Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Friday said his country was on the verge of a “new phase” of “permanent agreements,” after the 10-day ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war went into force.In a speech addressing the Lebanese people and hinting at the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group the day aft
In communist Cuba, where priests were once persecuted, churches are acting as a lifeline for the needy during a severe economic crisis aggravated by a crippling US oil blockade.Dozens of people queue outside the Church of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem in Havana twice a week for free medicine, which, l
PROTECTING DEMOCRACY: The event aimed to find ways to reinforce the multilateral order, such as by regulating social media, reforming the UN and combating inequality
Progressive and traditional democratic leaders yesterday gathered in Barcelona to discuss how to restore faith in the liberal order threatened by a world drifting toward far-right extremism and torn by conflict.Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, an outspoken critic of US President Donald Trump an
It is a bitter pill for video gamers: A growing number of older but still-popular titles are being dropped by publishers — with servers going dark overnight — in a practice the EU is being urged to outlaw.More than 1 million people from across Europe have backed a citizens’ petition called “Stop Des
Members of a choir sing during a night vigil prayer on the fifth day of Pope Leo XIV’s 11-day apostolic journey to Africa in Yaounde on Friday.
PROMISING: In a speech before the world’s oldest leader, the pope said the youth represents the nation’s hope and demanded that the ‘chains of corruption’ be broken
Thousands of people yesterday turned out see Pope Leo XIV, who was celebrating a big Mass in Cameroon’s port city and then was to visit the country’s Catholic university on a day focused on encouraging young people.Leo traveled to Douala, the commercial and economic capital of Cameroon, to celebrate
RE-ENGAGEMENT: The bloc is to start formal talks with Syria’s transitional authorities next month, and has outlined measures on migration, trade and security
The EU plans to deepen its engagement with Syria by relaunching formal political contacts and paving the way for closer economic and security ties, according to a document seen by Reuters, marking the latest step in a broader policy shift after years of frozen relations.The background paper, produce
Tourists crowded beneath the Door of No Return, an arch built by the beach at Ouidah in southern Benin in memory of those crammed onto slave ships bound for the New World.Benin has in the past few years leaned into its painful past to encourage tourism. Once a key departure point in the transatlanti
Russia is trying to produce more pro-war influencers through content creation camps, training teenagers to spread the Kremlin’s hardline, anti-West narrative to the next generation.Since invading Ukraine in 2022, Moscow has ramped up control of the domestic information space, outlawing criticism of
JAPANNew name for sizzling daysThe Japan Meteorological Agency has formally adopted a name for sizzling-hot days ahead of what is set to be another scorcher of a summer. Days with a maximum temperature of 40°C or higher will be referred to as “kokushobi,” it said in a statement yesterday. The name,
THREE PERCENT TARGET: The defense minister said this year’s defense spending of 2.8% of GDP would put Australia ahead of comparable European and Asian nations
Australia would raise defense spending to 3 percent of GDP by 2033 as armed conflicts flare worldwide, Australian Minister for Defence Richard Marles said yesterday.“International norms that once constrained the use of force and military coercion continue to erode,” Marles said in a speech in Canber
Police in South Africa yesterday said that they had arrested anti-Western activist Kemi Seba, who is wanted in Benin for “inciting rebellion” after he supported a foiled coup in December last year.Seba, whose real name is Stellio Gilles Robert Capo Chichi, heads the Pan-Africanist Emergency non-gove
SOCIAL MEDIA MEETING: ‘We owe it to parents, and to the next generation, to put children’s safety first — because they won’t forgive us if we don’t,’ Keir Starmer said
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was to hold talks yesterday with representatives from social media firms to press them to do more to keep children safe online, as calls grow for a ban on under-16s using the platforms.“Today is about making sure social media companies step up and take responsibil
Authoritarian governments that reach across borders to persecute their own citizens did so at a greater rate last year, particularly in Southeast Asia and east Africa, a human rights group said yesterday.The phenomenon of so-called transnational repression exploded into public awareness with the hor
In these polarizing times, Minnesotans have found something they can agree on — the thrill of a meat raffle.Meat raffles have been popular in pockets of the US for decades, offering a fun way to raise money for charities while handing out prizes ranging from ground beef and hot dogs to chicken breas
NEPALAssets commission launchedThe government has formed a commission to investigate the assets of politicians and officials, an official said yesterday. Led by a former Supreme Court judge, the five-member commission would examine assets of top figures who have held public office since 2006, said D
The French Air Force’s Patrouille de France aerobatic flying team releases colored trails as they take part in a training session at the 701 Air Base in Salon-de-Provence, France, on Wednesday.
MEETING WITH LAVROV: The Chinese president said that the two nations would uphold multilateralism, and help revitalize the authority and vitality of the UN
The stability and certainty of China-Russia relations are particularly “precious” in the face of an international landscape intertwined with change and chaos, Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) said yesterday during a meeting with Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov in Beijing.The stro
Former Lima mayor Rafael Lopez Aliaga, a Peruvian presidential hopeful, gathered hundreds of supporters in Lima on Tuesday and gave authorities 24 hours to annul the first round of the country’s election over allegations of fraud.Lopez Aliaga is locked in a tight three-way race with two other candid
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