International from Wednesday, June 25th, 2025

Astronauts from India, Poland and Hungary have embarked on a two-week science research mission early Wednesday, marking a return to human spaceflight after more than 40 years and the first mission to the International Space Station.

The ceasefire brokered by US President Donald Trump between Iran and Israel appeared to be holding on Wednesday a day after both countries signalled that their air war had ended, at least for now.

Kenyans are expected to take to the streets in large numbers on Wednesday to mark the one-year anniversary of anti-government protests that culminated in the storming of parliament and several deaths as police opened fire on demonstrators.

The Ministerial Council of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has denounced the Iranian missile attacks on the Al Udeid air base in Qatar, describing it as a "blatant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty", during an "extraordinary meeting" in Doha.

A preliminary US intelligence assessment has determined that US strikes over the weekend on Iranian nuclear facilities have only set back Tehran’s programme by a matter of months, three sources told Reuters.