Noontime News Recap: Russia election opens under pressure as Middle East tensions and Ukraine strikes escalate
Russia has opened a three day parliamentary election for the State Duma, with voting starting in the far east and expected to deliver another victory for President Vladimir Putin, even as a report says the Kremlin has intensified a pre election crackdown. 🔗 🔗Ukraine said a morning Russian drone attack injured five people, including three children, in the Kyiv region near the capital, while separate strikes hit Zaporizhzhia and Dnipro. Poland also warned that Russia may try to carry out drone and rocket attacks against NATO states backing Ukraine, and said its airspace remains restricted. 🔗 🔗In the Middle East,... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews Recap | 18 Sep 2026 12:24 LONDON
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Boko Haram fighters and ISIL supporters accused of using AI chatbots for bombmaking and attack planning
Boko Haram fighters and supporters of the wider ISIL movement are being linked to the use of major artificial intelligence chatbots for bombmaking, attack planning and battlefield problem-solving, according to research and exclusive material described in the supplied reporting. The findings focus on northeastern Nigeria and on online spaces used by ISIL supporters, where users were said to be sharing ways to bypass AI safeguards. The material points to a developing pattern in which extremist groups are adapting consumer AI tools for operational use.Researchers from the University of Cambridge said they interviewed 27 former members of Boko Haram's two factions,... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 18 Sep 2026 10:03 LONDON
Scottish activist Jagtar Singh Johal granted bail in India after nearly nine years in detention
Family members of Scottish Sikh activist Jagtar Singh Johal say an Indian court has granted him bail after he spent almost nine years in detention without conviction. Johal, who is from Dumbarton, was arrested in 2017 in connection with alleged terror offences and has remained in custody while legal proceedings continued. According to Indian media cited by campaigners, bail was granted by the Delhi High Court.His family said they were still waiting for full details of what happens next, but described the decision as a relief. Johal, who is 39, was arrested in the Punjab region just weeks after his... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 18 Sep 2026 08:36 LONDON
US Congress approves Russia sanctions bill as tariff threat widens
The US House of Representatives has passed a sweeping bill that would give President Donald Trump broad powers to sanction Russian crude exports and impose steep tariffs on major buyers of Russian energy. The legislation was sent to the president to sign into law after clearing the chamber on Wednesday, marking what supporters describe as the most significant US action against Moscow since Trump returned to office. It is aimed at Russia's energy revenues, which have helped sustain the war in Ukraine.The measure authorises sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin, more than 20 senior officials and companies linked to the... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 17 Sep 2026 15:02 LONDON
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Syria issues first verdicts over coastal killings as more rulings expected next week
A military criminal court in Aleppo has issued the first verdicts in a case linked to last year's mass killings in Syria's coastal regions. The court sentenced two supporters of deposed president Bashar al-Assad to death and life imprisonment, and gave a former member of government forces a 20-year prison term. A fourth defendant was acquitted, and further rulings are expected next week.The verdicts were announced on Thursday in a judicial process that began last November, when 14 people were accused of involvement in the killings. According to the available material, the court has held several public hearings to examine... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 17 Sep 2026 13:59 LONDON
Sweden left-wing opposition wins slim parliamentary majority as Kristersson resigns
Sweden's left-leaning opposition has secured a narrow parliamentary majority after the final vote count confirmed the result of Sunday's general election. The Swedish Election Authority said the four opposition parties won 176 seats in the 349-seat Riksdag, compared with 173 for the outgoing conservative-led bloc. The result was confirmed after late-arriving domestic ballots and overseas votes were counted.Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson announced his resignation after the count was completed, opening the way for coalition negotiations. The center-left Social Democrats, led by former prime minister Magdalena Andersson, emerged as the largest single party, although they lost some support. The outcome gives... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 17 Sep 2026 13:31 LONDON
Kosovo tribunal convicts Hashim Thaci and three former KLA leaders, sentencing him to 25 years
The Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague has convicted former Kosovo president Hashim Thaci and three other former Kosovo Liberation Army leaders of war crimes and sentenced Thaci to 25 years in prison. The ruling was delivered on Wednesday after a three-year trial and concerns crimes linked to the 1998-1999 war in Kosovo. Thaci stood in silence as Presiding Judge Charles Smith read out the sentence, while supporters gathered in Pristina and outside the court reacted with shock and anger.The court found Thaci guilty of murder, torture, cruel treatment and arbitrary detention, and said he had used his position, leadership,... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 16 Sep 2026 15:59 LONDON
US Senate blocks Trump-backed crypto market bill after 50-49 vote
The United States Senate has failed to advance a major cryptocurrency bill backed by President Donald Trump, halting a push for the first comprehensive federal framework for digital-asset markets. The Digital Asset Market Clarity Act fell short of the 60 votes needed to move forward after a 50-49 vote on Tuesday. The result is a significant setback for Republicans and the digital-asset industry, which had spent months pressing for the measure.Four Republican senators - Jerry Moran, Rand Paul, Josh Hawley and Thom Tillis - joined all Democrats in opposing the motion. One of the main obstacles was disagreement over safeguards... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 15 Sep 2026 23:30 LONDON
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US Speaker Rejects AI Moratorium as Sanders and Bannon Call for Restrictions
US House Speaker Mike Johnson has rejected calls for a pause in artificial intelligence development, saying the United States would risk losing its edge to China. He made the comments in Washington on Tuesday, arguing that a slowdown would carry serious national security implications for American families. The remarks came as debate over AI regulation intensified across the political spectrum.Johnson said there should be no moratorium on AI development and argued that companies should largely be left to regulate themselves. He said firms could slow their own work if they chose, but added that the government should not force them... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 15 Sep 2026 22:07 LONDON
US democratic decline threatens global rule of law, report warns
A new report has warned that democratic decline in the United States is contributing to a wider weakening of the global rule of law. The study, released on Tuesday by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, says nearly half of the indicators used to measure US democracy have fallen to their lowest levels in 50 years. It describes the United States as the most prominent example and accelerator of a broader international trend.The report says President Donald Trump quickly amassed power in the executive branch and used it to pursue a narrow set of personal goals and retaliation... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 15 Sep 2026 17:32 LONDON
Bangladesh tribunal hands death sentences to seven Hasina aides over 2024 crackdown
A tribunal in Dhaka has sentenced seven aides of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death in absentia over their roles in the crackdown on Bangladesh's 2024 uprising. The three-member court found them guilty of crimes against humanity, including murder and instigating killings. The ruling adds to a widening series of convictions linked to the violence that followed the uprising.The tribunal was headed by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury and delivered the sentences on Tuesday. Among those convicted were former state minister for information and broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat and Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader. The other five men named... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 15 Sep 2026 15:02 LONDON
Western settlement sanctions trigger Israel-UK diplomatic crisis
Tensions between Israel and several Western governments escalated after a group of 12 countries said on September 8 that they would introduce, support or consider restrictions on goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The move came as part of a wider dispute over settlement policy and the status of occupied East Jerusalem. Israel responded within 24 hours by ordering the United Kingdom to close its consulate in occupied East Jerusalem within 30 days.The diplomatic retaliation followed remarks in the UK parliament by Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, who said the government could no longer "stand by" in the... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 15 Sep 2026 08:32 LONDON
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Serbia student movement submits election list ahead of snap vote
University students in Serbia have submitted a ballot list to the Republic Electoral Commission in a bid to contest the country's snap elections. The list, called "Student List - Students Win," was delivered after thousands of supporters marched through central Belgrade to the commission's headquarters. The move marks a new phase in a protest movement that has been active for nearly two years.Students carried boxes of signatures gathered in recent days as they sought to qualify for the ballot. The submission comes after parliament was dissolved on 8 September and snap elections were set for 25 October. According to the... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 15 Sep 2026 08:07 LONDON
Swedish election remains too close to call as opposition edges ahead in partial count
Sweden's national election remained unresolved on Monday as a partial count gave the opposition centre-left bloc a narrow lead over Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson's governing right-wing alliance. The election authority said votes from 6,195 of the country's 6,312 districts pointed to 176 seats for the bloc led by Social Democrats leader Magdalena Andersson, against 173 for the governing bloc in the 349-seat Riksdag. Final confirmation was still pending as overseas ballots and remaining districts were counted.The result leaves the country without a clear winner for now, despite the opposition's three-seat advantage in the latest tally. Officials said the final outcome... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 14 Sep 2026 02:29 LONDON
Australian crossbench to introduce bill targeting military exports linked to rights breaches
Crossbench MPs in Australia are preparing to introduce legislation aimed at stopping defence equipment, technology or services from being used in ways that could breach the country's international human rights obligations. The proposal, described by its backers as "red lines" legislation, is due to be presented on Monday. It comes amid growing political pressure on the Albanese government over Australia's role in the F-35 supply chain and concerns about how parts may be used in the conflict in Gaza.The bill is being backed by MPs including David Pocock and Sophie Scamps, alongside Greens and independents Lidia Thorpe, Andrew Wilkie and... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 13 Sep 2026 16:34 LONDON
Spain advances Sahrawi citizenship bill amid concern in Morocco
Spain's lower house of parliament has approved a bill that would create a special route to Spanish citizenship for Sahrawis born in Western Sahara before 29 September 1977, with first-degree descendants also covered. The measure passed by 168 votes to 31, with 145 abstentions, and now moves to the Senate for further scrutiny. The proposal is being watched closely in Morocco because of its possible effect on Spain's wider relationship with Rabat.Under the bill, eligible Sahrawis would be able to apply through a special procedure without meeting the normal residency requirement. The text would also shorten the residence period for... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 13 Sep 2026 03:30 LONDON
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UK lawmakers reject assisted dying bill after narrow Commons vote
The UK House of Commons has rejected a bill that would have allowed terminally ill adults in England and Wales to apply for assisted death. Lawmakers voted 286 to 270 against the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) bill on Friday, ending the latest attempt to change the law. The result closes a two-year parliamentary debate that had returned repeatedly to one of the country's most sensitive social and legal questions.The proposal would have allowed adults with less than six months to live to seek an assisted death, subject to approval from at least two doctors and an expert panel.... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 11 Sep 2026 19:03 LONDON
Hong Kong Tiananmen vigil activists sentenced as court hands down prison terms
A Hong Kong court has sentenced three prominent activists to prison terms of up to seven years over their roles in organising annual vigils for the victims of the 4 June 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. The ruling was delivered on Friday in a case that has intensified scrutiny of the city's national security law and its impact on political expression. The defendants are Lee Cheuk-yan, Chow Hang-tung and Albert Ho, all of whom were linked to the now-disbanded Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China.Lee, 69, and Chow, 41, were each sentenced to seven years in... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 11 Sep 2026 13:31 LONDON
There Is Good in Every Bad
Power, Greed, Oil, and the Theater of Modern Geopolitics The Business Model of Power Donald Trump does not govern like a traditional politician. He governs like a negotiator who believes every geopolitical crisis is leverage, every war threat is a bargaining chip, and every market panic is an opportunity. When markets tremble, someone profits. The question is, who? Global markets react instantly to political tension. Gold rises when conflict looms. Oil spikes when instability threatens production. Stock markets collapse on fear, then rebound on reassurance. Volatility is not chaos, it is opportunity. Historically, gold has surged during major geopolitical crises,... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews-Opinion | 18 Feb 2026 17:11 LONDON
