Category: World

Deadly attack on kindergarten reported in Sudan 8 hours agoShareSaveSeher AsafShareSaveAFP via Getty ImagesMillions of people have been displaced within war-torn Sudan (file photo)A drone attack on the town of Kalogi, in Sudan's South Kordofan region, is said to have hit a kindergarten and killed at least 50 people, including 33 children.
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the paramilitary group battling the army in Sudan's civil war, was accused of Thursday's attack by a medical organisation, the Sudan Doctors' Network, and the army.
There was no immediate comment from the RSF.
The RSF in turn accused the army of hitting a market on Friday in a drone attack in the Darfur region, on a fuel depot at the Adre border crossing with Chad.
Sudan has been ravaged by war since April 2023 when a power struggle broke out between the RSF and the army, who were formerly allies .
The reports could not be verified independently.
According to the army-aligned foreign ministry, the..

Germany votes to bring in voluntary military service programme for 18-year-olds11 hours agoShareSaveBethany BellBerlinShareSaveWatch: 'We're protesting now before it's too late'Germany's parliament, the Bundestag, has voted to introduce voluntary military service, in a move aimed at boosting national defences after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
It marks a significant shift in Germany's approach to its military and follows Chancellor Friedrich Merz's push to create Europe's strongest conventional army.
The change means that all 18-year-olds in Germany will be sent a questionnaire from January 2026 asking if they are interested and willing to join the armed forces. The form will be mandatory for men and voluntary for women.
Students at schools across Germany have said they will join strikes in as many as 90 cities on Friday to protest against the move.
EPAGermany scrapped compulsory military service in 2011 but the size of its milit..

Putin says Russia ready to supply 'uninterrupted' fuel to India 13 hours agoShareSaveVikas Pandey,DelhiandRuth ComerfordShareSaveReutersRussian President Vladimir Putin has said Moscow is ready to provide “uninterrupted shipments” of fuel to India, as Delhi faces pressure from the US to stop buying Russian oil.
Putin, speaking alongside Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi, questioned earlier why India should be punished for buying oil when the US itself buys nuclear fuel from Moscow.
President Donald Trump has imposed 50% tariffs on most Indian products, arguing that Delhi's continued purchases of Russian oil helped fund the war in Ukraine – an accusation India denies.
Putin's visit comes as the US holds a series of talks with Russia and Ukraine in an attempt to broker a peace deal to end the war.
On Thursday, Putin told India Today that Russia was working on a “peaceful solution” to ending the war – warning that Ukraine must withdraw from the Donbas or Ru..

Putin says Russia will take Donbas by force or Ukraine's troops will withdraw4 hours agoShareSaveJaroslav LukivShareSaveAlexander Nemenov/Pool via REUTERSPresident Vladimir Putin has warned again that Ukrainian troops must withdraw from Ukraine's eastern Donbas region or Russia will seize it, rejecting any compromise over how to end the war in Ukraine.
“Either we liberate these territories by force, or Ukrainian troops will leave these territories,” he told India Today. Moscow controls around 85% of Donbas.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has ruled out ceding territory.
Putin's comments come after President Donald Trump said his negotiators discussing a US peace plan believed Russia's leader “would like to end the war” after Tuesday's talks in Moscow.
Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff, who was in Moscow, is due to meet Ukraine's team in Florida.
Trump said Tuesday's talks in the Kremlin were “reasonably good”, adding it was too soon to say what ..

Oil, defence and geopolitics: Why Putin is visiting Modi in Delhi11 hours agoShareSaveSteve Rosenberg,Russia editor, in DelhiandVikas Pandey,India editorShareSaveAFP via Getty ImagesRussia's Vladimir Putin was embraced warmly on the runway by India's Narendra ModiRussian President Vladimir Putin has arrived for a two-day visit to India, where he was embraced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of an annual summit held by both countries.
Delhi and Moscow are expected to sign a number of deals during the visit, which comes months after the US increased pressure on India to stop buying Russian oil.
It also comes as US President Donald Trump's administration holds a series of talks with Russia and Ukraine in an attempt to end the war.
India and Russia have been close allies for decades and Putin and Modi share a warm relationship. Here's a look at why they both need each other – and what to watch for as they meet.
Watch: What do India, Russia want from Putin's vi..

Ukraine and US negotiators to meet in Florida after Moscow talks, White House says12 minutes agoShareSaveAmy WalkerandLaura GozziShareSaveGetty ImagesUS special envoy Steve Witkoff will meet the head of Ukraine's national security council, Rustem Umerov, for talks in Miami on Thursday, the White House has confirmed.
The meeting comes after Witkoff spent almost five hours with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday, negotiations which the Kremlin said produced “no compromise” on ending the war in Ukraine.
US President Trump said the talks – also attended by his son-in-law Jared Kushner – were “reasonably good”, but added that it was too soon to say what would happen because “it does take two to tango.”
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybhia said Russia must “end the bloodshed”, and accused Putin of “wasting the world's time”.
When asked by a reporter whether Witkoff and Kushner believed Putin genuinely wanted to end the war, Trump said: “[Putin] would like to ..