Cuban President Open to US Talks, Rejects Pressure

Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel said he is prepared to hold talks with the US on Thursday after weeks threats from the Trump administration. US President Donald Trump previously warned that "Cuba will be failing pretty soon" after US forces kidnapped the president of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, and claimed control over the country's vast oil reserves

Storm Leonardo Batters Iberia: One Dead, One Missing

Parts of southern Spain and Portugal were facing severe disruption on Thursday due to torrential rainfall, floods and landslides brought by Storm Leonardo. Leonardo is the seventh storm to hit the Iberian Peninsula this year. Last week, five people died, hundreds were injured and tens of thousands were left without electricity in Portugal. Rising global temperatures due

Assad-era Law Still Threatens Syria’s Civil Society

Bashar Assad may be gone from Syria, but one of the more damaging laws that existed throughout his family's rule over the country lives on. Law No. 93 of 1958, or the law on associations and private institutions, was used for decades by the Assad regime — first by Hafez Assad, then by his son Bashar —

Louvre to Restore Empress Eugenie’s Crown

The Louvre  announced plans to restore the crown of Empress Eugenie, which was abandoned by thieves during their getaway after a brazen heist in the Paris museum last year. Thieves made off with €88 million ($104 million) in jewels in October but dropped the 170-year-old crown as they escaped. The crown was left "badly deformed,"

A decade of Albania’s judicial reform: Hope without certainty

It is 3:40 p.m. on October 6, 2025. A judge at the Court of Appeal in the Albanian capital, Tirana, is reading out a verdict. Seconds later, three shots ring out in the courtroom, hitting the judge at the bench and sending people fleeing in panic. Astrit Kalaja, 62, later succumbs to his injuries. The ruling

Trump’s Tariff Hike Strains US–South Korea Relations

South Korea's government appeared to be blindsided last week as Donald Trump accused Seoul of "not living up" to a bilateral trade deal concluded in October, and announced a new 25% tariff on Korean imports. The Asian nation has yet to ratify the US trade agreement in the National Assembly. The legal step, expected in late February or

Why a Federal Takeover of U.S. Elections Is Unlikely

It's unlikely centuries of precedent would be overturned to nationalize US elections process, despite calls from Donald Trump, experts say.  The US president made repeated comments this week that the Republican Party — which holds slender majorities in both houses of the US Congress — should "do something" about how elections are run in the US.  "The federal government

How Far Will Tehran Go for a Deal?

The Iranian regime is hoping for a way out of its current security predicament, as its Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi prepares to hold direct talks with US President Donald Trump's envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, in Oman on Friday.  Iranian media reports suggest the talks are likely to focus on a package of proposals drawn

Russia Expels German Diplomat in Reciprocal Espionage Dispute

Russia's Foreign Ministry on Thursday said that it had summoned the German Ambassador's representative to inform them that it had declared a staff member at the German Embassy persona non grata.  The ministry linked the move to a decision by the German government to expel an employee of the Russian Embassy in Berlin last month

Scientists Caution Against Privately Funded Solar Geoengineering

As global heating worsens, interest in solar engineering is rising, including from private companies and investors. But the technique remains controversial and lacks regulation. The planet is heating up faster than expected. Greenhouse gas concentrations continue to rise at record rates, leaving the world off track to limit warming below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit)
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