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Patti LuPone Slams Turkey Over LGBTQ+ Cruise Ban
8 days ago•Source: Deadline
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Bangladesh Bets on China for Teesta River Management
Bangladesh and China signed 13 memoranda of understanding to boost cooperation on the Teesta and broader river management, including a Teesta Master Plan, flood-risk mitigation and dredging, during Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s visit. The move signals closer Dhaka-Beijing ties and could affect India-Dhaka dynamics given India’s sensitivity over Teesta water sharing and the pending expiry of the Ganges treaty, as China seeks deeper Belt and Road cooperation and other strategic collaboration with Bangladesh.
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Europe pivots to deportation centers under new Return Regulation
EL PAÍS English•1 month ago
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Ratcliffe’s Havana talks mark milestone in US‑Cuba diplomacy amid Cuba’s energy crunch
EL PAÍS English•1 month ago
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Khartoum as a Ghost Town: Sudan’s Civil War Wages On
A year after the SAF retook Khartoum, much of the capital is a ghost town as fighting continues across Sudan, exposing a massive humanitarian crisis with millions in need and displaced. Foreign backers, political infighting, and a politicized aid system complicate relief, while local activists and health officials voice resilience and advocate decentralizing health services to help rebuild the country.
Trump’s Selective Blockade: Iran’s Regime under Pressure
Victor Davis Hanson argues that Trump’s selective blockade against Iran could rapidly cripple Tehran by cutting its oil revenue and pressuring its proxies, while forcing Gulf exporters to reroute trade, thereby portraying Iran as a “paper tiger” and revealing the Left’s underestimation of U.S. military and economic leverage.
Shoigu frames drone threat as either failed air defenses or NATO airspace use
Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu said Russia would defend itself against Ukrainian drone attacks and presented two possible drone origins: Russia’s air defenses being ineffective or drones being launched from the territory of Finland and the Baltic states, a line of reasoning tied to Article 51 of the UN Charter. The remarks come amid broader tensions with NATO and concerns about Estonia, with prior 2025 warnings that Russia could threaten Europe by 2027.
BBC to Axe Up To 2,000 Roles in Major Cost-Cutting Push
BBC plans to cut 1,800–2,000 jobs over the next two years in a sweeping cost‑cutting drive, using a voluntary redundancy scheme and tighter controls on hiring, travel and consultants. The move aims to address a funding model the corporation calls unsustainable, as it pursues billions in savings, including outsourcing non‑content roles.
US eases Venezuela bank sanctions to reboot its economy
The U.S. Treasury eased sanctions on Venezuela’s state-run banks to help revive the country’s ailing economy amid protests over wages, allowing use of U.S. dollars, unlocking oil revenue, and reintegrating Venezuela into the U.S.-led financial system through targeted licenses for key institutions.
Europe must forge an independent security path as NATO's cohesion frays
The Observer argues that NATO is damaged and Europe must bolster its own defences, diversify security partnerships (including Gulf states) and explore formal European security structures, as trust in the U.S. alliance wanes amid Trump-era politics, leaving Britain, France and Germany to drive a recalibrated, ad‑hoc approach to collective security while a long-term coherent strategy remains elusive.
Spain blocks Iran-war flights, yet US bases stay active in other roles
Spain has closed its airspace to flights involved in Operation Epic Fury against Iran and barred use of the Rota and Morón bases for war aircraft, with only emergency transit exceptions. Yet US forces continue to operate from Spain under bilateral security arrangements, while bomber and tanker missions have shifted to other European sites (e.g., Fairford in the UK and Istres in France) and allied naval and air defenses—like US destroyers from Rota and Patriot batteries at Incirlik—continue to play regional roles. Madrid says it will not join the war, balancing NATO/EU commitments with a stance against the conflict, a balance that could shape future tensions with Washington and other allies.
Noelia Castillo’s 601-day battle over euthanasia ends with death in Catalonia
After a 601‑day legal fight led by her father, Noelia Castillo, a 25‑year‑old paraplegic from Barcelona, finally received euthanasia in March 2026 despite multiple court bids to halt it; the case highlighted flaws in Spain’s euthanasia framework and the tension between adult autonomy and parental intervention, with independent professionals confirming her irreversible suffering.
Law and War: Experts Question Legality of US-Israeli Strikes on Iran
Most legal experts say the US and Israel’s initial strikes on Iran were unlawful, citing a lack of evidence for an imminent threat and contested interpretations of self-defence under Article 51. The UK’s participation in defensive actions is legally murky, depending on whether it accepts a regional request and how proportionate responses are deemed. Iran’s retaliation raises its own legal questions: while self‑defence is possible, attacks on civilians and on non‑party states may breach international humanitarian law, complicating the legality of all sides’ actions.
Brother claims slain American pursued a 'diabolical' plan to free Cuba
Michel Ortega Casanova, one of 10 people on a Florida-registered speedboat that clashed with Cuban forces in an attempted infiltration of Cuba, was described by his brother as driven by an obsessive and 'diabolical' push to free Cuba; four people were killed and six injured. U.S. and Cuban authorities are investigating passenger identities and whether any were U.S. citizens or residents, amid broader security and terrorism-related concerns around the incident.