Trump orders South Korea drills scaled back as lawmakers warn of deterrence risk
US President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to scale back the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises with South Korea, prompting criticism from lawmakers who said the move could weaken deterrence on the Korean Peninsula. The drills were due to run from 17 to 27 August and are one of the most visible parts of the US-South Korea security partnership. Trump said the decision was a courtesy to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and repeated his view that he has a very good relationship with him.The exercise is expected to involve about 18,000 South Korean troops, with scenarios including missile... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 17 Aug 2026 19:59 LONDON
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Syria probes death of former White Helmets rescuer in police custody
Syria has opened an investigation after Mohammed Gamira, a former White Helmets rescuer, died following detention at a police station in Latakia province. Family members and local reports say he was held over a financial dispute and later died in hospital after his condition worsened. The case has triggered public anger and calls for protests in Latakia, with nationwide demonstrations also planned.The Latakia Internal Security Command said it had launched a probe into the events that took place while Gamira was held at the Haffeh police station. The Ministry of Interior's Security Command said the inquiry would examine the circumstances... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 17 Aug 2026 19:36 LONDON
Explosion reported at school in Kabul's Dasht-e-Barchi district
An explosion has been reported at a school in western Kabul, with several students said to have been injured. The blast was reported in the Dasht-e-Barchi neighbourhood on Monday afternoon, according to the supplied material. The cause has not been independently confirmed in the rows provided, and officials had not commented at the time of publication.The incident was reported at around 4:30pm local time, or 12:00pm GMT, near the end of the school day. The school named in the supplied material is the private Shama-e Hidayat school and educational institution in the Mahdia neighbourhood. Eyewitnesses said several students were transferred... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 17 Aug 2026 19:00 LONDON
Day News Recap: Deadly crises span Congo, Indonesia and Gaza as markets split on risk appetite
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has become the deadliest in the country’s history, with government data putting deaths at 2,325 as the crisis continues to spread its toll. 🔗Indonesia is also facing a major disaster after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Flores island, killing at least 68 people, displacing about 5,000 residents and leaving aid shortages and aftershocks to hamper rescue work. 🔗In the Middle East, the Gaza war and wider regional tensions remained in focus as Jared Kushner prepared to meet Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv after more than two hours of talks with... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews Recap | 17 Aug 2026 18:20 LONDON
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Putin signs law restricting consular services for Russians abroad in political cases
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed new legislation that restricts consular services for Russian citizens living abroad who have been sentenced in absentia in political cases. The measure affects people convicted of offences such as violating the foreign agent law or discrediting the Russian army, according to the supplied material. It is part of a broader tightening of pressure on Russians who oppose the war in Ukraine from outside the country.The law means affected citizens may be unable to renew Russian passports or receive other essential consular services. The supplied material says the measure could affect thousands of Russian citizens,... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 17 Aug 2026 17:35 LONDON
South Wales wildfires prompt military support as crews battle dozens of blazes
Fire crews in south Wales are continuing to tackle dozens of wildfires, with about 200 military personnel now helping the response. The support has been brought in as South Wales Fire and Rescue Service faces severe pressure from multiple blazes across the country. Officials say the extra capacity is being used to help firefighters concentrate on the most specialist parts of the operation.Chief fire officer Fin Monahan said the UK and Welsh governments had taken "a very serious step" in bringing in the military, but said the move was needed because crews were dealing with fires on a wide scale.... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 16 Aug 2026 12:32 LONDON
Ukraine says it retook settlements in Dnipropetrovsk as Russian strikes intensify
Ukraine says it has completed a counteroffensive in the southern part of Dnipropetrovsk region, recapturing 26 settlements and about 745 square kilometres of territory this year. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the operation was carried out "exactly as it was determined", while former commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskii said the army had shown it could not only hold its positions but also seize the initiative. Ukrainian officials said the campaign pushed Russian forces back over the regional borders of Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia.The territorial gains were announced alongside a fresh wave of Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities. According to the supporting material, combined drone... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 14 Aug 2026 13:00 LONDON
North Korea warns of new deterrent as US-South Korea drills near
North Korea has condemned upcoming joint military exercises by the United States and South Korea, saying it will answer what it calls a new threat with a new level of deterrent. The drills, named Ulchi Freedom Shield, are due to begin on 17 August and run until 27 August. Pyongyang said the exercises heighten tensions on the Korean Peninsula and are part of a broader shift in US-led military cooperation in the region.According to a statement published by the Korean Central News Agency, a North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the planned drills are intended to master fighting methods based... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 14 Aug 2026 07:05 LONDON
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Rotterdam port blast at Gunvor refinery leaves one dead as investigation continues
One person has died and several others have been injured after an explosion at a Gunvor-operated refinery and fuel terminal in Rotterdam port. Police said the injured were taken to hospital, while emergency services secured the site after the blast. Investigators and the Dutch labour inspectorate were sent to the scene as authorities began examining what happened.Police spokesperson Daan Valkenburg said investigators were considering all possible causes and had not yet reached a conclusion. A damaged wall and signs of an explosion on a storage tank were visible in the area, according to the supplied material. A separate report that... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 13 Aug 2026 17:29 LONDON
Syria court sentences Bashar al-Assad, Maher al-Assad and former officials to death in absentia
A court in Damascus has sentenced ousted former leader Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia, along with his brother Maher al-Assad and six other former high-ranking officials. The ruling also covered Atef Najib, Assad's cousin and former security chief in Deraa province, who was present at the trial and was also sentenced to death. The case is being presented by Syria's new authorities as a landmark step in a transitional justice process that is still taking shape.The verdicts relate to crimes committed during nearly 14 years of war, including killings, disappearances and torture. The court said the men were convicted... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 12 Aug 2026 22:33 LONDON
Trump says pro-Israel lobbying groups have lost influence in Washington
United States President Donald Trump has said pro-Israel lobbying groups no longer hold the same sway in Washington and on Capitol Hill as they did two decades ago. He made the remarks in a pre-taped interview that aired on Tuesday on the conservative network Real America's Voice. Trump linked the change to shifting attitudes in Congress and among American voters.In the interview, Trump said that if one looks back 20 or 25 years, pro-Israel groups had "the most powerful lobby in Washington." He added that the situation now is different, saying he had never seen anything like the change in... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 12 Aug 2026 18:00 LONDON
Russia economy under strain as deficit widens and strikes deepen
Russia's economy is showing fresh signs of strain as a widening budget deficit and deeper Ukrainian strikes test its resilience. A new report says growth is expected to slow to its weakest pace since 2022, even though Moscow has so far withstood years of Western sanctions and war spending. The picture is complicated by a separate windfall from higher global energy prices linked to the war in the Middle East, which has lifted Russian oil revenue.The report says the budget deficit is widening and that Ukrainian strikes are reaching deeper into the economy. It also says Russia still has more... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 12 Aug 2026 17:05 LONDON
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Colombia declares three days of mourning as earthquake death toll rises
Colombia has declared three days of national mourning after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake killed more than 200 people and injured 2,595, according to the latest supplied reporting. The government said flags would be lowered to half-staff at official buildings and Colombian embassies abroad in honour of the dead. Rescue crews are still searching damaged neighbourhoods as the disaster enters its third day.The quake struck on Monday and is described in the supplied material as the strongest to hit Colombia in a century. More than 100 aftershocks had been recorded by Tuesday afternoon, adding to the difficulty of search operations in... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 12 Aug 2026 17:02 LONDON
Russia frees ailing ex-US Marine Robert Gilman as he returns to the United States
Russia has freed former US Marine Robert Gilman, who had been detained since 2022, and he has now returned to the United States for medical care. The release was described by US officials as being on humanitarian grounds after discussions involving President Vladimir Putin and US special envoy Steve Witkoff. Gilman arrived at Dulles airport near Washington on a State Department plane before continuing on to a rehabilitation centre in San Antonio, Texas.US officials said Mr Putin approved a pardon for Gilman and that Russia did not seek any concessions in return. Mr Witkoff said Gilman could now return to... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 12 Aug 2026 08:01 LONDON
Turkiye approves conditional pardon bill for thousands of PKK fighters
Turkish lawmakers have approved legislation offering a conditional pardon for thousands of people linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, in what officials and lawmakers described as the first legislative step toward ending a conflict that has lasted for decades. The bill passed on Monday and is intended to allow some fighters who lay down their weapons to return to civilian life. It does not amount to a total amnesty.The vote was 468 in favour, 88 against and six abstentions. The legislation suspends prosecutions and prison sentences for some offences for between five and 10 years, according to the text... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 10 Aug 2026 22:32 LONDON
Netanyahu rejects US-led Gaza peace plan as Trump defends ties
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has formally rejected a 15-point Gaza peace plan drafted by the US-led Board of Peace, sharpening a public dispute with Washington over the next stage of the conflict. The plan links an Israeli military pullback to the disarmament of Hamas and the creation of a new Palestinian governing body. On Monday, United States President Donald Trump said his relationship with Netanyahu remained "very good" despite the disagreement.Netanyahu said on Sunday that the Israeli army would not withdraw until Hamas was "genuinely disarmed" and vowed that Israel would continue to counter threats against its forces and... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 10 Aug 2026 22:29 LONDON
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Trump signs order to limit childhood vaccines and split MMR shots
President Donald Trump has signed an order calling for fewer childhood vaccines and recommending that the mumps, measles and rubella, or MMR, vaccine be split into separate shots. The announcement was made in the Oval Office on Monday and marks a new federal push on childhood immunisation policy. The order says the administration is recognising what it calls gold standard childhood vaccine recommendations for 11 core vaccinations.Trump said children received only a small fraction of the vaccines required today decades ago and argued that people were healthier then. He also linked the change to autism, repeating a claim that has... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 10 Aug 2026 21:30 LONDON
