Author: staff
The Pentagon claims these steps are necessary to rebalance European and U.S. contributions to the continent’s defense, but the decision to halt the Tomahawk sale points to a far more disquieting reality: Not only is Washington no longer deploying deep precision strike systems to Europe, it’s also denying its European allies the capacity to arm themselves with these systems out of fear of Russia’s reaction. In other words, the U.S. is now actively looking to decouple its security from Europe’s. This isn’t the first time decoupling has become an issue in transatlantic relations. Concerns over such decoupling first surfaced in…
Published on 12/06/2026 – 9:01 GMT+2 A journalist was killed in the Mexican state of Veracruz on Thursday, hours before the country hosted the opening match of the 2026 World Cup. Luis Ángel López Valdez, a crime reporter for the Vanguardia de Veracruz news outlet, was fatally shot in the city of Poza Rica in the northern part of the state, the paper said. According to the report, the vehicle he was travelling in was intercepted by armed persons in the early hours of the morning. The reporter is believed to have received threats prior to his death. The University…
By Sertac Aktan with AP Published on 12/06/2026 – 9:17 GMT+2 Israeli warplanes carried out an airstrike in the Nabatiyeh area of southern Lebanon on Friday morning, sending a large plume of smoke rising over the horizon as hostilities continue to escalate. The early morning strike followed days of intensifying regional violence that has devastated local communities and displaced a significant portion of the population. The Friday morning strike followed a chaotic Thursday that saw the United States and Iran exchange fire for a second consecutive day. The crossfire was triggered after US President Donald Trump issued a warning that Tehran would pay…
Did Dua Lipa celebrate her wedding in Sicily by eating spaghetti straight out of a pot? That’s what many social media users appeared to believe after a series of photos claiming to show the pop star marrying actor Callum Turner in a lavish Italian wedding went viral online. The photos, some more obviously AI-generated than others, appeared to show Dua posing with guests and dancing with famous faces in the streets of Sicily. But these images are not real. They were generated using artificial intelligence and spread rapidly across social media platforms, including X, Instagram, Facebook and Threads. Although some…
Former football star David Beckham received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Friday during a ceremony in Los Angeles. Beckham posed beside the newly unveiled star with his wife Victoria Beckham, actor Tom Cruise and other guests. The event also included members of the Beckham family, with Romeo, Cruz and Harper in attendance. Speaking at the ceremony, Beckham reflected on his connection to the United States and the growth of football in the country, saying he was proud of the role he has played in bringing the sport to a wider American audience. Tom Cruise and Victoria…
Russia’s initial invasion of Ukraine, launched 12 years ago, started with the annexation of Crimea, a strategically important peninsula in southern Ukraine jutting into the Black Sea. Since then, Ukraine repeatedly said that for Kyiv the war will not be considered fully over until Crimea is liberated and restored to Ukrainian sovereignty and returned to its indigenous Crimean Tatar community. For Moscow, Crimea is the most prized trophy of its invasion and the war against Ukraine, and is the territory Russia is likely to relinquish last if at all. But with Ukraine’s strengthened intensity and efficiency of drone strike campaign,…
Published on 12/06/2026 – 21:53 GMT+2 The European Commission has sent a third letter to the Venice Biennale Foundation, whose current edition runs until 22 November, requesting further clarifications regarding Russia’s controversial participation in the event. The European executive sent a second letter seeking answers a few days after the opening of the 61st International Art Exhibition, launched on 9 May, according to Henna Virkkunen, the European Commissioner for Technological Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, who announced in a Q&A session in Brussels with reporters. The news was followed by a response from the Russian Ambassador to Italy, Alexey Paramonov, who…
Protests have been growing in Albania against a planned resort development backed by Jared Kushner, with thousands taking to the streets of Tirana on Thursday. Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, and his investment firm Affinity Partners have been in negotiations to open an estimated $4 billion luxury resort in a protected area on Albania’s Adriatic coast. But protesters have pushed back at the plans, arguing it would damage the local environment. Some are also calling for Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama to resign over the issue. Here’s everything you need to know about the protests. The Vjosa–Narta…
Published on 12/06/2026 – 22:26 GMT+2 Cuba’s President Miguel Díaz-Canel sprang a surprise on Friday, announcing a wide-ranging package of economic reforms that will affect tourism, foreign trade and investment and the private sector, aiming to liberalise the island’s economy amid continued US economic pressure. “The country is not paralysed. The country is confronting this whole situation intelligently. We cannot spell everything out so clearly because the enemy is watching everything we do,” Díaz-Canel said in an interview. “Our response must be one of unity.” The Cuban leader insisted that the measures respond to the “demands of the present time”…
Packed prisons have been a recurring topic in Belgium for months. Two weeks ago, the director of Haren Prison in northern Brussels resigned due to frustrations over the conditions and staffing shortages. Belgium prison staff have also repeatedly staged strikes in recent months. A mid-May report by a prison oversight body found that Belgium’s prison population had risen sharply over the past three years, from around 11,000 prisoners at the beginning of 2023 to more than 13,000 at the beginning of this year. Belgian media linked the increase to a government decision requiring prison sentences of up to three years…