Headlines:

Iranians protest over government price hikes: reports

Iranians

Hundreds of people took to the streets across Iran on Friday to protest the government’s decision to hike the prices of basic products, according to official media. President Ebrahim Raisi unveiled a slew of steps this week to address the country’s economic troubles, including a change in the subsidy structure and price hikes on essential … Read more

British baker rises to occasion of queen’s pudding contest

British

After nearly 5,000 amateur bakers entered a contest to produce a sweet conclusion to celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee next month, a pudding fit for royalty was presented Thursday. Jemma Melvin won the competition with her lemon Swiss roll topped with an amaretti trifle, which was inspired by the dessert served at the … Read more

Queen visits horse show after health concerns

Queen

Queen Elizabeth II made a rare public appearance on Friday, two days after being forced to miss the opening of the UK parliament for the first time in nearly 60 years due to ill health and advanced age. The 96-year-old monarch was seen smiling as she arrived at the Royal Windsor Horse Show, dressed in … Read more

Thousands mourn at Jerusalem funeral for Al Jazeera journalist

Jerusalem

After Israeli police disrupted the start of the funeral procession,  thousands of mourners filled Jerusalem’s tense Old City on Friday for the burial of veteran Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh. The Palestinian-American was fatally shot by an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin on Wednesday, and Israel and the Palestinians … Read more

Donnarumma says PSG must choose him or Navas next season

Donnarumma

Gianluigi Donnarumma has warned Paris Saint-Germain that they would have to pick between him and Keylor Navas as their goalkeeper next season. Donnarumma joined the club from AC Milan this summer, joining veteran Navas, 35, who has been in Paris since leaving Real Madrid in 2019. Despite his “extremely good relationship” with Navas, Donnarumma stressed that … Read more

US baby formula shortage could last for some time: official

US

A top White House economic adviser said on Friday that the nationwide shortage of infant formula in the United States could endure for some time. “This isn’t going to go away in a day or a week,” Brian Deese told CNN. Due to a perfect storm of supply challenges worsened by a large recall, US … Read more

Nigeria religious leaders urge justice after blasphemy killing

Nigeria

Nigerian religious leaders have demanded justice for the killing of a Christian student accused of blasphemy against the Prophet Muhammad, who was stoned to death. Deborah Samuel was stoned and her body was burned by an angry mob of students in the northwest city of Sokoto on Thursday after she published a social media post … Read more

EU calls on Tehran to free Swedish-Iranian sentenced to death

EU

During a mission to Tehran to help revive Iran’s 2015 nuclear accord, EU ambassador Enrique Mora appealed for the release of an Iranian-Swedish academic on death sentence on “humanitarian grounds.” On Wednesday and Thursday, Mora, the European Union’s coordinator for talks between Iran and key world powers to repair the deal, met with Ali Bagheri, … Read more

Irish to face world champions South Africa in November Test

Irish

Ireland’s credentials for the 2023 Rugby World Cup will be put to the test when they host world champions South Africa and Australia in November Tests. The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) announced the schedule on Thursday, with crowd-pleasing Fiji (November 12) sandwiched between the Springboks (November 5) and Wallabies (November 19). The Irish — … Read more

Rugby Australia says hosting World Cups will ‘save the game’

Australia

Hosting the men’s Rugby World Cup in 2027 and the women’s tournament in 2029 will be a lifeline for the game in Australia, the country’s cash-strapped governing body said on Friday. “In truth, it was the only option we had to save the game,” After World Rugby confirmed the hosts for the next five World … Read more

10 killed in deadliest recent Syria rebel attack

Syria

Syrian rebels killed ten soldiers in northern Syria on Friday, the deadliest such attack since a truce agreement was reached more than two years ago, according to a war monitor and state media. The attack also injured nine soldiers, according to Syria’s official news agency SANA, which cited a military source. “Around 9:30 this morning … Read more

Philippine presidential runner-up Robredo vows to ‘fight lies’

Philippine

Leni Robredo, the Philippines’ presidential runner-up, vowed Friday to focus on “fighting lies,” urging supporters to accept election results showing the son of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos won by a landslide. Robredo was the final hurdle in the Marcos family’s decades-long ascent back to the pinnacle of power in the country they left impoverished when … Read more

Zelensky says Macron talking to Putin ‘in vain’

Macron

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky believes that French President Emmanuel Macron is attempting “in vain” to have a constructive dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin, According to an interview transcript released by Kyiv on Friday, “We must not look for a way out for Russia, and Macron is doing it in vain,” Zelensky stated on Italian … Read more

G7 allies vow to support Ukraine ‘until victory’

Ukraine

Leading democracies pledged unwavering support for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia on Friday, while the European Union promised to increase military aid to Kyiv by more than $500 million. The Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers met on the second day of a three-day meeting in the German resort of Wangels, joined by their … Read more

Lebanese activists launch mock ‘lollar’ currency

Lebanese

Lebanese activists issued mock banknotes featuring a gutted central bank or the Beirut port explosion on Friday to condemn high-level corruption that has contributed to the country’s downfall. The collapse of the Lebanese pound and the freezing of bank accounts have left Lebanon with a perplexing currency system, with a plethora of exchange rates applicable … Read more

Frontline milkmaids tell tale of Ukraine’s trust in outgunned army

Ukraine

The 26 cows that feed Oksana But and her sister in the eastern Ukrainian conflict zone are both a blessing and a curse. The dreamy animals grazing on a grassy knoll a few minutes’ drive from the frontline provide her with a steady income and milk for her two children. However, they also imply that … Read more