Author: staff
By Alexei Doval with AFP Published on 18/05/2026 – 20:23 GMT+2•Updated 20:23 Russia and Belarus staged nuclear drills on Monday, authorities said, amid a standoff with the NATO military alliance and an impasse with Washington over nuclear arms control. Russia deployed Oreshnik, its latest hypersonic, nuclear-capable missile, to Belarus last year, upping the stakes in its rivalry with the Western alliance. “During the exercise, it is planned to practise issues related to the delivery of nuclear munitions and preparation of their use in cooperation with the Russian side,” the Belarus defence ministry said. The scheduled training “is not directed against third countries and…
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Monday he was ready to “do the impossible” to stop the war with Israel, as strikes continued to batter the country despite a ceasefire. Aoun’s comments came as the Israeli army carried out another series of strikes in south Lebanon, while Hezbollah said it had struck a military target in northern Israel. While a ceasefire was announced on 17 April, it has failed to stop the violence between Israel and Hezbollah, which have continued to launch strikes as they accuse each other of violating the agreement. Last week the truce was extended for 45 days…
Updated: 18/05/2026 – 22:31 GMT+2 Aerial footage showed a large police and emergency response outside the Islamic Center of San Diego after reports of an active shooter on Monday. Authorities said multiple law enforcement units surrounded the area, while heavily armed officers were seen positioned around the mosque complex. … More
In addition to the exorbitant cost, the process had also drawn the opposition’s attention because a New Democracy official had been appointed director of the ministry’s Technical Service, which was in charge of both constructions. Then-Minister of Migration Notis Mitarachi defended the appointment when the issue was raised in parliament in 2020, arguing that the technical service then operated through NGOs, which managed 82 percent of EU migration funds. The first contract now under EPPO investigation involves the expansion of an existing camp in Malakasa, built in order to accommodate 1,500 migrants transferred from the islands. The contract was awarded…
By Andreas Rogal with AFP, AP Published on 18/05/2026 – 22:34 GMT+2 US President Donald Trump said he was postponing a planned attack on Iran scheduled for Tuesday at the request of Gulf leaders amid “serious negotiations” with Tehran. Trump’s sudden announcement on social media on Monday came after Iran said it had responded to a new US proposal aimed at ending the war. Trump said he would “hold off on our planned Military attack of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which was scheduled for tomorrow,” in a message on his Truth Social network. The US president said he had been asked to…
Earlier, the Israeli Foreign Ministry dismissed the flotilla as “a provocation for the sake of provocation” that had set sail “to serve Hamas, to divert attention from Hamas’ refusal to disarm, and to obstruct progress on President Trump’s peace plan.” Israel’s foreign press department didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. In Dublin, the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement it was “actively monitoring” what was happening to the flotilla, which activists were live-streaming Monday as Israeli vessels intercepted and boarded their ships at sea. Most of the flotilla had departed Sunday from the Turkish port of…
The global housing crisis is hitting wealthy nations as hard as poor ones, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned on Monday, telling delegates at the World Urban Forum in Baku that “no society is immune, from fast-growing cities in the developing world to advanced economies with high rents and rising homelessness.” In a video message to the world leaders and policymakers gathered for the forum’s second day of talks, Guterres said the crisis affecting nearly 3 billion people was “accelerating” amid “wider economic and geopolitical instability” and called on governments to put housing “at the centre of sustainable development.” He linked…
The conservatives aren’t happy either This is a bitterly disappointing result for Moreno. While the PP confirmed its overall dominance in Andalusia, winning in all eight provinces, the loss of five seats and its parliamentary majority by a narrow margin is a blow. “It’s an overwhelming victory, but it’s not enough,” said José Manuel Trujillo, a political scientist at Seville’s Pablo de Olavide University. Trujillo largely attributed the loss of seats to voters to the PP’s left and right, who had not turned out four years ago, but did so this time. The Andalusian president has become the most prominent…
“I understand that the reorganization process is under way, but it cannot come at the expense of such a staunch ally as Poland,” Kosiniak-Kamysz added. “We are a proven and reliable ally, which is why we expect partnership, friendship and a good exchange of information.” Kosiniak-Kamysz and Poland’s top military commander, Gen. Wiesław Kukuła, are due to meet this week with Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, the commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Europe. Poland is a close political and military ally of the U.S., and is one of…
Published on 18/05/2026 – 15:29 GMT+2 A former Google executive took over as the BBC’s new director-general on Monday amid proposed job cuts and a $10-billion (€8.5 billion) lawsuit brought by US President Donald Trump, arguing that the world now “needs the BBC more than ever.” Matt Brittin, 57, who has no broadcasting or journalism experience, starts the job against a background of drastic shifts in the media landscape. The British-born executive was president of Google’s Europe, Middle East and Africa division for over a decade, which earns around a third of its revenue. He previously worked as a consultant…