news wow

A bus crash on a Nigerian highway on Saturday killed 21 athletes returning from a national sports tournament, with authorities saying the accident might have been the result of driver fatigue or excessive speed. The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said the afternoon crash, which did not involve other vehicles, "might have occurred as a result of fatigue and excessive speed" after a long overnight trip. The athletes were returning to Kano, in Nigeria's north, from the 22nd National Sports Festival, held around 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) to the south in Ogun state. President Bola Tinubu had recently said the games, which included sports ranging from wheelchair basketball to traditional west African wrestling, represented "the unity, strength and resilience that define us as a nation". from Latest World News, International News | Breaking World News https://ift.tt/VJUZivO via IFTTT

India is witnessing a fresh surge in Covid-19 cases, with active infections nearing 3,000 nationwide, as Kerala emerges as the worst-hit state followed by Maharashtra and Delhi amid a sharp uptick in cases within just four days, NDTV reported. According to official data released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the country recorded 2,710 active cases as of May 30, up from 1,010 on May 26 — a nearly threefold increase. Kerala has reported the highest number of cases at 1,147, followed by Maharashtra with 424, and Delhi with 294. Gujarat has also recorded 223 cases. Other states reporting a notable number of infections include Tamil Nadu and Karnataka with 148 cases each, and West Bengal with 116. Rajasthan has recorded 51 cases, while Uttar Pradesh has reported 42. Smaller case numbers have been reported in Puducherry (25), Haryana (20), Andhra Pradesh (16), and Madhya Pradesh (10). Read more: CDC updates COVID vaccine guidance, keeps option open for healthy children Go...

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned on Saturday that the threat from China was real and potentially imminent as he pushed allies in the Indo-Pacific to spend more on their own defence needs. Hegseth, speaking for the first time at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Asia's premier forum for defence leaders, militaries and diplomats, underlined that the Indo-Pacific region was a priority for the Trump administration. "There's no reason to sugar coat it. The threat China poses is real, and it could be imminent," Hegseth said, in some of his strongest comments on the Communist nation since he took office in January. He added that any attempt by China to conquer Taiwan "would result in devastating consequences for the Indo-Pacific and the world", and echoed Trump's comment that China will not invade Taiwan on the president's watch. China views Taiwan as its own territory and has vowed to "reunify" with the democratic and separately gover...

Hamas has submitted a formal response to a US -brokered ceasefire proposal that would see the release of 10 living hostages and the bodies of 18 others in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, the group announced on Saturday. The response was conveyed to mediators following consultations within Palestinian factions, marking the most concrete sign of progress toward a ceasefire since negotiations collapsed in March. Hamas said its position reflects a desire to end the conflict in Gaza, ensure the flow of humanitarian aid, and secure a full Israeli withdrawal from the territory. "This proposal aims to achieve a permanent ceasefire, a comprehensive withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and ensure the flow of aid to our people and our families in the Gaza Strip," the group said in a statement. The proposal appears to closely align with previous drafts that suggested Hamas would release hostages—including the remains of some—in exchange for the release of 1,1...

Flash floods that ripped through parts of central Nigeria have killed at least 115 people, an emergency services official said on Friday, with the toll expected to rise further. Teams of rescuers continued to search for missing residents after torrential rains late on Wednesday through early Thursday washed away and submerged dozens of homes in and around the town of Mokwa, located on the banks of Niger River, in Niger state. "We have so far recovered 115 bodies and more are expected to be recovered because the flood came from far distance and washed people into the River Niger," Ibrahim Audu Husseini, a spokesman for the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, told AFP. "Downstream, bodies are still being recovered. So, the toll keeps rising," he added. He said many were still missing, citing a family of 12 where only four members have been accounted for. "Some bodies were recovered from the debris of collapsed homes," he said, adding that his teams woul...

The US plan for Gaza, seen by Reuters on Friday, proposes a 60-day ceasefire and the release of 28 Israeli hostages - alive and dead - in the first week, in exchange for the release of 1,236 Palestinian prisoners and the remains of 180 dead Palestinians. The document, which says the plan is guaranteed by US President Donald Trump and mediators Egypt and Qatar, includes sending humanitarian aid to Gaza as soon as Hamas signs off on the ceasefire agreement. The aid will be delivered by the United Nations, the Red Crescent and other agreed channels. The White House said on Thursday that Israel had agreed to the US ceasefire proposal. Israeli media said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the families of hostages held in Gaza that Israel had accepted the deal presented by Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. The prime minister's office declined to comment. Hamas said it had received the Israeli response to the proposal, which it said "fails to meet any of the just and legit...

The US Supreme Court on Friday let President Donald Trump's administration revoke the temporary legal status of hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan, Cuban, Haitian and Nicaraguan migrants living in the United States, bolstering the Republican president's drive to step up deportations. The court put on hold Boston-based US District Judge Indira Talwani's order halting the administration's move to end the immigration "parole" granted to 532,000 of these migrants by Trump's predecessor Joe Biden, potentially exposing many of them to rapid removal, while the case plays out in lower courts. Immigration parole is a form of temporary permission under American law to be in the country for "urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit," allowing recipients to live and work in the United States. Biden, a Democrat, used parole as part of his administration's approach to deter illegal immigration at the US-Mexican border. Trump called for en...

A Sri Lankan court sentenced on Thursday two former ministers from the government of deposed president Gotabaya Rajapaksa to decades in prison in a landmark corruption case. Ex-sports minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage and former trade minister Anil Fernando were found guilty by the Colombo High Court of misappropriating 53 million rupees ($177,000) of state funds. The pair were also fined $2,000 for using government money to donate board games -- including 14,000 carrom boards and 11,000 draughts sets -- in an attempt to boost the failed 2015 re-election bid of Gotabaya's elder brother, Mahinda Rajapaksa. Aluthgamage was sentenced to 20 years in jail. Fernando was sentenced to 25 years. Aluthgamage is now the most senior member of a Rajapaksa-led cabinet to be successfully prosecuted for corruption. The cases against both men were initiated six years ago, when the Rajapaksa brothers were out of power, but the case had been making slow headway until a new government took office last...

The US State Department indicated Thursday that a global suspension on visa processing for international students would be brief, as it ramps up scrutiny of applicants' social media activity. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce encouraged prospective students to seek visa appointments and said: "I would not be recommending that if this was going to be weeks or months." "I can tell you that it's something that would happen perhaps sooner than later," she told reporters. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday ordered embassies and consulates to pause scheduling appointments for student visas pending new guidelines on checking applicants' social media postings from Latest World News, International News | Breaking World News https://ift.tt/CHsQObw via IFTTT

The Trump administration has vowed to take its battle over tariffs to the US Supreme Court, following a series of legal defeats that have dealt a blow to the former president’s economic agenda. On Thursday, lawyers representing the White House filed an emergency appeal asking the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to halt a ruling that overturned a number of import taxes introduced under President Donald Trump. Should the court decline, officials said they will seek immediate intervention from the Supreme Court. The legal manoeuvres come amid mounting judicial scrutiny of Trump’s use of sweeping tariff powers. A second court has now found the former president exceeded his authority in imposing duties on a wide range of foreign goods—a decision hailed as a victory for small businesses and state governments that brought the challenges. In a strongly worded filing, the administration accused the courts of overstepping their bounds: “The political branches, not courts, make foreign p...

The homicide case against Diego Maradona's medical team was declared a mistrial, their lawyers said on Thursday. The 2020 death of the soccer star who led the Argentine team to World Cup victory from heart failure while he was recovering from surgery shook the nation. Seven members of his medical team were charged with negligent homicide in a trial that began on March 11. The defendants have denied the charges of "simple homicide with eventual intent" in Maradona's treatment. They were facing prison sentences of between eight and 25 years. The date for the new trial was not initially announced and new judges were not nominated. The Thursday decision came after one of three judges in the case, Judge Julieta Makintach, resigned on Tuesday in the face of allegations of an ethical breach. Video surfaced showing her apparently being interviewed by a camera crew as part of a documentary in the corridors of the Buenos Aires courthouse and in her office, which breached judici...

The US will impose visa bans on foreign nationals it deems to be censoring Americans, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday, and he suggested the new policy could target officials regulating US tech companies. Rubio did not name any specific instances of censorship. But US tech companies and the Trump administration have challenged US allies in Europe, alleging censorship of social media platforms. Restricting officials from visiting the US appeared to be an escalation by Washington. Rubio said in a statement that a new visa restriction policy would apply to foreign nationals responsible for censorship of protected expression in the US. He said it was unacceptable for foreign officials to issue or threaten arrest warrants for social media posts made on US soil. Read more: US halts new student visa appointments amid social media vetting "It is similarly unacceptable for foreign officials to demand that American tech platforms adopt global content moderation poli...

Authorities in Sharjah have dismantled an illegal water bottling operation after discovering a residential property being used to bottle and sell ordinary tank water as Zamzam water, Khaleej Times reported on Wednesday. The Sharjah City Municipality conducted the raid in coordination with its Control and Inspection Department and the Health Control and Safety Department following routine inspections that raised red flags. Officials observed vehicles loading bottled water from a house, prompting immediate action. During the raid, one individual was caught on the premises, where cartons and plastic bottles falsely labelled as Zamzam water were being filled under unsanitary conditions. The counterfeit water was being sold at inflated prices and promoted via social media platforms. Authorities immediately launched legal and administrative procedures against the suspect.         View this post on Instagram                   ...

President Donald Trump's administration has ordered its missions abroad to stop scheduling new appointments for student and exchange visitor visa applicants as the State Department prepares to expand social media vetting of foreign students, according to an internal cable seen by Reuters on Tuesday. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in the cable that the department plans to issue updated guidance on social media vetting of student and exchange visitor applicants after a review is completed and advised consular sections to halt the scheduling of such visa appointments. The move comes as the Trump administration has sought to ramp up deportations and revoke student visas as part of its wide-ranging efforts to fulfill his hardline immigration agenda. In the cable, first reported by Politico, Rubio said appointments that have already been scheduled can proceed under the current guidelines, but available appointments not already taken should be pulled down. "The Department is ...

US President Donald Trump has escalated his criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin, warning that the Kremlin leader is "playing with fire" following a series of sustained Russian airstrikes on Ukraine. Speaking on his social media platform Truth Social on Tuesday, President Trump issued a stark warning, suggesting Putin is underestimating the severity of the current geopolitical situation. "He’s playing with fire," Trump wrote, adding that “if it weren’t for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia — and I mean REALLY BAD.” The remarks follow a similar outburst on Sunday, in which Trump accused Putin of having "gone absolutely crazy" after Russia launched airstrikes on Ukrainian targets for three consecutive nights. The former president, who has previously touted a strong rapport with the Russian leader, expressed surprise at Putin's recent conduct. "I’ve always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of ...

A man was detained on Monday after a car crashed into pedestrians during Liverpool FC's Premier League victory parade in Liverpool, UK. The vehicle reportedly collided with fans as it emerged from a parked ambulance.  The incident took place on Water Street, shortly after 6 pm, with emergency services quickly responding to the scene, according to The Guardian. Emergency services, including ambulances and a fire engine, arrived at the scene within moments, assisting the injured. Several people were reported to have been knocked unconscious or left injured, with some taken away on stretchers. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper have been updated on the situation, with Starmer offering his condolences to the victims and praising the swift actions of the police and emergency responders. Authorities have confirmed that investigations are ongoing into the incident, which occurred during one of the busiest parts of Liverpool’s victory parade...

King Charles landed in Canada's capital Ottawa on Monday for a highly symbolic visit showing support for the nation that recognises him as its sovereign but is coveted by US President Donald Trump as a 51st US state. Travelling with his wife Queen Camilla, the king met on the airport tarmac with Prime Minister Mark Carney and Governor General Mary Simon, his representative in Canada. Following an invitation from Carney, Charles will open parliament on Tuesday, the first time a British monarch has carried out the duty since his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth, did so 68 years ago. The 76-year-old king is undergoing cancer treatment, which has limited his workload, so the two-day trip shows his commitment to Canada, one of 15 countries where he is monarch. Trump has repeatedly expressed a desire to annex Canada, a proposition fiercely rebuffed by Carney, whose election win last month came partly on the back of that stance. "The prime minister has made it clear that Canada is no...

French President Emmanuel Macron denied Monday having a domestic dispute with his wife Brigitte after a video appeared to show her shoving his face away when they touched down for a visit to Vietnam, blaming disinformation campaigns for trying to put a false meaning on the footage. The Elysee had been hoping that the visit to Vietnam would showcase France’s reach into the Indo-Pacific, but it has been shadowed by the incident which occurred as the doors of the presidential plane swung open after landing in Hanoi Sunday. This is the third time this month that Macron has been the subject of viral video footage at a time when France says it is being targeted by repeated disinformation attacks as Russia steps up attacks on Ukraine. It was falsely claimed that Macron took cocaine on a trip to Kyiv alongside British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and images also emerged purporting to show Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan dominate the French leader in ...

Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela announced on Sunday that Malta will recognize the State of Palestine next month. The announcement came during a political event in which Abela raised local and global matters, with a particular focus on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, according to Malta Today. "We cannot close our eyes to this human tragedy that is getting worse every day," Abela was quoted by the newspaper as saying about Israel's brutal bombardment of Gaza, which killed nearly 54,000 Palestinians, the majority of whom were women and children. Abela said the move is a moral responsibility and that Palestine will be recognized following a conference on June 20. The premier was also shocked by the tragic deaths of nine children of Palestinian pediatrician Dr. Alaa Al-Najjar on Saturday when Israeli forces bombed their home in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, critically injuring her doctor husband and leaving only one of their children to mourn. Malta is ready to welcome Dr. ...

A trickle of Venezuelans lined up at the polls Sunday to choose a new legislature and state governors in a vote that the main opposition party was boycotting in protest at last summer's disputed reelection of President Nicolas Maduro. Some 21 million voters are eligible to cast ballots for 285 members of the National Assembly and 24 governors, including for the first time in the disputed oil-rich region of Essequibo, on the border with Guyana. But pollster Delphos projected a turnout of just 16 percent, mostly Maduro supporters, after the main opposition -- led by Maria Corina Machado, an engineer and former lawmaker -- urged Venezuelans not to legitimize what they see as yet another sham election. Polls opened at 6:00 am (1000 GMT), but by midday AFP journalists at polling stations in Caracas, San Cristobal and Barinas reported that just a handful of voters had turned out. It was a far cry from the crowded presidential election of last summer, marred by violence and allegations of...

Gaza's civil defence agency said Saturday that an Israeli strike in the southern city of Khan Yunis killed nine children of a pair of married doctors, with the Israeli army saying it was reviewing the reports. Israel has stepped up its campaign in Gaza in recent days, drawing international criticism as well as calls to allow in more supplies after it partially eased a total blockade on aid imposed on March 2. Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal said the agency had retrieved "the bodies of nine child martyrs, some of them charred, from the home of Dr Hamdi al-Najjar and his wife, Dr Alaa al-Najjar, all of whom were their children". He added that Hamdi al-Najjar and another son, Adam, were also seriously wounded in the strike on Friday, and that the family was taken to Nasser Hospital. A medical source at the hospital gave Adam's age as 10 years old. Muneer Alboursh, director general of the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, said on X that the strike happened shortly ...

Iranian dissident director Jafar Panahi won the Palme d'Or top prize at the Cannes film festival on Saturday, using his acceptance speech to urge his country to unite for "freedom". The latest film from the 64-year-old, "It Was Just an Accident", tells the tale of five ordinary Iranians confronting a man they believed tortured them in jail. The core of the provocative and wry drama examines the moral dilemma faced by people if they are given an opportunity to take revenge on their oppressors. Panahi, who was banned from making films in 2010 and has been imprisoned twice, used his own experiences in jail to write the screenplay. "Let's set aside all problems, all differences. What matters most right now is our country and the freedom of our country," he told the VIP-studded audience on the French Riviera. The leading light in the Iranian New Wave cinema movement has vowed to return to Tehran after the Cannes Festival, despite the risks of prosecutio...

Monsoon rains hit the coast of India’s southernmost state of Kerala on Saturday, eight days earlier than usual, marking the earliest arrival in 16 years and providing the promise of a bumper harvest and relief from a gruelling heatwave. The monsoon, the lifeblood of the country’s $4 trillion economy, delivers nearly 70% of the rain that India needs to water farms and replenish aquifers and reservoirs. Nearly half of India’s farmland, without any irrigation cover, depends on the annual June-September rains to grow a number of crops. Summer rains usually begin to lash Kerala around June 1 before spreading nationwide by mid-July, allowing farmers to plant crops such as rice, corn, cotton, soybeans and sugarcane. The onset of the southwest monsoon over Kerala on May 24 is its earliest onset since May 23, 2009, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Saturday. The monsoon has covered Kerala and parts of neighbouring Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, as well as parts of the northeastern st...

Russia and Ukraine each exchanged 307 service personnel on Saturday, marking the second day of what is expected to be the largest prisoner swap since the war began over three years ago. US President Donald Trump suggested the exchange — which is expected to see 1,000 prisoners released on each side over a three-day period — could signal a new chapter in the stalled efforts to negotiate a peace deal between Moscow and Kyiv. Saturday’s exchange was confirmed by Russia’s defence ministry and separately by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who announced the news in a post on the social media platform Telegram. “Tomorrow we expect more,” Zelenskiy wrote. “Our goal is to return each and every one of us from Russian captivity.” Images released by Zelenskiy’s office showed freed Ukrainian service members arriving in buses at a rendezvous point inside Ukraine. They embraced one another, draped themselves in blue and yellow Ukrainian flags, and appeared visibly emotional. At least one...

Germany's Friedrich Merz urged Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday to support a Ukraine ceasefire push and discussed thorny economic ties, in the leaders' first call since Merz became chancellor. Asia's economic giant and Europe's top economy have long-standing trade and business ties. This is despite political differences between Communist-ruled China and Germany that have deepened as Beijing has grown closer to Russia. On Friday, both leaders "underlined their readiness to work together as partners", according to Merz's office. The official Chinese readout of the call said Xi called for "stable and predictable ties" between Berlin and Beijing amid "the convergence of changes and chaos in the international situation". Both countries have faced challenges in handling mercurial US President Donald Trump as he pursues detente with Russia and imposes sweeping tariffs on foreign imports to the United States. from Latest World News, Int...

A knife attack at the main station in the German city of Hamburg left at least 12 people injured with some of them in a life-threatening condition, local emergency services said. "According to initial information, a person injured several people with a knife at the main train station," Hamburg police said in a post on X. "The suspect was apprehended by the responding forces." A spokesman for the Hamburg fire department told AFP that 12 people had been injured in the attack. Among them were "six people with life-threatening injuries", the spokesman said. Some of the victims were being treated in trains, according to the German daily Bild. Germany has been rocked by a series of violent attacks in recent months. On Sunday, four people were injured in a stabbing at a bar in the city of Bielefeld. The investigation into the attack had been handed over to federal prosecutors after the suspect in the attack told the police officers who arrested him that he had ex...

A Greek naval court has charged 17 coast guard officers in connection with one of the Mediterranean’s deadliest migrant shipwrecks, which occurred two years ago off the coast of Pylos, southwestern Greece. The June 14, 2023, disaster involved the Adriana, an overcrowded boat carrying approximately 750 people from Libya to Italy. Only 104 are known to have survived. The court is continuing its investigation into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy, which sent shockwaves through Europe and sparked widespread criticism. Sources familiar with the case told Reuters that the officers face charges including obstructing transport and contributing to a shipwreck. The officers are expected to be summoned by a judge in the coming weeks. A Greek coast guard vessel had monitored the Adriana for 15 hours before it capsized in international waters. The Greek coast guard has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that it acted appropriately and in accordance with maritime law. The case ha...

At least four people were killed in landslides while 17 remain trapped in southwestern China’s Guizhou province on Thursday, state media reported, with rescuers struggling to reach them in mountainous terrain. “The death toll from the landslides in southwest China’s Guizhou Province on Thursday has risen to four while 17 people remain trapped, the provincial government said,” state news agency Xinhua reported. Two landslides occurred in separate parts of Dafang county, the first at around 3:00 am (1900 GMT Wednesday) and another at 9:00 am, state broadcaster CCTV said. “Two separate landslides struck Changshi and Guowa townships in Dafang County under the city of Bijie on the same day, trapping two and 19, respectively,” Xinhua reported. Aerial footage by the broadcaster showed a village inundated by brown mud that blanketed farming fields and pooled at the foot of a densely forested mountain. Guizhou activated a Level II emergency response for geological disasters and China’s Ministry...

US President Donald Trump's administration has revoked Harvard University's ability to enroll international students, the Department of Homeland Security said on Thursday. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem ordered the department to terminate the Harvard University’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification, the department said in a statement. The move means Harvard can no longer enroll international students and existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status, it said. "This administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus," Noem said. "It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enroll foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition payments to help pad their multibillion-dollar endowments." Harvard University and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment. from Latest World Ne...

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested Wednesday that more Arab nations could forge ties with Israel this year, as Washington presses hard for relations to normalize with Saudi Arabia. President Donald Trump near the end of his first term led the so-called Abraham Accords in which the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco became the first Arab countries in decades to normalize with Israel. “I think we may have good news, certainly before the end of this year, of a number of more countries that are willing to join that alliance,” Rubio told the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Saudi Arabia was in advanced talks on normalization, backed by then-president Joe Biden’s administration, before the unprecedented October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel, which responded with a massive military operation. Asked about the Saudi position a week after Trump visited Riyadh, Rubio said: “I think there’s still a willingness to do it.” Read more: Trump urges Saudi Arabia to join Abraham A...

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has accepted the Boeing 747 that the Gulf emirate of Qatar offered to President Donald Trump for use as Air Force One, the Pentagon said Wednesday. Qatar’s offer of the jet – which is valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars – has raised huge constitutional and ethical questions, as well as security concerns about using an aircraft donated by a foreign power for use as the ultra-sensitive presidential plane. “The Secretary of Defense has accepted a Boeing 747 from Qatar in accordance with all federal rules and regulations,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement. “The Department of Defense will work to ensure proper security measures and functional-mission requirements are considered for an aircraft used to transport the President of the United States,” Parnell said, referring questions to the US Air Force. Read more: 'Trump to accept lavish jet from Qataris as Air Force One' The US Constitution prohibits government officials ...

Dubai offers a range of government job opportunities for skilled expatriates, with monthly salaries reaching up to Dh30,000. From healthcare and IT to urban planning and education, these roles not only promise financial stability but also come with added benefits and long-term growth. Hiring activity in the United Arab Emirates surged in April, marking the sharpest job gains in 11 months, according to the latest Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) data from S&P Global, Gulf News reported. The increase reflects a positive turn for jobseekers following a relatively slow period that lasted from late 2023 through early 2024. Rising workloads in the industrial and construction sectors largely drove the hiring boost. April’s PMI remained steady at 54, signalling sustained expansion in business activity. Any reading above 50 indicates overall economic growth and health. Despite ongoing global uncertainties, businesses in the UAE remain optimistic about continued growth through mid-2025. Gove...

Top finance leaders from the G7 nations gathered in Canada starting Tuesday, in talks set to be clouded by economic worries stemming from US President Donald Trump's tariffs, while concerns about Ukraine remain at the fore. In meetings through Thursday leaders will discuss global economic conditions, with participants seeking a common position on Ukraine, while issues like financial crime and non-market practices are also on the agenda. The talks come amid an uncertain approach among G7 democracies towards war in Ukraine — after Russia's invasion in 2022 — since Trump returned to the presidency this year. Ukrainian Finance Minister Sergii Marchenko is present as well at the meeting of Group of Seven finance ministers and central bank governors in Canada's western province of Alberta, and will address reporters Tuesday. Once broadly unified, the G7 — Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States — has been rattled by Trump, who reached out to Russia ...

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio insisted Tuesday that President Donald Trump had offered no concessions to Russia, as he rejected criticism over the administration’s Ukraine policy at a Senate hearing. “He hasn’t gotten a single concession,” Rubio said of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Rubio was responding to Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. She hit back that Trump, since returning to the White House, has given Putin more incentive to drag out negotiations and seize more territory. Due to Chinese support for Russia and “because President Trump has given away our leverage, Putin doesn’t feel pressured to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine,” she said. Rubio said that Trump, who spoke again to Putin by telephone on Monday, does not want to impose fresh sanctions on Russia – a step taken on Tuesday by the European Union. “If, in fact, it is clear that the Russians are not interested in a peace deal and they just want to keep fighting a w...

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said US demands that Tehran stop enriching uranium are "excessive and outrageous", state media reported, voicing doubts whether talks on a new nuclear deal will succeed. "I don't think nuclear talks with the US will bring results. I don't know what will happen," Khamenei said, adding that Washington should avoid making "nonsense" demands in the negotiations, four rounds of which have been held. "A date has been suggested but we have not yet accepted it," Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told state media on Tuesday when asked about a fifth round of talks, which an Iranian official said on Monday might be held this weekend in Rome. "We are witnessing positions on the US side that do not go along with any logic and are creating problems for the negotiations. That's why we have not determined the next round of talks, we are reviewing the matter and hope logic will prevail," Araqchi ...

The leaders of Britain, France and Canada on Monday condemned Israel’s “egregious actions” in Gaza, opposed its expanded offensive, and slammed Israeli ministers for threatening the mass displacement of civilians. “We will not stand by” while the government of Benjamin Netanyahu pursues those actions, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a joint statement. “We are committed to recognising a Palestinian state as a contribution to achieving a two-state solution and are prepared to work with others to this end,” they said. The statement coincided with a joint demand by 22 countries – including Britain, France and Canada – for Israel to immediately “allow a full resumption of aid into Gaza”, noting that the territory’s population “faces starvation”. Israel has kept Gaza in a total aid blockade since March 2, but announced on Monday it would allow a limited number of supply trucks. Prime Minister Netanyahu said...

The US State Department said on Monday that it was imposing visa restrictions on owners and other staff at India-based travel agencies that it says knowingly facilitate illegal migration to the United States. An unspecified number of unnamed people linked to travel agencies in India were being hit with visa bans under the Immigration and Nationality Act based on information gathered by the US mission to India, department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a statement. Washington often issues visa bans without publishing the names of those targeted. “We will continue to take steps to impose visa restrictions against owners, executives, and senior officials of travel agencies to cut off alien smuggling networks,” Bruce said, without detailing how the travel agents had facilitated illegal migration. The move comes amid President Donald Trump’s broad crackdown on migration to the United States and efforts to deport undocumented immigrants in the country. The US embassy in New Delhi ...

Pope Leo XIV set the tone for his papacy on Sunday with a call to stop exploiting nature and marginalising the poor at a mass attended by world dignitaries including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US Vice President JD Vance. Ten days after Chicago-born Robert Francis Prevost became the first US head of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, an estimated 200,000 people gathered to see his inaugural mass in St Peter's Square. The 69-year-old made his debut tour in a popemobile, smiling, waving energetically and blessing the cheering crowds at the Vatican. In front of leaders including Zelensky and Vance, he then gave a homily where he called for the Church to be a transformational force in a world of division and hatred. "In this our time, we still see too much discord, too many wounds caused by hatred, violence, prejudice, the fear of difference, and an economic paradigm that exploits the Earth's resources and marginalises the poorest," he said. from Late...

Pope Leo XIV formally began his reign on Sunday by reaching out to conservatives who felt orphaned under his predecessor, calling for unity, vowing to preserve the Catholic Church's heritage and not rule like "an autocrat". After a first ride in the popemobile through an estimated crowd of up to 200,000 in St. Peter's Square and surrounding streets, Leo was officially installed as the 267th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church at an outdoor Mass. Well-wishers waved US and Peruvian flags, with people from both countries claiming him as the first pope from their nations. Born in Chicago, the 69-year-old pontiff spent many years as a missionary in Peru and also has Peruvian citizenship. Robert Prevost, a relative unknown on the world stage who only became a cardinal two years ago, was elected pope on May 8 after a short conclave of cardinals that lasted barely 24 hours. He succeeded Francis, an Argentine, who died on April 21 after leading the Church for 12 often turbule...

The Israeli military said on Sunday it had begun "extensive ground operations" in northern and southern Gaza, stepping up its campaign in the enclave, where Palestinian health officials said Israeli strikes killed at least 130 people overnight. Israel made its announcement after sources on both sides said there had been no progress in a new round of indirect talks between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Qatar. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the talks included discussions on a truce and hostage deal as well as a proposal to end the war in return for the exile of Hamas militants and the demilitarisation of the enclave - terms Hamas has previously rejected. The statement was in line with previous declarations from Israel, but the timing, as negotiators meet, offered some prospect of flexibility in Israel's position. A senior Israeli official said there had been no progress in the talks so far. The Israeli military suggested in...