Donald Trump has formally lifted US sanctions on Syria, marking a dramatic shift in American foreign policy and reigniting debates over justice, peace, and accountability in the war-ravaged country. In a move that stunned analysts and sparked cautious optimism across the Middle East, the US president signed an executive order in May that dismantled most of the sanctions imposed on Syria since 2004. The decision follows growing regional pressure, particularly…

Tech billionaire Elon Musk has reignited his feud with US President Donald Trump, vowing to unseat lawmakers who support the administration’s controversial budget bill, which he claims would add a staggering $3.3 trillion to the national deficit. Taking to his social media platform, X, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO condemned what he described as “insane spending” and issued a stark warning to members of Congress. “Every member of Congress who…

Mexican authorities have discovered 20 bodies in the state of Sinaloa amid escalating violence between rival factions of the powerful Sinaloa drug cartel, with growing signs of a dangerous alliance forming between cartel groups. On Monday, the state prosecutor’s office confirmed that four of the victims had been decapitated and found hanging from a bridge near Culiacán, the state capital. A further 16 bodies, one also decapitated, were found inside…

Southern Europe is sweltering under a punishing heatwave, with temperatures reaching a blistering 46°C in parts of Spain and nearly all of mainland France placed under weather alert. The extreme heat, intensified by fossil fuel-driven climate change, has enveloped Portugal, Spain, France, Italy and Greece in the season’s first major heatwave, sparking health warnings, wildfires, and widespread disruption. In Turkey, more than 50,000 people have been evacuated from their homes…

Israel has ramped up its offensive in Gaza, with airstrikes killing around 60 Palestinians and fresh evacuation orders forcing tens of thousands to flee northern areas of the devastated enclave. The escalation came as a senior adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Washington for renewed ceasefire talks. Ron Dermer, Israel’s strategic affairs minister and a close ally of Netanyahu, is set to meet US officials to discuss indirect…

As a blistering heatwave swept through southern Europe, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, on Monday issued a stark warning that the escalating climate crisis poses a serious threat to basic human rights, including the right to life. According to the UN on its website, no corner of the globe is immune to the devastating consequences of climate change. “Rising temperatures are fueling environmental degradation, natural disasters, weather…

Smoking on beaches and in public parks across France has been officially banned from Sunday, under sweeping new rules designed to shield children from the dangers of passive smoking. The legislation, which also applies to bus shelters and areas within 10 metres of schools, libraries, and swimming pools, was published in the official government gazette on Saturday and came into immediate effect, one day ahead of schedule. The move is…

The US Senate, controlled by the Republican Party, has advanced President Donald Trump’s massive tax and spending bill in a key procedural vote, increasing the likelihood of its passage in the coming days. The 940-page “megabill”, dubbed by Trump as his “big, beautiful bill”, aims to extend the 2017 tax cuts, lower other taxes, and significantly boost funding for border security, immigration enforcement, and the military. It cleared its first…

Iran could be capable of producing enriched uranium again within months, despite recent strikes on its nuclear facilities by the United States and Israel, according to the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog. Speaking in an interview with CBS News, Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said that although the damage inflicted was significant, Iran’s nuclear capabilities had not been entirely dismantled. “They can…

The World Bank has expressed serious concern over the growing rates of extreme poverty in Nigeria and 38 other countries struggling with conflict and deep instability, warning that these conditions are worsening hunger and derailing global development efforts. In a report released on Friday titled “Extreme Poverty is Rising Fast in Economies Hit by Conflict, Instability”, the Bank revealed that poverty is intensifying in fragile states long after much of…

A series of Israeli airstrikes hit Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon early Thursday, in what the Israeli military described as a response to renewed efforts by the militia to rebuild its operational facilities. According to a report by Sky News, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched precision strikes on an underground site used by Hezbollah to manage its “fire and defense array.” The IDF stated that the facility had been…

Environmental campaigners, immigrant rights advocates, and a Native American tribe have condemned the construction of a controversial outdoor migrant detention facility deep within the Florida Everglades, branded by state officials as “Alligator Alcatraz”. Crews began work this week to prepare the remote site, located at a largely abandoned training airfield, for what has been described by critics as a “cruel spectacle” designed to house undocumented migrants in harsh, inhumane conditions.…