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Dozens of Tourists Safely Evacuated after Boat Catches Fire Off Greek Island

FILE - This undated handout image provided by Greece's coast guard on June 14, 2023, shows scores of people on a battered fishing boat that later capsized and sank off southern Greece. (Hellenic Coast Guard via AP, File)
FILE - This undated handout image provided by Greece's coast guard on June 14, 2023, shows scores of people on a battered fishing boat that later capsized and sank off southern Greece. (Hellenic Coast Guard via AP, File)
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Dozens of Tourists Safely Evacuated after Boat Catches Fire Off Greek Island

FILE - This undated handout image provided by Greece's coast guard on June 14, 2023, shows scores of people on a battered fishing boat that later capsized and sank off southern Greece. (Hellenic Coast Guard via AP, File)
FILE - This undated handout image provided by Greece's coast guard on June 14, 2023, shows scores of people on a battered fishing boat that later capsized and sank off southern Greece. (Hellenic Coast Guard via AP, File)

Dozens of tourists were safely evacuated from a boat that caught fire Thursday off the Greek resort island of Rhodes, authorities said.

The coast guard said all passengers were safely taken to land after the blaze broke out about 300 meters offshore. Officials were not immediately able to say how many people had been on board.

State-run ERT TV said the boat was carrying 82 people and no one was hurt. It said the fire broke out as the vessel was sailing off the area of Archangelos on the island's eastern coast.

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World

Araghchi Says Iran Has ‘Real Ideas’ to Achieve ‘Fair Deal,’ Rejects Threats

08 February 2026, Iran, Teheran: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi speaks during his weekly press conference in Tehran. Photo: Foad Ashtari/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
08 February 2026, Iran, Teheran: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi speaks during his weekly press conference in Tehran. Photo: Foad Ashtari/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
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Araghchi Says Iran Has ‘Real Ideas’ to Achieve ‘Fair Deal,’ Rejects Threats

08 February 2026, Iran, Teheran: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi speaks during his weekly press conference in Tehran. Photo: Foad Ashtari/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
08 February 2026, Iran, Teheran: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi speaks during his weekly press conference in Tehran. Photo: Foad Ashtari/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was in Geneva on Monday ahead of a second round of negotiations with the United States, saying he had “real ideas to achieve a fair and equitable deal.”

According to Tehran, "indirect" Iran-US nuclear talks mediated by Oman will be held on Tuesday, although Washington has previously pushed for other topics to be discussed including Iran's ballistic missiles and support for regional proxies.

Tehran and Washington restarted negotiations this month after previous talks collapsed when Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign against Iran last June.

Considerable uncertainty surrounds the fate of Iran's stockpile of more than 400 kilograms of 60-percent enriched uranium that was last seen by nuclear watchdog inspectors in June.

During his visit to Geneva, Araghchi is expected to hold talks with his Swiss and Omani counterparts as well as the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, and other international officials, Iran's foreign ministry said.

Washington has dispatched Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, the White House confirmed on Sunday.

The latest talks follow repeated threats from Trump of military action against Tehran, first over Iran's deadly crackdown on anti-government protests, and then more recently over the country's nuclear program.

“I am in Geneva with real ideas to achieve a fair and equitable deal. What is not on the table: submission before threats,” Araghchi said on X.

On February 6, Araghchi led the Iranian delegation in indirect talks with Witkoff and Kushner in Muscat.

Iranian deputy foreign minister for economic diplomacy Hamid Ghanbari said Tehran was seeking a deal with the United States that would generate economic benefits for both countries, particularly in sectors such as aviation, mining and oil and gas, the Fars news agency reported.

"For the agreement to be viable, it is essential that the United States also be able to benefit from it in areas with strong and rapid economic return potential," he was quoted as saying.

World

NKorea Opens Housing District for Families of Soldiers Killed in Russia-Ukraine War

In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, second right, attends a completion ceremony of the new street, called Saeppyol Street in Pyongyang, North Korea Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)
In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, second right, attends a completion ceremony of the new street, called Saeppyol Street in Pyongyang, North Korea Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)
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NKorea Opens Housing District for Families of Soldiers Killed in Russia-Ukraine War

In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, second right, attends a completion ceremony of the new street, called Saeppyol Street in Pyongyang, North Korea Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)
In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, second right, attends a completion ceremony of the new street, called Saeppyol Street in Pyongyang, North Korea Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

North Korea said Monday it completed a new housing district in Pyongyang for families of North Korean soldiers killed while fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine, the latest effort by leader Kim Jong Un to honor the war dead.

According to The Associated Press, state media photos showed Kim Jong Un walking through the new street — called Saeppyol Street — and visiting the homes of some of the families with his increasingly prominent daughter, believed to be named Kim Ju Ae, as he pledged to repay the “young martyrs” who “sacrificed all to their motherland.”

In recent months, North Korea has intensified propaganda glorifying troops deployed to fight in Russia’s war against Ukraine, such as establishing a memorial wall and building a museum. Analysts see it as an effort to bolster internal unity and curb potential public discontent.

Kim in recent months has sent thousands of troops and large quantities of military equipment, including artillery and missiles, to fuel Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine, as the leaders align in the face of their separate confrontations with Washington.

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service told lawmakers last week it estimated 6,000 North Korean troops have been killed or wounded during their deployment in the war, but did not provide a breakdown of fatalities. The agency said last year it believed roughly 600 had died.

The spy agency believes North Korean forces are gaining modern combat experience and Russian technical support that could improve the performance of their weapons systems, according to lawmakers who attended last week’s closed-door briefing.

The construction of the new street comes as North Korea prepares to open a major ruling party congress later this month, where Kim is expected to announce his major goals in domestic and foreign policy over the next five years and take further steps to tighten his control.

World

Fireworks Store Blast in China Kills 8 Ahead of Lunar New Year

Men perform molten iron fireworks in a park in Beijing on February 15, 2026 ahead of the Lunar New Year of the Horse. (Photo by Pedro PARDO / AFP)
Men perform molten iron fireworks in a park in Beijing on February 15, 2026 ahead of the Lunar New Year of the Horse. (Photo by Pedro PARDO / AFP)
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Fireworks Store Blast in China Kills 8 Ahead of Lunar New Year

Men perform molten iron fireworks in a park in Beijing on February 15, 2026 ahead of the Lunar New Year of the Horse. (Photo by Pedro PARDO / AFP)
Men perform molten iron fireworks in a park in Beijing on February 15, 2026 ahead of the Lunar New Year of the Horse. (Photo by Pedro PARDO / AFP)

An explosion and fire at a fireworks shop in eastern China has killed eight people and left two others with minor burns ahead of the Lunar New Year, authorities said.

The "improper discharge" of fireworks by one or more villagers caused an explosion at a nearby store in Jiangsu province's Donghai county around 2:30 pm (0630 GMT) on Sunday, local authorities said in a statement on social media.

"Emergency management, fire, public security, and health authorities rushed to the scene immediately to carry out rescue and response operations," Donghai authorities added.

Setting off firecrackers at midnight on the Lunar New Year is a tradition in China, but many places have banned fireworks in recent years, at least in part because of air pollution.

They may make a comeback in some places after some governments eased their bans last year.

The Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival in China, falls on Tuesday. It will mark the start of the year of the horse in the Chinese zodiac.

Following Sunday's explosion, the Ministry of Emergency Management urged all regions to strengthen the supervision of the production, transportation, sales and use of fireworks to prevent future accidents.

A ministry statement said that trying out fireworks and firecrackers around stores should be strictly prohibited and called on local governments to identify and eliminate blind ”spots “to ensure the people have a safe, auspicious and happy Spring Festival.”