WORLD

The 28 Afghan nationals were all "convicted offenders who had no right to stay in Germany and against whom deportation orders had been issued", government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said in a statement.

General Romeo Brawner said the Philippines would not take up the offer until it reached a point when they could not deliver life-saving provisions and troops were "on the verge of dying".

The death toll climbed Thursday as Israel pressed a large-scale military operation in the occupied West Bank for a second day, despite UN concerns it is "fuelling an already explosive situation".

The sanctions were announced on the same day that Israel launched a wide-scale attack on the West Bank that it said killed nine Palestinian fighters, despite warnings by President Joe Biden's administration against expanding the war in Gaza.

The Swiss approved the gradual phase-out of nuclear power in a referendum in 2017, by banning the construction of new power plants.

Typhoon Shanshan packed gusts of up to 252 kilometers (157 miles) per hour as it smashed into Japan's main southern island of Kyushu early Thursday, making it the most powerful storm this year and one of the strongest at landfall since 1960.

Thousands were forced to flee their homes as the massive blaze raged out of control for three days towards the capital earlier this month, swallowing up houses and cars and killing one woman.

A barrage of attacks on Tim Walz fueled by misinformation over his support for LGBTQ communities has failed to dent the US vice presidential candidate's surging poll ratings, suggesting that voters are wearying of some "culture war" issues in a tight White House race.

The decision escalates a months-long feud between Musk and Brazilian Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes, who has previously ordered the suspension of dozens of accounts on X for allegedly spreading disinformation.

The weather department warned more heavy rain is expected on Thursday in the western coastal state.

US Vice President Kamala Harris will give her first interview Thursday since becoming the Democratic standard-bearer, after intense criticism from Republicans that she has been hiding from tough questions.

A senior Chinese military official warned the United States to stop "collusion" with Taiwan while top White House aide Jake Sullivan stressed the importance of stability in the tense Strait in a rare one-on-one meeting Thursday, both sides said.

A Thai court on Thursday jailed a famous Spanish actor's son for life for the grisly murder of a Colombian plastic surgeon on a tropical holiday island, in a lurid case that has gripped Spain.

The French president will kick off a two-day visit to Serbia Thursday, with the Rafale fighter jet deal looming large after President Aleksandar Vucic told AFP that he hoped to seal the agreement this week.

US Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar has warned that the changes would "threaten" a trade relationship that "relies on investors' confidence in Mexico's legal framework."

Durov, 39, was arrested at Le Bourget airport outside Paris late Saturday, and while the judicial authorities have repeatedly extended his initial period of detention, it can last a maximum of 96 hours.

It will be the fourth round of organized demonstrations held since the July 28 vote, which saw both sides claim victory but Maduro declared the winner by the National Electoral Council (CNE), which is staffed mainly by his allies.

The British leader, who will also travel on to Paris, has pledged to rebuild trust with European allies damaged by Brexit, and is set to hold talks with Scholz about launching a new bilateral accord with Germany.

It includes the notorious Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) paramilitary force, accused of numerous rights abuses, and which was sanctioned by the United States for its role in extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances.

Violence has surged in the West Bank during the Gaza conflict sparked by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas's unprecedented October 7 attacks on Israel.

At least 132 people have died in war-torn Sudan as a result of flooding and heavy rains this year, the health ministry said Monday.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned Tuesday that his new government's first budget in just over two months will be "painful", asking the country to "accept short-term pain for long-term good".

Beijing claims almost the entirety of the sea, brushing aside rival claims by other countries, including the Philippines, and an international ruling that its stance has no legal basis.

UN nuclear watchdog head Rafael Grossi kicked off a visit Tuesday to "independently assess" conditions at Russia's Kursk nuclear plant following Ukraine's unprecedented cross-border offensive into the Russian region.

The UAE said Tuesday it had requested consular services for Telegram's Pavel Durov after the Dubai-based tech boss was arrested in France over alleged failings to curb criminality on the app.

President Emmanuel Macron faced an uphill battle Tuesday seeking fresh talks over a new government in France, with the political left refusing to take part after he rejected their candidate for prime minister.

Officials said 15 regions across the country were targeted in the aerial assault which began during the night and was the biggest in weeks.

The Gaza war, triggered by Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel, has drawn in Tehran-aligned armed groups across the Middle East, repeatedly heightening fears of a broader regional conflagration.

His arrest after flying into the Le Bourget airport outside Paris late Saturday is the latest extraordinary twist in the career of one of the world's most influential tech icons.