North Korean leader Kim Jong Un claimed his nuclear-armed country could “completely destroy” South Korea if its security were threatened, reiterating his refusal to engage with Seoul, state media said Thursday. However, he left the door open to dialogue with Washington as he concluded a ruling part»»»

The former directors of Poland’s Internal Security Agency (ABW) and the Military Counterintelligence Service (SKW) have been charged for allegedly using Pegasus spyware, the national prosecutor’s office has announced. After Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government took over in late 2023, it launched»»»

Senior advisers to President Donald Trump would prefer Israel strike Iran before the United States launches an assault on the country, according to two people familiar with ongoing discussions. The Trump administration officials are privately arguing that an Israeli attack would trigger Iran to ret»»»

Vice President JD Vance, seen here on January 9, 2026, announced on Wednesday that the Trump administration was suspending Medicaid payments to Minnesota over alleged fraud. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Feb. 25 (UPI) -- The Trump administration announced Wednesday it is pausing mor»»»

The 2026 State of the Union address set a record as the longest in US history. While Donald Trump delivered the first such speech of his second presidential term, there were several moments of high drama as a sharply divided Congress watched before a television audience of millions. Here are five t»»»

US President Donald Trump used his annual State of the Union address on Tuesday to make truth-bending claims of domestic and foreign policy success but failed to confirm whether the US is planning a military strike on Iran or to mention the unfolding scandal surrounding late sex offender Jeffery Ep»»»

A confrontation in Cuban waters left four people dead on Wednesday after soldiers opened fire on a Florida-registered speedboat that Havana says attacked first. Washington is investigating whether any victims were US citizens, as the incident threatens to deepen already strained relations between t»»»

Kinshasa's forces launched attacks on several fronts against AFC/M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) on Wednesday, with drones striking the armed group near a strategic mining site, local and security sources told AFP on Wednesday. DR Congo government forces launched an at»»»

The British Museum is accused of having removed the term "Palestine" from its exhibits under pressure from a pro-Israeli group. In reality, only certain panels regarding the Antiquity period were modified. The museum says they wanted to use a term that is both more neutral and historically accurate»»»

Panama’s decision to assume control of the Balboa and Cristóbal container terminals marks a structural rupture in the governance of infrastructure that underpins roughly 5% of global maritime trade and about 40% of US container traffic. »»»

Panama’s decision to assume control of the Balboa and Cristóbal container terminals marks a structural rupture in the governance of infrastructure that underpins roughly 5% of global maritime trade and about 40% of US container traffic. »»»

For me the two most important elections globally this year will be midterms in the US in November, and elections in Hungary on April 12. The first will likely shape the course of democracy in the US, and the latter democracy both in Hungary but perhaps wider than that, the outcome of the war in Ukr»»»

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán says he has stationed soldiers at key energy facilities across the country after he blamed Ukraine for disrupting energy supplies. Orbán has accused Kyiv of imposing an "oil blockade" on Hungary by deliberately delaying the reopening of the Druzhba pipeline, th»»»

Iran has rejected accusations that it is seeking nuclear weapons, denouncing US President Donald Trump’s latest remarks as false and misleading. Trump has repeatedly demanded that Tehran dismantle its nuclear program and curb its ballistic missile capabilities. In his State of the Union address on »»»

Dubai: Iran’s leadership appears to be making a stark strategic calculation as tensions with the United States intensify — that yielding to Washington’s demands could pose a greater threat to regime survival than the dangers of military confrontation. The New York Times, citing analysts and officia»»»

US Ambassador to France Charles Kushner has pledged not to “interfere” in French internal affairs after a diplomatic row over the killing of a right-wing activist. The US described the incident as a manifestation of rising “violent radical leftism” in France. Paris took offense, taking the statemen»»»

Dubai: A proposal to rename the south Indian state of Kerala as “Keralam” has sparked debate among the UAE’s large Malayali community, with many welcoming the cultural assertion while others question its timing, practicality and global recognition. The discussion follows India’s Union Cabinet appro»»»

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Wednesday that restrictions would be added back on Cuba's imports of Venezuelan oil if Havana violated the "spirit" of a recent easing of the US embargo. Noting that oil imports would be allowed via Cuba's small private sector, Rubio told reporters in St Kit»»»

Paris: Paris Saint-Germain came from behind and then survived a late scare against 10-man Monaco, drawing 2-2 in the second leg of their Champions League knockout phase play-off tie yesterday to reach the last 16 with a 5-4 aggregate victory. The defending European champions came from two behind to»»»

Tribune News Network Doha Table toppers Al Sadd will look to take another decisive step towards securing an unassailable lead in Doha Bank Stars League when they face fierce rivals Al Duhail SC in Thursday’s exciting clash at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium. The encounter adds another chapter to o»»»

QNA Geneva The establishment of a Middle East free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction (WMD) remains an urgent priority to enhance regional security and stability, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Permanent Delegation of Qatar to the UN Office in Geneva Jawhara bint Abdul»»»

1 of 5 | Members of the Syrian security forces stand in front of the gate of the al-Hol camp, which houses families of suspected ISIS fighters, after the Syrian government took control of the area, in Hasakeh province, Syria, on Jan. 21. The Syrian government said Wednesday that there was a "mass e»»»

A group of armed men aboard a US-registered speedboat reportedly opened fire on Cuban border guard forces in the island’s territorial waters, escalating already strained relations between Havana and Washington. According to Cuba’s Interior Ministry, the incident occurred on Wednesday near the north»»»

Saudi Arabia’s economic outlook remains robust despite declining commodity prices and the gradual end of OPEC+ production cuts, with real gross domestic product expected to grow an average of 3.3% between 2025 and 2027, according to a new U.N. report.File Photo by EPA BEIRUT, Lebanon, Feb. 25 (UPI)»»»

The Paso Severino reservoir was affected by the drought, in Canelones, Uruguay, in July 2023. Uruguay is going through another water crisis, as well an outbreak of avian flu. File Photo by Gaston Britos/EPA Feb. 25 (UPI) -- Uruguay declared an agricultural emergency due to water shortages in produc»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian State Duma lawmakers are calling on the parliaments of France, the United Kingdom, the European Parliament, and the UN to take emergency measures to prevent the transfer of nuclear weapons to Ukraine, Sputnik discovered on Wednesday after reviewing a draft appeal. Earlier»»»

Doha, Qatar: The National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) affirmed that the ethical governance of artificial intelligence represents an urgent necessity to ensure the protection of the most vulnerable groups from the risks of discrimination and exclusion, noting that social justice is the compass gui»»»

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has been the main advocate of the initiative to reform Colombia’s Constitution. He first raised the possibility of a constituent assembly nearly two years ago and revived the proposal in recent months. Photo by Ricardo Maldonado Rozo/EPA Feb. 25 (UPI) -- Colombian »»»

Rock singer Yungblud is taking his music festival BludFest abroad, but the move has split fans. The third edition of the event is going to take place in the Czech Republic in June, after being held in Milton Keynes for the past two years. Some fans told BBC Newsbeat they are glad festival-goers in »»»

A protest is taking place outside the Palace of Justice in Sofia, calling for the resignation of acting Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov. The event has been organized by the Justice for All initiative. There is a heightened police presence in the area, and traffic has been restricted. The organi»»»

Ali Shamkhani, who taunted Israel after being pulled alive from the rubble of his Tehran home following a strike in June 2025, has survived at the center of Iranian policy-making during its most testing military confrontations and diplomatic endeavors. The 70-year-old former Revolutionary Guard com»»»

1 of 5 | Pope Leo XIV delivers on the main balcony of St. Peter's Basilica the Urbi et Orbi message on Christmas Day in Vatican City. The pope will visit Africa in April. File Photo by Stefano Spaziani/UPI | License Photo Feb. 25 (UPI) -- Pope Leo XIV will make a 10-day trip through Africa visiting»»»

Geneva: The State of Qatar participated in the High-Level Segment of the Conference on Disarmament held in Geneva. Qatar was represented at the event by Deputy Permanent Representative of the Permanent Delegation of the State of Qatar to the UN Office in Geneva, Jawhara bint Abdulaziz Al Suwaidi. A»»»

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has announced she is weighing a lawsuit against billionaire Elon Musk after he claimed she is controlled by drug cartels. Musk wrote the comment on Monday after Mexican authorities announced the killing of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, the leader of the Jalisco New»»»

Spain's government has released dozens of documents related to an attempted coup that took place 45 years ago - regarded as a key moment in the country's history. On 23 February 1981, a group of officers burst into the main chamber of the national parliament, wielding guns and threatening the polit»»»

Parliament Wednesday rejected, 126-86 with 11 abstentions, President Iliana Iotova's veto on amendments to the Election Code, which limit to 20 the number of voting sections in Bulgarian elections in non-EU countries. The vote of the MPs from the Socialists' BSP - United Left group was critically i»»»

Iraqi Justice Minister Khaled Shwani told Asharq Al-Awsat that Iraq will not repatriate foreign prisoners affiliated with ISIS to their home countries if their involvement in crimes against Iraqi citizens is proven. He said a heavily fortified Iraqi prison currently holds thousands of ISIS members »»»

Caretaker Interior Minister Emil Dechev was heard in Parliament on Wednesday amid allegations that he had exerted pressure on investigators working on a high-profile multiple deaths case, the Petrohan–Okolchitsa Case, which has drawn intense public and political scrutiny. Earlier the same day, care»»»

This story is a part of the weekly newsletter about economy, defence and tech in the eastern flank of Nato, How we cee it. Tensions between Slovakia, Hungary, and Ukraine reached new heights over the past week, as it became clear that Russian oil hasn’t been flowing to the two EU countries through »»»

In a world on edge waiting to see what US President Donald Trump does next in the Middle East, he provided no clear signal when he presented the longest ever State of the Union address. The world's most powerful commander-in-chief decided not to make his comprehensive case for possible military act»»»

China will buy up to 120 aircraft from European aviation giant Airbus, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said following talks with President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Wednesday. Merz's visit comes as Berlin and Beijing seek to build on their decades-old economic ties to weather global uncertainty spa»»»

US President Donald Trump’s approach to a potential confrontation with Iran is driven by layered strategic calculations, senior researchers at the Zionist entity’s Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) found on Wednesday. In an article published in the Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom on Wed»»»

The US and South Korean militaries said on Wednesday they will conduct their annual springtime exercises next month to bolster their countries’ combined defense capabilities against a backdrop of a deepening diplomatic freeze with nuclear-armed North Korea. The Freedom Shield drills is set for Marc»»»

Acting Interior Minister Emil Dechev told the National Assembly that he is the target of a deliberate attack by what he described as “frightened individuals” who do not want the truth clarified regarding the “Petrohan” and “Okolchitsa” cases. He appeared for a hearing at the request of There Is Suc»»»

Iran’s negotiating delegation, led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, has left Tehran for Geneva to take part in a third round of nuclear talks with Washington. Heading a nuclear negotiating team, comprising Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Majid Takht-Ravanchi and the Deputy Foreign »»»

Transparency and lobbying watchdogs have called for MEP Aura Salla to be removed as a lead European Parliament legislator on the controversial Digital Omnibus proposal, due to her former employment as a lobbyist for the US Big Tech giant Meta. Salla is a Finnish centre-right politician with the Eur»»»

US President Donald Trump has stepped back from his earlier threat to raise global tariffs to 15%, leaving current rates on US exports at 10%, according to Politico. This move spares the UK and the EU from facing higher trade barriers under the new White House regime. Yesterday, the European Parlia»»»

WASHINGTON - Serbian FM Marko Djuric met on Wednesday in Washington with US Congress member Claudia Tenney, co-chair of the Serbian Caucus in the US Congress, to discuss key topics related to Serbia and the region that are also of interest to Capitol Hill. Djuric gave a comprehensive snapshot of th»»»

The majority that rejected the President’s proposal to reconsider a bill proposing amendments to the Election Code was predictable, as was the joint vote of Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) and Movement for Rights and Freedoms - New Beginning, former prime minister and current GERB»»»

Caretaker Interior Minister Emil Dechev told Parliament on Wednesday that he had not met with law-enforcers investigating the Petrohan–Okolchitsa case and that all other claims were untrue. Dechev was heard in Parliament following three reports alleging pressure exerted by him on investigators work»»»