World News

Iran Goes Dark as Protests Surge, Rights Groups Warn of Crackdown Behind Internet Shutdown

Connectivity in Iran plunged Jan. 8 amid nationwide protests. Rights groups say a deliberate blackout is obscuring killings, arrests and a widening crackdown.

#iran, #protests, #internetshutdown, #humanrights, #irgc

Victoria bushfires raze towns after rare ‘catastrophic’ alert; state of disaster declared

Extreme heat, winds and dry lightning drove fast-moving fires across Victoria, burning up to 395,000 hectares and destroying hundreds of structures.

#australia, #bushfires, #victoria, #disaster, #climate

Bulgaria’s GERB refuses mandate to form government, raising prospect of another snap election

Bulgaria’s biggest party returned its mandate without a cabinet, pushing the new eurozone member toward yet another snap election amid protests.

#bulgaria, #eurozone, #snap-election, #coalition, #protests

Hamas Says It Will Dissolve Gaza Government Under U.S.-Backed Transition Plan

Hamas says it will hand Gaza’s administration to a nonpartisan technocratic committee, but disarmament and continued violence threaten the transition.

#gaza, #hamas, #israel, #ceasefire, #unitednations

Floods Across Albania Kill One, Force Evacuations and Spark Protests Over Infrastructure

Days of storms inundate Albania from Durrës to Shkodër and the Vjosa plain, killing one and prompting protests, probes and calls for action.

#albania, #flooding, #climate, #infrastructure, #durrës

Egypt election authority confirms parliament landslide for Sissi allies

Final results from Egypt’s 99-day parliamentary vote give President Sissi’s backers a supermajority, raising fresh questions about constitutional change.

#egypt, #elections, #parliament, #sissi, #constitution

Lebanon’s Army Claims Arms Monopoly in the South, Testing Hezbollah and Israel

Lebanon’s military says only state forces and UN peacekeepers now bear arms south of the Litani, a first in decades—and a fragile test.

#lebanon, #hezbollah, #israel, #unifil, #middleeast

Lebanon’s Army Claims Monopoly on Arms in the South, Testing Hezbollah’s Role and a Fragile Ceasefire

Lebanon’s military says it now controls the area south of the Litani River, sidelining Hezbollah’s presence and raising questions over Israel and UNIFIL.

#lebanon, #hezbollah, #israel, #unifil, #ceasefire

Saudi Arabia Accuses UAE of Spiriting Yemen’s Southern Separatist Leader Out of Aden

Riyadh says the UAE helped separatist chief Aidarous al-Zubaidi flee Yemen via Somaliland and Somalia, exposing rare rifts in the anti-Houthi coalition.

#yemen, #saudiarabia, #uae, #aden, #southerntransitionalcouncil

Lebanese Army Says It Has Secured First-Ever Monopoly on Arms in Southern Border Zone

Lebanon’s army says it has completed the first phase of a U.S.-backed plan to disarm Hezbollah south of the Litani under a 2024 ceasefire.

#lebanon, #hezbollah, #israel, #ceasefire, #unifil

Sri Lanka’s Cyclone Ditwah Recovery Meets IMF Limits as $206 Million Emergency Loan Arrives

After Cyclone Ditwah killed hundreds and caused $4.1B in damage, Sri Lanka gets $206M IMF emergency funds as a key bailout review is delayed.

#srilanka, #imf, #cyclone, #debt, #climate

Israel to Let Dozens of Aid Group Licenses Lapse, Threatening Gaza Relief Operations

Israel says 37 international NGOs failed new vetting rules and must wind down by March 1, raising fears of disrupted health and food aid in Gaza.

#gaza, #israel, #humanitarian, #ngos, #aid

European ‘Coalition of the Willing’ Backs Postwar Security Plan for Ukraine, Including Troop Force

In Paris, European leaders and U.S. envoys endorsed a detailed postwar security blueprint for Ukraine, including a European-led multinational force after a ceasefire.

#ukraine, #europe, #securityguarantees, #russia, #ceasefire