France’s Macron vows new start at second term inauguration

France

French President Emmanuel Macron was inaugurated for a second term on Saturday, promising a fresh start in the face of enormous challenges in international and domestic affairs. Macron was confirmed as the winner of the April election at a ceremony at the Elysee Palace by Constitutional Council chief Laurent Fabius, who then signed the formal … Read more

US cop sentenced to 5 years for violent arrest of dementia sufferer

US

A US police officer sentenced to five years in prison for violently arresting a 73-year-old dementia patient for allegedly shoplifting, fracturing her arm and dislocating her shoulder. Bodycam video of the arrest – and footage of cops subsequently smiling as they re-watched it at a Colorado police station – prompted global indignation. Austin Hopp pled … Read more

US sending Ukraine more weapons, dozens evacuated from steelworks

US

US President Joe Biden announced another package of military support for Ukraine, As dozens of residents were evacuated from Mariupol’s beleaguered steelworks, the last pocket of resistance against Russian soldiers in the port city, The latest security assistance, at $150 million, will include artillery shells and radars, according to Biden, as the country braces for … Read more

Death toll climbs to 22 in Havana hotel blast, gas leak suspected

Havana

A huge explosion caused by a suspected gas leak ripped through a luxury hotel in central Havana on Friday, killing at least 22 people according to official counts. In the early evening, rescuers rescued four bodies from the wreckage as they searched the ruins of the famous Saratoga Hotel for survivors. At least one woman … Read more

Pensioners swarm cash vans under fire at Ukraine front

Ukraine

Postwoman Iryna Fedyanina’s laughter drowns out the mortar fire as she dispenses pensions to terrified civilians along a river that separates Ukrainian and Russian forces. A grumpy driver drives her Ukrainian post office van past fortified checkpoints and positions so vulnerable to Russian fire that soldiers try to blend themselves with the surrounding woodlands. He … Read more

Five dead in wind-whipped Siberia fires

Siberia

Several fires broke out in southern Siberia on Saturday, affecting over 200 buildings and killed at least five people, according to local officials who issued a state of emergency. The flames in the Krasnoyarsk region extended to some sawmills and a children’s playground, according to the regional emergency ministry on Telegram. Regional governor Alexandre Uss … Read more

Ukraine says sank Russian landing craft at Snake Island

Ukraine

Kyiv announced Saturday that it has destroyed another Russian warship near the Black Sea’s Snake Island, where Ukrainian servicemen were honoured for bravery after refusing Russian requests to surrender. According to a statement from Ukraine’s defence ministry, an armed drone damaged a Serna-class landing craft and a missile defence system on the small island controlled … Read more

Russia fine tunes Victory Day parade amid Ukraine campaign

Russia

In the wake of Moscow’s war in Ukraine, Russia on Saturday performed its final rehearsal for an annual parade commemorating the Soviet victory in World War II, where its military strength will be displayed. Thousands of soldiers will march across Moscow’s Red Square, trailed by tanks, armoured vehicles, and missile launchers, to commemorate the 77th anniversary … Read more

Bulgaria industry on tenterhooks after Russia gas cut

Bulgaria

The suspension of Russian gas supplies to Bulgaria last week has left businesses large and small scurrying, fearing delivery delays and price hikes. “We are already on the brink. We’ll have to raise our prices further,” said Valery Krastev, who owns a bread factory in the northern town of Montana. “How will people pay for … Read more

Countries vow to boost food security amid Ukraine war

Ukraine

In a joint statement to the World Trade Organization on Friday, the European Union, the United States, and more than two dozen other countries pledged to strengthen global food security. They expressed concern over the “global effects on food security” caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and emphasised the “urgency and necessity of preserving free … Read more

European stocks fall, pound takes fresh tumble

European

Fears over the impact of interest rate hikes to combat sky-high inflation sent European and Asian stocks plunging on Friday. However, after a day of steep losses, Wall Street has stabilised. Meanwhile, the pound fell to $1.2276, a two-year low, one day after the Bank of England (BoE) warned that UK inflation would exceed 10% … Read more

Morocco, Spain agree to bolster migration cooperation

Morocco

Following a months-long dispute, Morocco and Spain agreed to boost cooperation on irregular migration on Friday, according to a joint statement. “Faced with the shared challenges leading from the action of migrant trafficking networks and the unstable regional environment, the two parties decided to strengthen their coordination and information exchange mechanisms,” a joint statement said. … Read more

WFP calls for re-opening of Ukraine port

Ukraine

The World Food Programme On Friday, called for the reopening of ports in the southern Ukrainian city of Odessa so that food produced there can freely travel across the world. “Right now, Ukraine’s grain silos are full. At the same time, 44 million people around the world are marching towards starvation. We have to open … Read more

Independent Russian daily reappears in Latvia

Russian

Exiled journalists from Russia’s harsh opposition daily Novaya Gazeta opened a new publication in Latvia on Friday. The first issue of Novaya Gazeta. Europe was released in Riga just weeks after the Moscow-based daily, led by Nobel Peace Prize-winning editor Dmitry Muratov, was forced to close owing to increased pressure on alternative media outlets. Novaya … Read more

US sees N.Korea nuclear test ‘as early as this month’

US

The United States stated on Friday that it believes North Korea is prepared to conduct its first nuclear test since 2017. The State Department made its judgment public amid growing US dissatisfaction with North Korea, which has conducted a series of missile launches. “The United States assesses that the DPRK is preparing its Punggye-ri test … Read more

Giant New Mexico fire rages as drought-hit US West braces for summer

Mexico

Firefighters in New Mexico battled a massive inferno that has been blazing for more than a month, raising concerns about the summer ahead in the drought-stricken western United States. The “Hermits Peak Fire” has burned 168,000 acres at the southern end of the Rocky Mountains, destroying 170 homes and forcing roughly 16,000 people to flee … Read more

Northern Iraq registers Congo fever death

Iraq

 Iraqi authorities said one person died on Friday, as cases of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever expanded to Iraq’s north, Since the beginning of the year, Iraq has recorded eight deaths from 40 cases of the ailment, also known as Congo fever, according to health ministry spokesperson Seif al-Badr. Health authorities in Kirkuk, north of Baghdad, announced … Read more

US says investigating deaths of five children linked to mystery liver disease

US

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday that it is examining 109 cases of a strange form of hepatitis in children, including five deaths. “Investigators both here and abroad and around the globe are working hard to determine the cause,” said Jay Butler, deputy director for infectious diseases for the CDC. Hospitalization … Read more