Australia warns of potentially strongest El Niño in decades
Australia's weather bureau has warned that El Niño conditions have formed in the tropical Pacific and could intensify into one of the strongest events seen in decades. The agency said sea surface temperatures in the region have exceeded El Niño thresholds and that atmospheric indicators are now aligned with the pattern. It said forecasts point to a strong to very strong event, with around half of the models suggesting it could peak among the highest levels observed since 1950.The bureau said the developing event is linked to less rainfall in winter and spring, particularly on Australia's east coast, as well... [Continue Reading]
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EU formally launches accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova amid long reform path
The European Union has formally launched accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova, marking the start of a process that could take years to complete. The opening was marked by an intergovernmental conference in Luxembourg, where Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Taras Kachka took part as the first stage of negotiations began. The move is a significant diplomatic step for both countries, but it does not by itself guarantee eventual membership.The talks begin with the opening of five key chapters in the accession process, which requires candidate countries to align their laws and institutions with EU rules across 35 policy areas. Kachka... [Continue Reading]
Three-year-old Palestinian boy killed by Israeli fire in central Gaza
A three-year-old Palestinian boy has been killed by gunfire in central Gaza, according to his family, in an incident that also left his father wounded. The family said Rayan Abu al-Ajeen was being carried by his father when both were shot in the Wadi al-Salqa area of Deir al-Balah governorate on Sunday afternoon. His body was later taken to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital on Monday.The family said Bahaa, the boy's father, was shot in the leg and remains in hospital. Jaber Abu al-Ajeen, the child's grandfather, said he heard gunfire while at home next to the family farm and later learned... [Continue Reading]
Ukrainian drone strikes trigger fuel shortages and panic in annexed Crimea
Fuel shortages and long queues at petrol stations are being reported across annexed Crimea after a sustained Ukrainian drone campaign disrupted supply routes to the peninsula. In the latest account from the region, drivers near Simferopol waited for hours in kilometre-long lines to buy fuel, while some residents said the shortages were feeding wider anxiety about daily life and tourism. The disruption comes as Ukrainian drones continue to target roads and logistics links used to move fuel, ammunition and other supplies into Crimea.One Crimean Tatar resident described spending almost seven hours in a slow-moving queue at a gas station near... [Continue Reading]
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EU agrees to launch membership talks with Ukraine and Moldova
European Union member states have agreed to open accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova, in a move that formally launches the next stage of the two countries' long path towards possible EU membership. The decision was taken by ambassadors from the bloc's 27 nations at a meeting in Brussels, with an intergovernmental conference due to be held on Monday in Luxembourg. That meeting is expected to open key negotiation clusters, marking the start of detailed talks on the conditions for joining the bloc.EU Council president Antonio Costa and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said the decision recognised the... [Continue Reading]
Pakistan warns India water restriction could be treated as act of war
Pakistan has warned that any attempt by India to restrict the flow of Indus waters could have serious consequences and may be viewed as an act of war. The warning came after India's water resources minister said New Delhi was working to ensure that "not a single drop" of water reaches Pakistan in the coming years. The exchange marks a sharp escalation in rhetoric around the Indus Waters Treaty, which India has said it has kept in abeyance.At a weekly briefing in Islamabad, foreign ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Pakistan was responding to the Indian minister's remarks on the treaty.... [Continue Reading]
Iran says economy is still functioning after 100 days of US-Israel strikes and Hormuz closure
Iran is still operating after more than 100 days of US and Israeli bombing, according to the supplied material, even as the conflict has killed senior military and political figures and damaged military infrastructure across land, sea and air. The rows say Tehran has suffered a $347 billion loss and that the United Nations expects the economy to contract by 6.1% this year. They also say the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has added pressure on oil exports and global energy markets.The material says the strikes have choked off access to oil revenue, but that Iran has not been... [Continue Reading]


