Four Syrian nationals have been detained in Germany after coordinated raids aimed at a criminal network that supplies boats and equipment for crossings of the English Channel.Police in North Rhine‑Westphalia seized inflatable boats, an engine, petrol cans, life jackets and boxes of tyre inner tubes during Wednesday’s early‑morning searches.The action follows a joint probe led by the UK’s...

After eight years of talks, Australia and the European Union have finalized a wide-ranging free trade agreement in Canberra valued at roughly A$10 billion.The pact removes almost all customs duties between the two sides and also deepens cooperation on defence, supply-chain resilience and critical minerals — steps officials said are designed to withstand growing global uncertainty.Tariffs on...

Two Russian men have gone on trial in Angola accused of running a covert influence campaign to stir anti-government unrest and interfere in next year’s presidential vote.Igor Ratchin and Lev Lakshtanov were arrested in August and face 11 charges between them, including terrorism, espionage and influence peddling.Angolan prosecutors say the pair worked with a wider network that grew out of...

Jannik Sinner extended a remarkable run at ATP Masters 1000 events, breaking Novak Djokovic's decade-old mark for consecutive sets won with a convincing victory at the Miami Open.The Italian, ranked world number two and just 24 years old, closed out Corentin Moutet 6-1 6-4 in 71 minutes to register his 25th and 26th straight sets at the Masters 1000 level, moving past Djokovic’s previous streak...

German politicians are preparing to make the creation and sharing of pornographic deepfakes a criminal offence after a high-profile complaint from a television actress sparked national debate.Collien Fernandes has lodged a legal complaint in Spain accusing her former husband, actor Christian Ulmen, of circulating sexualised images of her online.The allegation, first detailed in a German magazine,...

Two years after Dutch schools removed smartphones from the school day, teachers and education officials are reporting calmer corridors and sharper attention in class.Devices including phones, smartwatches and tablets are now kept out of classrooms, hallways and cafeterias across the country as part of a nationwide agreement reached with schools, parents and teachers rather than through new...

President Donald Trump said there were "very strong talks" with Iran and hinted at a chance for a full halt to hostilities, but Tehran quickly denied any formal negotiations and described the claims as misleading.What exists so far are tentative, low‑level contacts rather than a clear breakthrough.Officials familiar with past discussions say exchanges between Iranian foreign minister Abbas...

Jurgen Klopp has dismissed claims he is set to take over at Real Madrid, calling the transfer whispers unfounded and saying there has been no contact from the Spanish club.Speaking in Munich at the Magenta TV World Cup team presentation, the former Liverpool manager said neither he nor his agent has been approached about the vacancy and that the rumours are misplaced.Klopp stepped away from...

Mortgage borrowers, and first-time buyers in particular, are facing a sudden squeeze as lenders withdraw low-deposit deals and interest rates climb sharply.Industry data show more than 200 low-deposit mortgage products have been removed since 6 March, with one day seeing 52 deals pulled and another 30 taken off the market.Overall, over 20% of products available at the start of the month are no...

Slovenia has moved to limit how much fuel each motorist can buy, becoming the first EU member state to introduce nationwide rationing as regional tensions push up prices.The government says the measure responds to market disruptions driven by recent strikes in the Middle East that have shaken global energy supplies and sent pump prices higher.Under the new rules, private drivers may purchase up...