Two months after a ceasefire appeared to quiet the Middle East war, Israel and Iran traded attacks once more, shattering the pause despite a public appeal for restraint from US President Donald Trump. Israel launched its strikes after Iran fired at Israel in retaliation for an airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold backed by the Islamic republic. The renewed exchange came after weeks of stalled negotiations aimed at securing a lasting end to the regional conflict ignited by US and Israeli strikes on…

A deadly New Year’s fire that tore through a Swiss ski-resort bar and left 41 people dead is back at the center of the investigation, with the venue’s owners set to face another round of questioning. French owners Jacques and Jessica Moretti were due to be cross-examined by public prosecutors and lawyers representing civil parties over the blaze that swept through Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana in the early hours of 1 January. The disaster claimed 41 lives, most of them teenagers, and left 115 others injured. "The…

Thursday June 4, 2026 Smoke billowed above Mogadishu’s Howl Wadaag neighbourhood on Thursday after reports of mortar fire, as the Somali capital endured some of its most intense fighting in years. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images Government troops and opposition-aligned militias have clashed violently in Somalia’s capital, leaving property damaged and forcing some residents to abandon their homes. As the confrontation gathered pace from Wednesday afternoon, opposition figures who had joined with militias were reported to have…

As shells and diplomacy collided, Israel and Hezbollah traded fire on the ground while Lebanese and Israeli envoys sat down in Washington, where US Secretary of State Marco Rubio cast the militant group as the sole obstacle to a peace agreement. The latest violence followed US President Donald Trump's announcement on Monday that he had brokered a deal. The Lebanese embassy in Washington said the arrangement would initially apply only to Israeli attacks on Lebanon and Hezbollah attacks on Israeli territory, before later…

Saturday May 30, 2026 Kenya Red Cross workers recover a body after Thursday’s blaze at Utumishi Girls Academy, May 28, 2026. Kenyan police said at least eight students have been taken into custody on suspicion of arson after a fire at a girls’ boarding school left 16 students dead and 79 others injured. The inferno erupted in the early hours of Thursday at Utumishi Girls Academy Senior School in Gilgil, in west-central Kenya. On Friday, the Directorate of Criminal Investigation said initial inquiries had singled out eight…

Gunfire erupted outside the White House when a man opened fire on Secret Service officers, then died after agents returned fire, the agency said in a statement carried by US media. A bystander was also struck in the exchange, the agency said, though officials did not disclose the person's condition. US President Donald Trump said the gunman had a "violent history and possible obsession" with the White House. "Thank you to our great Secret Service and Law Enforcement for the swift and professional action taken this evening…

By Caolán MageeWednesday April 22, 2026 Cargo ships in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, off the UAE coast Iran has seized two foreign commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and taken them to its coastline, sharpening tensions in a region already on edge just hours after United States President Donald Trump said he would prolong a ceasefire with Tehran. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the ships had breached maritime rules and entered the vital passage without coordination, according to Iranian…

At least 18 people were killed when a commuter omnibus erupted in flames and exploded on the Bulawayo-Beitbridge Highway, authorities confirmed. The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) said the deadly incident occurred between Chipangali and the Gwanda tollgate. Officials added that more information will be released as investigations progress. The cause of the blaze and subsequent explosion remains undetermined, and it is still unclear how many passengers were on board. The Bulawayo-Beitbridge Road, a key artery linking…

Switzerland’s investigation into the deadly Crans-Montana fire has widened, with four additional current and former officials now facing criminal scrutiny, according to sources close to the case. "The investigation has been extended to include four new individuals, bringing the total number of defendants to 13," the public prosecutors' office in southwest Switzerland's Wallis canton confirmed to AFP. Those newly drawn into the case are the Crans-Montana municipal councillor responsible for security, the person who previously…

A late-night fire at Viva Energy Group's Geelong refinery in southern Australia has triggered an emergency response, with local authorities describing the incident as "significant" as crews work to bring the blaze under control. The full scale of the damage was not immediately known. Fire Rescue Victoria said in a statement that the fire was reported at about 11 p.m. local time today. The agency said the blaze was still not under control, but confirmed that all staff had been accounted for. Emergency crews were sent to the…