EU external relations, diplomacy, and security
Israel has cut all diplomatic contact with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas after she used the word “apartheid” to describe Israeli policies toward Palestinians. The move marks a sharp new low in relations between Jerusalem and Brussels.
NGOs in Lebanon are condemning what they call systematic Israeli attacks on medical workers, as the death toll surpasses 3,900 and ceasefire talks remain deadlocked. Doctors Without Borders says seven of its local staff have been killed and two ambulances struck since the conflict began in March.
Iran shut the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, linking the closure to Israel’s campaign in Lebanon and threatening to derail upcoming nuclear talks in Switzerland. President Trump responded with a 60-day ultimatum and a threat to impose U.S. tolls on all shipping through the critical waterway.
JD Vance scrapped a planned trip to Geneva just hours after Trump and Iranian President Pezeshkian signed an initial agreement suspending uranium enrichment. The surprise pace of Wednesday’s deal made the Switzerland talks unnecessary, officials say.
French prosecutors have confirmed that Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi will stand trial on rape charges dating back to 2023. The PSG defender has denied the allegations throughout a two-year judicial investigation.
President Zelensky has returned a Polish state honour after Warsaw stripped him of its highest award over a bitter WWII history dispute. The public feud is straining one of Ukraine’s most critical wartime alliances at a dangerous moment.
DR Congo’s Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo strain is spreading faster than health teams can contain it, the WHO warned Friday. With no vaccine or targeted treatment available, officials are scrambling to get ahead of a rapidly evolving crisis.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has endorsed a nuclear framework deal with the US while openly admitting he holds a ‘different view’ on it. The rare admission comes as Vice President JD Vance confirmed he may travel to Switzerland to push negotiations toward a final agreement.
Japanese fans are celebrated worldwide for cleaning stadiums after World Cup matches. But women back home are calling out a stark double standard in who actually does the housework.
UNICEF has warned that children in Gaza are being killed at a rate of roughly two per day since a ceasefire was declared in October 2025. The agency’s blunt alert — that a child can be shot for the smallest movement — has shocked aid workers already reeling from a deadly night in Lebanon.
