Stubb, Abbas discuss about Gaza situation over phone National DF Report President Alexander Stubb on Thursday had a telephone conversation with President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas, said the President Office. The Presidents discussed, among other things, the situation in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and the Middle East. “Had a good discussion today (Thursday) with President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmud Abbas. We discussed about the situation in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and the Middle East,” Stubb wrote in a post in his social media platform X after the discussion ..read more

Russia expels 2 Latvian diplomats in retaliation DF News Desk The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that it will expel two diplomatic employees from the Latvian diplomatic mission in Moscow as a retaliatory move, reported Xinhua.    The ministry on Thursday summoned Latvian Charge d'Affaires Dace Rutka and expressed strong protest over announcing two Russian diplomats in the Latvian capital Riga as "persona non grata without any grounds," it said in a statement.    The ministry said it has informed the Latvian side that if Riga continues hostile actions against Rus ..read more

Palestinian death toll from Israeli attacks on Gaza rises to 34,305 DF News Desk The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip from ongoing Israeli attacks has risen to 34,305, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said on Thursday, reported Xinhua.    In a press statement, the ministry said that the Israeli army killed 43 Palestinians and wounded 64 others during the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll to 34,305 and injuries to 77,293 since the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out on Oct. 7, 2023.    The ministry added that there are still many victims trapped under the rubble ..read more

Sweden to send troops to Latvia as NATO member: PM DF News Desk Sweden has finalized its integration into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and will send a reduced battalion to Latvia early next year, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on Thursday, reported Xinhua. A declaration would be signed Thursday afternoon to finalize Sweden's military integration into NATO, Kristersson said at a joint press conference with Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina. He said his government had decided earlier on Thursday to task the Swedish defense forces with preparing for Sweden's contribution ..read more

9 Turkish rail officials jailed for deadly train crash DF News Desk A Turkish court on Thursday sentenced nine officials to jail over a train crash in 2018 that killed 25 people, reported Xinhua, quoting local media.    The verdict in the case against 13 defendants, who were on trial for "causing death and injury by negligence," was announced after six years and 20 hearings, the local NTV broadcaster reported.    Nine of the defendants on trial were sentenced to prison terms ranging from eight years and four months to 17 years and six months. Four were acquitted.  &nb ..read more

28 whales perished in Australia after mass stranding DF News Desk Wildlife authorities confirmed that 28 long-finned pilot whales died and more than 100 others returned to the ocean after they were found stranded at a Western Australian beach on Thursday, reported Xinhua.    Earlier in the morning, four pods of up to 160 pilot whales in total were beached at Toby's Inlet near Dunsborough, spreading across about 500 meters.    At around 4:45 p.m. local time, the Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) said in its latest update that ..read more

Pro-Palestinian protesters rally at University of California DF News Desk Hundreds of protesters gathered and built a protest encampment in support of Palestinians on Thursday at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), one of the top public universities in the United States, reported Xinhua.    Organizers of the "UCLA Palestine Solidarity Encampment" said in a statement that "We will not be silent while Gaza is being annihilated."    The group, made of UCLA students, community members, faculty, and staff, issued a list of demands that include the boycotts of Isra ..read more

Israeli military completes preparations for ground operation in Rafah DF News Desk Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces Herzi Halevi informed Israel's wartime cabinet on Thursday that the army had completed preparations for a ground attack on Rafah, Gaza's southernmost city, reported Xinhua, quoting state-owned Kan radio. Israel's wartime cabinet and security cabinet convened on Thursday to discuss a possible assault on Rafah, a city previously considered a "safe zone" from the relentless Israeli bombardments, where about 1.4 million displaced Palestinians have found refuge ..read more

Tavio visits Kiev to support Ukraine´s reconstruction National DF Report Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio on Thursday visited Kiev and discussed Finland’s support for Ukraine with the Ukrainian leaders, said the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in a press release. During his visit, Tavio met Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko and Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration of Ukraine Oleksandr Kubrakov. The Ministers discussed Finland’s support for Ukraine, Ukraine’s reconstruction needs and future cooperation between the countries. Finn ..read more

Birth rate remains low in Finland in Q1 National DF Report The number of births was 4,313 lower than that of deaths in Finland during January-March period, according to Statistics Finland. According to the preliminary data, Finland's population was 5,611,934 at the end of March.  Country´s population, however, was increased by 7,376 persons in the first three months of the year. The reason for the population increase was migration gain from abroad as the number of immigrants was 11,422 higher than that of emigrants. The number of births was 17,786 lower than that of deaths in Finland in ..read more