Category: News

“Europe’s challenge is not only to rearm itself to address its security and defence problems, but to also rearm itself morally, so that it can contribute to stable and peaceful development throughout the world.”
That was the message from Spain’s socialist prime minister Pedro Sanchez, speaking at a European forum this week, with comments that show why his country has been dubbed by some as “Europe’s conscience”.
From Gaza to Lebanon, Trump to Netanyahu, Spain has stood as something of an outlier in Western Europe for unequivocally taking a stand while other nations have tended to temper their criticism.
When the US and Israel launched their joint strikes on Iran at the end of February, Mr Sanchez clearly condemned the conflict as an “unjustified and dangerous military intervention that is outside international law”, later branding it “absurd, cruel and illegal”.
open image in galleryThe relationship between Pedro Sanchez and Donald Trump, pictured here last October, has deteriorated r..

A stampede at a historic fortress in northern Haiti has claimed the lives of at least 30 people, authorities have confirmed, warning the number of fatalities could yet increase.
The tragic incident unfolded on Saturday at the Laferriere Citadel, an early 19th-century fortress constructed in the wake of Haiti's independence from France.
Jean Henri Petit, head of Civil Protection for Haiti's Nord Department, stated that the UNESCO World Heritage site, a significant tourist attraction, was reportedly crowded with students and visitors attending its annual celebration.
Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé issued a statement expressing his profound sorrow, saying he “extends his sincere condolences to the bereaved families and assures them of his profound solidarity during this time of mourning and great suffering.”
open image in galleryJean Henri Petit, head of Civil Protection for Haiti's Nord Department, said the stampede occurred at the Laferriere Citadel, an early-19th..

A 77-year-old British man has died and 27 people were left injured after a tourist bus plunged into a ravine in the Canary Islands on Friday.
Three people are being treated in hospital for serious injuries, including a 73-year-old man and a 42-year-old man, authorities said.
The deceased man has not yet been named, but government officials confirmed on Friday he was a British national.
He was believed to be travelling with his wife, who Spanish authorities said remained in hospital on Friday evening.
open image in galleryRescuers work at the scene of the bus crash in the Canary Islands (Europa Press Canarias/Europa Press via AP) (AP)A state of emergency was declared on the islands after the bus fell from the GM-2 highway near San Sebastian de La Gomera at around 1:15pm. All 28 people on board, including the driver, were taken to hospital.
Investigations are ongoing into the cause of the crash, as police suggested the driver may have been attempting to “fight” a brake failure before ..

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has pledged to increase the British army by 20,000 as she warned that any replacement of Donald Trump in the White House will continue his military policies of moving away from European defence.
In a speech to the London Defence Conference, Ms Badenoch admitted to “dismay” at the language used by President Trump but warned that the idea of European defence without US involvement is “a fairytale”.
It came as she pledged “the largest net increase in British troops under any government since the Second World War” if the Tories return to power with an overall increase of 20,000 to the army.
open image in galleryKemi Badenoch issued a warning on defence as the governments comes under pressure over the state of the country’s armed forces (Christine Quarmyne/CCHQ)Her speech comes amid questions over Keir Starmer’s plans to increase defence spending to 5 per cent and concerns over his government’s failure to provide its Defence Investment Plan details.
It also comes j..

Islamabad entered a state of lockdown on Friday as Pakistan’s capital prepared to host high-stakes negotiations to end the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Army and paramilitary personnel guarded the roads around Serena Hotel, the venue of the talks, as police beefed up security across the city. On Wednesday, the luxury hotel’s management had asked its guests to check out by 5pm as the government had requisitioned the property for an “important event from this evening until Sunday”.
Pakistan’s political and military leaders achieved a major diplomatic breakthrough by mediating a ceasefire between the US and Iran early on Wednesday. The ceasefire was declared less than two hours before the deadline on US president Donald Trump’s threat to obliterate a “whole civilisation” if Iran did not open the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime route that usually carries a fifth of the global supply of oil and gas.
Although the truce was immediately threatened by Israel’s deadly strikes on Lebanon which k..