Author: Prima News

The European Council chief on Thursday called for the EU to formally open membership negotiations with Ukraine “as soon as possible,” praising Kyiv’s reforms despite the nearly four-year-old war. “We want … as soon as possible (that) we could formally open (Ukraine’s) negotiations and to move forward on this,” said Antonio Costa. “I cannot say if it is in 2027 or even in 2026 or later, but what is important is we cannot lose the momentum.” He also lauded Ukraine’s efforts to implement deep reforms under wartime conditions, describing them as “very impressive” and crucial for stabilizing the country and…

The arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor by police investigating whether he committed a crime by leaking government documents to Jeffrey Epstein marks a new low for the royal whose reputation already lies in tatters. Police were questioning King Charles’ younger brother on Thursday, his 66th birthday, over allegations he had committed the offence of misconduct in a public office relating to his role as a British government trade envoy. He has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein and said he regretted his “ill-judged association” with the late convicted U.S. sex offender. His standing was already in tatters after he settled a…

U.S. President Donald Trump will preside over the first meeting of his Board of Peace on Thursday with unresolved questions on the future of Gaza hanging over an event expected to include representatives from more than 45 nations. The disarmament of Hamas militants, the size of the reconstruction fund and the flow of humanitarian aid to the war-battered populace of Gaza are among the major questions likely to test the effectiveness of the board in the weeks and months ahead. Trump is to address the group at the Donald J. Trump U.S. Institute of Peace – a building in Washington the president recently…

Hamas is cementing its hold over Gaza by placing loyalists in key government roles, collecting taxes and paying salaries, according to an Israeli military assessment seen by Reuters and sources in the Palestinian enclave. Hamas’ continuing influence over key Gaza power structures has fuelled widespread scepticism about the prospects of U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace plan, which requires the militant group to give up its weapons in exchange for an Israeli military withdrawal from the territory. Trump’s international Board of Peace, which is meant to supervise Gaza’s transitional governance, is holding its inaugural meeting in Washington on Thursday. “Hamas is…

A South Korean court sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to life in prison on Thursday, after finding him guilty of masterminding an insurrection, stemming from his December 2024 attempt to impose martial law. Prosecutors had sought the death penalty in the case, closely watched in a deeply divided country. It is the most consequential yet for the ousted leader, whose bid triggered a national political crisis and tested democratic resilience. Yoon conspired with his then-defence minister, Kim Yong-hyun, to subvert the constitutional order by deploying troops to parliament, intending to paralyse its functions, Judge Jee Kui-youn told a packed court room.…

Australian police said on Thursday they had launched an investigation after a threatening letter was sent to the country’s largest mosque, the third such incident in the lead-up to the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. The letter sent to Lakemba Mosque in Sydney’s west on Wednesday contained a drawing of a pig and a threat to kill the “Muslim race”, local media reported. Police said they had taken the letter for forensic testing, and would continue to patrol religious sites including the mosque, as well as community events. The latest letter comes weeks after a similar message was mailed to…

As protesters hurled petrol bombs at Albania’s government building in central Tirana last week, and police responded with tear gas and water cannon, one chant rang out: “Rama go home! This corrupt government should resign!” Tensions had grown since the special prosecution office, known as SPAK, indicted Prime Minister Edi Rama’s deputy, Belinda Balluku, in December on suspicion of interfering in the awarding of two construction contracts in 2021 worth more than 200 million euros. Balluku, a rising star whom Rama appears to see as a potential successor, denies wrongdoing, and he has backed her throughout. CORRUPTION CHARGES THREATEN ALBANIA’S…

Peruvian lawmakers elected Jose Balcazar as the country’s new interim president on Wednesday ahead of general elections in April, making him the country’s eighth president in as many years. Since 2018, Peru has cycled through a rapid succession of presidents, exposing a deep rupture between the executive branch and Congress and a fragmented party system unable to form lasting governing coalitions. Balcazar, 83, replaces Jose Jeri, who was voted out of office by Congress after just four months following a scandal over undisclosed meetings with a Chinese businessman. Balcazar will also assume the role of head of Congress. “I will defend the…

British foreign minister Yvette Cooper on Thursday condemned as “totally unjustifiable” the 10-year sentence given to two British nationals detained in Iran, saying the government would continue pressing for their release. Craig and Lindsay Foreman had been charged with espionage after Iran accused them of gathering information in several parts of the country. “We will pursue this case relentlessly with the Iranian government until we see Craig and Lindsay Foreman safely returned to the UK and reunited with their family,” Cooper said in a statement. Joe Bennett, Lindsay’s son, said in a separate statement the couple had appeared at a…

A senior UN official warned Wednesday that the fragile ceasefire in Gaza remains under threat as Israeli strikes and unilateral steps by Israel in the occupied West Bank escalate tensions and deepen Palestinian suffering. “In recent weeks, the Israeli military intensified strikes across Gaza, hitting densely populated areas and killing dozens of Palestinians,” UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo said during a high-level session of the Security Council, adding that “Gaza is still not at peace.” Describing the moment as “pivotal,” DiCarlo said that “after years of devastating conflict and immense human suffering, there is an opening,…