Noontime News Recap: Berlin weapons probe, West Bank backlash and fresh tensions from Peru to Hong Kong
German security authorities are investigating a cache of handguns found in a forest near Berlin, saying they believe the weapons may have been intended for assassinations and may be linked to Russia. 🔗International pressure is mounting on Israel over its E1 West Bank settlement plan, after multiple governments and the United Nations condemned the opening of tenders for more than 1,200 housing units in the project. 🔗In southern Peru, a 6.7 magnitude earthquake injured three people and damaged homes, schools and medical centres, prompting emergency deployments as authorities assessed the impact. 🔗Australia has charged a 27 year old dual Russian... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews Recap | 21 Aug 2026 12:23 LONDON
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Iran executes foreign national over January protest case in Isfahan
Iran has executed a man identified by the judiciary as Qaim Hosseini over his alleged role in anti-government protests in the city of Isfahan in January. The case is linked to unrest at Ali Khani Square on 8 January, where authorities said four security personnel were killed. The judiciary did not disclose Hosseini's nationality, but described him as a foreign national.The judiciary's Mizan news agency said Hosseini was also known by the alias Arian. It said he had confessed to taking part in the protests and had been carrying a cold weapon during the unrest. According to the agency, the... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 21 Aug 2026 10:30 LONDON
Hong Kong Tiananmen vigil activists convicted as sentencing awaits
Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung have been found guilty in Hong Kong of inciting subversion in a case tied to annual vigils for the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. The verdict was delivered under the city's 2020 national security law, which has become the legal basis for some of the most closely watched political prosecutions in Hong Kong. Sentencing will take place later, and the two defendants face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.The pair were leaders of the now-defunct Hong Kong Alliance, which organised the city's annual Victoria Park vigils. A third defendant, former lawmaker Albert Ho, pleaded... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 21 Aug 2026 04:00 LONDON
DR Congo Ebola outbreak worsens as WHO allocates 70,000 Ervebo doses
The World Health Organization says 70,000 doses of the Ervebo Ebola vaccine are being allocated to the Democratic Republic of the Congo as the country faces its largest outbreak on record. The agency said 20,000 of those doses will be used in a late-stage trial to assess whether the vaccine has any effect against the Bundibugyo virus, which is driving the current outbreak. The remaining 50,000 doses are intended for frontline and health workers.The latest figures cited by health officials put the death toll at 2,476 from 5,208 confirmed cases. The Congolese government requested the release of the vaccine doses... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 20 Aug 2026 22:00 LONDON
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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]
360LiveNews | 20 Aug 2026 19:30 LONDON
US and regional powers intensify push to reunify Libya after years of division
The United States is intensifying efforts to bring Libya's rival governments under a single authority, according to the supplied material. Qatar, Egypt and Turkiye are also backing the push for what the article describes as a return to "One Libya". The effort comes as Libya remains split between two administrations more than a decade after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi.The reported diplomatic drive is linked to Libya's long-running political and military division. The country's current power structure is split between the UN-recognised Government of National Unity in Tripoli, led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, and an eastern administration based... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 20 Aug 2026 17:05 LONDON
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]
360LiveNews | 20 Aug 2026 02:02 LONDON
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]
360LiveNews | 19 Aug 2026 19:02 LONDON
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Day News Recap: Oil shock, Gaza strikes and Ukraine pressure dominate a tense global news cycle
Fresh attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz have pushed oil prices higher and deepened fears of a wider regional spillover, after British maritime officials said three ships had been hit in recent days and the US said the waterway remained open despite rising tensions with Iran. Washington also said there were no talks planned with Tehran, while warning of new sanctions and broader economic pressure. 🔗 🔗 🔗The Gulf fallout is already hitting trade and markets, with the United Arab Emirates halting trade, commercial exchange and financial dealings with Iran after a reported missile incident, and separate reporting... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews Recap | 19 Aug 2026 18:21 LONDON
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]
360LiveNews | 19 Aug 2026 17:29 LONDON
Ukraine anti-graft agencies uncover alleged laundering group tied to presidential office official
Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies say they have uncovered an alleged laundering group involving a deputy head of the presidential office and other senior figures. The agencies said the scheme involved 150 million hryvnias, or about $3.35 million, that were used to pay bail in an energy corruption case. The announcement came on Wednesday as Kyiv was already facing political turmoil and a key parliamentary vote on a new defence minister.The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office said in a video that the group included a deputy head of the presidential office, a former lawmaker, and the... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 19 Aug 2026 11:00 LONDON
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]
360LiveNews | 19 Aug 2026 09:30 LONDON
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Damascus court sentences Wassim al-Assad to death as transitional justice cases widen
A court in Damascus has sentenced Wassim al-Assad to death for crimes including premeditated murder and torture, in a ruling announced on Tuesday. The case concerns a former figure from the Assad family circle and adds another major judgment to Syria's post-regime legal process. It comes as the country's transitional authorities continue to pursue accountability for abuses linked to the 14-year war.According to the supplied material, the court also linked the case to militia crimes and Captagon trafficking. Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan said the conviction covered crimes against humanity and war crimes, placing the ruling among the most serious categories... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 18 Aug 2026 14:31 LONDON
Russia and Japan trade protests over Kuril Islands remarks
Russia has summoned Japan's ambassador to Moscow over comments by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi that Moscow described as "anti-Russian" after President Vladimir Putin visited one of the disputed Kuril Islands. The move came after Japan had already summoned Russia's ambassador in protest at the visit, which Tokyo said was "grave" and "absolutely unacceptable". The exchange has renewed attention on a territorial dispute that has shaped relations between the two countries for decades.Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Takaichi's remarks had "crossed the line of decency" and criticised what he called Tokyo's "militaristic line". Japan's ambassador left a meeting at Russia's... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 18 Aug 2026 13:31 LONDON
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
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
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War and blockade deepen Iran's economic strain as prices rise and wages lag
Months of war with the United States and a naval blockade of Iranian ports are intensifying economic pressure across Iran, according to a report published on 16 August. In Tehran, residents described a labour market with few attractive openings, low pay and worsening living costs. The report said the strain is being felt most sharply by workers trying to cover basic expenses while searching for better-paid jobs.One Tehran resident, Saeed, said he was looking for work beyond his current elementary school teaching job because the available postings offered poor conditions and little security. He said many employers were offering monthly... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 16 Aug 2026 13:38 LONDON
Ireland faces pressure over planned fuel excise restoration as pump prices stay high
Ireland's government is under renewed pressure over its plan to begin restoring excise duty on petrol and diesel on 1 September. The move comes after months of temporary cuts introduced to cushion motorists, hauliers and farmers from higher fuel costs. But continuing instability in the Middle East and a long, hot summer that has reduced crop yields have kept pressure on prices and added to political concern.According to the supplied material, the government first approved a temporary excise cut in March. After nationwide fuel protests in April, ministers agreed to deeper reductions and initially set the end of July as... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 16 Aug 2026 08:32 LONDON
Japanese defence minister visits Yasukuni Shrine, drawing China and South Korea rebukes
Japan's Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi has visited Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, prompting criticism from China and South Korea. The visit took place on Saturday, the 81st anniversary of Japan's surrender in the Second World War. It has renewed attention on a long-running diplomatic dispute over the shrine and the symbolism attached to visits by senior Japanese officials.Koizumi paid his respects at the shrine and later posted a message on Instagram explaining his visit. He said he had gone to "offer my sincere condolences to the heroic spirits who sacrificed their precious lives for the nation." He added that, alongside Japan's... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 15 Aug 2026 12:30 LONDON
