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International affairs, events, and conflicts

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DOJ seeks death penalty for Luigi Mangione
United States Attorney General Pamela Bond issued a statement ordering federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty for Luigi Mangione after he was charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York in December. “Luigi Mangione’s murder of Brian Thompson — an innocent man and father of two young children — was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America,” Bond said in a statement. “After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trump’s agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again.” The statement issued by the Department of Justice also read that the “murder was an act of political violence” and involved “substantial planning and premeditation”. In response, Mangione’s lawyer, Karen Freidman Agnifilo, released her statement calling the Department of Justice’s decision to seek the death penalty “barbaric” and “corrupt”. “Their decision to execute Luigi is political and goes against the recommendation of the local federal prosecutors, the law, and historical precedent,” Agnifilo said. “By doing this, they are defending the broken, immoral, and murderous healthcare industry that
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Elon Musk deems destruction of Tesla cars 'terrorism'
A fire at a Tesla dealership in Rome has destroyed 17 cars. Italy’s special police unit Digos is leading the investigation to determine whether the fire was set by anarchists. The blaze was said to have broken out at 4.30am (local time) and the dealership was partially damaged, but nobody was injured. Tesla's CEO Elon Musk - ally of United States President Donald Trump - commented on a post that made reference to the fire, calling it terrorism. Leader of Italy’s right-wing League party and Deputy Prime Minister, Matteo Salvini took to X to defend Musk. “Too much unjustified hatred against the Tesla car company,” he said. “The season of hate and conflict must come to an end as soon as possible. “My solidarity goes out to @elonmusk and to all the workers who have been threatened and attacked.” This comes are Tesla has become the target of vandalism in response to Musk’s right-wing activism. Musk is head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has seen Tesla sales take a nose dive since Trump’s inauguration. Musk’s net worth is also esteemed to have fallen 25% since then with many Tesla owners selling their cars. Related contentGlobal anti-Elon Musk protests planned a
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Thousands feared dead after earthquake in Myanmar
At least 1,700 people were killed, 3,400 injured and more than 300 are missing after a powerful earthquake shook the south-east Asian country of Myanmar on Friday. Rescue teams and aid was rushed to the war-torn nation of 55 million people formerly known as Burma in the wake of the 7.7-magnitude quake, the strongest in more than 100 years, which also affected neighbouring countries like Thailand. Buildings collapsed and infrastructure, such as bridges, highways, airports and railways, was damaged in the country, which has been controlled by the military since a coup in 2021 and has been ravaged by a continuing civil war. "The destruction has been extensive, and humanitarian needs are growing by the hour," the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies was quoted by Reuters as saying in a statement. The situation is so dire that junta chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing made a rare call for international assistance after warning that the death toll could rise in the nation, which is bordered by India, China, Thailand, Laos and Bangladesh. The death toll could eventually exceed 10,000, according to the U.S. Geological Survey's predictive modelling, Reuters reported. People slept on the street
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King Charles cancels trip; cancer treatment side effects
Britain's King Charles III, 76, has cancelled a series of public engagements following a brief hospitalisation due to side effects from his ongoing cancer treatment, Buckingham Palace announced. The monarch, who was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in February 2024, experienced temporary side effects requiring observation at The London Clinic. He has since returned to Clarence House, where he continues to recover under medical advice. The King had been scheduled to visit Birmingham on Friday for multiple engagements, including appearances at the Royal Ballet and a Sikh temple. Buckingham Palace expressed the King’s disappointment at missing these events and extended apologies to those involved. This marks a rare interruption in the King’s otherwise active schedule, as he has continued to fulfill state duties despite undergoing weekly treatment since his diagnosis. The state visit to Italy, planned for April, remains on the calendar with some adjustments to the itinerary. The visit will include a historic address to the Italian Parliament and engagements in Rome and Ravenna, underscoring the strong bilateral ties between the UK and Italy. The trip coincides with the King and Queen’s 20th wedding annive
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EU ties sanctions relief to Russia’s full withdrawal
The European Union has agreed to lift or amend sanctions if Russia withdraws all forces from Ukraine, according to a statement from the European Commission. This comes after the U.S. has separate talks with Ukraine and Russia where they requested help to lift a series of western sanctions and restrictions on food, fertiliser and shipping companies as preconditions for a maritime security deal in the Black Sea. In particular, Russia wanted restrictions removed from the state-owned agricultural lender Rosselkhozbank. While the White House did not mention lifting sanctions as part of the proposed Black Sea ceasefire plan in a statement post-conversation, it was noted that they would help restore Russia’s access to the world market for agriculture. In response, the Commission said the EU welcomed the agreement between the U.S. and Russia, as long as they can meet their terms. "The end of the Russian unprovoked and unjustified aggression in Ukraine and unconditional withdrawal of all Russian military forces from the entire territory of Ukraine would be one of the main preconditions to amend or lift sanctions," EU spokeswoman for foreign affairs and security policy, Anita Hipper said. Hipper continued and said that the

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EU: Members to have 72 hours of supplies in case of war
The European Union Commission has told citizens they should stockpile 72 hours worth of essential supplies in case of war or other crisis. The advice was part of a new guidance document called the Preparedness Union strategy, released on Wednesday, which looks to “support Member States and enhance Europe's capability to prevent and respond to emerging threats”. The Strategy calls on Europe to develop “resilience” in the face of a changing and risky geopolitical climate, with the document citing the Russia-Ukraine war as a key factor, alongside other geopolitical tensions, critical infrastructure attacks or failures and electronic warfare. It outlines 30 key actions and a “detailed Action Plan”, as well as looking to create a ‘preparedness by design culture' across all EU policies. One of these key action is calling on member state citizens to have practical emergency measures in place, such as enough essential supplies to last them for a minimum of three days. Additional measures included citizen-military cooperation, a “comprehensive risk and threat assessment at EU level”, establishing an EU Crisis Hub and working ”preparedness lessons" into school curriculums. "New realities require a new level of preparedness
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Director Ballal freed from detention by the Israeli army
Oscar-winning co-director of the documentary No Other Land, Hamdan Ballal has been released after being detained by the Israeli army. Ballal’s co-director, Yuval Abraham, was giving updates on the situation on X and confirmed the director's release. “After being handcuffed all night and beaten in a military base, Hamdan Ballal is now free and is about to go home to his family,” he posted. Ballal spoke with the Associated Press (AP) about the ordeal, saying he believes he was specifically targeted. “I realised they were attacking me specifically,” he told AP. “When they say ‘Oscar', you understand. When they say your name, you understand.” According to AP, Ballal returned with a bruised face and clothes spotted in blood after being heavily beaten by an Isreali settler. The documentary Ballal directed depicted the destruction of the occupied West Bank's Masafer Yatta and explored the struggle of living under Israeli occupation. The three million Palestenians who live in the West Bank are under seemingly open-ended Israeli rule as the war in Gaza sparks a surge of violence in the West Bank. Ballal identified Shem Tov Luski, who has threatened the director in the past, as his attacker. Accord
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Protests in Turkiye continue for a fifth day
Protests in Türkiye have reached a fifth consecutive day, with over 1100 demonstrators arrested so far. Mid last week, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested and jailed, sparking the protests as he is the Turkish President's, Tayyip Erdogan, main political rival for the next presidential race in 2028. Imamoglu was jailed on corruption charges, which he denies. In series of posts on social media he called on people to keep protesting but urged them to stay away from conflicts. “I’m working hard, I will work even harder. Where I am does not matter,” Imamoglu wrote. The demonstration over the weekend marked the largest protests so far, with hundreds of thousands of people reported to be protesting. The number of arrests was reported by Turkiye' Minister of Interior Ali Yerlikaya to be 1133, including at least nineteen journalists according to the the Journalists' Union of Turkiye. He also reported that 123 police officers had been injured in the protests.
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Russian missile attack injures dozens in Sumy, Ukraine
Dozens have been injured in a Russian missile attack in the Ukrainian city of Sumy, including at least 17 children according to the city's council. The strike landed at the same time as 12 hours of peace talks over a potential ceasefire were being held between the United States and Russia, on Monday in Saudi Arabia. The attack on the "densely populated residential area" on Ukraine's north-east caused damage to residential areas and an educational facility, the regional prosecutor's office said, leaving at least 88 injured according to latest reporting. Regional governor Volodymyr Artiukh said several high rise apartment blocks had been impacted by the strike and that the school children injured were in a shelter at the time. The full impact of the attack is still unfolding. In his evening address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that “every single day of this war brings loss, pain, and destruction that Ukraine never wanted.” “The war was brought from Russia, and it is to Russia that the war must be pushed back. They must be the ones forced into peace. They are the ones who must be pressured to ensure security.”