Israel demolishes UNRWA offices and facilities in East Jerusalem

Israel has demolished multiple structures inside the United Nations Relief and Works Agency’s east Jerusalem compound after seizing the site last year, an action UNRWA condemned as a violation of international law and UN privileges and immunities. Surrounded by Israeli forces, bulldozers razed several large buildings and smaller facilities within the compound, where dozens of agency staff once worked. UNRWA has not used the site since early last year after Israeli authorities ordered the agency to vacate all premises and…

UK greenlights new Chinese embassy plan amid espionage concerns

LONDON — The British government has approved plans for a new Chinese embassy in London, concluding that security risks can be managed even as lawmakers, campaigners and some former officials warn the site could become a hub for intelligence-gathering and transnational repression. Communities Secretary Steve Reed approved the proposal for a large embassy complex at Royal Mint Court, adjacent to the Tower of London. Security Minister Dan Jarvis told Parliament he was “assured that the UK national security is protected” and…

Russian strikes leave thousands of Kyiv buildings without heat amid deep freeze

Russia unleashed a combined missile and drone barrage on Ukraine early today, knocking out power and heat to thousands of homes in Kyiv as temperatures plunged, Ukrainian officials said. One person was killed in the wider Kyiv region and at least one was wounded in the capital, where debris also damaged a school and disrupted water supplies on the city’s left bank. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said heating was cut to 5,635 multistory apartment buildings across the city of more than 3 million. The outage hit as the mercury…

Spain grieves as train disaster death toll climbs to 41

Spain began three days of national mourning after a high-speed train collision near Adamuz in the southern province of Córdoba killed 41 people and injured more than 120, authorities said. Investigators are focusing on a suspected faulty rail joint as they work to determine why the crash occurred on a straight section of track where both trains were within the speed limit. The crash happened Sunday when an Iryo service traveling from Málaga to Madrid derailed near Adamuz, about 360 kilometers south of the capital, crossed…

Tariff threats could blow up EU-US trade deal, McEntee warns

Ireland warns Trump tariff threat would ‘rip up’ EU-US trade deal, vows strong response Ireland’s foreign minister said Tuesday that Donald Trump’s threatened tariffs on European allies would “rip up” an EU-US trade deal struck last year and force Brussels to put billions in countermeasures back on the table, as leaders head to the World Economic Forum in Davos. Donald Trump has said he will impose 10% tariffs on eight European allies from 1 February unless they agree to his purchase of Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish…

Watch: Recap of Donald Trump’s first year back in the White House

One year into President Donald Trump’s second term, the White House marks an inflection point defined by a more assertive use of presidential authority and a recalibration of U.S. relationships abroad. The anniversary arrives after a year of forceful decision-making that supporters see as decisive leadership and critics describe as a test of constitutional limits and diplomatic norms. RTÉ News reporter Jackie Fox looks back at the defining turns of “Trump 2.0” in a new video retrospective, tracing how the administration’s…

Australia moves to tighten gun control laws after Bondi shooting

Australia advances national gun buy-back, tighter checks after Bondi mass shooting Australia is poised to pass sweeping new gun-control measures, including a national firearm buy-back and tougher background checks, following last month’s mass shooting at a Jewish festival at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, the country’s deadliest in decades. The legislation cleared the House of Representatives by a vote of 96-45 despite opposition from conservative lawmakers. It now moves to the Senate, where it is expected to pass with support from…

Firefighters retrieve human remains from Karachi shopping mall in Pakistan

Karachi mall inferno leaves at least 21 dead, dozens missing as firefighters comb ruins of Gul Plaza KARACHI, Pakistan — Pakistani firefighters on Monday pulled bodies from the smoldering remains of Gul Plaza, a sprawling shopping complex in Karachi, as anguished families waited for word of more than 60 people still missing after the city’s deadliest blaze in more than a decade. The fire erupted late Saturday, racing through the multi‑story mall that housed some 1,200 shops across a footprint larger than a football field.…

Iran warns protesters involved in ‘riots’ to turn themselves in

TEHRAN — Iran’s top police commander issued a three-day ultimatum to demonstrators on Monday, warning those who joined what authorities call “riots” to surrender or face the full force of the law, as the government simultaneously pledged to tackle the economic pain that helped spark the unrest. National police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan urged young people “deceived” into joining the turmoil to turn themselves in and receive lighter punishment. Officials maintain protests were initially peaceful but descended into chaos stoked by…

Trump threatens 200% tariffs on French wine and Champagne imports

Trump threatens 200% tariff on French wine to pressure Macron into joining ‘Board of Peace’ as Europe braces for wider rift U.S. President Donald Trump said he will impose a 200% tariff on French wines and champagne, a bid to pressure President Emmanuel Macron to join his proposed “Board of Peace,” as tensions with Europe deepened over the initiative and Trump’s renewed push to acquire Greenland. “Did he say that? Well, nobody wants him because he will be out of office very soon,” Trump said when told Macron would not…