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Albania's Education Ministry caught fire on Wednesday in a second day of student protests over corruption and education.  The scenes were at least somewhat reminiscent of the protracted student demonstrations in France in recent weeks. They are probably the most violent outburst of low-level anti-corruption protests against Prime Minister Edi Rama's government and the main opposition led by Sali Barisha that started in May this year.  Many of the demonstrators wore face coveringsImage: Florion Goga/REUTERS What happened in Tirana's student protests?  Police deployed riot police and used tear gas and water cannons to disperse crowds in the capital Tirana.  Thousands of protesters gathered in front of the Education Ministry on Wednesday, many obscuring their faces. Some threw bricks at...

The foreign ministers of Germany, Norway, Poland and the UK spoke at the Warsaw Security Forum on Tuesday.  This came as investigators in Germany were chasing down suspects for a fire at a Starlink station in Poland, and as Ukraine's European allies scrambled to deal with US President Donald Trump's latest lurch into Vladimir Putin's lap.  What did the ministers say about Russian diesel and Ukraine?  German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul bemoaned the US decision to lift sanctions on Russian diesel as part of a deal to supply the US — seemingly struck as Trump panics about fuel prices with the Iran war still unresolved and a month to go until midterm elections.  "I would say this is not the time to lower the sanctions regime but to strengthen this," Wadephul said, noting the new packa...

The British government has accused Iran of involvement in a security alert outside a UK/US airbase in southern England last month, summoning the ambassador and announcing sanctions against two individuals.  Five British nationals were arrested in the vicinity of the RAF Fairford airbase on September 27 on suspicion of terrorism and explosives offenses. They were later released on bail under strict conditions, and another arrest followed days later. Police had already said they were considering the possibility of a foreign state actor's involvement, not least given RAF Fairford's importance to the US Air Force as one of the European bases that handles heavy bombers like B-1's and B-52's, with ample range to reach Iran. Some of the more advanced US bombers at RAF Fairford were ordered home...

Polish officials on Monday said that two Turkish citizens have been detained in Germany in connection with a fire last month at a Starlink station in Poland.  The satellite-based Starlink internet service is widely used by the military of Poland's neighbor Ukraine amid the Russian invasion.  Officials from several EU countries have been warning of mounting Russian sabotage, cyber and hybrid attacks across Europe aiming either to erode support for Ukraine or to impact Ukraine directly.  Polish officials did not specify exactly where or when the two men were allegedly detained in Germany.  What did Poland say about the arrests and the case?  Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski reported the arrests on Monday, with Prime Minister Donald Tusk following soon after.  "On behalf of Po...

Hurricane Simon lashed vulnerable resorts and towns along Mexico's Pacific Coast on Sunday as it moved parallel to the shoreline, despite weakening to a category 3 storm. "Additional weakening is forecast but Simon is still expected to be a strong hurricane as it passes near the coast of west-central Mexico tonight," the US National Hurricane Center's advisory said. Simon is expected to move farther offshore on Monday before turning back towards Mexico's coast on Wednesday, it said. On high alert Mexican authorities have placed 28 municipalities across the states of Jalisco and Colima under the highest cyclone alert level. Another 93 municipalities were under high ‌alert, according to civil protection bulletins. Strong winds are battering the coastal states on the Pacific end of Mexico...

US President Donald Trump said Sunday that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to halt strikes on each other's energy infrastructure. "Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine," the president wrote on his Truth Social network. Trump continued: "Both parties have agreed," before urging restraint from both Kyiv and Moscow: "Do not break it!" Zelenskyy: Energy ceasefire 'news for me' There was ‌no immediate ​confirmation ⁠from Moscow, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the news site Axios within minutes of Trump's post that the ceasefire was "news for me." "The ceasefire announcement was news for me. But if Russians agree to an energy ceasefire, Ukraine will agree. If President Trump negotiated it with Putin, please tell us when th...