Author: Prima News

 Pedro Sanchez’s thinly veiled criticisms of U.S. policy play well with his voters but are irritating Spain’s powerful ally, where political advisers close to the White House warn the Socialist prime minister to watch his step. From condemning the United States’ intervention in Venezuela to pushing for stricter controls of social media platforms and opting out of NATO’s defence spending target, Sanchez has taken a strikingly defiant tone on issues key to the U.S. agenda. More than once, the Spanish leader, one of a dwindling number of left-leaning voices in Europe, has pointedly framed his policies in contrast to President Donald Trump’s. SPAIN’S SANCHEZ READY TO…

British police were searching the former mansion of King Charles’ younger brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on Friday after a photograph of the royal emerging from a police station was splashed on newspapers around the world. Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on Thursday, his 66th birthday, on suspicion of misconduct in public office over allegations he sent confidential government documents to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein when he was a trade envoy. The former prince was released under investigation after being held by police for more than 10 hours. He has not been charged with any offence but looked haunted in a Reuters photograph after his release, slumped in the back…

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz discussed deepening cooperation on security, power and infrastructure in a phone call, Tinubu’s office said on Thursday. In a nine-minute call on Wednesday, the two leaders discussed reviving a stalled presidential electricity project in Nigeria involving German conglomerate Siemens (SIEGn.DE), opens new tab, and Nigeria buying used German helicopters. Tinubu told Merz Nigeria needed help to upgrade its power-transmission network, the president’s office said. A 2019 agreement with Siemens to rehabilitate transmission lines and power distribution substations, funded by German banks, aimed to achieve 7,000 MW of reliable power by 2021 and 11,000 MW…

Eric Dane, the celebrated actor best known for his roles on “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Euphoria” and who later in life became an advocate for ALS awareness, died Thursday. He was 53. His representatives said Dane died from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, known also as Lou Gehrig’s disease, less than a year after he announced his diagnosis. “He spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world,” said a statement that requested privacy for his family. “Throughout his journey with ALS, Eric became a passionate advocate for awareness…

A Thai court has sentenced a jailed activist lawyer to an additional two years and eight months in prison for insulting the monarchy at a rally in November 2020, a rights group said on Friday, bringing his combined sentence to more than 30 years. Arnon Nampa, 41, was a prominent figure during unprecedented youth-led democracy movement protests in Bangkok in 2020 that openly called for the monarchy to be reformed. Thailand’s lese-majeste law protects the palace from criticism and carries a maximum jail sentence of up to 15 years for each perceived royal insult, a punishment widely condemned by international human rights…

The suspension of flights at Vienna Airport (VIEV.VI), opens new tab on Friday due to heavy snowfall has been extended by three hours until midday (1100 GMT) and delays are expected to continue well beyond then, the company said in a statement. “As things currently stand, individual take-offs should be possible as of midday, and landings as of 1 p.m.,” it said, adding that of around 232 flights scheduled into and out of Vienna on Friday until midday, 150 had been cancelled so far.

Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol apologised on Friday for his short-lived declaration of martial law in December 2024, a day after a Seoul court sentenced him to life in prison for masterminding an insurrection. In a statement released by his lawyers, Yoon said that while he was sorry for the “frustration and hardship” brought upon the people by his martial law decree, he stood behind the “sincerity and purpose” behind his actions. The Seoul Central District Court’s decision to hand him a life sentence on Thursday was “predetermined,” he said, adding that the verdict against him was political retaliation. “Forces…

Venezuela’s acting president on Thursday signed into law an amnesty bill that could lead to the release of politicians, activists, lawyers and many others, effectively acknowledging that the government has held hundreds of people in prison for political motivations. The approval marks a reversal for authorities in the South American nation, who for decades have denied holding any political prisoners. It is the latest policy reversal following last month’s stunning U.S. military raid in the country’s capital, Caracas, to capture then-President Nicolás Maduro. The measure is expected to benefit opposition members, activists, human rights defenders, journalists and many others who were targeted by…

Saudi Arabia could have some form of uranium enrichment within the kingdom under a proposed nuclear deal with the United States, congressional documents and an arms control group suggest, raising proliferation concerns as an atomic standoff between Iran and America continues. U.S. Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden both tried to reach a nuclear deal with the kingdom to share American technology. Nonproliferation experts warn any spinning centrifuges within Saudi Arabia could open the door to a possible weapons program for the kingdom, something its assertive crown prince has suggested he could pursue if Tehran obtains an atomic bomb. Already, Saudi Arabia and…

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi warned of growing Chinese “coercion” in her first post-election speech to parliament on Friday, pledging to overhaul defence strategy, ease curbs on military exports and strengthen critical supply chains. Takaichi’s four-month tenure has been marked by a diplomatic dispute with China after she said Japan could use military force to respond to any attack on Taiwan that also threatened Japanese territory. Fresh from turning a fragile majority into a landslide victory in this month’s lower house election, Takaichi outlined an agenda to counter what she sees as a mounting economic and security threat from China and its regional partners.…