World News

Antarctic sea ice cover at record low

Sea ice in Antarctica shrank to the smallest area on record in February for the second year in a row, continuing a decade-long decline, the European Union's climate monitoring service said Tuesday.. On February 16, the ocean surface covered by ice around the frozen continent shrank to 2.09 million square kilometres (800,000 square miles), the lowest level since satellite records began, according to figures provided to AFP by the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).

Wed, Mar 8, 2023 2 mins read

World News

Joy as street lights back on in Ukraine's Kharkiv

Street lighting has returned to Kharkiv, sparking joy in Ukraine's second-largest city that has been plunged into darkness and shelled regularly by Russian forces for more than a year.. Kharkiv lies about forty kilometres (25 miles) from the Russian border and has been subjected to regular bouts of deadly shelling.

Wed, Mar 8, 2023 1 mins read

World News

Antique shop's defiance brings hope to Turkish quake zone

The sounds of music waft in from the antique shop, where Turkish flags hang defiantly, bringing hope to the earthquake-ravaged city of Antakya as it mourns its dead.. I saw a friend on the way, he said 'Serkan, your antique shop is down'.

Wed, Mar 8, 2023 3 mins read

World News

German prosecutors searched ship over Nord Stream blast

German investigators probing the Nord Stream gas pipeline blasts searched a ship suspected of having transported explosives used in the incident, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.. Their search was carried out over the "suspicion that the ship in question could have been used to transport explosive devices that exploded on 26 September 2022 at the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea", they said.

Wed, Mar 8, 2023 3 mins read

World News

UK defends asylum plan after Nazi comparison

Britain Wednesday hit back at critics including the United Nations and football presenter Gary Lineker, after he compared its new plan on illegal immigration to the rhetoric of Nazi-era Germany.. Rights groups and the United Nations said the legislation would make Britain itself an international outlaw under European and UN conventions on asylum.

Wed, Mar 8, 2023 3 mins read

World News

Iran jails Irish-French national for 6.5 years: family

Iran has jailed for six and a half years on national security charges an Irish-French citizen held since October, his family said, adding that health problems meant his life was in danger.. Six French citizens, described as "hostages" by the French foreign ministry, are currently held in prison by Iran.

Wed, Mar 8, 2023 2 mins read

World News

Georgia's opposition calls fresh protests over new law after clashes

Georgian opposition and civil society groups called for new protests Wednesday against government plans to introduce controversial "foreign agent" legislation, reminiscent of Russian legislation to pressure critics.. Civil society groups called for protests outside parliament later Wednesday.

Wed, Mar 8, 2023 2 mins read

World News

Kremlin rejects Nord Stream report as 'diversion'

Russia rejected reports Wednesday that a "pro-Ukrainian group" with no official ties to the government in Kyiv may have carried out an attack on the Nord Stream gas pipelines last year.. Four large gas leaks were discovered on the pipelines linking Russia and Germany last September, with Moscow and the West blaming each other for "sabotage".

Wed, Mar 8, 2023 1 mins read

World News

EU meets to forge plan for rushing ammo to Ukraine

EU defence ministers on Wednesday discussed plans to raid their stockpiles to rush one billion euros' worth of ammunition to Ukraine and place joint orders for more to ensure supplies keep flowing.. The second part of the plan is to pool EU and Ukraine demands to place massive joint orders that would incentivise ammunition producers to ramp up their capacity.  

Wed, Mar 8, 2023 3 mins read

World News

UK defends asylum plan after Nazi-era Germany comparison

Britain Wednesday hit back at critics including the UN refugee agency and football presenter Gary Lineker, after he compared its new plan on illegal immigration to the rhetoric of Nazi-era Germany.. Rights groups including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said the plan would make Britain itself an international outlaw under European and UN conventions on asylum.

Wed, Mar 8, 2023 2 mins read