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How Spain became Europe’s conscience as Sanchez leads ‘moral’ pushback against US and Israel

“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..

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At least 30 killed in stampede at Haiti tourist site Laferriere Citadel

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..

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All we know about Canary Islands bus crash as British pensioner, 77, killed and dozens injured

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 ..

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Badenoch warns Trump represents the new US normal and vows to increase UK army by 20,000

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..

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Service members are trying to find ways out early after anger over Iran war: ‘It’s been a mess’

U.S. service members are increasingly looking for ways to leave the military early rather than participate in President Donald Trump’s Iran war, a report has alleged.
Almost 3,600 people, including at least 1,665 civilians, have been killed so far by the joint U.S.-Israeli airstrikes against Tehran that began on February 28, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency.
Many soldiers have taken to calling the 24-hour GI Rights Hotline run by the nonprofit Center on Conscience and War to express their concerns and frustration, NPR reports.
Counseling director, Bill Galvin, told NPR he has noticed a sharp uptick in calls over the past month.
open image in galleryServing members of the U.S. military are increasingly anxious about the Iran war and many are seeking means of ducking out early, rather than fight in a conflict they do not believe in, says the the Center on Conscience and War (Reuters)The bombing of a girls' school on the first day of the war, which left 165 civili..

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Army out on streets and national holiday: How Pakistan is gearing up to host US-Iran peace talks

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..

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Israel bombing Lebanon jeopardises the peace deal with Iran – and all our futures are at stake

Israel bombed Lebanon so intensely on Wednesday that witnesses, and the wounded, told The Independent it felt like they had unleashed a “ring of fire” on the capital, Beirut, and an “earthquake” across the rest of the country.
Over 100 targets were hit in just 10 minutes, according to Israel’s count. More than 250 people were killed and over 1,000 injured, according to the Lebanese Civil Defence. They are still digging bodies out of the rubble.
This “absolute massacre”, as it was described by a renowned British conflict surgeon in a Beirut emergency room, does not just impact Lebanon.
It is already jeopardising the future of a long-awaited and deeply fragile truce between the US, Israel and Iran. A truce which hangs in the balance.
This deal, this resolution to a global nightmare, is desperately needed for the civilians chewed up in the violence – and for us all.
It is not just about the worst disruption to global energy supplies in history, shuttered airports bringing movement around..

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Ukraine-Russia war latest: Moscow threatens to attack Baltic countries allowing Kyiv to use airspace for drones

Vance accuses Kyiv and Moscow of ‘haggling over a few square kilometres’Moscow has threatened to attack countries in the Baltic that are allowing Ukraine to use their airspace to fly drones to attack Russia.
Russia’s foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova issued the warning after Kyiv used drones to attack the Baltic ports of Primorsk and Ust-Luga, which are key to Moscow’s oil exports.
“If third countries have provided or are providing their territory for enemy drones to fly over, they must fully understand – and we are confident they do, because it has been explained to them – the risks they are exposing themselves to,” she said on Thursday.
Russian drones and aircraft have repeatedly violated European airspace, including fighter jet incursions into Estonia and unidentified drones flying over Copenhagen and Oslo airports.
The Baltic countries — Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania — are Nato members after gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
Britain's defenc..

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Ukraine-Russia war latest: Secret Ukrainian unit struck Putin’s shadow fleet from Libya, officials say

Putin ‘no longer has upper hand’ in war, says ex-CIA chiefA secret unit of Ukrainian forces launched attacks on a Russian oil tanker while operating in western Libya, officials in the north African country said.
In a suspected sea drone attack, Ukrainian forces hit the Russian-flagged Arctic Metagaz, carrying 61,000 tons of liquefied natural gas, causing it to suddenly explode in a massive fire early in March.
The oil tanker, part of Russia's so-called shadow fleet, was transporting oil in violation of international sanctions over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
It was badly damaged and its crew evacuated, leaving it to drift towards Libyan waters.
While Ukraine has not issued a direct comment on the Arctic Metagaz incident, it says Russia uses its oil export revenues to help fund the invasion, making its tanker fleet legitimate targets.
Earlier, ex-CIA chief David Petraeus said Vladimir Putin’s forces “no longer ha[ve] the upper hand” in the war with Ukraine.
He told CBS News:..

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Iran-US war latest: Israel launches massive strikes on Lebanon as Hegseth claims US has won ‘capital V’ victory

Israel strikes Lebanon with no warning after saying Iran ceasefire doesn’t apply thereDozens have been killed and hundreds injured in Israeli strikes on Lebanon on Wednesday, according to the country’s health ministry.
The Israeli military told The Independent that it had completed the “largest strike” on the country since the start of the conflict.
Israel had said it welcomed a ceasefire between Iran and the US but said the agreement “does not include Lebanon”. It launched strikes on Beirut and Tyre on Wednesday and claimed to be targeting Hezbollah fighters.
Hezbollah said it had paused fighting in light of the ceasefire and urged Israel to do the same.
Meanwhile, US defence secretary Pete Hegseth said that the American military will be “hanging around” in Iran as he declared the US had won a “decisive military victory”.
Trump announced the agreement on Tuesday, hours after he threatened to wipe Iranian civilisation off the map. The two-week ceasefire will lead to Iran reopening..