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Raúl Castro’s indictment by US over the 1996 shooting down of civilian planes has raised tensions between Washington and Havana, with some analysts warning the move could push the two Cold War rivals closer to open conflict.The charges against the 94-year-old former Cuban president were announced this week in Miami, where Cuban exile groups welcomed the decision as long-awaited justice for the deaths of four Cuban Americans killed when Cuban fighter jets shot down two planes operated by Brothers to the Rescue in 1996.But in Cuba, Raúl Castro is still viewed by supporters as one of the main symbols of the communist revolution founded alongside his revolutionary brother Fidel Castro.“He is the living embodiment of the revolution,” former US diplomat Ricardo Zúñiga told CNN.Zúñiga was involved in secret negotiations that restored diplomatic ties between the US and Cuba during the Obama administration. He warned that the indictment could close off communication between the two governments ..

Image used for representative purposes Israeli lawmakers on Wednesday voted overwhelmingly to advance a bill to dissolve the Knesset, a move that could pave the way for early elections and deepen political uncertainty for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition.In a preliminary reading, 110 out of 120 members of parliament supported the motion, with no votes against and the remainder abstaining. The bill, introduced by the ruling coalition itself, now moves to committee stage before undergoing three further readings required for final approval.If ultimately passed, the dissolution would automatically trigger elections within 90 days, potentially bringing forward the vote that is currently due by October 27 at the latest.The development comes amid growing strain within Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition, particularly over disputes with ultra-Orthodox parties. They have accused the prime minister of failing to fulfil commitments to pass legislation granting military service exemption..

A former British pirate radio station on Wednesday apologised “for any distress caused” after accidentally announcing the death of King Charles.
The erroneous announcement was made on Tuesday afternoon due to a computer error at its main studio in Maldon in eastern Essex, Radio Caroline said in a post on social media.
The error had triggered the so-called death of a monarch procedure “which all UK stations hold in readiness while hoping not to require”, station manager Peter Moore said.
“Radio…

The United States announced on Wednesday criminal charges against former Cuban leader Raul Castro over his alleged role in the 1996 downing of two civilian aircraft operated by the Miami-based exile group Brothers to the Rescue, an incident that killed four people.
The indictment, unsealed by Acting US Attorney Todd Blanche in Miami, includes charges of conspiracy to kill US nationals, destruction of an aircraft and four individual counts of murder against Castro and five other co-defendants….

An Indian family of four was arrested by ICE and taken to a family prison. (Left: Guri; right: Manpreet and her mother) The Indian family of four – parents and two kids — completes almost 90 days at Dilley detention center in Texas, with their future looking bleak and their health deteriorating. They were arrested in February during a routine check-in appointment and were put in the controversial center which reopened after the Donald Trump administration resumed family detentions last year. YouTuber Ms Rachel, who had been advocating for shutting the ICE detention centre, visited Dilley and met the Indian family.”I never thought i'd be advocating to get families out of prison. It was an honor to meet with this hardworking, kind family. Please free them. Guri is not getting proper care for bleeding when he goes to the bathroom which is dangerous medical neglect,” Ms Rachel wrote.Guri is the 12-year-old boy of the family who has been experiencing blood in his stools. This started ..

US issues travel alert amid the outbreak of Ebola in DRC and Uganda. The US Department of State issued a level 4 alert for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), South Sudan, or Uganda, urging Americans not to travel to either of these countries for any reason, considering the Ebola outbreak. For Rwanda, the department issued a level 3 alert asking Americans to reconsider traveling. The travel alerts are in response to the CDC and WHO's declaration on recent Ebola outbreak.”Medical services in South Sudan are extremely limited. Adequate medical treatment, as well as access to routine an emergency procedures, is often unavailable, and even minor health issues could require medical evacuation. All medical services, including medical evacuation, are at your expense. If you purchase additional medical insurance, be sure to keep records of all medical services paid for and provided,” the US Department wrote in the advisory for South Sudan.Ebola is a rare, severe and often fatal he..

A top commander of US forces in the Middle East avoided taking responsibility on Tuesday for an attack on a school in Iran that left 155 people dead on day one of the war, insisting a “complex” probe continues.
Admiral Brad Cooper, the commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), told a congressional oversight panel that “the school itself is located on an active IRGC cruise missile base”, making the investigation “more complex than the average strike”. IRGC stands for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary…

AdvertisementAnimalsWorldEuropeNorway reports Europe’s first case of bird flu in a polar bearThe H5N5 variant was also found in a walrus found about 1,000km from the North Pole, and is thought to be the likely cause of death
1-MIN READ1-MIN ListenAgence France-PressePublished: 1:40am, 20 May 2026Norwegian authorities on Tuesday announced that bird flu has been documented in a polar bear for the first time in Europe, in the Svalbard region in the Arctic.
The H5N5 variant of the virus was detected in samples taken from a male bear about one year old and a walrus found dead in mid-May on the icy archipelago, around 1,000km (600 miles) from the North Pole, the Norwegian Veterinary Institute said.
“The results are part of a trend in which highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses are increasingly being detected in mammals in Europe,” noted Ragnhild Tonnessen, bird flu coordinator at the Veterinary Institute, quoted in a press release.
Advertisement“At the same time, in recent years, the vir..

Image: National gEOGRAPHIC The ancient Roman town of Pompeii was buried under volcanic ashes after the disastrous eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. This natural catastrophe caused the destruction of houses, streets, temples and thousands of lives in a matter of hours; the city was hidden underneath the pumice and ash deposits for almost 1,700 years. Pompeii is still one of the greatest archaeological sites in the world, providing people with an insight into the daily life of ancient Romans. From casts of bodies to preserved frescoes and bakeries, the ruins tell us about the sudden change nature brings into people’s lives.The eruption of Mount Vesuvius and the destruction of PompeiiIt appeared to be just another day in August of AD 79 when Mount Vesuvius erupted with catastrophic force. As the Roman author Pliny the Younger described it, the sky was so dark that it looked “as if the lamp had been put out in a dark room”. As explained by Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Firenze..

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Monday the US will give a 30-day extension for countries to import Russian oil that is already in tankers at sea, a move that is meant to reduce the oil supply shortages caused by the Iran war.
The announcement marks a continued policy reversal by an administration that had previously said the sanctions on Russian oil would resume.
Originally announced in early March, the temporary waiver on the sanctions was first renewed in April, just two days after…