Africa Expected to Strongly Support Durban Call to Action on Child Labour

Durban, May 17 (IPS) - Global goals to eradicate child labour will not be achieved without a breakthrough in Africa, where most of the world’s 160 million children entrapped in child labour work in rural regions, mostly in agriculture with[…]

Rescuing global goals, world’s ‘highest common priority’ – UN chief

For a world in crisis, rescuing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) “must be our highest common priority,” the UN chief told Member States on Tuesday at a key development meeting in New York. Read the full story, “Rescuing global goals,[…]

Haiti: Armed violence reaches ‘unimaginable and intolerable levels’

A surge in violence fuelled by heavily armed gangs in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, prompted the UN rights chief on Tuesday to express her deep concern over its severe impact on human rights across the Caribbean nation. Read the full story, “Haiti:[…]

Biden administration begins easing restrictions on Venezuelan oil

The move, which will allow Chevron to begin negotiating with the government of Nicolás Maduro, is aimed at promoting talks between the Venezuelan government and the U.S.-backed opposition.

Russia-Ukraine war live updates: Ukraine abandons defense of besieged steel plant

Sweden signed an application to join NATO, and Finland's Parliament voted to apply. Explosions rocked the Lviv region.

Splits open at NATO about how to boost presence in Eastern Europe

Eastern Europe wants big new deployments of NATO troops to defend against Russia, but some other alliance members are skeptical of then need for shifting major forces east, particulalry after seeing Russian forces struggle in Ukraine.

Japan's Nikkei 225 rises 1% after data shows economy shrank less than expected in the first quarter

Japan's economy shrank 1% annualized in January-March as compared with the previous quarter, government data showed Wednesday.

Powell says the Fed will not hesitate to keep raising rates until inflation comes down

Fed Chair Jerome Powell said he will back interest rate increases until prices start falling back toward a healthy level.

'The stakes here are now massive': Turkey is threatening to block NATO membership for Sweden and Finland

Turkey, which joined the alliance in 1952, is a crucial player in NATO, boasting the second-largest military in the 30-member group after the United States.

US eases some energy sanctions on Venezuela to encourage political talks

The United States is easing some of its tough sanctions on Venezuela in order to encourage political dialogue between President Nicolas Maduro's regime and its opponents, a senior official said Tuesday. 

Biden calls on US to reject 'poison' of White supremacy after Buffalo mass shooting

President Joe Biden on Tuesday called out what he branded the "poison" of white supremacist ideology behind a deadly mass shooting in Buffalo, New York, and said that racism is being stoked for political gain. 

Live: Zelensky address beamed in to Cannes as festival kicks off

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the gala opening ceremony of the 75th Cannes Film Festival as a surprise guest by video link from Kyiv, asking for the cinema world's solidarity with his people in the face of the Russian invasion.[…]

California church attack suspect charged with first-degree murder

Man who authorities say targeted Taiwanese churchgoers faces additional charges of 'lying in wait', firebomb possession.

‘One million empty chairs’: The US families torn apart by COVID

As nation hits sombre mark of one million coronavirus deaths, families remember loved ones lost during the pandemic.

Inside the US communities where many are still unvaccinated

As US surpasses sombre mark of one million confirmed COVID-19 deaths, many Americans still refuse to get jabs.

Primary election results – live: Polls close in Pennsylvania as Dr Oz breaks with Trump

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Primary elections: Winners in the key races we’re watching

Voters have headed to the polls for primary elections in a number of key states, including Pennsylvania and North Carolina. The results will determine the electoral match-ups in the crucial midterm elections in November.

Ukraine news – live: Mariupol defence ‘changed course of war’, Zelensky aide says

Kyiv hails Azovstal fighters as ‘heroes of our time’ who are ‘forever in history’

Finland and Sweden’s historic NATO bids, explained

Finnish soldiers participate in a training exercise with forces from the UK, Latvia, US, and Estonia, in Niinisalo, Finland, on May 4. | Roni Rekomaa/Bloomberg via Getty Images Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has pushed the two countries to abandon their[…]

The Philippine election is the latest example of illiberalism’s popularity

Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. waves a Philippine flag during his last campaign rally before the election on May 7 in Parañaque, Philippines. | Ezra Acayan/Getty Images The landslide victory of Ferdinand Marcos Jr., son of the country’s longtime dictator, has[…]

Lebanon is in political crisis. Sunday’s elections won’t change that.

Lebanon Holds First Parliamentary Elections Since 2019 Protests. | Marwan Tahtah/Getty Images In 2019 protesters chanted for revolution; instead they got continued corruption and negligence. Lebanon’s parliamentary elections on Sunday hold the possibility of change — however slight — from[…]

Unbelievable Russian War Assessment by U.S. Navy Aviator Ward Carroll

Conduct your own due diligence. Apply critical thinking. Think for yourself! Full Credit to The Rubin Report. The Populists can change the World. Commander Ward Carroll lived the dream of 20 years in the U.S. Navy as an F-14 Radar[…]

Pound Sand Joe Biden!

Conduct your own due diligence. Apply critical thinking. Think for yourself! United States Marines at Rest Afghanistan - Butthead Joe Biden aka Saigon Biden continues to blame everyone else but himself. The safe withdrawal of Americans, foreign nationals, and Afghans[…]

Cannes Film Festival opens with Zelenskyy appeal to world cinema

Russians line up for final Big Mac ahead of McDonald's exit

265 Ukrainian soldiers surrendered at Azovstal

Shanghai campaign reduced delays in stroke patients getting to hospital, team says

After the Stroke 120 programme was launched in 2016, median delay time fell from 19 to six hours, according to study.

Clinics, car dealers snap up prime space as luxury brands bow out of Hong Kong’s slumping retail market

Rent at prime street locations fell 5 per cent in the first quarter according to Savills, giving non-luxury retailers the pick of choice locations in what is still one of the world’s most expensive real estate markets.

The bigger the better for Hong Kong government revamp? Public policy experts divided over expansion plan for bureaus

Size of governments has been getting bigger to meet public expectations, but more bureaus could ‘create more silos and therefore more coordination problems’.

Prince Charles promises Canada 'healing and understanding' over schools scandal

The Prince of Wales has paid his respects to the thousands of indigenous children abused in residential schools in Canada, saying "we must find new ways to come to terms with the darker and more difficult aspects of the past".

Pollution still killing millions and accounts for one in six deaths worldwide, study finds

Air, chemical and water pollution accounted for one in six deaths in 2019, a study has found.

Russia claims 265 Ukrainian soldiers 'surrender' at Mariupol steelworks

Russia has claimed more than 250 Ukrainian fighters who were holed up in the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol have surrendered.

Biden administration may block Russia from paying debts to U.S. bondholders: official

A temporary licence has allowed Moscow to keep paying investors and avert default on its government debt, and allowed U.S. investors to continue to collect coupon payments.

Can Turkey stop Finland, Sweden from joining NATO? Why it’s seeking ‘bargains’

Sweden and Finland are getting ready to ask for entry into the NATO military alliance, but at least one member nation has publicly voiced its opposition. Why is Turkey doing this?

A trip to the store: How Buffalo’s mass shooting reigned terror on an ordinary day

The ten who died in Buffalo's mass shooting on Saturday suffered amid the simple task of buying groceries. ``These people were just shopping,'' said a neighbour of one victim.

Немцы высмеяли попытки EC обойти свои санкции против РФ: помой, да не промокни

После введения антироссийских санкций и указа президента России Владимира Путина о расчёте за газ в рублях, страны Евросоюза начали активно обсуждать способ оплаты за голубое топливо. По мнению немецких аналитиков, чтобы решить этот вопрос, лидерам ЕС придётся выработать механизм, который бы[…]

Russia, US maintain professional relations in space research - NASA

"I can tell you that we have seen nothing but professionalism from the cosmonauts onboard the space station", Bill Nelson said

First uncrewed Moon mission under Artemis program due in August - NASA

The deadlines of the program were postponed many times

WP: страны Балтии просят НАТО развернуть больше сил на их территории

Страны Прибалтики (Латвия, Литва, Эстония) и Польша просят НАТО развернуть больше сил на их территории из-за якобы предполагаемой угрозы со стороны РФ, однако ряд других членов объединения противятся этому шагу, пишет во вторник газета Washington Post со ссылкой на внутренние[…]

Юрист объяснила, можно ли забыть о долге банку, если он покидает Россию

Даже если банк, в которым вы взяли кредит, прекратит свой бизнес в России, забыть про долг вряд ли удастся. Обычно у заемщика несколько вариантов действий, пояснила агентству “Прайм” старший управляющий партнер юридической компании PG Partners Полина Гусятникова.

News24.com | North Korea Covid-19 outbreak is 'worrying' for new variants - WHO

A senior World Health Organisation official said that high levels of transmission of the coronavirus among unvaccinated people, such as in North Korea, creates a higher risk of new variants.

Businessinsider.co.za | Russia is acting like Finland and Sweden joining NATO is not a big deal weeks after repeatedly making dramatic threats over it

Finland and Sweden overturned decades of neutrality as they announced they want to join NATO after Russia invaded Ukraine.

News24.com | ICC sends 'largest-ever' investigative team to Ukraine

The International Criminal Court has sent a 42-member team to Ukraine to probe alleged war crimes since the Russian invasion in what it called the largest such deployment in its history.

Britain eyes green trade to end world's dependence on Russian energy

Putin takes Mariupol, but wider Donbas victory slipping from reach: Analysts

In rare hearing, Pentagon reports rise in UFOs in past 20 years

UN alarmed as COVID-19 spreads in North Korea, ready to help

Indonesian farmers protest against rising cost of palm oil export ban