Author: staff
Published on 09/06/2026 – 17:24 GMT+2•Updated 17:27 France has banned Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich from entering the country, becoming the latest Western nation to take direct action against senior members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition as pressure grows over Israeli settlement policy and violence in the occupied West Bank. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced the move on Tuesday, accusing Smotrich of promoting policies that undermine prospects for a two-state solution. Barrot said the minister “actively promotes the annexation of the West Bank, which he openly claims, the creation of new settlements in the West Bank, the re-colonisation…
Rescuers searched ruined buildings in the southern Philippines on Tuesday to ensure no one was still trapped a day after one of the strongest earthquakes to hit the country in half a century killed at least 37 people and displaced more than 20,000. Only four people were considered missing on official records in the southern provinces near where the 7.8 magnitude quake struck Monday morning, but the Office of Civil Defence acknowledged several collapsed and heavily damaged buildings must be thoroughly inspected for possible survivors or casualties. The earthquake centred off Mindanao, the second most populous Philippine island, injured nearly…
The ban came as France and Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom — all of which have now banned Smotrich from entering their respective territories — issued a joint statement announcing they would take action to target “violent settlers.” At the same time that France imposed entry bans on Smotrich, four leaders of settler organizations and 21 additional individuals, the U.K. announced it would sanction six entities and one individual involved in “financing, enabling and carrying out settler violence.” “For too long, violent settlers have been able to act with near impunity, and settlement expansion and creation of outposts continue with…
The European Commission has issued a veiled warning to the Albanian government over a €1.4 billion real-estate project linked to US President Donald Trump’s family, as protests over the plans for an ecologically protected area on the Adriatic coast enter their second week. Responding to a question by Euronews on Tuesday, a spokesperson for the EU executive urged Albanian authorities to “act without delay” in order to avoid jeopardising the country’s bid to join the EU, which will require it to align with the bloc’s environmental rules. “Albania should refrain from actions that could undermine the fulfilment of the closing…
Published on 09/06/2026 – 14:34 GMT+2•Updated 16:10 Award-winning Somali referee Omar Artan has been dropped from officiating at the World Cup after being barred from entering the United States, world football’s governing body FIFA said on Monday. A FIFA spokesperson confirmed in a statement that Artan, who was refused entry to the US after arriving at Miami International Airport on Saturday, would play no part in the World Cup. Artan would have been the first Somali to referee at a World Cup. “FIFA can confirm that match official Omar Abdulkadir Artan will be unable to train and officiate at the…
A rare tour of Antoni Gaudí’s unfinished masterpiece reveals little-known details tucked away among its famous façades, soaring columns and colourful stained-glass windows. Among the highlights is a numbered grid on the Passion Façade often mistaken for a sudoku puzzle. According to the basilica’s rector, Monsignor Josep Maria Turull, it is actually a “magic square” in which every row, column and diagonal adds up to 33, the age of Jesus at the time of his crucifixion according to Christian tradition. Visitors can also find a small stone labyrinth symbolising the spiritual journey of faith, as well as an all-seeing eye…
Belgium’s Prime Minister Bart De Wever on Tuesday slammed France and Germany for failing to agree on a joint program to build a new fighter jet. “I was extremely disappointed to read that France and Germany cannot reach agreement on the development of a European sixth-generation airplane. What a waste of time, what arrogance,” he said at an event in Brussels, adding: “This is that we have chosen, to be irrelevant in a crucial part of air defense, not only now, but in a decade as well. This is pure stupidity.” The Future Combat Air System, which also involves Spain,…
Kyiv has intensified diplomatic efforts in a bid to force Moscow into direct talks to end the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Speaking in Estonia on Tuesday, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine is building a “clear diplomatic strategy to ensure that Russia does not believe the war can still yield any benefits for it.” He also pointed out that Ukraine’s defence forces have significantly strengthen their positions on the frontlines, which could be an important factor to push the Kremlin to the negotiating table. “Ukraine’s positions on the front line are strong. Russia is losing more than 30,000 of its…
One of Kazakhstan’s largest ballooning festivals returned to the Almaty region after a two-year hiatus, drawing pilots from 12 countries and filling the skies with colourful hot air balloons. The event featured 29 balloons, including a giant owl-shaped aircraft, with daily flights taking place above the foothills of the Trans-Ili Alatau Mountains. Visitors were also able to take tethered rides and passenger flights. Beyond the balloon displays, the festival included concerts, family activities, giant kites and demonstrations by motorised hang gliders. The event returned after being cancelled in 2024 due to severe flooding in Kazakhstan. Organisers hope the festival will…
Published on 09/06/2026 – 14:33 GMT+2 A consortium led by Airbus has proposed developing a next-generation fighter jet after the collapse of a high-profile Franco-German warplane programme, one of the companies involved told the AFP news agency on Tuesday. The move comes a day after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron ended the original project following years of disagreements between the industrial partners. Munich-based defence electronics company Hensoldt said it had joined forces with Airbus Defence and Space, Autoflug, Diehl Defence, Rohde & Schwarz, Liebherr, MBDA and MTU Aero Engines to draw up an alternative plan. A…