EU to Take Part in Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ but Not as Member 

European Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Suica speaks during a debate on the “Situation in Northeast Syria, the violence against civilians and the need to maintain a sustainable ceasefire” as part of the European Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg, France, 10 February 2026. (EPA) 
European Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Suica speaks during a debate on the “Situation in Northeast Syria, the violence against civilians and the need to maintain a sustainable ceasefire” as part of the European Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg, France, 10 February 2026. (EPA) 
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EU to Take Part in Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ but Not as Member 

European Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Suica speaks during a debate on the “Situation in Northeast Syria, the violence against civilians and the need to maintain a sustainable ceasefire” as part of the European Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg, France, 10 February 2026. (EPA) 
European Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Suica speaks during a debate on the “Situation in Northeast Syria, the violence against civilians and the need to maintain a sustainable ceasefire” as part of the European Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg, France, 10 February 2026. (EPA) 

The European Union will take part in this week's inaugural meeting of US President Donald Trump's "Board of Peace", but a spokesman insisted Monday that Brussels would not be joining as a member.

The European Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Suica, will head to Washington to represent the EU at the meeting Thursday.

"She will participate in the meeting of the Board of Peace for the specific part dedicated to Gaza. Let me stress that the European Commission, it's not becoming a member to the Board of Peace," EU spokesman Guillaume Mercier said.

He added the EU executive was participating as part of its "long-standing commitment" to the implementation of the Gaza ceasefire and "to support the reconstruction and the post-recovery in Gaza", he added.

The Board of Peace, of which Trump is the chairman, was initially designed to oversee the Gaza truce and reconstruction after the war between Hamas and Israel.

But its purpose has since morphed into resolving all sorts of international conflicts, triggering fears the US president wants to create a rival to the UN.

Some EU member states have raised concerns about the board.

"We still have a number of questions regarding several elements in the Board of Peace: one concerning its scope, two concerning its governance, and three, its compatibility with the UN Charter," EU spokesman Anouar El Anouni said.



Israel Says Struck Site it Claims Iran Used for Developing Nuclear Arms

This satellite image released on March 11, 2026 courtesy of Vantor shows a view of Taleghan 2 facility at the Parchin military complex, some 30 kms (20 miles) southeast of Tehran, Iran, on March 6, 2026. (Photo by Satellite image 2026 Vantor / AFP)
This satellite image released on March 11, 2026 courtesy of Vantor shows a view of Taleghan 2 facility at the Parchin military complex, some 30 kms (20 miles) southeast of Tehran, Iran, on March 6, 2026. (Photo by Satellite image 2026 Vantor / AFP)
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Israel Says Struck Site it Claims Iran Used for Developing Nuclear Arms

This satellite image released on March 11, 2026 courtesy of Vantor shows a view of Taleghan 2 facility at the Parchin military complex, some 30 kms (20 miles) southeast of Tehran, Iran, on March 6, 2026. (Photo by Satellite image 2026 Vantor / AFP)
This satellite image released on March 11, 2026 courtesy of Vantor shows a view of Taleghan 2 facility at the Parchin military complex, some 30 kms (20 miles) southeast of Tehran, Iran, on March 6, 2026. (Photo by Satellite image 2026 Vantor / AFP)

Israel's military said Thursday that it had struck a site in Iran it claimed was being used to develop nuclear weapons.

"The Israeli Air Force, acting on precise IDF intelligence, struck an additional Iranian nuclear program site," the military said, claiming the "Taleghan compound was utilized by the regime to advance critical capabilities for developing nuclear weapons.”

The Taleghan compound likely refers to a facility in Parchin, southeast of Tehran, where US-based think tank the Institute for Science and International Security, which has been monitoring Iran's nuclear program, recently claimed Iran conducts covert military activities.


Scores killed and Missing after Landslides Sweep Ethiopia

Children gather at a market stall to collect goods in Chercher, Southern Tigray, on March 4, 2026. (Photo by Abel Gerezgiher / AFP)
Children gather at a market stall to collect goods in Chercher, Southern Tigray, on March 4, 2026. (Photo by Abel Gerezgiher / AFP)
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Scores killed and Missing after Landslides Sweep Ethiopia

Children gather at a market stall to collect goods in Chercher, Southern Tigray, on March 4, 2026. (Photo by Abel Gerezgiher / AFP)
Children gather at a market stall to collect goods in Chercher, Southern Tigray, on March 4, 2026. (Photo by Abel Gerezgiher / AFP)

At least 50 people have died and 125 others are missing after landslides hit three districts in southern Ethiopia following a week of heavy rains, a local official said Thursday.

The landslides happened in Gamo Zone and affected the Gacho Baba District, Kamba District and Bonke District, according to Gamo Zone director of disaster response Mesfin Manuqa.

According to The Associated Press, Manuqa said that one person was pulled out of the mud alive during the rescue operation.

The Gacho Baba District communication chief, Abebe Agena, said most of those who died were found buried in the mud. It is not yet clear how many households were affected.

Tilahun Kebede, president of the South Ethiopia Regional State, expressed his sorrow over the disaster and urged residents to move to higher ground as rains continue.

“Given that it is the rainy season and these types of disasters could happen again, I am calling on communities living in the highlands and flood-prone areas to take the necessary precautions,” he said.

Mudslides and floods caused by heavy rainfall are common in Ethiopia, especially during the rainy season.


Kremlin Accuses Ukraine of 'Reckless' Strikes on Major Gas Pipeline

File photo: Pipes at the landfall facilities of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline are pictured in Lubmin, Germany, March 8, 2022. (Reuters)
File photo: Pipes at the landfall facilities of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline are pictured in Lubmin, Germany, March 8, 2022. (Reuters)
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Kremlin Accuses Ukraine of 'Reckless' Strikes on Major Gas Pipeline

File photo: Pipes at the landfall facilities of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline are pictured in Lubmin, Germany, March 8, 2022. (Reuters)
File photo: Pipes at the landfall facilities of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline are pictured in Lubmin, Germany, March 8, 2022. (Reuters)

The Kremlin accused Ukraine on Thursday of targeting a major gas pipeline in southern Russia that leads to Türkiye with "reckless" drone strikes.

Ukraine has hit Russian energy targets throughout Moscow's four-year offensive, a war that has killed thousands and displaced millions.

"At night, there were renewed attempts to attack the Russkaya compressor station with drones," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, calling the pipeline an "international facility" that "ensures energy security for Türkiye".

"These are absolutely reckless actions by the Kyiv regime," Peskov said.

Russia's defense ministry said it had downed 10 Ukrainian-launched drones in the early hours of Thursday "above the gas compressor station that supplies gas to the TurkStream pipeline".

The station lies in Russia's southern Krasnodar region, which is regularly targeted by Ukrainian drone strikes.

State-owned Russian gas producer Gazprom earlier said that the Russkaya and Beregovaya stations were targeted.

It called them "critical energy infrastructure facilities ensuring the reliability of gas exports via the TurkStream and Blue Stream gas pipelines."

Russia has decimated much of Ukraine's energy infrastructure in more than four years of war.