U.S. President Donald Trump has announced he will dispatch his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, to Moscow this week ahead of a self-imposed Friday deadline for progress on ending the war in Ukraine. Witkoff is expected to arrive in Moscow on Wednesday or Thursday, according to Trump, who has given Russia until 8 August to demonstrate commitment to peace or face further sanctions. When asked what message Witkoff would be taking…

At least 68 African migrants have died and 74 more are missing after a packed vessel capsized off Yemen’s southern coast, the United Nations migration agency confirmed on Sunday. The boat, carrying 154 Ethiopian nationals, sank in the early hours in the Gulf of Aden, near the coastal province of Abyan. According to Abdusattor Esoev, the head of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in Yemen, only 12 people are…

One of five miners trapped underground following a partial collapse at the world’s largest copper mine has been found dead, Chile’s state-owned mining giant Codelco confirmed on Saturday, as rescue teams continue searching for the remaining missing workers. The collapse occurred on Thursday at the El Teniente mine in Rancagua, approximately 100km south of the capital, Santiago, following what authorities described as a “seismic event”. It remains unclear whether the…

An overnight Ukrainian drone strike has ignited a major fire at an oil depot near the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi, capping one of the deadliest weeks of the war in Ukraine in recent months.

More than 50 signatures submitted in support of Mayor Eric Adams’ bid to run as an independent candidate in the upcoming mayoral election have been deemed fraudulent, according to a report published on Friday by The Gothamist. The investigation identified at least 52 signatures from individuals who alleged their names had been forged, including three signatories who were confirmed to be deceased. Several others claimed they had been misled into…

A minor earthquake struck the New York metropolitan area on Saturday night, briefly shaking buildings and surprising residents across the city and its suburbs. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the tremor registered a magnitude of 3.0 and occurred at a depth of approximately 10 kilometres. The epicentre was located in Hasbrouck Heights, a suburban town in New Jersey less than 13 kilometres west of Manhattan’s Central Park.…

President Donald Trump has described music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs as “sort of half-innocent” following his recent federal conviction, but indicated that a pardon would be “more difficult” due to Combs’ past criticisms of him.

SchwuZ, widely regarded as Germany’s oldest and largest gay dance club, has filed for insolvency after nearly half a century at the heart of Berlin’s vibrant LGBTQ+ scene. The club’s management cited rising costs, shifting party habits, and broader economic woes as key reasons behind the decision. Founded in Kreuzberg in 1977, SchwuZ, short for SchwulenZentrum or ‘gay centre’  played a pivotal role in shaping queer life in the German…

Indian oil refineries will continue purchasing crude from Russia, officials have confirmed, amid mounting pressure from the United States and threats of sanctions targeting Moscow’s trading partners over its war in Ukraine. The clarification follows reports on Friday suggesting India, one of the world’s largest energy importers, was preparing to halt Russian oil imports. US President Donald Trump appeared to endorse the idea, telling reporters, “I understand that India is…

US President Donald Trump has announced the repositioning of two nuclear submarines to unspecified “appropriate regions” in response to what he described as “foolish and inflammatory” remarks by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. The move, revealed in a social media post on Friday, marks a sharp escalation in the verbal sparring between the two leaders, which has intensified in recent days over Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. “I have ordered…

Two Australian citizens have spoken out about their harrowing treatment at the hands of Israeli forces after their boat, part of a humanitarian aid mission to Gaza, was intercepted and seized. Journalist Tania “Tan” Safi and human rights activist Robert Martin were among 21 activists on board the Handala, a vessel operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which was carrying food, baby formula, nappies and medicine to Gaza. The boat…

A number of New South Wales Labor MPs have publicly broken ranks with Premier Chris Minns, vowing to march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge in support of Gaza this weekend, despite a looming legal challenge by police to block the demonstration.