the roughly 50% of Gaza it still controls after pulling back to agreed-upon lines.

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USA

Several dead in explosion at Tennessee munitions plant, sheriff says

Aerial footage of the aftermath showed the explosion had apparently obliterated one of Accurate Energetic Systems' hilltop buildings, leaving only smouldering wreckage.

USA

White House slams Nobel committee for not giving Peace Prize to Trump

Trump has long coveted the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize and aggressively lobbied for the award, citing his role in brokering a number of international ceasefire deals.

Belgium

NATO drill to start next week with focus on protecting nuclear weapons

Steadfast Noon will run for about two weeks and will be led by the Netherlands and involve 71 aircraft from 14 NATO countries.

France

French court increases sentence for man who raped Gisèle Pelicot

Husamettin Dogan was tried on charges of aggravated rape by administering substances that impair judgment or self-control, an offence punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

Belgium

Suspected terror cell said to be planning attack on Belgian PM broken

Local media reported that investigators discovered a homemade explosive which the suspects were reportedly planning to attach to a drone to carry out the attack.

Europe News

Poland charges former registry employee with spying for Russia

Authorities allege the man provided Russia with intelligence from 2017 to 2022, while he was working in the archives of the Warsaw municipality’s civil registry.

Azerbaijan

Putin admits Russian air defences downed Azerbaijan plane killing 38

The Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet crashed in Aktau on 25 December 2024 while on a flight from Baku to Grozny.

Ukraine

Ukraine strikes cause gas shortages in Russia, Zelenskyy says

Ukraine has poured huge efforts into weapons development and has fast become a global centre for defence innovation.

USA

Authorities charge man with starting fire that levelled LA district

Law enforcement accuses 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht of lighting a fire on New Year's Day that was initially put out by fire crews, but continued to smoulder before reigniting during high winds.

United Kingdom

UK synagogue attacker claimed allegiance to so-called IS, police say

Jihad Al-Shamie was shot dead by police outside the Heaton Park Congregation Synagogue after he rammed a car into pedestrians and attacked them with a knife.

Ukraine

Russian strike badly damages Ukrainian power plant, authorities say

Every year since 2022, Russia has tried to cripple the Ukrainian power grid ahead of winter, hoping to erode morale and disrupt military manufacturing.

United Kingdom

Police investigate hate crime after mosque set on fire in UK

Footage from the incident, released by police on Sunday, shows two balaclava-clad people approach the front door of the Peacehaven Mosque, before spraying accelerant on the entrance and igniting a fire.

Ukraine

Ukraine claims drone strikes on Russian ammo plant and oil terminal

Russian authorities acknowledged a major Ukrainian drone attack over 14 Russian regions, as well as the annexed Crimean Peninsula and around the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

Culture news

Diddy sentenced to 4 years in jail over prostitution conviction

Combs was convicted under the Mann Act, which bans transporting people across state lines for prostitution. And since he has already served a year in jail, the sentence means that the 55-year-old could get out in about three years.

Poland

Poland accuses Russia of plot involving explosives smuggled in tins

Investigators haven't said what the motive for the planned attacks might be, but Poland's staunch support for Ukraine during the full-scale invasion could be a possible reason.

United Kingdom

One victim of UK synagogue attack shot by police, officials say

Police identified the attacker as Jihad Al-Shamie, a 35-year-old British citizen of Syrian descent who entered the United Kingdom as a young child and became a citizen in 2006.

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