Author: Elizabeth Jenrola Oso

Canada has signed a landmark security and defence pact with the European Union, in a move widely seen as a strategic shift by traditional US allies seeking greater autonomy in the face of global instability and a turbulent American presidency. Canada, EU reps meet Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney joined European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa in Brussels on Monday to formalise the wide-ranging partnership. The agreement includes closer cooperation on defence, artificial intelligence, the climate crisis, and continued support for Ukraine. At a warm and optimistic press conference, Carney declared Canada “the…

Thailand’s military has shut border crossings with Cambodia across seven provinces, barring almost all travellers.

Scientists have discovered a groundbreaking method to transform plastic waste into paracetamol.

French police have detained twelve suspects after at least 145 people reported being pricked with syringes during the country’s annual Fête de la Musique, officials confirmed on Sunday. The nationwide street music celebration, held on Saturday evening, drew millions of revellers, with authorities describing “unprecedented crowds” in Paris. In the days leading up to the event, disturbing posts on social media appeared to encourage attacks on women during the festivities. The interior ministry said that 145 people across France had come forward alleging they had been stabbed with needles during the celebration. Thirteen of those cases were reported in Paris.…

Israel has announced the recovery of the bodies of three hostages, two civilians and one soldier, from the Gaza Strip, as it continues to wage war in both Gaza and Iran. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed on Sunday that the remains of Ofra Keidar, Yonatan Samerano, and Staff Sergeant Shay Levinson were recovered during a special operation in Gaza on Saturday. The three were abducted by Hamas militants over 20 months ago during the group’s 7 October 2023 attack on Israel. “In a special operation … the bodies of the hostages Ofra Keidar, Yonatan Samerano and SSgt Shay Levinson…

A suicide bombing carried out by the Islamic State (IS) at a church in Damascus has left 22 people dead and at least 63 wounded, according to Syrian state media. The attack, which took place on Sunday night, marks the first major IS operation and suicide bombing in Syria since the ousting of former president Bashar al-Assad in December. The assailant, identified as an IS affiliate, entered the Greek Orthodox Saint Elias Church in the capital’s old Christian quarter during evening prayers. After opening fire on worshippers, he detonated an explosive vest inside the sanctuary, the Syrian interior ministry reported.…

The US Defence Secretary, Pete Hegseth, has echoed claims by Donald Trump that a covert American military operation has “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, even as the Pentagon admitted it was too early to assess the full extent of the damage. Speaking at his first Pentagon press briefing since taking office, Hegseth praised Operation Midnight Hammer, a large-scale strike that reportedly targeted Iran’s most fortified nuclear sites, Natanz, Fordow, and Esfahan, in a coordinated bombing campaign. “It was an incredible and overwhelming success,” Hegseth declared, dressed in a navy suit with a US flag pocket square. “Thanks to President Trump’s bold…

Vice-President JD Vance has drawn widespread criticism after referring to California Senator Alex Padilla by the name of a convicted terrorist, prompting accusations of pettiness and racial provocation from Democrats and observers nationwide. The controversy stems from a press event on Friday during Vance’s visit to Los Angeles, where he was questioned about the Trump administration’s aggressive response to recent anti-ICE protests. In a remark widely condemned as deliberate and inflammatory, Vance referred to the senator as “Jose Padilla”  invoking the name of a U.S. citizen convicted in 2007 of plotting to detonate a radioactive bomb for al-Qaida. “I was…

While Brazil contends with the trial of a former president over an attempted coup and the current leader’s worst popularity ratings in years, another, seemingly unrelated subject has gripped public attention: reborn dolls. These hyper-realistic baby dolls, often handmade and costing up to £2,500, have dominated headlines, social media, soap operas, and even legislative agendas in recent weeks. Around 30 bills concerning reborn dolls have been introduced across various levels of government. Some proposals seek to ban the dolls from receiving public healthcare services or prevent collectors from claiming priority in public queues. The phenomenon has provoked widespread mockery online.…

Pope Leo XIV has declared there must be no tolerance within the Catholic Church for any form of abuse, whether sexual, spiritual, or an abuse of authority, as he calls for transparent processes and a robust culture of prevention across the global Church. In his first public statement on the long-running clergy sex abuse crisis, the newly elected pontiff addressed a message to Peruvian journalist Paola Ugaz, whose investigative work helped expose one of Latin America’s most notorious Catholic scandals. The message, read aloud on Friday evening during a stage performance in Lima based on Ugaz’s reporting, centred on the…