Browsing: Main Headlines

An undersea telecommunications cable linking Germany and Finland has been severed, raising concerns amid already heightened tensions in Europe. The 1,170 km (730-mile) C-Lion1 fibreoptic cable connects Helsinki and Rostock, but all fibre connections in the line have been disrupted, according to Finnish network operator Cinia.  

A car drove into a crowd outside Yong’an Primary School in China’s southern Hunan province, leaving several students and adults injured, according to state media. Details on the number of casualties remain unclear, but those injured have been taken to the hospital.  This is the third attack on a public crowd in China within a week, sparking concern over public safety.

A massive protest unfolded in New Zealand’s capital, Wellington, as over 35,000 people gathered outside parliament to oppose a controversial bill seeking to redefine the Treaty of Waitangi.  The demonstration marked the conclusion of a nine-day hīkoi (peaceful march), which grew significantly on Tuesday as participants arrived in Wellington.

The ballet community is grieving the loss of Vladimir Shklyarov, a principal dancer with Russia’s prestigious Mariinsky Theatre, who passed away at age 39. Shklyarov’s death, confirmed by the Mariinsky on Saturday, is under investigation by Russian authorities. Reports suggest he fell from the fifth floor of a building in St. Petersburg while on painkillers.  

The Australian Senate has formally censured Aboriginal Senator Lidia Thorpe for heckling King Charles during his visit to Canberra last month. Thorpe shouted, “You are not my King” and “This is not your land” after the King addressed the Great Hall of Parliament, aiming to spotlight the effects of British colonisation on Indigenous Australians.  

In a major shift in U.S. policy, President Joe Biden has authorised Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied long-range ATACMS missiles to target Russian territory. The decision, confirmed by a U.S. official to CBS News, follows months of lobbying by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who called for lifting restrictions on strikes beyond Ukraine’s borders.  

Brazil’s First Lady, Janja Lula da Silva, made headlines after swearing at billionaire Elon Musk during a panel on disinformation at an event preceding the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro. While discussing stricter social media regulations, she jokingly linked a loud noise to Musk, saying, “I think it’s Elon Musk,” and followed it with an expletive, declaring, “I’m not afraid of you.”  

Mohammed Afif, Hezbollah’s media chief and one of its prominent public figures, was killed in an Israeli air strike in central Beirut, the group confirmed. The strike targeted the Baath Party headquarters in the crowded Ras al-Naba neighbourhood, destroying much of the building, according to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency.

At least 34 people, including many women and children, were killed in an Israeli air strike targeting a five-story residential building in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, according to Gaza’s civil defence agency. Seven others were injured, and dozens are believed to remain trapped under the rubble.

Hundreds protested near the Stade de France on Thursday as France hosted Israel in a UEFA Nations League match. The game, held under tight security, came amid heightened tensions following recent clashes in Amsterdam between Israeli football fans and pro-Palestinian demonstrators.