After tough negotiations to reach a tentative deal with the White House on the US borrowing limit, the next challenge for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is pushing it through the House, where hardline Republicans are already threatening to sink it. As Democratic and Republican negotiators iron out the final details …
Read More »Turkey’s Erdogan re-elected president: State media
The incumbent went into the tense second round of voting with strong momentum to win a third presidential term. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has won re-election, according to unofficial data from state-run Anadolu Agency, in a tense run-off after he failed to secure more than 50 percent of votes …
Read More »Truce reduces fighting in Sudan, but little relief for humanitarian crisis
Khartoum was calmer on Saturday as a seven-day ceasefire appeared to reduce fighting between two rival military factions although it has not yet provided the promised humanitarian relief to millions trapped in the Sudanese capital. A truce signed on Monday by the two fighting parties – Sudan’s army and a …
Read More »Avalanche kills 11 members of a nomadic tribe in northern Pakistan
At least 11 people died after an avalanche hit members of a nomadic tribe as they crossed a mountainous area in northern Pakistan, the country’s disaster management agency said on Saturday. Another 13 people were injured in the avalanche which struck a group of families at Shounter Top Pass late …
Read More »Turkey’s Erdogan urges voters to turn out, rival sees ‘last exit’
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan sought to build on his momentum going into Sunday’s runoff presidential election, urging Turks to vote as the man aiming to defeat him called on electors to pull their country from “the dark pit” of his two-decade rule. The opposition has seen this month’s presidential and …
Read More »McCarthy cites ‘progress’ in US debt-ceiling talks with White House
Top congressional Republican Kevin McCarthy said on Saturday he was making “progress” in negotiations with Democratic President Joe Biden on raising the federal government’s debt ceiling, as the nation faced the risk of default in little more than a week. Time is tight. The Treasury Department on Friday said the …
Read More »Two Iranian border guards killed in clashes with Taliban
Two Iranian border guards have been killed and two civilians wounded during clashes with armed members of the Taliban in the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan. An Iranian police official said on Saturday the Taliban started shooting at a border post in violation of international law and the principles …
Read More »Serbia’s Vucic quits as ruling party head amid mounting public pressure
Opposition parties and rights watchdogs have long accused Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic of autocracy, stifling media freedoms, violence against political opponents, corruption and ties with organised crime. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has stepped down as leader of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) at a party congress, saying a new …
Read More »Germany to remove at least 100 staff from its missions in Russia – source
Germany will remove more than 100 employees working at its missions in Russia after Moscow imposed limits on the numbers allowed to work in the country, a source with the German foreign ministry said on Saturday. “This limit, set by Russia for the beginning of June, requires a major cut …
Read More »Protesters in Italy, Spain demand higher wages, halt to Ukraine aid
Hundreds of protesters in the capitals of Italy and Spain have waged rallies to demand higher wages as well as a halt to the shipment of weapons to Ukraine. While calling for peace in the Ukraine conflict, the Italian protesters on Friday further demanded from the ruling right-wing government in …
Read More »China deletes 1.4 mln social media posts in crackdown on non-state approved accounts
China’s cyberspace regulator said 1.4 million social media posts have been deleted following a two-month probe into alleged misinformation, illegal profiteering, and impersonation of state officials, among other “pronounced problems.” The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said in a statement on Friday it had closed 67,000 social media accounts and …
Read More »Fighting rages in Darfur as Sudan mediators claim progress
Fierce fighting between rival Sudanese forces on Friday rocked the western region of Darfur, witnesses said, as US and Saudi observers noted “improved respect” for a fragile ceasefire now in its fourth day. Within minutes of the ceasefire taking effect late Monday, witnesses in the capital Khartoum reported air strikes …
Read More »Biden, McCarthy looking to close US debt ceiling deal for two years
The White House and congressional Republicans on Friday aim to put the final touches on a deal to raise the U.S. government’s $31.4 trillion debt ceiling for two years while capping spending on many government programs, according to a U.S. official. Negotiators for Democratic President Joe Biden and House of …
Read More »EU organization endorses boycott of Israeli settlement products
A major European trade union organization has boycotted products made in Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, calling on the European Union’s member states to ban the import and export of such commodities. The decision was made on Thursday during the 15th session of the European Trade Union Confederation …
Read More »Most wanted Rwandan genocide suspect Kayishema arrested in South Africa
Kayishema was accused of orchestrating the killing of approximately 2,000 Tutsi refugees during the 1994 Rwanda genocide. One of the world’s most wanted genocide fugitives Fulgence Kayishema has been arrested in South Africa after being on the run for decades, authorities said on Thursday. Kayishema, who is accused of orchestrating …
Read More »Erdogan leads in runoff election, undecided voters stand at 8 percent: poll
Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who left his main rival Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu behind in the May 14 presidential election but was unable to win a majority of 50 percent to be elected, is also leading in the runoff, according to the results of a survey by the Konda polling company. …
Read More »‘Incredibly intense’: Massive fire in central Sydney contained
More than 120 firefighters battled a major blaze at a multi-level building in central Sydney today. Multiple calls to emergency services were received when flames started engulfing the seven-storey building on Randle Street just after 4pm, Fire and Rescue NSW said. Firefighters, from 30 fire trucks and multiple stations, had …
Read More »Germany’s economy shrinks in first quarter, signaling one definition of recession
The German economy shrank unexpectedly in the first three months of this year, marking the second quarter of contraction which is one definition of recession. Data released Thursday by the Federal Statistical Office shows Germany’s gross domestic product, or GDP, declined by 0.3% in the period from January to March. …
Read More »China rejects claim it is spying on Western critical infrastructure
The Chinese government has rejected claims that its spies are penetrating Western infrastructure, calling the joint warning issued by the United States and its allies a “collective disinformation campaign.” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters that alerts issued by the U.S., Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand were …
Read More »Israeli forces shoot 13 Palestinians, arrest 14 in West Bank raid
Israeli military forces have wounded 13 Palestinian youths and arrested 14 others during a raid on a refugee camp in the eastern West Bank city of Ariha, amid rising violence in the occupied territories. Palestine’s official Wafa news agency, citing local sources, reported on Thursday that Israeli troops stormed the …
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