Author: staff

At least 25 people have died and 800 others were injured in a large explosion at the Shahid Rajaee port near Bandar Abbas in southern Iran on Saturday.State media offered the casualty figures, saying authorities identified only 10 of the dead, including two women.It also reported the fire was under control and will be fully extinguished later Sunday. It also said activities have resumed at the port, showing footage of containers of a commercial ship being unloaded.The explosion affected offices belonging to the port, and its intensity was sufficient to cause tremors felt in nearby cities, according to domestic reports.…

“The Kyiv regime once again simply shows its true nature. The Kyiv regime continues to be involved in terrorist activity on the territory of our country,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a state TV reporter. The explosion on Friday came hours before United States President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow for a new round of high-level diplomatic talks. The victim of Friday’s attack was identified as Yaroslav Moskalik, 59, deputy head of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces. According to the authorities, the explosion occurred at approximately…

Reports indicated that the blast likely was caused by the explosion of chemical materials stored at the port. The BBC reported witnesses saying the explosion occurred after a fire broke out and spread to unsealed containers storing flammable materials. The Associated Press referred to a chemical ingredient used to make missile propellant. “The source of this incident was the explosion of several containers stored in the Shahid Rajaee Port wharf area,” a crisis management official in the region said, according to the BBC report. The fire was the result of “improper handling of a shipment of solid fuel intended for…

The Kremlin also expressed gratitude for North Korean troops deployed in the region to assist Russia’s efforts, with Gerasimov hailing their “fortitude and heroism,” according to Interfax. It’s the first time the Kremlin has confirmed the presence of North Korean troops, which could number as many as 11,000, according to Ukrainian and South Korean estimates. “I want specially to note the participation of servicemen of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in liberating border areas of the Kursk Region who in accordance with the Treaty on the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between our countries rendered considerable assistance in crushing the Ukrainian…

After the funeral of Pope Francis in the presence of numerous world leaders, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at Palazzo Chigi.The conversation between the two lasted just under an hour. According to a note released by Palazzo Chigi, during the talks “the leaders reiterated their support for President Trump’s efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace, capable of guaranteeing a future of security, sovereignty and freedom for Ukraine.””Meloni expressed, also on behalf of the government, her condolences for the victims of the recent Russian attacks, renewing her firm condemnation of such acts and…

In their brief exchange, President von der Leyen and President Trump agreed to meet. https://t.co/2UA60vfNJb— Paula Pinho (@Pinhopau) April 26, 2025 Until Saturday, the two leaders hadn’t met since before Trump’s inauguration in January, with Trump appearing to deliberately — and repeatedly — snub the European leader in favor national leaders such as Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni.  The need for a diplomatic meeting is particularly acute for the European Union, which faces tariffs of 20 percent on all its exports to the U.S., plus 25 percent duties on automobiles, steel and aluminum, if it is unable to work out a new…

Ivan Mastrosimone, a scout leader from Sicily, said he had travelled by bus for 12 hours to see the funeral, saying it was his “duty” to come because of the pope’s forceful stance on climate change. Christian Wahl, a German logistics manager sporting a panama hat and waving a German flag, said the turnout reflected the pope’s popularity compared to his German predecessor, Benedict XVI, a reserved theologian who died in 2022 after a shock resignation in 2013. “I came for Benedict’s funeral too, but there are more people here,” said Wahl. “Francis is more popular even in Germany as…

Committed to the poor, migrants, and the environment, Pope Francis devoted his pontificate to the most disadvantaged. But was he really that progressive?The Argentine pontiff, who died on Easter Monday at the age of 88, dedicated his first visit to the Italian island of Lampedusa on 8 July 2013. On that occasion, he paid tribute to the migrants who had died in the Mediterranean and denounced “the globalisation of indifference” to their fate.”He was a man of peace, a man for human dignity, and he always spoke out when people were mistreated and when migrants were scapegoated and demonised by…

As Europe accelerates its shift from combustion engines to zero-emission mobility, a new generation of affordable contenders is delivering surprising levels of style, safety, and substance. For those conscious of value for money, we have you covered.Here are six standout EVs priced at or around the €25,000 mark that prove going electric doesn’t have to mean compromising on quality. We have included guide prices for three countries.Citroën ë-C3The ë-C3 blends French charm with everyday practicality. A 44 kWh LFP battery offers a range of 320 km, supported by 100 kW direct current (DC) charging – impressive at this price point. A…

“Most of the major points are agreed to,” Trump said in his social media post shortly after arriving in Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis. “They are very close to a deal, and the two sides should now meet, at very high levels, to ‘finish it off’,” Trump said. “We will be wherever is necessary to help facilitate” an end to the conflict, he said. Ukraine was not represented at the U.S.-Russia meeting in Moscow. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said late Friday that “real pressure” needs to be applied to the Kremlin to accept an unconditional ceasefire. “Real pressure…