World

Ukraine-US Hold 'Constructive' Talks on Minerals Deal
Ukraine-US Hold 'Constructive' Talks on Minerals Deal

Talks last week between the United States and Ukraine on a proposed minerals deal were "constructive," a senior official familiar with the discussions told AFP on Monday. "The meeting was normal, no problems; everyone says that they talked constructively," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity, after a meeting in Washington on ...

Meta Chief Zuckerberg Testifies at Landmark US Antitrust Trial
Meta Chief Zuckerberg Testifies at Landmark US Antitrust Trial

Meta chief and co-founder Mark Zuckerberg took the stand Monday in a landmark US antitrust trial in which his social media juggernaut stands accused of abusing its market power to acquire Instagram and WhatsApp before they could become competitors. The start of the trial in a Washington federal court dashed the hopes of Zuckerberg that the ...

EU Announces 1.6 bn Euros in New Aid for Palestinians
EU Announces 1.6 bn Euros in New Aid for Palestinians

The European Union on Monday announced a new three-year financial support package for the Palestinians worth up to 1.6 billion euros ($1.8 billion). The fresh aid pledge came just ahead of a meeting between Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa and EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg. "We are stepping up our support to the Palestinian ...

UK Sanctions Iran-Backed 'Criminal Network' and Its Leader
UK Sanctions Iran-Backed 'Criminal Network' and Its Leader

The United Kingdom on Monday accused Iran of helping criminal gangs to stage attacks in Europe as it sanctioned the Swedish-based Foxtrot criminal network and its leader, Rawa Majid. The sanctions were ordered over the network's role in attacks across Europe, the Foreign Office said, and would include travel bans and asset freezes. "Today, the ...

France-Algeria: Efforts at Reconciliation Undermined by the Amir DZ Case
SpotlightFrance-Algeria: Efforts at Reconciliation Undermined by the Amir DZ Case

Barely underway, the diplomatic reset between Paris and Algiers is already under serious strain. At the center of the tensions: the indictment in France of an Algerian consular agent over the alleged abduction of dissident Amir Boukhors, known as Amir DZ. Algeria has condemned what it calls “a serious violation of international law” and, in ...

Syria Ministers to Attend IMF and World Bank Meetings Next Week
Syria Ministers to Attend IMF and World Bank Meetings Next Week

Syrian ministers and the country's central bank chief are to take part in the International Monetary Fund and World Bank's spring meetings in Washington next week, two sources told AFP on Monday. Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, Finance Minister Mohammed Barnieh and central bank governor Abdul Qadir al-Hasriya were set to join the April 21-26 ...

EU Tariffs on US Goods Suspended Until July 14
EU Tariffs on US Goods Suspended Until July 14

The EU's retaliatory tariffs on US goods worth 21 billion euros will be on hold until July 14, Brussels said on Monday, to give time for negotiations with Washington. The European Union was hit with a 20 percent rate as part of Trump's sweeping tariffs on April 2, before he suspended the measures for 90 days a week later. To give breathing room ...

Tehran–Washington: Toward a Thaw or a Deadlock?
Tehran–Washington: Toward a Thaw or a Deadlock?

Iran and the United States held indirect negotiations on Saturday, mediated by the Sultanate of Oman, focused on Iran’s nuclear program. These talks are making headlines amid a lack of transparency about their content and progress. A Second Round in Rome According to Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp, a second round of negotiations is set ...

Macron and Abbas Agree on 'Urgent' Need for Gaza Truce
Macron and Abbas Agree on 'Urgent' Need for Gaza Truce

Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas and French President Emmanuel Macron called for an "urgent" ceasefire in Gaza during a phone conversation on Monday, according to the official Palestinian news agency WAFA. "They emphasized the urgent need for a ceasefire, the acceleration of humanitarian aid delivery, the rejection of the displacement of the ...

Iraqis Take Part in Paragliding Championship in Dohuk
Iraqis Take Part in Paragliding Championship in Dohuk

Competitors take part in the Iraqi Paragliding Championship, held on Zawa Mountain on the outskirts of Dohuk, in autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan. "Flying is everyone's dream. Ever since I was a child, I've dreamed of flying, and four years ago, that dream came true... In 2021, I joined the Dohuk club, I started training and paragliding, and ...