Israel shuts Ireland embassy
Israel says it will close its embassy in Dublin, blaming “the extreme anti-Israel policies of the Irish government.” Ireland has been critical of Israel’s military offensive in Gaza.
Armed clashes close key oil refinery as fires erupt in Libya
The second-largest oil refinery in Libya has suspended operations after gunfighting caused fires in storage units. Armed clashes are common in the western area where the refinery is situated.
Russia claims capture of two more Donetsk villages
Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces have captured villages in two key front-line areas of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region as Moscow’s troops continue their advance toward the logistical hub of Pokrovsk and the industrial town of Kurakhove.
UK joins Indo-Pacific trade bloc as first European member
The UK’s membership of the CPTPP came into effect on Sunday. Britain is the first European country to join the Indo-Pacfic bloc, its previous government billed the move its “biggest trade deal” since Brexit.
Syria’s secret services tactics echo Nazis, Stasi methods
As more is revealed about the notorious Saydnaya Prison, it appears the tactics of the former Assad dictatorship were shaped by Nazi war criminals who fled abroad after World War II, as well as the East German Stasi.