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The Group of Seven is playing a “dangerous game” by making aggressive criticism of the Kremlin because it pushes Russia closer to China, Russia’s ambassador to London Andrei Kelin said on Thursday. G7 foreign ministers this month scolded both China and Russia, casting the Kremlin as malicious and Beijing as …

Israeli fighter jets continue to bomb Gaza, killing at least one Palestinian and wounding several more as Benjamin Netanyahu defies world calls for a de-escalation. Israeli fighter jets continued to pound the Gaza Strip on Thursday, killing at least one Palestinian and wounding several more as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu …

Facebook, Alphabet unit Google, and other tech giants will have to pledge to do more to curb the monetisation of false information through advertisement placements, according to a European Commission document seen by Reuters. The EU executive also wants smaller social media or search services, private messaging services, ad exchanges, …

Indian navy ships recovered 22 bodies of people who were aboard a barge that sank off Mumbai as a cyclone blew ashore this week, officials said Wednesday. The search is continuing for 55 more missing people, navy spokesman Mehul Karnik said. He said the three ships and helicopters involved in …

In the heart of territory under siege from the Taliban, one of Afghanistan’s most important hydroelectric dams is at the centre of a power struggle that symbolises the battle between the government and insurgents. Kajaki Dam, which provides power to more than three million people in the south — including …

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are due to hold talks on Wednesday night ahead of a possible presidential summit in Junein an attempt to improve the dire relations between the former Cold War foes. The face-to-face talks on the sidelines of a gathering …

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Wednesday he was confident the country’s central bank will act to control inflation as the economy recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. Mexican annual inflation accelerated slightly faster than expected in April to 6.08%, its highest level since December 2017.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has pointed to strong trade with China as evidence of a valuable relationship despite Chinese criticism, as Australia’s main opposition party accused him of using alarmist rhetoric for domestic gains. Bilateral ties have sunk to their lowest point in decades, and China has in recent …

The top Iranian negotiator says “good progress” has been made in Vienna talks between the remaining parties to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, but participants need to return to their respective countries for further consultations on certain remaining issues. “Over the past two weeks, which were the fourth round of …

French police have staged a demonstration outside the National Assembly to call on President Emmanuel Macron’s government to protect them against violence and bring tougher punishment for those who attack law enforcement officers. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin was booed by some on Wednesday as he briefly attended the rally in …

European Union countries agreed on Wednesday to ease COVID-19 travel restrictions on non-EU visitors ahead of the summer tourist season, a move that could open the bloc’s door to all Britons and to vaccinated Americans. Ambassadors from the 27 EU countries approved a European Commission proposal from May 3 to …

The China National Space Administration (CNSA) has published images taken by the Martian rover Zhurong during the landing process of the country’s first Mars exploration, the Tianwen-1 mission. On Wednesday, the CNSA published two images taken by Zhurong, showing a successful landing on the red planet. The images show the …

India recorded 4,529 Covid-19 deaths on Tuesday, the pandemic’s highest single daily death toll in any country so far, the authorities said on Wednesday, as the virus spread into the country’s vast hinterlands. The previous deadliest day for a single country was recorded in the United States in January when …

Health authorities in Malawi have incinerated 19,610 expired doses of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine, saying it will reassure the public that any vaccines they do get are safe. It is the first African country to publicly do this. The World Health Organization initially urged countries not to destroy expired doses …

European Union leaders will urge Britain to respect the rights of their citizens, according to a draft of the statement they will agree at a summit next week, a reference to concerns about the handling of EU nationals by British immigration authorities. “The European Council calls on the UK to …

The New York attorney general’s office said on Tuesday it has now opened a criminal investigation into former President Donald Trump’s company, increasing the legal risk for Trump and his family. Attorney General Letitia James has been investigating whether the Trump Organization falsely reported property values to secure loans and …

Sporting body chief offers Tokyo medical help, says most residents at Olympic Village will be vaccinated. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has sought to reassure a Japanese public anxious over Tokyo’s hosting of the Summer Games during the coronavirus pandemic, announcing that most athletes will be vaccinated before the sporting …

Israeli jets bomb residential buildings, killing four Palestinians as diplomatic efforts for a ceasefire remain stalled. Israeli fighter jets continued to pummel the Gaza Strip in the early hours of Wednesday, flattening residential buildings and killing at least four Palestinians, including a journalist. The latest raids came as Palestinian groups …

Lebanese top diplomat’s remarks on the Gulf states and the rise of ISIL were ‘insulting’, Riyadh says. Saudi Arabia has summoned the Lebanese ambassador to protest against “insulting” remarks by Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Charbel Wehbe, who made critical comments about the Gulf states. In a television interview on Monday, Wehbe …

The US State Department lists several politicians and officials in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador ‘credibly alleged to be corrupt. A US State Department report on Central American officials “credibly alleged” to be corrupt includes five Salvadoran officials (PDF) with ties to President Nayib Bukele, six sitting Honduran lawmakers, and …