International

Iran’s government cabinet appointed on Monday Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani as acting foreign minister following the death of Hossein Amirabdollahian in a helicopter crash, reports Reuters. AFP adds, the appointment of Bagheri, who served as deputy foreign minister under Amir-Abdollahian, was announced by government spokesman Ali Bahadori Jahromi on state television on Monday.

Here are some key facts about Mohammad Mokhber, 68, Iran’s first vice president who, based on the country’s constitution, is expected to become interim president following the death of Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash. * As interim president, Mokhber is part of a three-person council, along with the speaker of parliament and the head of the judiciary, that will ...

Hopes are fading that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his foreign minister have survived a helicopter crash in mountainous terrain and icy weather, an Iranian official said on Monday(20 May) after search teams located the wreckage. “President Raisi’s helicopter was completely burned in the crash … unfortunately, all passengers are feared dead,” the official told Reuters. Rescue teams fought blizzards ...

Israel will on Friday hit back in the United Nations’ top court at allegations from South Africa that it has escalated a campaign of “genocide” with its military operation in Rafah. Pretoria has urged the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to order a stop to the Israeli assault on Rafah, which Israel says is key to eliminating Hamas, reports AFP. ...

The life of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who has survived an assassination attempt, is out of danger, Slovak Deputy Prime Minister and Environment Minister Tomas Taraba said. He told the BBC that the surgery was successful and the prime minister is not in a critical condition. Fico was wounded in a shooting incident that happened after a government meeting ...

Ansar Ahmed Ullah:   On Monday afternoon, a group of students from Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) set up an encampment outside the Queens Building to protest the ongoing crisis in Gaza and call for action from the university administration. The encampment, dubbed the ‘QMUL Liberated Zone,’ is a demonstration of solidarity with the people of Palestine. The students ...

Seven bus passengers died and several others were injured after their bus careered off a bridge and into the Moika river in the Russian city of St Petersburg on Friday, the local department of the emergencies ministry said. Russia’s Investigative Committee said seven people died in the incident. Earlier reports said six people had been injured on the bus, which ...

Flash floods that have ripped through northern Afghanistan left more than 200 people dead in a single province, the United Nations said on Saturday. More than 200 people were killed and thousands of houses were destroyed or damaged in Baghlan province when heavy rains on Friday sparked massive flooding, the UN’s International Organization for Migration told AFP. In Baghlani Jadid ...

Eight people, including five women workers, were killed in an explosion at a fireworks manufacturing factory near Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu of India. Twelve others suffered burns. Friction during handling of chemicals is suspected to have triggered the explosion at Sri Sudharshan Fireworks in Virudhunagar district. “It’s a licensed unit. They manufacture fancy fireworks. We suspect friction during mixing of ...

Protests by students demanding universities sever ties with Israel over the Gaza war spread across western Europe on Tuesday, sparking clashes and dozens of fresh arrests. Students at various European universities, inspired by ongoing demonstrations at US campuses, have been occupying halls and facilities, demanding an end to partnerships with Israeli institutions because of Israel’s punishing assault on Gaza. Several ...