Dual Dutch-Irish national charged with gun possession after Dover stop

A 24-year-old man was charged after counter-terrorism police stopped him at Dover last week as he arrived in the UK from France, in a case involving ten alleged firearms offences. Khalid Ahmed, from Ealing in west London, is a dual Dutch and Irish national and is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court. He will also face one count of possession of prohibited ammunition. Officers stopped Ahmed last Thursday after he reached Dover from France. A search of his car allegedly uncovered self-loading pistols, prompting the…

Trump says US could end Iran war in two to three weeks

President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested the end of the war with Iran may be coming into view, as Washington signalled room for direct contact with Tehran's leadership and indicated the conflict could wind down even without a formal agreement. The comments highlighted the administration's evolving — and at times conflicting — messaging over when and under what conditions a war that has killed thousands, engulfed the region and triggered severe energy disruption might be brought to a close. "We'll…

US Supreme Court blocks ban on conversion therapy for LGBTQ minors

The US Supreme Court has struck down a Colorado ban on "conversion therapy" for LGBTQ minors, handing a major victory to a Christian therapist who argued the restriction violated her free speech rights. The case centred on a 2019 Colorado law barring licensed practitioners from providing "conversion therapy" to patients under 18. Supporters of the practice say it can alter the sexual orientation or gender identity of LGBTQ people. Major medical groups, including the American Psychiatric Association and the American Medical…

Wolf bites woman in Germany in first attack in decades

A wolf roaming through a shopping centre in Germany bit a woman in Hamburg, marking what officials say is the first attack of its kind in modern times. The animal entered the complex in Hamburg’s Altona district on Tuesday evening, the city’s deputy mayor, Katharina Fegebank, said. She added that the wolf had already been seen several times in different parts of Hamburg over the past few days. The Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) said the incident is the first such case since wolves started returning to Germany…

Tiger Woods told police he looked at phone before crash

Tiger Woods told investigators he had been looking down at his phone and failed to notice that the truck ahead had slowed before his vehicle rolled over in Florida last week, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained Tuesday. The affidavit says Woods had two hydrocodone pills in his pocket, and officers described him as lethargic and slow, with bloodshot, glassy eyes, "sweating profusely" and pupils that were "extremely dilated". During the criminal DUI investigation, when asked whether he had taken any prescription…

Taoiseach says energy crisis is probably the worst ever

The energy shock triggered by the US-Israeli war on Iran is “probably the worst ever”, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said, warning that the fallout could outstrip even the supply crisis of the 1970s. Iran shut the Strait of Hormuz after the United States and Israel launched attacks on the country on 28 February. Mr Martin made the remarks after talks with Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo in Helsinki, before heading to Warsaw for a meeting with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The discussions are part of a wider round of…

Celine Dion announces 10-concert return to the stage in Paris

Celine Dion is set to make a long-awaited return to live performance, announcing that she will play 10 concerts in Paris later this year. The French-Canadian star, who won the Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin in 1988, said she "cannot wait" to reunite with fans, describing the comeback as the "best gift of my life" as she shared the news on her 58th birthday. The shows in the French capital will be her first full-length concerts in nearly six years, following an extended break after her diagnosis with stiff person syndrome…

UN says 2 UNIFIL peacekeepers killed in south Lebanon

A deadly 24 hours for UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon has left three Indonesian members of the UNIFIL mission dead, after two were killed when an "explosion of unknown origin" destroyed their vehicle near Bani Hayyan. UNIFIL said the blast killed the two Indonesian peacekeepers and left two more wounded, one of them severely. The latest deaths bring to three the number of Indonesian UNIFIL personnel killed in southern Lebanon in the past day. The attack came a day after another Indonesian peacekeeper was killed and a…

Israel passes death penalty law for Palestinians convicted of lethal attacks

Israel’s parliament has approved legislation that makes the death penalty the default punishment for Palestinians convicted in military court of carrying out lethal attacks, a move that immediately sharpened domestic and international criticism. Sixty-two lawmakers, among them Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, backed the bill, while 48 voted against it. The measure was championed by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. One member abstained, while the remaining lawmakers were absent from the vote. An Israeli…

EU Says Attacks on UN Peacekeepers in Lebanon Are Grave Violation

Calls for accountability grew across Europe after three Indonesian United Nations peacekeepers were killed in southern Lebanon, pushing the conflict’s toll beyond the battlefield and deepening alarm over the safety of international forces. Three UN peacekeepers from Indonesia died in two separate incidents in southern Lebanon after a bloody weekend that also saw Lebanese journalists and medics killed in Israeli strikes. "We call for a thorough investigation to shed light on these grave attacks. These attacks are a grave…