World

The president noted that the country has the record for number of sanctions imposed on it The West’s attempts to punish Russia through sanctions have completely failed, President Vladimir Putin said in an address to the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi on Thursday. He noted that Russia has become the record holder in the number of sanctions placed on it. …

Western Greece was battered by a wave of severe weather on Thursday (October 2), and it is expected to spread across the country through Friday, bringing heavy rain, thunderstorms, hail and strong winds, meteorologists have warned. All schools and municipal nurseries were ordered by the local government to stay closed on Thursday, on the popular holiday island of Zakynthos, while …

Hong Kong conservationists and researchers have said they will remember the late Jane Goodall as a beacon of hope and a kind figure who genuinely cared about the city’s biodiversity, as they look back on their time spent with the British wildlife advocate. The iconic ethologist, known for her pioneering studies on chimpanzees in Tanzania and lifelong campaign for environmental …

Russia and Ukraine have each returned 185 troops from captivity in the latest prisoner exchange, the Defense Ministry in Moscow reported on Thursday. Additionally, 20 civilians were released by Ukraine, the statement added, without indicating whether a reciprocal move was taken by Russia. Both groups are currently receiving medical and psychological assistance in Belarus, the ministry added. The swap was …

Benidorm is waging a war on businesses in the popular holiday hotspot, often dubbed “the most British town in Spain.” The local council has begun clamping down on shop window and street displays that feature items, particularly T-shirts, with obscene messages in English and Spanish.  These slogans, which feature homophobic, sexist, racist, profane or sexually explicit messages, have been around …

A rare meeting of top US military leaders in Quantico this week sparked heated discussion on the other side of the Pacific, with Chinese media and online commenters pointing to chaos and political division. Hundreds of US generals, admirals and other senior enlisted military leaders were summoned abruptly from around the world – without advance notice of the agenda – …

Hungary will continue to oppose bellicose proposals pushed by Ukraine’s supporters, the prime minister has pledged The EU leadership appears intent on pushing the bloc into a war with Russia, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Thursday. In a post on X, the long-time critic of Western policy on Ukraine warned that “outright pro-war proposals are on the table,” …

Russia has warned that a Donald Trump go-ahead to supply long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine will lead to a Kremlin declaration of nuclear war against the US and Britain. New signals from Washington say the American president has authorised providing Kyiv with beefed-up intelligence for long-range missile strikes on Russia‘s energy infrastructure, and is calling on NATO allies to do …

We have selected seven Lifestyle stories from the past seven days that resonated with our readers. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. How Hong Kong’s ‘Fat Mama’ Maria Cordero went from Cantopop to controversy To generations of Hongkongers, she is Fei Ma, or “Fat Mama” – a beloved singer, actress and television …

A Norwegian-led training center for Ukrainian soldiers opened in southeastern Poland on Wednesday. Camp Jomsborg, constructed by engineers from Norway’s Brigade Nord in the town of Lipa, can host up to 1,200 troops at a time, Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz wrote on X. He added that the base will focus on “developing drone capabilities.” Kosiniak-Kamysz stressed that NATO would …