Police warn protesters ahead of Israeli president’s Sydney visit

Sydney is bracing for large protests and a heavy police presence as Israeli President Isaac Herzog arrives Monday for a four-day visit to honor victims of the Bondi Beach mass shooting, with authorities warning demonstrators to avoid violence and disruption in the city’s streets. New South Wales Police said they will deploy in large numbers and have declared the visit a “major event,” a designation that allows officers to separate rival groups and impose crowd-management controls to reduce the risk of confrontation. “It’s…

U.S. seeks new trilateral nuclear pact with Russia and China

GENEVA — The United States called for three-way talks with Russia and China to set new limits on nuclear weapons after the New START treaty expired, erasing the last binding cap on U.S.-Russian strategic arsenals and reviving fears of a new arms race. Thomas DiNanno, the under secretary of state for arms control, told the U.N. Conference on Disarmament in Geneva that the now-lapsed pact had “fundamental flaws,” citing what he called serial Russian violations, the growth of global stockpiles and weaknesses in the treaty’s…

Islamabad mosque explosion leaves at least 31 dead, 130 injured

ISLAMABAD — A suicide bombing tore through a Shia mosque on the outskirts of Pakistan’s capital after morning prayers, killing at least 31 people and wounding more than 130, local authorities said, in one of the deadliest attacks to strike Islamabad in recent years. The blast hit the Imam Bargah Qasr-e-Khadijatul Kubra mosque in the Tarlai area, where worshippers had gathered at the start of the day. A senior police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the toll was expected to rise as critically injured victims…

EU Commission alleges TikTok deploys addictive features to keep users

EU accuses TikTok of ‘addictive design’ in preliminary Digital Services Act case The European Commission has issued preliminary findings that TikTok’s “addictive design” violates the EU’s Digital Services Act, alleging multiple failures to assess and mitigate risks to the physical and mental well-being of minors and vulnerable adults. If upheld, the ruling could expose the platform to a fine of up to 6% of its global annual turnover. TikTok can challenge the conclusions and submit a written response. Investigators cited…

Trump triggers backlash with video portraying the Obamas as monkeys

Trump video depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as monkeys sparks outrage; White House calls it ‘internet meme’ President Donald Trump triggered a wave of condemnation from top Democrats after posting a Truth Social video that briefly depicts Barack Obama, the nation’s first Black president, and former first lady Michelle Obama as monkeys. The White House dismissed the criticism as “fake outrage,” saying the clip was an online meme. The roughly one-minute video, posted late yesterday, promotes conspiracies about Trump’s 2020…

Dutch authorities return 3,500-year-old looted sculpture to Egypt

The Netherlands has returned a 3,500-year-old Egyptian sculpture to Cairo after Dutch authorities concluded the antiquity had been looted, resurfacing at an art fair in Maastricht in 2022 before being seized. A joint investigation by Dutch police and the cultural heritage inspectorate determined in 2025 that the stone head, originally part of a block statue, had been plundered and unlawfully removed from Egypt, most likely amid the unrest of the 2011 Arab Spring, before entering the international art market. Experts believe…

Irish students partner to draft plans for Kharkiv’s postwar revival

In a studio at Warsaw University of Technology, Irish and European architecture students are sketching a future for Kharkiv—Ukraine’s battered second city—one street, shelter and skyline at a time. Architecture students from the University of Limerick and University College Dublin have joined peers from Poland, the Czech Republic and Ukraine for a two-week “Building Back Better” workshop focused on post-war designs for Kharkiv’s recovery. Organized with the Kharkiv School of Architecture, the program has drawn more than 100…

Russian general shot several times in Moscow, officials report

Russian Lt. Gen. Vladimir Alekseyev shot and wounded in Moscow apartment building, investigators say A senior Russian general was shot and injured inside a Moscow apartment building, officials said, in the latest apparent assassination attempt targeting the country’s military leadership. Russia’s Investigative Committee said in a statement that “an unidentified individual fired several shots” at Lt. Gen. Vladimir Alekseyev before fleeing the scene. “The victim has been hospitalised,” the agency added, without providing…

U.S. and Iran poised to open nuclear talks in Oman

Iran and the United States will open talks in Oman as early as this week, with Washington signaling it will test the chances for progress on Iran’s nuclear program while refusing to rule out military action. Both capitals confirmed late Wednesday that delegations would meet in Muscat, the first such encounter since June, when the United States joined Israel’s war against Iran with strikes on nuclear sites. President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are due to lead…

Russian general shot multiple times in Moscow, officials say

MOSCOW — A senior Russian general was shot in a Moscow apartment building and rushed to a hospital this morning, officials said, in the latest apparent assassination attempt targeting a top military figure. Russia’s Investigative Committee said in a statement that “an unidentified individual fired several shots” at Lt. Gen. Vladimir Alekseyev before fleeing the scene. “The victim has been hospitalised,” the agency said, without providing details on his condition or the suspected assailant. “Investigative actions and…