Author: staff

Cyprus slams UK after Akrotiri drone strike forced locals to flee – POLITICO

Politics

A Shahed-type unmanned aerial vehicle hit Britain’s Royal Air Force base at Akrotiri in Cyprus just after midnight Monday, while more drone strikes targeting the base were successfully intercepted during the day. While the source of the drone strike is so far unconfirmed, with local media saying it probably came from Lebanon, a senior commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has threatened intensified missile strikes on Cyprus, alleging an increased U.S. military presence on the island. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday: “Our bases in Cyprus are not being used by U.S. bombers … The security of our…

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Hundreds of foreign nationals evacuate from Iran to Azerbaijan amid escalating conflict

World

Published on 02/03/2026 – 21:01 GMT+1 The Astara Border Crossing between Iran and Azerbaijan has seen increased traffic over the last few days by foreign nations, as many continue to seek an exit from Tehran amid continued US and Israeli attacks. The increased crossing traffic comes after the Azerbaijani government announced on Saturday that it would open the crossing to enable its nationals trapped in Iran to safely evacuate, as well as allow foreign nations to transit through. As many as 500 Russian citizens are rumoured to have crossed into Azerbaijan as part of the new initiative, with eyewitnesses reporting…

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Madrid bars US from using Spanish bases to attack Iran – POLITICO

Politics

The U.S. pulled its warplanes from Spanish bases after Madrid prohibited their use against Iran, Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles said today. Missions involving the bases must “operate within the framework of international law,” the minister said during a press conference at the Armilla Air Base, adding that military installations on Spanish territory would be prohibited from “providing support except if it is necessary from a humanitarian perspective.” Flight tracking website FlightRadar24 recorded over a dozen U.S. aircraft — among them, several Boeing KC-135 aerial refueling tankers — leaving the Morón de la Frontera and Rota airbases this weekend, with…

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Hungary’s Orbán leverages oil price shock from Iran war in his election battle – POLITICO

Politics

That ruptured pipeline has now become even more politically sensitive thanks to the supply crisis in the Persian Gulf. Orbán is a close ally of Donald Trump, and the Iran war is a rare point of dissonance between him and the U.S. president. Still, the main target of Orbán’s attacks is not Washington but the domestic opposition, which he claims put Hungary in a vulnerable position by siding with the EU and Ukraine rather than fighting to preserve Russian oil supplies. Orbán and his ruling Fidesz party are also playing up alleged security threats from the war in the Middle…

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World’s money launderers are shifting to crypto, report warns – POLITICO

Politics

In America, President Donald Trump has come under fire for his ties to the industry. In April last year the U.S. disbanded a Department for Justice unit tasked with investigating crypto-related fraud. In Britain, Nigel Farage’s right-wing Reform UK became the first major British political party to accept crypto donations. The British government is considering a ban on political donations through crypto. But cryptocurrency exchanges will not be regulated by the country’s Financial Conduct Authority until 2027. Much of Britain’s concern about crypto comes from Russia’s recent embrace of the currency as an alternate means of financing its war economy following the invasion…

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‘Dangerous and socially unacceptable:’ experts warn against rushed rollout of online age checks

Lifestyle

Published on 02/03/2026 – 16:32 GMT+1•Updated 16:33 Age checks should not be introduced on social media sites until privacy and security concerns are addressed, hundreds of academics told governments on Monday. The open letter from 371 security and privacy academics from 29 countries comes as several European countries, including the UK, Portugal, France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Finland, and Germany are consider imposing restrictions on children’s access to social media. Age verification, which predicts a user’s age based on a live selfie or a piece of government ID, is already being used by some social media companies and is mandatory in…

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Sal Da Vinci wins Italy’s Sanremo festival but refuses to say whether he’ll sing at Eurovision

Culture

Published on 01/03/2026 – 6:19 GMT+1•Updated 02/03/2026 – 15:47 GMT+1 New York-born Neapolitan singer-songwriter Sal Da Vinci won the 76th edition of the Sanremo Festival with the song ‘Per sempre sì’, which tells an intense love story between two people that culminates in marriage. “I dedicate my victory to Naples, my city, and to my family,” Da Vinci said as he accepted the Golden Lion of Sanremo, presented by Mayor Alessandro Mager. It was a case of second time lucky for Da Vinci after he came third in 2009. “I had the pleasure of taking the stage at the Sanremo…

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