Author: HeraldStar

The leaders of the three biggest centrist parties in Austria’s parliament said on Saturday they were confident they would reach a deal to form a coalition government without the far right, almost five months after a new lower house was elected. A deal between the conservative People’s Party (OVP), Social Democrats (SPO) and liberal Neos would bring to an end the longest wait for a new Austrian government since World War Two. “I am very confident that in the common ground that we have found, we will manage to finalize a coalition government agreement,” conservative People’s Party leader Christian Stocker said in…

The man arrested after a Spanish tourist was stabbed at Berlin’s Holocaust memorial on Friday was a 19-year-old Syrian refugee, Berlin prosecutors said, a day before a national election in which concerns over migration are expected to boost the far-right AfD party. Motivated by the Middle Eastern conflict, the suspect appears to have been planning to kill Jews for several weeks which is why he chose this location, the prosecutors said in a statement. Police arrested the suspect, whose hands and trousers were smeared with blood, shortly after the stabbing on Friday evening. The 30-year old Spanish tourist underwent emergency…

Japan’s Seven & i Holdings (3382.T), opens new tab, operator of the 7-Eleven convenience store chain, has picked Bain Capital as its preferred buyer for a stake of its non-core assets, local media reported on Saturday. Bain has been competing against rival private equity firm KKR (KKR.N), opens new tab and local buyout firm Japan Industrial Partners in bidding since late last year for a major stake in York Holdings, an entity that the retailer plans to spin off. Bain is believed to have offered a valuation of more than 700 billion yen ($4.7 billion) for York Holdings, the Nikkei newspaper and Jiji news agency…

A second meeting between representatives of Russia and the United States is planned for the next two weeks, the RIA state news agency reported on Saturday, citing Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov. Moscow and Washington held their first talks on ending the nearly three-year war in Ukraine on Tuesday, aimed at restoring relations and preparing to conclude the conflict. The meeting will take place in a third country and the specific location is being agreed upon, Ryabkov told RIA in an interview, without naming who would attend from the Russian or American sides. Ryabkov said there was “principled agreement” on both…

U.S. negotiators pressing Kyiv for access to Ukraine’s critical minerals have raised the possibility of cutting the country’s access to Elon Musk’s vital Starlink satellite internet system, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. Ukraine’s continued access to SpaceX-owned Starlink was brought up in discussions between U.S. and Ukrainian officials after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy turned down an initial proposal from U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the sources said. Starlink provides crucial internet connectivity to war-torn Ukraine and its military. The issue was raised again on Thursday during meetings between Keith Kellogg, the U.S. special Ukraine envoy, and Zelenskiy,…

In a ruined Soviet-era apartment block in Pisky, near the east Ukrainian city of Donetsk, huge chunks of roof and walls lie scattered about the floor where Maria Seryogova once played with her baby grandson. Seryogova and others who once lived here hope they can claim some kind of compensation from the Russians in charge, and have returned to snap photos of the rubble to back up their claims. “Oh my god, it’s horrible,” said Seryogova, 49, gesturing at the graffiti scrawled on the walls as the wind whistled through what was once the living room. “It’s scary to look…

President Donald Trump reversed course on Friday and said Russia did in fact invade Ukraine, and that Kyiv would soon sign a minerals agreement with the United States as part of efforts to end the Ukraine war. Trump had said on Tuesday that Ukraine “should have never started” the war three years ago, prompting a wave of criticism both domestically and internationally. Pressed on the subject in an interview with Fox News Radio on Friday, he acknowledged Russia had invaded Ukraine on the order of Russian President Vladimir Putin. “Russia attacked, but they shouldn’t have let him attack,” Trump said, adding that Ukraine…

On a wintry night in Damascus, hundreds of people packed into a courtyard in the Old City, dancing and singing during a joyful evening of music – a concert held with the approval of Syria’s new, Islamist-led authorities. It was the kind of scene that the singer, Mahmoud al-Haddad, feared might be in jeopardy as Islamist rebels led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a group with origins in global jihad, were advancing on the city in December. “Everyone was afraid,” Haddad said. “Would we be able to have a concert or not?” The downfall of President Bashar al-Assad ended more…

Hamas freed five hostages and was set to release one more from Gaza on Saturday in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees, after Israel confirmed that a body handed over hours earlier was that of hostage Shiri Bibas. Eliya Cohen, 27, Omer Shem Tov, 22, and Omer Wenkert, 23, all seized from the site of the Nova music festival in Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel, were handed over to the Red Cross to be transported to Israeli forces. Dozens of masked militants stood guard in a crowd that had gathered to watch the handover, as…

Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – February 13, 2025 – General Abdullah A. Alzahrani of the Royal Saudi Air Forces hosted a dinner in honor of Mr. Qaiser Nawab, Chairman of the Belt and Road Initiative for Sustainable Development (BRISD), and Mr. Pegasus Wong, Chairman of The Belt and Road Group, in Riyadh. During the meeting, the leaders discussed various avenues for cooperation across multiple sectors. General Alzahrani welcomed both distinguished guests to the Kingdom and commended their efforts to foster business opportunities in Saudi Arabia. He assured them of his unwavering support and guidance in their endeavors. General Alzahrani…