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Jessica Parker BBC Berlin correspondent BBC He is the man tipped to be Germany’s next leader: an antidote to Europe’s crisis of confidence, say his supporters. Friedrich Merz, 69, is a familiar face of his conservative party’s old guard. Politically, he has never come across as exhilarating. And yet he promises to provide Germany with…
Hamas has released six more hostages held in Gaza, in exchange for 602 Palestinian prisoners to be freed later on Saturday. The released hostages included four kidnapped during the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel – Tal Shoham, Omer Shem Tov, Eliya Cohen and Omer Wenkert. The two other men freed, Avera Mengistu and…
Seven churches have been targeted in a suspected arson attack that occurred overnight in New Zealand. Four churches in the town of Masterton, north of the capital Wellington, sustained “moderate to significant” damage, while evidence was found to suggest three more buildings had been targeted but did not catch fire. Crews from across the Wairarapa…
Five Israeli hostages are now back in Israel after being handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza. Avera Mengistu and Tal Shoham were freed by Hamas on Saturday morning, in a highly-choreographed event in Rafa. Hours later, in Nuseirat, Eliya Cohen, Omer Shem Tov and Omer Wenkert were handed over amid similar scenes. Hisham…
The grandson of Oded Lifschitz, whose body was returned to Israel this week, speaks to the BBC. 2025-02-22 11:21:59 https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/a5a8/live/0b7ad450-f10e-11ef-9e61-71ee71f26eb1.jpg
Paul Kirby Europe digital editor in Germany BBC Merz is convinced he is on track for victory and has exuded confidence in party rallies Germany’s rival political leaders will take their fight for votes right to the last minute in a push that reflects the pivotal nature of Sunday’s election, not just for their country…
Rachel Looker BBC News, Washington Getty Images Hunter Schafer, a transgender woman and star of hit HBO teen drama Euphoria, has said a new US passport lists her as male, despite selecting female when she filled out the paperwork. “I was shocked,” Schafer said in a TikTok video showing the “M” marker on her new…
EEP Donald Trump has been back in the White House for a month. His fifth week in office saw more dramatic moves as the president continued on his plan to remake the federal government, implement sweeping cuts and reshape American foreign policy. This week he called Ukraine’s war-time president a “dictator”, pledged to make IVF…
Rachel Looker BBC News, Washington Getty Images CQ Brown with Hegseth at the Pentagon during a visit with Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu US President Donald Trump has fired the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff CQ Brown, the highest-ranking officer in the country, as part of a major shake-up of top military leadership. “I want…
Russia is achieving its aim of emerging from “diplomatic isolation” a senior Ukrainian official has told the BBC. Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Ihor Brusylo, told the BBC’s International editor Jeremy Bowen that President Trump’s stance on the war was “alarming”, but President Zelensky would change Trump’s mind on how…