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Buses accompanied by security vehicles, carrying migrants to a boat to be repatriated to Myanmar, arrived at a stadium near Malaysia's Lumut naval base on Tuesday.  Malaysia is starting the first phase of a process agreed with Myanmar's military regime to send as many as 5,000 people back to the wartorn country.  Malaysia says the process is strictly voluntary, but the UN refugee agency and civil society organizations have voiced concerns about the security of those returning, saying they could face either military recruitment, persecution or detention amid the ongoing civil war. Ships were docked at the naval base, seemingly ready to transport the people to MyanmarImage: Vincent Thian/AP Photo/picture alliance What happened as Malaysia began the repatriation process?  The buses full o...

The US government has described the security alert over the weekend at the RAF Fairford base in southern England as a "very serious situation," thanking UK authorities for their cooperation. But President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio also both questioned the move to grant the five suspects bail under strict conditions as investigations against them continue.  RAF Fairford is a major military air field fairly close to the south coast of England. It's a rare European base from which the US operates heavy bombers, with the range to reach Iran amid the current conflict in the Gulf.  Long-range US bombers have operated out of Fairford since it was set up near the end of World War IIImage: Alastair Grant/AP Photo/picture alliance What did Rubio and Trump say about the case...

Flight restrictions at Italy's Catania Aiport were extended on Monday, following disruptions to services over the weekend.  A thick ash cloud emanating from the nearby Mount Etna volcano has prompted authorities to halt flights.  What do we know about the disruption?  The Sicilian aiport's operator, SAC, said that all flight operations at the hub had been suspended until at least midnight local time (2200 GMT/UTC) on Monday night.  It said that where possible arrivals and departures were transferring to Sicily's other airports in Palermo and Comiso. Catania is Italy's fifth-busiest airport, and Sicily's largest hub. Catania airport said that where possible, flights were diverting to Sicily's other airports, Palermo or Comiso Image: Salvatore Allegra/Anadolu/IMAGO SAC advised passenger...

A Turkish comedian was convicted in Istanbul on Monday on charges of "insulting" President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and "insulting religious values" during a stand-up performance in June.  The judge provisionally sentenced Deniz Goktas to 19 months in prison, but ordered his release pending the judicial review and appeal process that would finalized the verdict.  It was not immediately clear how long this process might take.  NATO member and EU aspirant Turkey routinely tries people on speech-related offenses, particularly and famously when it comes to supposed "insults" of its longserving leader Erdogan. What was the case about?  Deniz Goktas, 32, was arrested on July 3, a week after releasing a YouTube video of his show that was watched nearly 9 million times and a few days after shorte...

A Turkish comedian goes on trial in Istanbul on Monday facing charges of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other offenses during a stand-up performance in June.  Deniz Goktas, 32, was arrested on July 3, a week after releasing a YouTube video of his show that was watched nearly 9 million times and a few days after shorter clips he posted on X enjoyed similar rapid success.  A group of around 50 protesters gathered outside the courtroom with umbrellas in pouring rain on Monday morning, chanting "Deniz Goktas is not alone."  Supporters and journalists were also waiting to enter the courtroom, including several fellow comedians from Istanbul's TuzBiber club, and observers from the Dutch embassy and the US consulate.  NATO member and EU aspirant Turkey routinely tries people on ...

Iran on Sunday insisted on its conditions for reopeningthe Strait of Hormuz, despite US President Donald Trump's public rejection of the proposal that had birthed some hope for reopening the key waterway. "Our conditions are clear, and any move toward reopening the Strait of Hormuz is contingent upon these conditions being fulfilled. We will not back down from them," Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday, according to state broadcaster IRIB. "We have never closed the door to diplomacy or negotiations, but at the same time, we have never backed down from our rights," he said. Iran proposed a seven-day plan aimed at reopening the strategic waterway at the UN General Assembly in New York, which it said could put an end to fighting within days.Iran offers plan to reopen Strait of H...

Heavy rain and strong winds pounded the northeastern United States on Saturday, forcing authorities to cancel hundreds of flights and leaving thousands without electricity. New York, Boston and Philadelphia were in the firing line of the 'Nor'easter,' named after the northeasterly winds. What is a nor'easter storm? Nor'easters are large cyclones in the western North Atlantic Ocean, which typically form off the east coast of the US. They can occur throughout the year but are more frequent between fall and early spring. Nor'easters are almost always accompanied by heavy rainfall or snow, as well as strong winds. What have authorities said about the nor'easter? Residents in low-lying and coastal areas were warned of potential flooding and road closures, as the storm coincides with high...

At least 11 people were killed in a suicide bombing in northwestern Pakistan on Saturday, authorities said. The blast happened just two days after fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan along their southwestern border killed at least 13 members of the Afghan Taliban.Are Pakistan and Afghanistan heading for war?To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video What do we know? Police said the bomber detonated an explosives-laden vehicle at a roadside police checkpoint in Dera Ismail Khan, the country's 10th largest city. Dera Ismail Khan sits in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which runs along the border with Afghanistan and has been repeatedly hit by Islamist militant violence. Around 30 others were wounded in the blast, mos...

Italy's conservative government on Thursday approved a new decree banning face-covering Islamic veils —  including burqas and niqabs —  in schools and putting a limit on the number of students with a poor command of the Italian language in each classroom. Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, called her Cabinet's measures "tools of common sense that do not divide," adding that they will help integration by avoiding what the right-wing leader called "ghetto classes." She went on to say the rules would lead to all students receiving the "same opportunities." Opposition parties and other critics have denounced the move by Meloni's government, with some calling it a "witch hunt” and others accusing the government of turning immigration into more of a political issue ahead of next year's...