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Europe Commemorates 80th Anniversary of VE Day Amid Shifting Security Landscape

Solemn ceremonies will be held at war memorials across France on Thursday as the country marks the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day, observed as a public holiday there annually. In Paris, President Emmanuel Macron will lay a wreath at Charles de Gaulle's statue, walk up the Champs-ร‰lysรฉes to the Arc de Triomphe, rekindle the eternal flame at the tomb of the Unknown Warrior, and inspect troops. The ceremony will include a minute's silence, a rendition of the Marseillaise, a speech from Macron on "the values that triumphed in 1945," military bands from six countries, a parade of French armed forces personnel, flags, wartime vehicles, re-enactors, and a flypast. However, France is among the relatively few European countries marking VE Day with such an elaborate ceremony. Some commemorate it more modestly without a public holiday; others call it […]

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Civilian Lives Lost Amidst India-Pakistan Retaliation

Tonight, from the volatile Line of Control that divides India and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, we are receiving deeply concerning reports of civilian casualties following a dangerous escalation of tensions. This after Pakistan's response to India's earlier air strikes manifested in cross-border shelling, leaving a trail of destruction and loss in its wake. Consider the human cost. Buava Singh, a resident of the Poonch district on the Indian side, recounted a devastating scene. A mortar shell, he says, ripped through his niece Ruby Kaur's home in the dead of night. She had simply woken to prepare tea for her ailing husband when tragedy struck. The shrapnel, Singh described, caused fatal head wounds. Ruby Kaur is now dead, and her daughter gravely injured. Adding to the vulnerability, Singh stated the absence of community bunkers in the area, forcing civilians to seek the fragile […]

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Eight Men, Including Seven Iranians, Arrested in UK Counter-Terrorism Operations

British counter-terrorism police have arrested eight men in two separate investigations, with seven of them identified as Iranian nationals, according to London's Metropolitan Police. In the first operation on Saturday, five men were detained on suspicion of terrorism offenses involving a plot targeting a specific premise. Four suspects are Iranian nationals aged between 29 and 40, while the fifth man's nationality remains undisclosed. The arrests took place in multiple locations, including Swindon, West London, Stockport, Rochdale, and Manchester. "We are exploring various lines of inquiry to establish any potential motivation as well as to identify whether there may be any further risk to the public linked to this matter," said Commander Dominic Murphy, head of London police's Counter Terrorism Command. Police confirmed they are in contact with the targeted site to provide support but withheld further details for operational reasons. […]

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Irish Green Card Holder, Cliona Ward, Detained Over Decades-Old Convictions

An Irish woman who has legally resided in the United States for four decades has been held in immigration detention for over a week due to criminal convictions from nearly 20 years ago, raising concerns about heightened immigration enforcement practices. Cliona Ward, 54, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials at San Francisco International Airport on April 21 after returning from visiting her ailing father in Ireland. She is currently being held at an ICE detention facility in Tacoma, Washington. Despite possessing a green card, Ward's detention stems from drug possession convictions dating back to 2007 and 2008, which her family maintains she believed had been expunged from her record. The case has prompted diplomatic intervention, with Irish Taoiseach Micheรกl Martin expressing concern about the situation. "Where people have green cards and citizenship rights, there shouldn't be an […]

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Priest Stabbed Seven Times at Military Base by Teen Assailant

A 17-year-old boy awaits sentencing at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin after pleading guilty to the attempted murder of an Army chaplain. The teenager, who cannot be identified due to his age, repeatedly stabbed Fr. Paul Murphy with a hunting knife at Renmore Barracks in Galway on August 15th, 2024. The attack occurred around 10:35 pm as the priest attempted to drive into the barracks. Defense Forces personnel restrained the assailant, who was 16 at the time of the incident, leading to his immediate arrest at the scene. During an impact statement delivered in April, Fr. Murphy expressed forgiveness toward his attacker and embraced him in court. Originally from Waterford and residing at the barracks, the chaplain has served with the Defence Forces since 2013, completing five overseas deployments in Syria and Lebanon. Mr. Justice Paul McDermott is scheduled […]

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Belfast Rap Group’s Comments Spark Political Firestorm

Belfast rap trio Kneecap has responded to criticism following controversial footage from past concerts, claiming their words have been "exploited and weaponized" out of context. The group faces condemnation from Downing Street and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch after a video emerged appearing to show a member saying, "The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP" at a November 2023 concert. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's spokesman called the comments "completely unacceptable," while Taoiseach Micheรกl Martin demanded the band clarify alleged statements supporting Hamas and Hezbollah. In a statement, band members rejected suggestions they would "incite violence against any MP". They claimed establishment figures were attempting to "manufacture moral hysteria" to "derail the real conversation" about Gaza. They denied supporting Hamas or Hezbollah and apologized to the families of murdered MPs Jo Cox and David Amess. British […]

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Trump and Zelenskyy Hold Private Meeting in Vatican During Pope’s Funeral

U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy met one-on-one in St. Peter's Basilica on Saturday while in Rome for Pope Francis's funeral, attempting to revive peace efforts for the Russia-Ukraine war. According to Zelenskiy's office, the leaders spoke privately for approximately 15 minutes. This marked their first meeting since a tense February encounter in the Oval Office. "Good meeting. One-on-one, we managed to discuss a lot," Zelenskiy wrote on Telegram afterward. He mentioned they discussed "protection of our people," "a complete and unconditional ceasefire," and "a reliable and lasting peace." The Ukrainian leader added, "It was a very symbolic meeting that has the potential to become historic if we achieve joint results." White House Communications Director Steven Cheung described the discussion as "very productive." Photos released by Zelenskiy's office showed the two leaders seated opposite each other in […]

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Trump Calls on Putin to “STOP” After Deadly Attack on Kyiv

Russia launched a massive overnight strike against Kyiv, killing at least 12 people in what officials described as the largest attack on the Ukrainian capital this year. The assault prompted an unusual public rebuke from Donald Trump, who directly addressed the Russian president with "Vladimir, STOP!" The attack, which Trump called "not necessary" and "very bad timing" as he pursues peace negotiations, injured 90 people, damaged buildings, and ignited fires across the city. Rescue workers were still recovering bodies from the rubble more than 12 hours later. This strike comes at a critical juncture in Russia's war in Ukraine, which began with Moscow's full-scale invasion in 2022. Both Kyiv and Moscow are attempting to demonstrate to Trump that they are making progress toward his goal of a swift peace agreement. "I am not happy with the Russian strikes on Kyiv. […]

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Trump Criticizes Zelenskyy as Ukraine Peace Talks Falter

President Donald Trump criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for allegedly impeding peace negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. In a Truth Social post, Trump described Zelenskyy's refusal to recognize Russia's annexation of Crimea as "very harmful" to achieving peace, claiming a deal was "very close." "It's inflammatory statements like Zelenskyy's that make it so difficult to settle this War," Trump wrote. Zelenskyy has consistently rejected ceding Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014. "There's nothing to discuss here," he stated at a recent media conference. "This is against our constitution." High-level negotiations aimed at pausing hostilities recently collapsed after Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff withdrew from planned London talks, diminishing Kyiv's hopes for a short-term agreement. Despite this setback, President Trump's Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, was still scheduled to meet with Ukrainian presidential chief […]

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Irish Rap Group Kneecap Reports Death Threats Following Coachella Performance

Belfast rap trio Kneecap have received death threats after displaying messages critical of Israel during their performance at the Coachella music festival on April 18, according to their manager. The bilingual band concluded their set at the second weekend of the California festival with three on-screen messages stating: "Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people," "It is being enabled by the US government, who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes," and "F**k Israel. Free Palestine." The Irish rappers later posted on X, referencing "hundreds of violent Zionist threats." In an interview with RTร‰ Radio, the group's manager, Daniel Lambert, confirmed they had received death threats, noting that their nature would be "too severe" to describe on air. "I think that, to the band's massive credit, there are three working-class young people here who've built a career for […]

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