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WorldUkrainian drone strike kills seven in western Russia, investigators say
MOSCOW, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Russian investigators said seven people were killed and at least 10 wounded on Wednesday in a Ukrainian drone attack on a chemical plant in western Russia.
1 min readReuters
- World
Pope lines up trips to Central Africa, Algeria, Spain, Monaco
Pope Leo XIV will visit four African nations in April, the Vatican said Thursday, including Algeria -- the first time a pope will travel to the North African Muslim nation.But the official trip to Algeria, which will see Leo visit Algiers and Annaba from April 13 to 15, will be particularly symbolic.
3 min readAFP
- World
Australia tells families of diplomats to leave Israel, Lebanon
JERUSALEM, Feb 25 (Reuters) - The Australian government has told dependants of Australian diplomats in Israel and Lebanon to leave the two Middle East countries, citing a deteriorating security
1 min read - World
Pope Leo will visit 4 African countries as part of his packed 2026 travel plan
The Vatican on Wednesday announced a busy and lengthy foreign travel schedule for Pope Leo XIV in the first half of 2026, confirming the pontiff will visit Monaco, Spain and four African nations — Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea. The announcement sets the stage for one of the busiest papal travel schedules in years, since Leo will also be undertaking a grand tour of Italy starting in May that will take him up and down the peninsula in a half-dozen one-day visits. After Leo’s election last May as the first U.S.-born pope, papal travel had largely been on hold.
Associated Press3 min read - World
Pakistan wary of militant attacks after Afghanistan air strikes
By Asif Shahzad and Mubasher Bukhari ISLAMABAD, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Pakistan has boosted security and arrested dozens of suspects as it fears rising wave of militant attacks following its air strikes
2 min read - World
Louvre museum director resigns in wake of ‘heist of the century’
The director of the renowned Louvre museum in Paris resigned Tuesday following last year’s “heist of the century” which saw €88m ($100m) worth of crown jewels stolen.
2 min readCNN
- World
Surviving strike, Shamkhani resumes central role in Iran's war room
DUBAI, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Ali Shamkhani, who taunted Israel after being pulled alive from the rubble of his Tehran home following a strike in June 2025, has survived at the centre of Iranian policy-
5 min read - World
UK announces support package for Ukraine on war anniversary
(Corrects February 24 story to show amount in paragraph 7 is 5 million pounds not 30 million pounds) LONDON, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Britain announced a package of military, humanitarian and reconstruction
1 min read - World
France appoints new president at Louvre after jewellery heist
The president of France's famed Palace of Versailles took over as head of the Louvre following a litany of problems at the world's most-visited museum including a $100-million jewellery robbery.The Louvre, which is home to some of the world's most iconic pieces of art, including Leonardo Da Vinci's "Mona Lisa", receives around nine million visitors a year.
3 min read - World
OpenAI's ban of Canada school shooter's account raises scrutiny of other online activity
OTTAWA, Feb 25 (Reuters) - OpenAI's admission it banned the ChatGPT account of mass shooter Jesse Van Rootselaar months before the 18-year-old killed eight people and herself is drawing more scrutiny to her past online activity and raising questions about whether opportunities were missed to prevent one of Canada's worst-ever mass killings. OpenAI’s decision not to report Van Rootselaar to police prompted Canada’s Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon to summon company officials to Ott
4 min read - World
Sri Lanka arrests ex-spy chief over 2019 Easter bombings
Sri Lankan investigators arrested a former intelligence chief on Wednesday, the most high-profile official netted in the long-running investigation into the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings."He was arrested for conspiracy and aiding and abetting the Easter Sunday attacks," an investigating officer told AFP. "He has been in touch with people involved in the attacks, even recently."
3 min read - World
Will Ethiopia be part of Israel’s ‘hexagon’ alliance rivalling its enemies?
Israeli President Herzog is in Addis Ababa days after high-level delegations from Turkiye and Saudi Arabia also visited.
7 min readAl Jazeera
- Business
Woman suing Meta, YouTube over social media addiction takes the stand at trial
LOS ANGELES, Feb 25 (Reuters) - A California woman is set to testify in court on Wednesday about how using Meta Platforms' Instagram and Google's YouTube as a child affected her mental health, as her landmark trial in Los Angeles continues. The plaintiff, known as Kaley G.
2 min read - US
Indonesia frees and deports American who spent 11 years in prison for Bali ‘suitcase murder’
Indonesia freed and deported an American man Tuesday after he spent 11 years in prison for the premeditated murder of his then-girlfriend’s mother on the tourist island of Bali.
2 min read - World
Mexico approves bill cutting workweek to 40 hours by 2030
By Diego Oré and Aida Pelaez-Fernandez MEXICO CITY, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Mexico has approved a bill to gradually reduce the workweek from 48 to 40 hours, although the reform, expected to be implemented
2 min read - Business
How banks, billionaires aided Epstein after his 2008 conviction
Federal documents reveal how financiers, billionaires and major banks remained intertwined with Epstein for years.
6 min read - World
Germany's Merz meets Xi in China, seeking closer ties
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing on Wednesday, hoping to bolster ties with his country's largest trade partner and high-tech rival as Europe's biggest economy struggles.China, the world's number two economy, overtook the United States last year to become Germany's biggest trade partner, but Berlin also regards the Communist Party-run state as a systemic rival to the West.
4 min read - World
Australian leader evacuated from residence following bomb threat linked to opponents of group banned in China
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was forced to evacuate his official residence Tuesday night after a bomb threat was made against him by opponents of a religious organization that is banned in China.
4 min read - World
US offers diplomatic services in West Bank settlement for first time. Critics warn it’s ‘normalizing annexation’
The US embassy in Israel has announced its first-ever event offering diplomatic services in a Jewish settlement in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
3 min read - World
Poland charges six with trying to smuggle sanctioned equipment to Russia
WARSAW, Feb 25 () - Four Belarusians and two Poles were detained and charged with attempting to smuggle to Russia devices used to automate the production of integrated circuits, used, among others, in the assembly of combat drones, Polish prosecutors said. Warsaw has been warning of Russian and Belarusian attempts to destabilise countries backing Ukraine after Russia invaded the country on February 24, 2022.
1 min read - World
Which countries are urging citizens to leave Iran amid US threat of force?
Countries issue warnings for citizens to leave Iran amid potential US military strikes.
3 min read - World
Turkey evaluating potential measures in event of Iran-US conflict, source says
ANKARA, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Turkey is evaluating all aspects of potential measures that may be taken in the event of a conflict between its neighbour Iran and the United States, a Turkish diplomatic
1 min read - World
Kim Jong Un taps teenage daughter as ‘missile general’ for North Korea nuclear program: reports
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's daughter Ju Ae allegedly designated as potential successor while serving as missile general director, intelligence sources report.
2 min readFox News
- World
Israeli army, settlers attack Palestinians in Hebron area of West Bank
Four Palestinians wounded in settler attack, while several others shot in raid by Israeli military south of Hebron.
3 min read - World
Thailand edges closer to new government as poll body certifies most election results
BANGKOK, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Thailand's election commission on Wednesday certified nearly 400 parliamentary seats won in this month's general election, moving a step closer to the formation of a new
1 min read - World
Hungary's opposition Tisza party widens its lead ahead of Orban's Fidesz
BUDAPEST, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Hungary's centre-right opposition Tisza party has widened its lead over Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz in February, a highly regarded poll showed on Wednesday, ahead
2 min read - World
Rubio meets Caribbean leaders as US raises pressure on Cuba
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will seek to address Caribbean leaders' concerns about Cuba at a summit on Wednesday, as Washington ramps up pressure on the communist island fresh after removing Venezuela's president.After attending President Donald Trump's State of the Union address to Congress, Rubio flew overnight to join the summit in Saint Kitts and Nevis, a sun-kissed former British colony of fewer than 50,000 people.
3 min read - Sports
Senegal prime minister decries Morocco’s jailing of fans after AFCON final
Morocco sentenced 18 Senegalese football fans last Thursday following disturbances at the Africa Cup of Nations final.
2 min read - World
Japan demands swift release of national detained in Iran
TOKYO, Feb 25 (Reuters) - The Japanese government demanded the swift release of one of its citizens detained in Iran for over a month on Wednesday, without providing further details of the case.
1 min read - World
Syria faces twin battles as Assad loyalists and ISIL attack in west, east
A shadowy armed group linked to regime remnants launched an attack on security positions in Latakia.
3 min read - US
Grandfather kidnapped from his bed and murdered in case of mistaken identity, police say
Across the world from the expansive US police search for the missing Nancy Guthrie, a family in Australia was pleading for help to find their 85-year-old grandfather, who police say was mistakenly kidnapped from his modest home in suburban Sydney, and later murdered.
3 min read - World
South Africa secures return of 11 men ‘lured’ into Russia-Ukraine war
South African President Ramaphosa expresses ‘heartfelt gratitude’ to Russia’s Putin for support in repatriating men.
3 min read - World
Bomb threat against Australia PM linked to banned Chinese dance group
By Alasdair Pal SYDNEY, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Wednesday he did not take his security for granted, after he was evacuated from his residence for several
2 min read - World
UNSC condemns RSF attacks in Sudan’s Kordofan, calls for an end to the war
Security Council decries atrocities in Sudan, including mass killings, sexual violence and attacks on aid workers.
3 min read - US
Indonesia frees and deports American who spent 11 years in prison for Bali 'suitcase murder'
Indonesia freed and deported an American man Tuesday after he spent 11 years in prison for the premeditated murder of his then-girlfriend’s mother on the tourist island of Bali. Tommy Schaefer was sentenced to 18 years in prison for the 2014 murder of Sheila von Wiese-Mack, the mother of Heather Mack, during a luxury vacation in a case also known as the Bali “suitcase murder.” Schafer was deported back to the United States from Bali International Airport on Tuesday evening, after serving his sentence and receiving a number of remissions for good behavior, said Felucia Sengky Ratna, head of the Bali Regional Office of the Directorate General of Immigration, in a statement.
Associated Press1 min read - Politics
Freed Venezuelan political prisoner reunites with niece at Trump’s State of the Union address
A Venezuelan opposition leader recently freed from prison reunited with his niece Tuesday during the State of the Union address, where President Donald Trump touted the US military operation that removed President Nicolás Maduro.
3 min read - Entertainment
Fact Check: Ghislaine Maxwell Was NOT Spotted In Québec, Canada -- AI Face Swap Video
Was Ghislaine Maxwell spotted out and about in Québec, Canada? No, that's not true: This video shows a real street scene in Québec, but an AI tool has been used to swap the face of the woman with Ghislaine Maxwell's....
3 min readLead Stories
- World
Hungary's Orbán stakes his reelection on anti-Ukraine message
Facing tough odds in an upcoming election, Hungary's pro-Russian prime minister is trying to convince voters that the greatest threat to the country is not economic stagnation — the focus of his top opponent — but neighboring Ukraine. Viktor Orbán is running an aggressive media campaign replete with disinformation whose central message is that Hungarians should refuse to align with the rest of Europe in supporting Ukraine against Russia's invasion. It's a not-so-subtle reference to the European Union's efforts to help Ukraine financially and bolster its defenses as the war enters its fifth year.
Associated Press6 min read - World
Inside the Mexican resort that was the final hideout of 'El Mencho'
The roar of machine guns and drone of helicopters shook the luxurious resort where Mexico's most-wanted cartel boss hid on Sunday, plunging tourists enjoying the picturesque western Mexican town of Tapalpa into panic."It was terrifying... you could hear machine guns firing from the ground into the air and from the air to the ground," a tourist who arrived at the resort the night before the operation told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity for his safety.
2 min read - World
India's Modi gets a warm greeting from Netanyahu as he arrives in Israel
The Indian leader stepped out of the plane beaming and descended the staircase to a big hug from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accompanied by his wife, Sara Netanyahu. The warm greeting underscored how much closer Israel-India relations have grown under Modi, whose embrace of Israel has marked a shift in India’s foreign policy.
Associated Press2 min read - World
Sen Mullin urges spring breakers to cancel trips to Mexico amid country's violence: 'No one should be going'
Sen. Markwayne Mullin urged spring breakers to cancel Mexico trips after cartel leader "El Mencho" was killed, sparking violent clashes and unrest in the region.
3 min read - World
US and South Korean militaries will have joint drills in March as tensions with North Korea escalate
The U.S. and South Korean militaries said on Wednesday they will conduct their annual springtime exercises next month to bolster their countries’ combined defense capabilities against a backdrop of a deepening diplomatic freeze with nuclear-armed North Korea. The Freedom Shield drills is set for March 9-19, according to the announcement. The allies say the drills are defensive in nature.
Associated Press3 min read - World
Scale of Xi’s military purges could hinder China’s ability to fight, says think tank
Chinese leader Xi Jinping has taken his purge of the country’s military to the very top, targeting his own highest-ranked general in a stunning move last month. But the scope of Xi’s shake-up cuts across a much wider swath of his armed forces – with more than 100 officials potentially ousted since 2022.
5 min read - World
Key partner in Malaysia's ruling coalition calls for royal inquiry into anti-graft agency
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 25 (Reuters) - A key party in Malaysia's ruling coalition called on Wednesday for a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) to be formed to investigate misconduct allegations against the
1 min read - World
Retired Myanmar general set for powerful role in new parliament, sources say
Feb 25 (Reuters) - A retired general from an army-backed party that swept Myanmar's election is set to take the powerful role of speaker of parliament, party sources said, which could help the
3 min read - World
Venezuela reports over 3,200 people fully released under new amnesty law
Venezuela’s National Assembly says thousands of people have regained freedom under a new amnesty law.
2 min read
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