International

• Wednesday, April 9th 2025 - 07:31 UTC

  RAF farewell to Puma HC2s choppers, which saw combat on both sides in the Falklands war

  

  After 54 years of continuous service, Britain’s Royal Air Force’s (RAF’s) Puma fleet retired on March 31, 2025, concluding a remarkable career that began in 1971. The farewell flights on March 26 and 27 saw Puma HC2s soar over the United Kingdom and Cyprus, with additional fly-pasts in Brunei, marking the end of an era for this versatile helicopter.

• Tuesday, April 8th 2025 - 10:19 UTC

  Venezuela warns of false flag moves to justify imperialist attacks

  

  Venezuela’s Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) and Vice President Delcy Rodríguez warned Sunday of an alleged “false flag” operation targeting an ExxonMobil platform in disputed maritime waters between Venezuela and Guyana.

• Tuesday, April 8th 2025 - 09:40 UTC

  Israel to suppress all tariffs on US goods, Netanyahu tells Trump

  

  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Monday said at the White House that his Government would eliminate tariffs and trade barriers on US imports to address the trade deficit with Washington. He made those remarks amid global market declines of over 7%, triggered by tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump, which amount to 17% in the case of Israel.

• Monday, April 7th 2025 - 23:14 UTC

  Markets slump worldwide amid Trump’s tariff war and recession fears

  

  US stocks experienced significant volatility Monday amid a global trade war sparked by President Donald Trump’s tariffs. In addition, Washington threatened China to impose an additional 50% surcharge if Beijing does not retract its own 34% increase by Tuesday.

• Monday, April 7th 2025 - 11:09 UTC

  UK Health Agency warns of potential second norovirus wave this summer

  

  The latest UK Health Security Agency, UKHSA, shows norovirus cases continue to rise across UK, with laboratory reports at the highest levels since reporting data this way began in 2014. This is because data shows a shift in circulating strains, and UKHSA warns that people who already had the virus this (boreal) winter could be at risk again.

• Monday, April 7th 2025 - 10:57 UTC

  Trump’s 41% tariff on Falklands, “biggest threat since Argentine invasion”, Liberal Democrat leader

  

  The leader of UK’s Liberal Democrats, Ed Davey has called on the Prime Minister to meet with the Falklands Governor, after President Trump announced tariffs of 41% on exports from the Falkland Islands to the United States.

• Monday, April 7th 2025 - 10:45 UTC

  Iran sacks VP over luxurious Patagonian cruise ship trip

  

  Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian Saturday sacked Vice President Shahram Dabiri after a photo surfaced on Instagram of the latter and his wife on a luxurious trip to Antarctica aboard the cruise ship Plancius. An eight-day trip on that ship can cost around US$ 4,000 per person, it was reported.

• Monday, April 7th 2025 - 10:31 UTC

  Pope makes surprising appearance at St Peter's Square

  

  Pope Francis made a surprise appearance at St Peter's Square Sunday, two weeks after his release from Gemelli Hospital in Rome, where he had been treated for life-threatening pneumonia for 38 days. The 88-year-old former Archbishop of Buenos Aires looked frail in a wheelchair with nasal oxygen supply as he blessed around 20,000 faithful at the end of a Mass for the sick, led by Archbishop Rino Fisichella.

• Monday, April 7th 2025 - 10:12 UTC

  Early dawn stock markets show significant declines

  

  Australia's and most Asian stock markets experienced significant declines early Monday amid the global tariff war triggered by U.S. President Donald Trump. The Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong dropped 9.1% to 20,778.10, with a peak intraday fall of 10.2%, marking its worst day in over a year. Across the Asia-Pacific, 11 of 14 equity markets hit 52-week lows. In mainland China, the CSI 300 Index fell by 7.6%, while the Shanghai and Shenzhen Composite Indexes dropped by 7.4% and 9.8%, respectively. Japan’s Topix and Nikkei indexes also slumped, by 9.6% and 6.5%, respectively.

• Monday, April 7th 2025 - 08:59 UTC

  UK discussing sale of two RN amphibious assault ships to Brazil

  

  UK is in discussions with Brazil about the potential sale of Royal Navy warships HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark. Both vessels are amphibious assault ships used to land Royal Marines and equipment ashore.