News & Current Events

[ad_1] Fouad Hussein and Jean-Noel Barrot (AP) Baghdad: France's foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot will meet officials in Baghdad on Wednesday as part of a regional tour to push for a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The French foreign ministry said in a statement that Barrot, who will also visit Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, is on a tour to help "prepare for the international conference for the implementation of the two-state solution" that Paris will co-organise in June with Riyadh.French President Emmanuel Macron said earlier this month that France planned to recognise a Palestinian state, possibly as early as June.He said he hoped it would "trigger a series of other recognitions", including of Israel.Iraq has long recognised a Palestinian state, but has never recognised Israel and does not have formal relations with it.For decades, the formal recognition of a Palestinian […]

[ad_1] VATICAN CITY: The bells of St. Peter's tolled Wednesday as the body of Pope Francis was transferred from the Vatican hotel where he lived to the basilica, escorted by a procession of solemn cardinals and Swiss Guards. Pallbearers carried the simple wooden coffin on their shoulders through the Vatican's archway gates leading out into St. Peter's Square, the cardinals in their scarlet cassocks processing behind and the Swiss Guards at their sides in their golden and blue uniforms. Francis' body will lie in state in the basilica for three days of public viewing before his funeral Saturday. Heads of state are expected for the funeral in the piazza, but the three days of public viewing will allow ordinary Catholics to grieve the 88-year-old pope, who died Monday after suffering a stroke. Francis first lay in state in the Domus […]

[ad_1] BAGHDAD: An official invitation to new Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa to attend the upcoming Arab League summit in Baghdad has triggered sharp political divisions within Iraq. Al-Sharaa took power after leading a lightning rebel offensive that unseated his predecessor, Bashar Assad, in December. Since then, he has positioned himself as a statesman aiming to unite and rebuild his country after nearly 14 years of civil war, but his past as a Sunni Islamist militant has left many - including Shiite groups in Iraq - wary. Formerly known by the nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani, al-Sharaa joined the ranks of al-Qaida insurgents battling US forces in Iraq after the US-led invasion in 2003 and still faces a warrant for his arrest on terrorism charges in Iraq. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani confirmed last week that Iraq had extended a […]

[ad_1] Representational AI image US president Donald Trump suggested on Wednesday that the 145% tariffs he imposed on Chinese imports will not last. Speaking from the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump told reporters the tariff rate would eventually "come down substantially." He acknowledged that the current rate was unsustainable but emphasised that it would not return to the “zero” levels it once was. “145% is very high, and it won't be that high,” Trump remarked. However, he reiterated his position that a trade deal with China was crucial, saying, "Ultimately, they have to make a deal because otherwise they're not going to be able to deal in the United States."Chinese imports are currently subject to a 145% tariff by US. In retaliation, China imposed 125% tariffs on US exports. Reasons for Trump’s changed stanceMarket turmoil: One of the primary catalysts […]

[ad_1] US president Donald Trump has suggested that the historically high tariffs he imposed on Chinese imports will not last. Speaking from the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump told reporters the 145% tariff rate would eventually “come down substantially,” even as he maintained a confident tone about the US's bargaining position."145% is very high, and it won't be that high," Trump said. "No, it won't be anywhere near that high. It'll come down substantially. But it won't be zero ‒ used to be zero. We were just destroyed. China was taking us for a ride." “We’re going to be very nice, they’re going to be very nice, and we’ll see what happens. But ultimately,” he added, “they have to make a deal because otherwise they’re not going to be able to deal in the United States.”President Trump Says Tariffs With […]

[ad_1] US President Donald Trump has launched a federal task force to investigate alleged "anti-Christian bias" in government workplaces. The initiative, unveiled by Attorney General Pam Bondi on Tuesday, urges federal employees to report colleagues for perceived hostility toward Christian beliefs.The task force was created through an executive order signed by Trump, who continues to position himself as a defender of conservative Christian values. The order comes despite Christians forming the religious majority in the United States—about two-thirds of the population—and enjoying significant political representation. Federal employees have now been instructed to report suspected bias against Christian beliefs, providing names, dates, and details. A memo from Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins asked staff to flag any informal practices they believe are hostile to Christian views. Similar instructions have gone out to other agencies, including the State Department.WATCH: AG Bondi "anti-Christian" […]

[ad_1] US president Donald Trump on Tuesday said he does not plan to remove Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, even as he renewed his call for the central bank to lower interest rates. Speaking at a White House event, Trump tried to ease market concerns sparked by speculation about Powell’s future. "I have no intention of firing him," said Trump responding a question by a news reporter.Financial markets had recently seen a sharp sell-off, as investors grew worried that Trump might try to force Powell out. Stocks, bonds, and the dollar all took a hit amid the uncertainty. According to reports, Trump’s advisers have warned him that removing Powell would not only be legally complex but could also worsen market instability. Trump has been unhappy with Powell’s stance on interest rates. The Federal Reserve has so far resisted lowering rates, […]

[ad_1] ADDIS ABABA: The World Food Programme said Tuesday that it was suspending aid for 650,000 malnourished women and children in Ethiopia because of a lack of funding.The UN agency warned they were among 3.6 million people in Ethiopia who would no longer have access to food aid in the coming weeks without urgent new funding."WFP is being forced to halt treatment for 650,000 malnourished women and children in May due to insufficient funding," it said in a statement."WFP had planned to reach two million mothers and children with life-saving nutrition assistance in 2025," it added.The WFP, like other aid agencies, has been caught in the crosshairs of funding cuts by US President Donald Trump, who signed an executive order freezing all foreign aid for three months shortly after his inauguration in January.It comes as several Western countries have also […]

[ad_1] A Harvard scientist integral to a promising breakthrough in cancer diagnostics has spent the past two months in an immigration detention centre, sparking fears that her absence could stall crucial advances in early detection technology, NBC News reported.Kseniia Petrova, 30, a Russian-born researcher at Harvard Medical School’s Kirschner Lab, was detained by US immigration authorities in February at Boston's Logan Airport for allegedly failing to declare scientific materials — frog embryo samples — used in her research. She is currently being held at the Richwood Correctional Center in Louisiana and faces possible deportation to Russia, where she says she could face imprisonment for protesting against the war in Ukraine.Petrova developed complex computer scripts essential for analysing data generated by a groundbreaking microscope used in Harvard’s cancer and longevity studies. “Without her, I fully believe that all the insights into […]