Germany Charges Syrian National in Connection with Taylor Swift Concert Plot

Singer Taylor Swift, left, takes in the third period in Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers in Sunrise, Fla., Thursday, June 12, 2025. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)
Singer Taylor Swift, left, takes in the third period in Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers in Sunrise, Fla., Thursday, June 12, 2025. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)
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Germany Charges Syrian National in Connection with Taylor Swift Concert Plot

Singer Taylor Swift, left, takes in the third period in Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers in Sunrise, Fla., Thursday, June 12, 2025. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)
Singer Taylor Swift, left, takes in the third period in Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers in Sunrise, Fla., Thursday, June 12, 2025. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Germany has charged a Syrian national with supporting a foreign terrorist organization for helping to plan a foiled attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna last year, the prosecutor general said in a statement on Friday.

Identified as Mohammad A, the suspect helped the would-be attacker by translating Arabic bomb-building instructions and putting him in contact with a member of ISIS online, according to the charges against him.

Swift's three concerts in Vienna last August were cancelled after the government confirmed a planned attack at the stadium.

Police had been expecting around 65,000 attendees at each show, as well as up to 15,000 people outside the stadium without tickets, which fed security concerns.

The shows were to be part of the record-breaking Eras Tour by the American singer-songwriter.



France's Navy Intercepts an Oil Tanker in the Mediterranean Sailing from Russia

FILE PHOTO: Tugboat escorts French Navy frigate Vendemiaire on arrival for a 5-day goodwill visit at a port in Metro Manila, Philippines March 12, 2018. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco/File Photo P
FILE PHOTO: Tugboat escorts French Navy frigate Vendemiaire on arrival for a 5-day goodwill visit at a port in Metro Manila, Philippines March 12, 2018. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco/File Photo P
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France's Navy Intercepts an Oil Tanker in the Mediterranean Sailing from Russia

FILE PHOTO: Tugboat escorts French Navy frigate Vendemiaire on arrival for a 5-day goodwill visit at a port in Metro Manila, Philippines March 12, 2018. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco/File Photo P
FILE PHOTO: Tugboat escorts French Navy frigate Vendemiaire on arrival for a 5-day goodwill visit at a port in Metro Manila, Philippines March 12, 2018. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco/File Photo P

France’s Navy, working with intelligence provided by the United Kingdom, on Thursday intercepted an oil tanker in the Mediterranean Sea that traveled from Russia, in a mission targeting the sanctioned Russian shadow fleet, officials said, Reuters reported.

French maritime authorities for the Mediterranean said the ship, the Grinch, is suspected of operating with a false flag.

The French Navy is escorting the ship to port for more checks, the statement said.


Zelensky Says Meeting with Trump in Davos was 'Very Good'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks to wounded Ukrainian soldiers during a visit at Staten Island University Hospital, in New York, Monday, Sept. 18, 2023. (AP)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks to wounded Ukrainian soldiers during a visit at Staten Island University Hospital, in New York, Monday, Sept. 18, 2023. (AP)
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Zelensky Says Meeting with Trump in Davos was 'Very Good'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks to wounded Ukrainian soldiers during a visit at Staten Island University Hospital, in New York, Monday, Sept. 18, 2023. (AP)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks to wounded Ukrainian soldiers during a visit at Staten Island University Hospital, in New York, Monday, Sept. 18, 2023. (AP)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had a "very good" meeting with US President Donald Trump in Davos on Thursday.

"We spoke about documents and about air defense," Zelensky told reporters briefly without elaborating before addressing the World Economic Forum in the Swiss ski resort.

Zelenskiy also said he ​discussed progress on peace talks.

"We discussed the work of our teams, and practically every there are meetings ⁠or communication," Zelenskiy ‌wrote on X, adding ‍that ‍the documents ‍being negotiated by Kyiv and Washington were "now even better prepared".

"Our ​previous meeting with President Trump helped ⁠strengthen the protection of our skies, and I hope that this time we will reinforce it further as well."


France Says Won't Join Peace Board for Now, Partly Contrary to UN Charter

France's President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a ministerial meeting on the implementation of the Middle East peace plan at the Quai d'Orsay, in Paris, France October 9, 2025. Thomas Samson/Pool via REUTERS
France's President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a ministerial meeting on the implementation of the Middle East peace plan at the Quai d'Orsay, in Paris, France October 9, 2025. Thomas Samson/Pool via REUTERS
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France Says Won't Join Peace Board for Now, Partly Contrary to UN Charter

France's President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a ministerial meeting on the implementation of the Middle East peace plan at the Quai d'Orsay, in Paris, France October 9, 2025. Thomas Samson/Pool via REUTERS
France's President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a ministerial meeting on the implementation of the Middle East peace plan at the Quai d'Orsay, in Paris, France October 9, 2025. Thomas Samson/Pool via REUTERS

France will not join US President ​Donald Trump's Board of Peace for now because its charter does not correspond with ‌a UN ‌resolution ‌to ⁠resolve the ​war ‌in Gaza, and some of the charter's elements were contrary to the UN charter, ⁠its foreign ministry ‌spokesman said on ‍Thursday, Reuters reported.

"It ‍was not corresponding ‍on the one hand with the pure Gaza mandate, which ​is not even mentioned, and ⁠on the other hand, there are elements of this charter which are contrary to the United Nations charter," Pascal Confavreux told reporters.

According to The AP news, the new peace board was initially envisioned as a small group of world leaders overseeing the ceasefire, but it has morphed into something far more ambitious — and skepticism about its membership and mandate has led some countries usually closest to Washington to take a pass.