Reform UK policy chief Zia Yusuf has accused Prime Minister Keir Starmer of endangering party leader Nigel Farage after parliamentary authorities reduced his government-funded security by 75 percent two weeks ago. Yusuf told Times Radio on Wednesday that private donors now fund Farage's protection, and he warned Starmer would bear responsibility if harm befalls the opposition leader. The security reduction follows Starmer's remarks at the Labour Party conference on Tuesday, where he called Farage a snake oil merchant and labeled Reform UK the biggest threat to national renewal.
Conservative lawmaker David Davis has urged Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to reverse the decision, noting Farage faces a greater risk than many Cabinet...
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has questioned Sweden's decision to increase military spending while reducing foreign aid contributions. Gates told the Swedish business newspaper Dagens Industri on Wednesday that he regrets the government's budget does not include funding for the Global Fund, an organization combating AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria globally. He suggested the nation's rising defense expenditures warrant greater public discussion and scrutiny.
Swedish Foreign Trade Minister Benjamin Dousa defended the policy shift to TT news agency, arguing that strong defense capabilities are essential for national security. Sweden ended its long-standing neutrality after the Ukraine conflict escalated in 2022 and joined NATO two years...
Georgian police dispersed tens of thousands of anti-government protesters with tear gas and water cannons on Saturday after demonstrators attempted to storm the presidential palace in Tbilisi. The unrest followed local elections in which the ruling Georgian Dream party claimed to have won in all municipalities, before official results were announced. Protesters gathered in Freedom Square, waving Georgian and EU flags, and they accused the government of abandoning pro-European goals. Activist Paata Burchuladze read a manifesto declaring the government illegitimate before demonstrators erected burning barricades outside the palace.
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze warned that revolutionary plans would fail, and he said many participants...
A Tunisian court convicted a 51-year-old man on Wednesday and sentenced him to death for Facebook posts that officials deemed offensive to President Kais Saied and threatening to state security. Saber Chouchen faced charges of attempting to overthrow the state, insulting the president, and spreading false information online under the 2022 cybercrime law known as Decree 54. His lawyer stated that most of the content Chouchen shared was copied from other pages, and Chouchen explained in court that he wanted to highlight his difficult living conditions rather than incite unrest.
The verdict represents the first death sentence in modern Tunisian history for online speech, and rights advocates warn it signals an alarming escalation in...
Damascus remained largely quiet on Saturday ahead of Syria's first parliamentary election since Bashar al-Assad's removal from power. Many residents appeared unaware of the vote scheduled for the next day, and campaign activity was virtually nonexistent across the capital. Shopkeeper Elias al-Qudsi said he learned about the People's Assembly elections by chance, but he was unsure whether citizens were expected to participate.
The election differs sharply from previous contests under Assad's Ba'ath Party rule. Two-thirds of the new assembly will be selected by electoral colleges, while interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa will appoint the remaining seats. Nawar Nejmeh from the national election committee said direct parliamentary elections...
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan praised Hamas for responding to President Donald Trump's ceasefire proposal on Saturday, but Israeli airstrikes continued across Gaza despite the diplomatic progress. Erdogan described the Hamas response as a fundamental step toward lasting peace and urged immediate delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Turkey has worked with Egypt and Qatar to advise Hamas on the American peace initiative.
Trump welcomed the Hamas statement on Truth Social and called on Israel to halt bombing operations to allow safe hostage releases. The former president thanked Qatar, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan for their roles in the breakthrough. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu initially dismissed the...
Erbil Civil Defense officials announced on Saturday that a gas station fire in the Fermanberan neighborhood resulted from the business ignoring repeated safety warnings. Spokesperson Shakhawan Saeed stated that 11 firefighting teams successfully controlled the blaze within 35 minutes, but two employees sustained minor injuries. The fire destroyed several vehicles, and authorities confirmed no fatalities occurred.
Saeed stated the fire started when workers unloaded gasoline near an active generator and liquefied petroleum gas tanks. Officials had warned the station multiple times about violating safety standards before the incident. The gas station was located fewer than 150 meters from residential homes, despite regulations requiring a...
Residents of Keshan village near the Turkish border celebrated their annual festival for the first time in decades after a ceasefire ended years of conflict between the Kurdistan Workers' Party and Turkey. Walat Haji, a 40-year-old farmer, said he witnessed the event for the first time in 40 years after being displaced from his ancestral home. Khabbat Abdul Sattar explained that villagers previously could not stay in the area past sunset due to fear, but they can remain overnight under the current peace.
Festival organizer Siban Nadhir said the event marks the beginning of a new chapter for the region, and he hopes it will grow in the coming years. Residents of nearby Dereşe village reported no airstrikes or artillery attacks for 20...
Lake Razzaza in Karbala Province faces total depletion after its water volume dropped to below 20.5 billion cubic meters from 23.5 billion cubic meters in 2018. Abdul Amir al-Kharsan, the director of water affairs in Karbala, stated that the lake received its last major water release of one billion cubic meters in 2018, but it has remained nearly stagnant for more than 30 years. Local fishermen and tourism operators have lost their livelihoods as the lake dries up, while visitors report finding garbage scattered everywhere and damaged roads leading to the site.
The Kurdistan Regional Government's Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources announced on Friday that eight dams have been completed across the Kurdistan Region with a...
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