Sacked Ukrainian defence minister raises corruption questions around Zelensky
Ukraine's sacked defence minister has said President Volodymyr Zelensky has "questions to answer" over corruption in his government. Mykhailo Fedorov made the remarks in an interview after a money-laundering investigation announced last week. He also used the interview to argue that Ukraine should begin discussing elections, despite martial law remaining in place.Fedorov said the investigation raised questions about whether Zelensky knew about possible corruption in his inner circle. He did not accuse the president directly of wrongdoing, but said the issue went to the heart of public trust. He also repeated the view that "democracy should not be the hostage... [Continue Reading]
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Zelensky rejects wartime elections as Ukraine political dispute deepens
President Volodymyr Zelensky has said holding elections during wartime would be too dangerous for Ukraine and could split the country. His comments came after a public call from his former defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, for wartime elections and a renewal of the political process. The dispute has become one of the most significant internal political challenges for Zelensky since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.Zelensky said elections in the current conditions would be a major risk and described them as a "tsunami" for the country. Ukrainian law prohibits elections during wartime, and he argued that the security situation makes a vote... [Continue Reading]
Kazakhstan holds snap parliamentary election amid Tokayev-backed constitutional overhaul
Polling is under way in Kazakhstan in a snap parliamentary election that is expected to reinforce President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's political position. Voting opened at 7am local time and is scheduled to close at 8pm, with more than 12 million people eligible to cast ballots. The election is taking place under a constitutional overhaul that replaced the former bicameral system with a single-chamber parliament.The new legislature will have 145 members and is expected to be dominated by supporters of Tokayev, who has led Kazakhstan since 2019. Only seven state-approved parties, all described in the supplied material as loyal to the president,... [Continue Reading]
Breakfast News Recap: Sweden school attack kills girl as Canada readies tariff retaliation and Middle East tensions rise
Swedish police have confirmed that a 17 year old girl was killed in a sword attack at Brinell School in Fagersta, with two boys aged 12 and 17 also involved in the incident. ๐In North America, Canada has said it will retaliate against the United States in a widening tariff dispute covering steel, dairy and electronics, with Prime Minister Mark Carney announcing new Canadian tariffs from 8 September. ๐ President Donald Trump also said the United States had brought home an American hostage held by ISIS for ten months. ๐Across the Middle East, Israeli military raids and settler attacks have... [Continue Reading]
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Israeli strike near Damascus injures several in Beit Jinn, Syria says
Syria has condemned a new Israeli strike in the village of Beit Jinn, southwest of Damascus, saying it hit a civilian vehicle and injured several people. The incident was reported on Saturday and is the second known Israeli strike on Syria in the past week. Syrian officials described it as a violation of sovereignty and international law.The Israeli military said on X that it had targeted a person it described as a terrorist in the final stages of preparing attacks that posed an immediate threat to soldiers. Syria said the vehicle struck was civilian and that those hurt were civilians.... [Continue Reading]
UN Security Council straw poll puts Guyana's Rodrigues Birkett ahead in race for next secretary-general
The United Nations Security Council has held a second informal straw poll in the race to choose the next secretary-general, with Guyana's Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett emerging as the leading candidate. The vote took place on Friday as the council continued its search for consensus ahead of Antonio Guterres' departure at the end of December. The poll is non-binding, but it is one of the main steps used to narrow the field before a formal recommendation is sent to the General Assembly.According to the results circulated after the vote, Rodrigues Birkett received eight votes to encourage, three to discourage and four... [Continue Reading]
Trump backs White House ballroom project after Supreme Court allows construction to continue
President Donald Trump made multiple posts on Truth Social in the last hour: - "We are grateful for the Decision of the United States Supreme Court. The Military/Ballroom Complex being built on the hallowed grounds of the White House, which is so vital for National Security, will be THE GREATEST OF ITS KIND! It is something that Presidents have wanted for 150 years, and that the Military has been seeking for the last 100 years. Construction is under budget and ahead of schedule. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" - "Ed Martin has been with me from the... [Continue Reading]
Day News Recap: Ukraine under renewed attack as Middle East tensions and market jitters deepen
Russian strikes killed civilians across Ukraine, with a hit on a busy shopping centre in Kryvyi Rig leaving six dead and more than 90 wounded, while separate missile and drone attacks were reported in Pechenihy, Kyiv, Zhytomyr and Kharkiv as the toll rose further. ๐ ๐In Kyiv, local authorities said Russian ballistic missile strikes killed 17 people and injured more than 40 in and around the capital on Thursday, underscoring the scale of the latest wave of attacks. ๐ Moscow said any peace plan must reflect what it calls the realities on the ground, signalling no shift in its position... [Continue Reading]
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China rejects US wrongful-detention claim over Myanmar scholar Min Zin
China has rejected a United States claim that Myanmar scholar Min Zin was wrongfully detained, saying he is suspected of endangering national security. The dispute centres on Min Zin, who was arrested on June 3 after travelling to Yunnan at the invitation of the Chinese government to attend a conference. Beijing said on Friday that there is no such thing as so-called wrongful detention under Chinese law.A spokesman for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the relevant US individual was suspected of engaging in activities that endanger China's national security and had therefore violated Chinese law. The US Department of... [Continue Reading]
International condemnation grows over Israel's E1 West Bank settlement plan
Multiple governments and the United Nations have condemned Israel's opening of construction tenders for more than 1,200 housing units in the E1 settlement project in the occupied West Bank. The latest criticism came after a joint statement from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada and Norway described the plan as unacceptable. The move has intensified diplomatic pressure on Israel over a project long seen as one of the most sensitive in the occupied territory.The European and Canadian statement warned that the plan would undermine the territorial contiguity of the Palestinian territories and said it could carry legal... [Continue Reading]
Breakfast News Recap: Ebola response expands as US pressure on Iran and global tensions mount
The World Health Organization is allocating 70,000 doses of the Ervebo Ebola vaccine to the Democratic Republic of the Congo as the country faces a worsening outbreak, underlining the scale of the health emergency. ๐In the Middle East, fighting in Yemen has intensified sharply, with government forces saying they carried out 81 attacks on Houthi positions in the past 24 hours, while the Houthis said they had launched their own strikes. ๐ The United States has also sent a new carrier strike group to the region to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln, adding to the military build up. ๐Washington is... [Continue Reading]
Nigeria's PDP faces internal crisis as election campaign begins
Nigeria's Peoples Democratic Party is facing a fresh test of survival as the campaign for January's general election officially begins. The party, once the dominant force in Nigerian politics, is now described as being on the brink of extinction. A factional struggle over who is in charge has escalated into court action, raising questions about whether the party can remain relevant at the ballot box.The party was founded in 1998 and rose quickly after the end of military rule a year later. Its presidential candidates Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar'Adua and Goodluck Jonathan held power for 16 years, while the... [Continue Reading]
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Bangladesh parliament elects BNP veteran Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as president
Bangladesh's parliament has elected Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as the country's next president, filling a vacancy created by the early resignation of Mohammed Shahabuddin. Alamgir, 78, won the vote on Thursday and was declared the winner after securing 255 votes to 88 against his rival, Oli Ahmed. The presidency in Bangladesh is largely ceremonial, but it remains the formal head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces.The result followed a parliamentary contest in which Alamgir stood for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, while Ahmed, 84, represented the opposition side as chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party and a candidate backed... [Continue Reading]
Myanmar military chief makes first foreign trip to Bangkok in diplomatic push
Myanmar's military chief has met Thailand's top general in Bangkok in what is being described as his first international trip since taking the role. The meeting took place as Myanmar's post-coup leadership seeks to broaden contacts after years of isolation. It also comes amid continuing conflict inside Myanmar and renewed efforts by neighbouring states to manage shared security concerns.Thai military chief Ukris Boontanondha met Ye Win Oo at a Bangkok hotel on Thursday, according to the information provided by Bangkok. The talks focused on cooperation along the countries' 2,400km border, as well as efforts to address the illicit drug trade... [Continue Reading]
Bangladesh holds first contested presidential election in 35 years
Bangladesh is holding its first contested presidential election in 35 years, with voting taking place in the parliamentary chamber in Dhaka. The contest pits the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party's candidate, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, against Oli Ahmed, the nominee of a Jamaat-e-Islami-led 11-party opposition alliance. The result is expected within hours of the vote, according to the Election Commission.A total of 349 members of parliament are eligible to vote between 08:00 GMT and 11:00 GMT on Thursday. The election was triggered by the resignation last month of Mohammed Shahabuddin, who had been elected unopposed in 2023 as the nominee of... [Continue Reading]
Trump orders South Korea-US drills cut to five days amid Iran dispute
US and South Korean forces have agreed to cut their annual joint military exercise from 11 days to five after President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to substantially reduce the drills. The change came as the exercise was already under way, and it has intensified concern in Seoul about the reliability of US security guarantees. South Korean officials were caught off guard by the announcement, which Trump made on social media just hours before the drills were due to begin.Trump said the exercises sent an "inappropriate and hostile" signal to North Korea and linked his decision to what he described... [Continue Reading]
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Israel faces rising emigration as experts warn of a future 'tsunami'
Nearly 270,000 Israelis have left the country over the past three years, according to a study cited in the supplied material, as concerns grow over political uncertainty and security. The trend is being described by some analysts and lawmakers as a significant shift in a country that has long relied on immigration and population growth. The latest reporting says the outflow is increasingly affecting people who are better educated and more affluent.The study, published earlier this month by the Israeli tax authority and drawing on Central Bureau of Statistics data, found that emigration was higher in 2023 and 2024 than... [Continue Reading]
Zambian opposition leader to challenge presidential election result in court
Zambian opposition leader Brian Mundubile says he will challenge the presidential election result in court, alleging serious irregularities in the conduct, counting, transmission and declaration of votes. The dispute follows the election commission's declaration that President Hakainde Hichilema won a second term with about 60% of the vote, compared with 38% for Mundubile. The challenge adds a legal dimension to tensions that rose after the polls closed.In a statement on Wednesday, Mundubile said his campaign had documented what he described as serious inconsistencies surrounding the vote. He also alleged intimidation and restrictions during the campaign, concerns that were echoed by... [Continue Reading]
Iran parliament advances foreign infiltration bill amid wartime tensions
Iran's hardline-dominated parliament has approved the broad outlines of a bill aimed at countering what it describes as foreign infiltration, in a move that would tighten controls on contact with universities, embassies and foreign media. The proposal was approved during a remote parliamentary session on Sunday, according to the supplied report, and is being presented by supporters as a national-security measure. It comes as Iranian authorities remain focused on wartime security concerns and the possibility of further military escalation.The draft would require citizens and entities to seek authorisation before contacting universities and embassies or speaking to foreign media. A previously... [Continue Reading]
Zelenskyy sacks senior aide amid Ukraine corruption crisis
Ukraine's president has dismissed senior aide Iryna Mudra amid a fresh corruption investigation, adding to a widening political crisis in Kyiv. Mudra, who served as a presidential deputy chief of staff, was removed by decree after reports in Ukrainian media that her home was being searched by officials investigating an alleged money-laundering scheme. The move came as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy faced growing pressure over corruption allegations and questions about wartime governance.No official reason was given for Mudra's dismissal. The reports of a search at her house were not immediately confirmed in the supplied material, but they were cited as the... [Continue Reading]
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Ukraine's ousted defence minister calls for wartime elections as protests grow in Kyiv
Mykhailo Fedorov has deepened his break with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy by publicly calling for wartime elections in Ukraine. In a nine-minute video released on YouTube, the former defence minister said democracy could not be "held hostage by Russia" and urged a "legal, safe and realistic mechanism" to renew the country's full democratic process during a long war. He also accused the government of a "systemic crisis of governance" and said corruption inside the defence ministry was harming the war effort.The intervention comes as protests in Kyiv have continued to build around his dismissal. Demonstrators have gathered for more than a... [Continue Reading]
AfD could win outright in Saxony-Anhalt vote, raising fears over Germany's postwar political consensus
Saxony-Anhalt is heading towards a state election on 6 September that could become one of the most consequential in Germany's postwar history. The far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, is polling strongly enough that it could win an outright majority and govern the state alone for the first time. Such an outcome would break a decades-long political consensus that has kept the far right out of power in Germany.The party's local branch is officially classified by the domestic intelligence service as a confirmed right-wing extremist organisation. In Saxony-Anhalt, the AfD is polling at up to 42%, according to the reporting... [Continue Reading]
Palestinian factions explore broad alliance ahead of November 28 elections
Hamas and several other Palestinian factions are holding talks on a possible broad electoral alliance ahead of legislative elections scheduled for 28 November. The discussions come as campaigning is due to begin on 6 November, with the vote set to be the first Palestinian legislative election since January 2006. The political manoeuvring is taking place against the backdrop of the war in Gaza, rising violence in the occupied West Bank and restrictions in occupied East Jerusalem.Husam Badran, Hamas's national relations official, said the movement has recently held bilateral and collective meetings with a range of groups. Those groups include Palestinian... [Continue Reading]
Ukraine anti-corruption probe adds pressure on Zelenskyy ahead of parliament vote
Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies have opened an investigation into unnamed lawmakers and presidential advisers, intensifying political pressure on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The move came just hours before parliament was due to vote on a new defence minister. It also landed amid renewed debate over wartime elections and the direction of Ukraine's leadership during Russia's full-scale invasion.The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office gave no further details about the probe. According to the report, the announcement came shortly before lawmakers were expected to consider Yevhen Khmara as the next defence minister. That vote follows the dismissal of... [Continue Reading]
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Tim Montgomerie vows to fight Reform UK suspension after criticism of senior figures
Political commentator Tim Montgomerie has said he will fight his suspension from Reform UK after criticising senior party figures in media interviews. He told BBC Newsnight that his appeal would be a test case of whether the party can tolerate free speech and dissent. Reform UK said he had been suspended in line with its rules after public criticism he made.Montgomerie, who defected from the Conservatives to Reform UK in 2024, said he wanted to remain in the party and would contest the decision. He said he had not left the Conservative Party lightly and believed Reform could reach parts... [Continue Reading]
Ben-Gvir defends killing 30 to 40 people a night in Gaza amid election campaign
Israel's national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has defended killing 30 to 40 people a night in Gaza, according to remarks reported from an interview published on Sunday. The comments were made in a conversation with Rom Braslavski, a former Israeli captive held by Hamas, and were later circulated by Palestinian outlets. Ben-Gvir was criticising what he described as a reduction in Israeli attacks on the territory when he made the statement.The minister is part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition and is one of the most prominent figures on Israel's far right. He does not command the armed forces and... [Continue Reading]
Marra and Fagan to contest Scottish Labour leadership
Michael Marra and Joe Fagan will contest the Scottish Labour leadership after Monica Lennon failed to secure enough nominations to reach the ballot. The contest will decide who replaces Anas Sarwar, who announced last month that he would stand down as Scottish leader and as an MSP. Party members and affiliated supporters are due to vote between 28 August and 17 September.Nominations closed at 10:00, with only Marra and Fagan meeting the threshold required to stand. Lennon, who did not make the ballot, said Scottish Labour was "stuck in the past" after her bid ended. Marra, the North East Scotland... [Continue Reading]
Iranian parliament advances bill restricting contact with US and Israeli media
Iran's parliament has approved in principle a bill that would punish Iranians who give interviews to media outlets in the United States or Israel, in a further tightening of controls on foreign contact and information flows. The measure was passed on Sunday, 16 August, and still needs further review before it can become law. It also seeks to restrict unauthorised contact with foreign embassies, organisations and institutions, both inside and outside Iran.Under the draft legislation, anyone who speaks to a foreign outlet without permission could face prison terms of six months to two years. The bill also says any contact... [Continue Reading]
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Top Zambian opposition figures arrested after election amid insurrection claims
Security forces in Zambia have arrested 11 people, including senior opposition figures, after a raid in the capital, Lusaka, the government said. The arrests came as counting from Thursday's presidential election was still under way, adding a security dimension to an already contested vote. Among those named by officials was Brian Mundubile, the leading opposition candidate, who was found at the scene of the operation, according to the country's top civil servant.Patrick Kangwa said the people detained were linked to what he described as military plans involving foreign nationals and illegal military training camps. He said officers seized weapons, ammunition... [Continue Reading]
Lula and Bolsonaro camp launch Brazil presidential race with rallies in Sao Paulo and Rio
Brazil's two main presidential camps have opened their campaigns with large rallies in their political strongholds, setting up what is expected to be a closely fought October election. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva addressed more than 10,000 supporters at Vila Euclides Stadium outside Sao Paulo, while Senator Flavio Bolsonaro gathered thousands on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro. The launches underline how the contest is already being framed around foreign interference, trade pressure and control over Brazil's natural resources.Lula, who is seeking a fourth nonconsecutive term, spoke in a city where he first rose to prominence 47 years ago... [Continue Reading]
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