/news/world/rss 九一星空无限 Keep up with the latest developments and breaking news around the globe with 九一星空无限talk ZB. Sun, 25 May 2025 06:38:00 Z en /news/world/gaza-doctors-nine-children-killed-in-israeli-strike-investigation-ongoing/ /news/world/gaza-doctors-nine-children-killed-in-israeli-strike-investigation-ongoing/ Gaza’s civil defence agency says an Israeli strike in the southern city of Khan Yunis killed nine children of a pair of married doctors. The Israeli army said it was reviewing the reports of Friday’s strikes. Israel has stepped up its campaign in Gaza in recent days, drawing international criticism as well as calls to allow in more supplies after it partially eased a total blockade on aid imposed on March 2. Gaza Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal said the agency had retrieved “the bodies of nine child martyrs, some of them charred, from the home of Dr Hamdi al-Najjar and his wife, Dr Alaa al-Najjar, all of whom were their children”. He added that Hamdi al-Najjar and another son, Adam, were seriously wounded in the strike on Friday. A medical source at Nasser Hospital, where Alaa al-Najjar works, gave Adam’s age as 10 years old. Footage of the aftermath released by the Civil Defence agency showed rescuers recovering badly burned remains from the damaged home. The Israeli military said it had “struck a number of suspects who were identified operating from a structure” near its troops. “The Khan Yunis area is a dangerous warzone. The claim regarding harm to uninvolved civilians is under review.” The army had issued an evacuation warning for the city on Monday. The children’s funeral took place at Nasser Hospital, AFP footage showed. Agencies, including the Jordanian army, have been working to get aid into the Gaza Strip as the war between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement continues. Photo / Petra 九一星空无限 Agency/AFP Muneer Alboursh, director general of the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, said on X that the strike happened shortly after Hamdi Al-Najjar returned home from driving his wife to work. “This is the reality our medical staff in Gaza endure. Words fall short in describing the pain,” he said, accusing Israel of “wiping out entire families”. Fresh strikes Bassal told AFP that Israeli strikes killed at least 15 people on Saturday across Gaza. He said the dead included a couple who were killed with their two young children in a pre-dawn strike on a house in the Amal quarter of Khan Yunis. To the west of the city, at least five people were killed by a drone strike on a crowd that had gathered to wait for aid trucks, he added. At Nasser Hospital, tearful mourners gathered Saturday around white-shrouded bodies outside. “Suddenly, a missile from an F-16 destroyed the entire house, and all of them were civilians - my sister, her husband and their children,” said Wissam Al-Madhoun. “What did this child do to [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu?” The military said that over the past day the air force had struck more than 100 targets across the territory. Israel resumed operations in Gaza on March 18, ending a two-month ceasefire. Gaza’s health ministry said Saturday that at least 3747 people had been killed in the territory since then, taking the war’s overall toll to 53,901, mostly civilians. ‘Attempt to sow panic’ United Nations chief Antonio Guterres said on Friday that Palestinians were enduring “the cruellest phase” of the war in Gaza, where Israel’s lengthy blockade has led to widespread shortages of food and medicine. Limited aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip restarted on Monday for the first time since March 2. The Gaza City municipality, meanwhile, warned Saturday of “a potential large-scale water crisis” because of a lack of supplies needed to repair damaged infrastructure. Hamas’ October 2023 attack on Israel that triggered the war resulted in the deaths of 1218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Militants also took 251 hostages, 57 of whom remain in Gaza including 34 the Israeli military says are dead. Demonstrators gathered yet again in Tel Aviv on Saturday night for their regular protest calling for the captives’ freedom, carrying a giant banner that read “Save the hostages, end the war”. “We want the war to end now because we see... that the war will not lead to the release of the hostages, and that it will bring more death, more misery on both sides,” demonstrator Jonathan Adereth told AFP. Early Saturday morning (local time), Israel’s National Cyber Directorate said it had received “numerous inquiries” about citizens “receiving phone calls in which recordings are played featuring the voice of a hostage, sounds of explosions and screams”. Israeli media said the calls featured audio apparently taken from a video of hostage Yosef Haim Ohana published by Hamas this month. “This is an attempt to sow panic and confusion among the public,” the directorate said of the calls, adding “the matter is under investigation”. - Agence France-Presse Sat, 24 May 2025 22:15:58 Z /news/world/trump-reignites-eu-trade-war-with-50-tariff-threat/ /news/world/trump-reignites-eu-trade-war-with-50-tariff-threat/ US President Donald Trump rekindled his trade war with the European Union Friday as he insisted he would slap a 50% tariff on the bloc because talks with Brussels were “going nowhere”. Trump also unleashed a separate broadside against smartphone makers including US tech giant Apple, threatening them with new duties of 25% if they do not move their production to the United States. Stock markets fell as the Republican’s comments rekindled fears of global economic disruption, after a relative lull in recent days after Trump reached deals with China and Britain. Trump first threatened the EU tariffs in an early morning post on his Truth Social network. “Our discussions with them are going nowhere!” Trump said. “Therefore, I am recommending a straight 50 per cent Tariff on the European Union, starting on June 1, 2025.” He doubled down later in the day, telling reporters in the Oval Office that there was nothing the 27-nation bloc could do to change his mind. “I’m not looking for a deal. I mean, we’ve set the deal. It’s at 50 per cent,” Trump said. “They haven’t treated our country properly. They banded together to take advantage of us.” Billionaire property tycoon Trump, 78, also denied that his tariffs would hurt American businesses. “They’re not hurting, they’re helping,” he said. ‘Enormously disappointing’ Trump’s new tariffs would, if imposed, dramatically raise Washington’s current baseline levy of 10% and fuel simmering tensions between the world’s biggest economy and its largest trading bloc. European leaders reacted with dismay to the US president’s announcement. Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin called Trump’s announcement “enormously disappointing”, writing on X that “tariffs are damaging to all sides.” French trade minister Laurent Saint-Martin said his country’s position was “de-escalation, but ready to respond”. An EU spokesperson declined to comment, saying a call was planned for later in the day between EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic and US trade representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer. In a separate message posted Friday that also unnerved markets, Trump blasted Apple boss Tim Cook for failing to move iPhone production to the US despite his repeated requests. Trump said he had “long ago informed Tim Cook of Apple that I expect their iPhones that will be sold in the United States of America will be manufactured and built in the United States, not India, or anyplace else. “If that is not the case, a tariff of at least 25% must be paid by Apple to the US.” Trump later stepped up his threats, saying he would hit all smartphones not made in his country. “It would be also Samsung and anybody that makes that product, otherwise it wouldn’t be fair,” Trump told reporters, adding that the new tariffs would come into effect from the “end of June”. Market worries Trump imposed sweeping tariffs on most of the world on what he called “Liberation Day” on April 2, with a baseline 10 per cent plus steeper duties including a 20 per cent levy on the EU. Markets were thrown into turmoil but calmed after he paused the bigger tariffs for 90 days. Trump has since claimed early successes in deals struck with Britain and with China, the world’s second-biggest economy. But talks with the EU have failed to make much progress, with Brussels recently threatening to hit US goods worth nearly €100 billion ($190b) with tariffs if it does not lower the duties on European goods. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Bloomberg Television on Friday the lower 10 per cent tariff rate was “contingent on countries or trading blocs coming and negotiating in good faith”. Traders were unnerved by Trump’s latest salvo against Europe. Wall Street’s main indexes were all down around 1% two hours into trading, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq at one stage losing 1.5% before rallying while Apple shares sank 2.5%. Paris and Frankfurt ended with losses of around 1.5%, while London’s FTSE 100, which initially rose, also ended in the red. “The administration had kind of hinted that they were considering imposing reciprocal tariffs on countries that weren’t negotiating in good faith,” Barclays senior US economist Jonathan Millar told AFP. -Agence France-Presse Fri, 23 May 2025 20:39:13 Z /news/world/protests-as-donald-trump-hosts-trump-memecoin-dinner-for-top-investors/ /news/world/protests-as-donald-trump-hosts-trump-memecoin-dinner-for-top-investors/ US President Donald Trump hosted a closed-door dinner for hundreds of top investors in his crypto memecoin on Thursday (local time), as sign-holding protesters outside and Democratic opponents decried the event as blatant “corruption”. The unprecedented melding of US presidential power and personal business took place at Trump’s golf club outside Washington, where Trump flew by helicopter to meet the 220 biggest purchasers of his $TRUMP memecoin. The top 25 investors, according to an event website, were to get a private session with Trump beforehand and a White House tour. Trump launched the memecoin three days before his inauguration in January, quickly increasing his net worth by billions and prompting major, first-of-their-kind ethics questions. The White House downplayed those concerns on Thursday, insisting Trump was attending in his “personal time”. The President posted on his Truth Social platform before the event that “the USA is DOMINATING in Crypto, Bitcoin, etc.” and pledged to “keep it that way”. Photos posted online by attendees to the dinner – press were not allowed inside – showed a lectern sporting the presidential seal, apparently for Trump to deliver remarks. Protesters gathered outside the golf course despite rainy skies, some carrying signs reading “stop crypto corruption” and “no kings”. Earlier in the day, Democratic senators held a press conference to denounce the event and call for disclosure of who would be attending. Calling the dinner “an orgy of corruption,” Senator Elizabeth Warren slammed Trump for “using the presidency of the United States to make himself richer through crypto”. Data analytics firm Inca Digital has confirmed that many transactions occurred through international exchanges unavailable in the United States, suggesting foreign buyers. – ‘Slap in the face’ – A site listing the “official winners” of $TRUMP coin holders included only usernames and digital wallet addresses, with the number-one spot held by “Sun”. Chinese-born crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun has touted a US$20 million (NZ$34m) commitment to the memecoin as part of his US$93 million total investment in Trump-linked crypto ventures. Justin Sun, founder of Tron, speaks during the Consensus Crypto Conference in Hong Kong, China. Photo / Bloomberg via Getty Images Sun, founder of top 10 cryptocurrency TRON, was under investigation by US authorities for market manipulation, but regulators, now controlled by Trump appointees, agreed in February to a 60-day pause to seek a settlement. “Apparently, I’m at the VIP lounge waiting for the President to come with everybody,” a tuxedo-clad Sun said in a video posted on X Thursday evening. Trump departed the golf course just over an hour after his arrival. Justin Unga, of advocacy group End Citizens United, described the crypto dinner as a blatant example of Trump profiting from the presidency while roiling the US economy. “Some say this is a back door to corruption,” Unga said. “I would argue it’s the front door with valet parking, and it’s got a red carpet... and a slap in the face of hard-working Americans.” – Expanding empire – The dinner came as the US Senate is pushing through legislation to more clearly regulate cryptocurrencies, a long-sought request of the industry, and as Trump expands his business network into the field. Senators on Monday advanced a landmark Bill known as the GENIUS Act that proposes a regulatory framework for stablecoins – a type of crypto token seen as more predictable for investors as its value is pegged to hard currencies like the dollar. Bitcoin’s price hit a new all-time high on Thursday, climbing above $111,000 before falling slightly. Trump’s newfound enthusiasm for digital currencies has expanded into multiple ventures led primarily by his eldest sons. Protesters outside the event held signs saying 'stop crypto corruption.' Photo / Bloomberg via Getty Images Their growing portfolio includes investments in Binance, a major crypto exchange whose founder seeks a presidential pardon to re-enter the US market. This investment flows through World Liberty Financial, a Trump family-backed venture launched last September with significant Mideast deals. The company’s founding team includes Donald Jr. and Eric Trump alongside Zach Witkoff, son of Trump’s diplomatic adviser. President Trump has taken concrete steps to reduce regulatory barriers, including an executive order establishing a “Strategic Bitcoin Reserve” for government holdings of the leading digital currency. -Agence France-Presse Fri, 23 May 2025 04:50:13 Z /news/world/four-dead-as-record-floods-devastate-eastern-australia/ /news/world/four-dead-as-record-floods-devastate-eastern-australia/ Record floods cut a destructive path through eastern Australia on Friday, caking houses in silt, washing out roads and separating 50,000 people from help. Four bodies have been pulled from vast tides of floodwater engulfing parts of northern New South Wales, a fertile region of rivers and valleys about 400km up the coast from Sydney. Salvage crews were preparing to embark on a major clean-up operation as waters started receding on Friday morning, surveying the damage from half a year’s worth of rain dumped in just three days. “Our CBD was inundated, so many businesses have had water through and it’s going to be a massive cleanup,” said Kinne Ring, mayor of the flood-stricken farming town of Kempsey, referring to its central business district. “Houses have been inundated,” she told national broadcaster ABC. “There’s water coming through the bottom of houses, it’s really awful to see and the water is going to take a bit of time to recede.” State Emergency Service boss Dallas Burnes said more than 2000 workers had been deployed to the disaster zone. “A real focus for us at the moment will be resupplying the isolated communities,” he said, adding that 50,000 people were still stranded by the floods. Burnes said rescue crews had plucked more than 600 people to safety since the floods started rising earlier this week. Some people clambered atop cars, houses and highway bridges before helicopters winched them away. The storms have dumped more than six months’ worth of rain over just three days, the Government weather bureau has said, smashing flood-height records in some areas. “We are seeing levels in local tributaries, creeks and rivers that we haven’t seen since 1920,” state premier Chris Minns told reporters on Thursday. “Many people will have never seen this level of inundation or flooding in their communities.” In the town of Taree, business owner Jeremy Thornton said the “gut-wrenching” flood was among the worst he had seen. A flooded area near the NSW town of Taree. Torrential rain has lashed eastern Australia, triggering heavy flooding. Photo / New South Wales Police via AFP “It is pretty tough, we’ve had a few moments but you have to suck it up and push on,” he told AFP on Thursday. “We are reliving it every second – hearing the rain, hearing the helicopters, hearing the siren.” Locals spotted dead cows washing up on beaches after swollen rivers swept them from their pastures inland. The Government has declared a natural disaster, unlocking greater resources for affected areas. From the arid outback to the tropical coast, swathes of Australia have recently been pummelled by wild weather. The oceans surrounding Australia have been “abnormally warm” in recent months, according to Australia’s Government weather bureau. Warmer seas evaporate more moisture into the atmosphere, which can eventually lead to more intense rains. Although difficult to link to specific disasters, climate change is already fuelling more extreme weather patterns, scientists warn. Flood modelling expert Mahdi Sedighkia said this week’s emergency offered “compelling evidence” of how climate change could affect regional weather patterns. - Agence France-Presse Fri, 23 May 2025 01:27:26 Z /news/world/us-government-revokes-harvard-s-right-to-enrol-foreign-students/ /news/world/us-government-revokes-harvard-s-right-to-enrol-foreign-students/ US President Donald Trump’s administration has revoked Harvard’s right to enrol foreign nationals – more than a quarter of the student body – in an escalation of his fight against the prestigious university. The Massachusetts university quickly slammed the move as “unlawful” and said it would cause “serious harm” to both the campus and the country as a whole. Trump is furious at Harvard – which has produced 162 Nobel prize winners – for rejecting his demand that it submit to oversight on admissions and hiring over his claims that it is a hotbed of antisemitism and “woke” liberal ideology. “Effective immediately, Harvard University’s Student and Exchange Visitor (SEVIS) Programme certification is revoked,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote in a letter to the Ivy League institution, referring to the main system by which foreign students are permitted to study in the US. Harvard, which has sued the US government over the raft of other punitive measures it has taken against it, quickly fired back, calling the move “unlawful”. “We are fully committed to maintaining Harvard’s ability to host our international students and scholars,” it said in a statement. “We are working quickly to provide guidance and support to members of our community. This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country, and undermines Harvard’s academic and research mission.” Karl Molden, an international student from Austria, said he had applied to study at Oxford in Britain because he feared such measures. “It’s scary and it’s saddening,” the 21-year-old government and classics student said. “I love Harvard, and getting into the school has been the greatest privilege of my life. “It’s definitely going to change the perception of ... students who (might) consider studying there – the US is getting less of an attractive spot for higher education.” ‘Everyone’s panicking’ Last month, Trump threatened to stop Harvard from enrolling foreign students if it did not agree to government demands that would put the private institution under outside political supervision. “As I explained to you in my April letter, it is a privilege to enrol foreign students,” Noem wrote. “All universities must comply with Department of Homeland Security requirements, including reporting requirements under the Student and Exchange Visitor Programme regulations, to maintain this privilege,” she said. “As a result of your refusal to comply with multiple requests to provide the Department of Homeland Security pertinent information while perpetuating an unsafe campus environment that is hostile to Jewish students, promotes pro-Hamas sympathies, and employs racist “diversity, equity, and inclusion” policies, you have lost this privilege.” More than 27% of Harvard’s enrolment was made up of foreign students in the 2024-25 academic year, according to university data. Fourth-year US student Alice Goyer said “no one knows” what the development would mean for international students already enrolled. “We just got the news, so I’ve been getting texts from a lot of international friends, and I think everyone’s just – no one knows,” she said. “Everyone’s panicking a bit.” On whether students would willingly transfer to other institutions, as suggested by Noem in the letter, Goyer said “I doubt people would do that.” “I would hope maybe there’s going to be a legal battle that’ll take place.” -Agence France-Presse Fri, 23 May 2025 01:04:15 Z /news/world/serious-accident-at-north-korea-warship-launch-state-media/ /news/world/serious-accident-at-north-korea-warship-launch-state-media/ A major accident occurred during the launch of a North Korean destroyer, with Kim Jong Un calling it a “criminal act”. The mishap crushed parts of the warship’s bottom, causing it to list in the water. South Korea’s military said the side-launch attempt failed, and the vessel is believed to be similar to the Choe Hyon. A major accident occurred at the launch ceremony for a new North Korean naval destroyer, state media reported today, with leader Kim Jong Un calling the mishap a “criminal act”. At a ceremony to launch a new 5000-tonne vessel in the eastern port city of Chongjin on Wednesday “a serious accident occurred”, the official Korean Central 九一星空无限 Agency (KCNA) said. South Korea’s military said North Korea also fired “multiple unidentified cruise missiles” on Thursday, which were detected near the North’s South Hamgyong province after being “fired toward the East Sea”, also known as the Sea of Japan. Blaming “inexperienced command and operational carelessness” for the destroyer’s botched launch – which was observed by Kim – KCNA said there was a mishap that left “some sections of the warship’s bottom crushed”. It said the accident managed to “destroy the balance of the warship”. Kim watched the entire incident and declared it a “criminal act caused by absolute carelessness”, warning it “could not be tolerated”. He said the “irresponsible errors” of officials responsible would be “dealt with at the plenary meeting of the Party Central Committee to be convened next month”. South Korea’s military said US and Seoul intelligence authorities assess that North Korea’s “side-launch attempt” of the ship failed. “The side-launch method used in this case is no longer employed by South Korea’s military,” Lee Sung-jun, spokesman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters. The vessel was listing in the water, Lee said, and based on its size and scale, it was believed to be similarly equipped to the 5000-tonne, destroyer-class warship Choe Hyon, which North Korea unveiled last month. Last month, Pyongyang’s state media ran images of Kim attending a launching ceremony of Choe Hyon with his daughter Ju Ae, considered by many experts to be his likely successor. North Korea claimed the vessel was equipped with the “most powerful weapons” and that it would “enter into operation early next year”. Some analysts said the ship could be equipped with short-range tactical missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads – although North Korea has not proven it has the ability to miniaturise its atomic arsenal. Russian connection? The South Korean military has said the Choe Hyon could have been developed with Russian help – possibly in exchange for Pyongyang deploying thousands of troops to help Moscow fight Ukraine. Ahn Chan-il, a defector-turned-researcher who runs the World Institute for North Korea Studies, said the warship involved in Wednesday’s accident may have also been constructed with Russian assistance. Chongjin, the North Korean city where the launch ceremony was held, is close to Russia’s Vladivostok port, he noted. “It’s also likely that the projected timeline for the vessel – including when assembly would be completed and the ship launched – was shared with the Russian side,” he told AFP. “It appears the dock was hastily constructed, and multiple issues may have arisen during the shipbuilding process. “With today’s announcement, Pyongyang seems to be signalling not only to its own people, but also to the Russian side.” Strengthening the navy North Korea confirmed in April for the first time that it had deployed troops to Russia to support Moscow in the Ukraine war. Moscow and Pyongyang recently announced that they had started building the first road bridge linking the two countries. North Korea also launched a flurry of ballistic missiles last year in violation of UN sanctions. In March, Kim inspected a project to build a nuclear-powered submarine, asserting that “radically” boosting the navy was a key part of Pyongyang’s defensive strategy. Kim called at the time for the modernisation of the country’s surface and underwater naval forces, including the development of warships. Pyongyang has previously claimed to be developing underwater nuclear attack drones, which could unleash a “radioactive tsunami”, but analysts have questioned whether it actually had such a weapon. Washington – Seoul’s key security ally – has in recent years ramped up joint military exercises and increased the presence of strategic US assets in the region to deter the North, such as an aircraft carrier and a nuclear-powered submarine. Pyongyang has repeatedly declared itself an “irreversible” nuclear weapons state and routinely denounces joint US-South Korea drills as rehearsals for invasion. - Agence France-Presse Thu, 22 May 2025 08:59:08 Z /news/world/nsw-floods-1-dead-torrential-rain-isolates-50-000-rescue-efforts-continue/ /news/world/nsw-floods-1-dead-torrential-rain-isolates-50-000-rescue-efforts-continue/ Torrential rain in eastern Australia has stranded nearly 50,000 people and caused widespread flooding. Police found a 63-year-old man’s body in a flooded home in Moto, northeast of Sydney. Authorities deployed helicopters, boats, and drones for rescue missions, fearing more bad weather. Torrential rain continued to lash eastern Australia on Thursday, swelling already engorged rivers, engulfing roads and leaving almost 50,000 people stranded. Police found the body of a 63-year-old man inside a flooded home in the rural hamlet of Moto, about 400km northeast of Sydney. Others clambered on to their roofs to escape the rising waters as authorities dispatched helicopters, boats and drones on a major search and rescue mission. The storms have already dumped more than four months’ rain across parts of New South Wales in just two days. “I must also say that we’re bracing for more bad news in the next 24 hours. This natural disaster has been terrible for this community,” state premier Chris Minns told reporters. The town of Kempsey – an agricultural hub on the banks of the Macleay River – had been surrounded with little warning, mayor Kinnie Ring told AFP. “You often think of rain on tin roof as relaxing, but at the moment it is deafening and horrible,” Ring said on Thursday. “The downpours are torrential and every time it rains, you wonder what is going to happen next.” Ring said more than 20,000 people were isolated in her local government area alone, many unable to access medication or supplies. “This isn’t a flood like we have seen in quite some time.” Minns said close to 50,000 people could be isolated by flooding across the Mid North Coast, where rivers flow off rugged hills to feed the verdant hinterland. Torrential rain lashed eastern Australia on May 22, triggering heavy flooding. Photo / New South Wales Police via AFP Authorities feared at least three people had gone missing. ‘More natural disasters’ From the arid outback to the tropical coast, swathes of Australia have been pummelled by wild weather in recent months. The average sea surface temperature around the continent was the highest on record in 2024, according to the Australian National University. Warmer seas sweat more moisture into the atmosphere, which can eventually lead to more intense rains. “Unfortunately, we’re getting better at deploying resources because of natural disasters,” Minns said. “And the reason for that is because we’re seeing more of them, not less.” Some 2500 emergency workers have been deployed to the region, Minns said, alongside rescue boats, a fleet of helicopters, and “hundreds” of search drones. Emergency Management Minister Kristy McBain said rain continued to fall and some rivers were still yet to peak. “We aren’t over the worst of it yet,” she told national broadcaster ABC. Taree resident Holly Pillotto was among those briefly stranded on an upper level of her home. “Our neighbours on the back verandah here are also stranded,” she told Australia’s Channel Nine as waters rose on Wednesday. “It’s a really dangerous spot to be.” – Agence France-Presse Thu, 22 May 2025 04:15:25 Z /news/world/netanyahu-open-to-gaza-ceasefire-amid-global-pressure-and-aid-crisis/ /news/world/netanyahu-open-to-gaza-ceasefire-amid-global-pressure-and-aid-crisis/ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is open to a “temporary ceasefire” in Gaza to free hostages. Israeli troops fired warning shots near foreign diplomats in the West Bank, causing global condemnation. Aid has entered Gaza but humanitarian groups say it falls short of easing the crisis. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today said he was open to a “temporary ceasefire” in Gaza, as international pressure intensified over Israel’s renewed offensive and aid blockade in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory. “If there is an option for a temporary ceasefire to free hostages, we’ll be ready,” Netanyahu said, noting that at least 20 hostages held by Hamas and its allies were still believed to be alive. But he reaffirmed that the Israeli military aimed to bring all of Gaza under its control by the end of its operation. “We must avoid a humanitarian crisis in order to preserve our freedom of operational action,” he said. His remarks came hours after Israeli troops fired what the army called “warning shots” near a delegation of foreign diplomats visiting the occupied West Bank, triggering global condemnation and fresh diplomatic tension. The Palestinian foreign ministry accused Israeli forces of “deliberately targeting by live fire an accredited diplomatic delegation” near the flashpoint city of Jenin. A European diplomat said the group had travelled to the area to witness the destruction caused by months of Israeli military raids. The Israeli army said “the delegation deviated from the approved route” and entered a restricted zone. Troops opened fire to steer the group away, it said, adding no injuries were reported and expressing regret for the “inconvenience caused”. The incident drew condemnation from Belgium, Canada, Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, the Netherlands, Spain, Turkey, Uruguay and the European Union. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called on Israel to investigate the shots and to hold those responsible “accountable”. ‘Unbearable’ Anger mounted over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where Palestinians are scrambling for basic supplies after weeks of near-total isolation. Palestinian rescue teams said overnight Israeli strikes had killed at least 19 people, including a week-old baby. A two-month total blockade was only partially eased this week, with aid allowed into the territory for the first time since March 2, a move leading to critical food and medicine shortages. Israel said 100 trucks with aid entered Gaza today through the Kerem Shalom crossing from Israel, following 93 the day before, which the United Nations has said had been held up. Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, said that as of 4am (NZT) “none of the supplies have been able to leave the Kerem Shalom loading area” because of security concerns. Humanitarian groups have said that the amount falls far short of what is required to ease the crisis. A US-backed private group, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which will use contractors, said it will start moving aid into the territory in “coming days”. The UN and traditional agencies have said they will not co-operate with the foundation, which some have accused of working with Israel. The GHF has said it will distribute some 300 million meals in its first 90 days of operation. Umm Talal al-Masri, 53, a displaced Palestinian in Gaza City, described the situation as “unbearable”. “No one is distributing anything to us. Everyone is waiting for aid, but we haven’t received anything,” she said. “We’re grinding lentils and pasta to make some loaves of bread, and we barely manage to prepare one meal a day.” Pressure on Israel The army stepped up its offensive at the weekend, vowing to defeat Gaza’s Hamas rulers, whose October 7, 2023 attack on Israel triggered the war. Israel has faced massive pressure, including from traditional allies, to halt its expanded offensive and allow aid into Gaza. European Union foreign ministers yesterday agreed to review the bloc’s co-operation accord, which includes trade, with Israel. Israel’s foreign ministry has said the EU action “reflects a total misunderstanding of the complex reality Israel is facing”. Sweden said it would press the 27-nation bloc to impose sanctions on Israeli ministers, while Britain suspended free-trade negotiations with Israel and summoned the Israeli ambassador. Pope Leo XIV described the situation in Gaza as “worrying and painful” and called for “the entry of sufficient humanitarian aid”. Germany defended a key EU-Israel co-operation deal as “an important forum that we must use in order to discuss critical questions” over the situation in Gaza. In Gaza, Israel resumed its operations across the territory on March 18, ending a two-month ceasefire. Hamas’ October 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1218 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Militants also took 251 hostages, 57 of whom remain in Gaza, including 34 the military says are dead. Gaza’s health ministry yesterday said at least 3509 people have been killed since Israel resumed strikes on March 18, taking the war’s overall toll to 53,655. In neighbouring Lebanon, authorities said Israeli strikes killed three people earlier today as Israel said it targeted Hamas’ allies Hezbollah in the south – the latest in a series of attacks despite a ceasefire with the Iran-backed militant group. – Agence France-Presse Thu, 22 May 2025 01:21:59 Z /news/world/trump-ambushes-south-african-president-with-genocide-accusation/ /news/world/trump-ambushes-south-african-president-with-genocide-accusation/ President Donald Trump ambushed South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday by playing him a video that he claimed proved genocide is being committed against white people, driving farmers to flee to the United States.  The unexpected stunt turned the usually staid diplomatic setting of the Oval Office into a stage for Trump’s contention that white South Africans are being persecuted.  With the media standing by and Ramaphosa at times unable to get a word in, Trump had staff put the video on a large screen, saying it showed black South Africans discussing genocide.  “They’re white farmers, and they’re fleeing South Africa, and it’s a very sad thing to see. But I hope we can have an explanation of that, because I know you don’t want that,” Trump said.  Ramaphosa repeatedly tried to speak but was drowned out. At one point, he pleaded that they “talk about it very calmly”.  Relations between the two countries have been strained since Trump signed an executive order in February that claimed white South Africans are the victims of government land confiscation and race-based “genocide”, while admitting some of those Afrikaners as refugees to the United States. Photo / Getty Images  “We were taught by Nelson Mandela that whenever there are problems, people need to sit down around the table and talk about them. And this is precisely what we would also like to talk about,” he said.  The visit by the South African leader was billed as a chance to smooth relations following vociferous – and unfounded – genocide claims by Trump and his billionaire, South African-born ally Elon Musk, who was also in the Oval Office.  “We are essentially here to reset the relationship between the United States and South Africa,” Ramaphosa said.  He arrived at the White House with two of South Africa’s top golfers, Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, and the country’s wealthiest man Johann Rupert, in a bid to woo the golf-loving US President.  The support of the three high-profile Afrikaners in Ramaphosa’s delegation comes days after around 50 Afrikaners arrived in the United States to take up Trump’s offer of “refuge”.  Trump made the offer despite the United States having halted arrivals of asylum seekers from most of the rest of the world as he cracks down on migration.  The South African President was also expected to come bearing gifts, with reports that his government would offer Musk a deal to operate his Starlink satellite internet network in the country.  The Tesla and Space X boss has accused Pretoria of “openly racist” laws, a reference to post-apartheid black empowerment policies seen as a hurdle to the licensing of Starlink.  Land law row  Trump’s administration has torn into a series of policies in South Africa since the US President began his second term in office.  It has slammed South Africa’s case accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza at the International Court of Justice, cut foreign aid, announced 31% tariffs, and expelled Pretoria’s ambassador after he criticised Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement.  But the biggest issue for Trump and his team has been a South African land expropriation law signed in January that aims to redress the historical inequalities of white minority rule.  Musk, who has spearheaded Trump’s radical cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), attacked the land laws at the Qatar Economic forum this week.  “Why are there racist laws in South Africa?” he said.  Land ownership is a contentious issue in South Africa, with most farmland still owned by white people despite being only 7.3% of the population.  Ramaphosa has rejected Washington’s assertion that the law will be used to arbitrarily confiscate white-owned land.  Right-wing Afrikaner lobby groups have claimed that Afrikaans farmers are being murdered in targeted killings, but authorities say this is unfounded.  Most of the victims of South Africa’s sky-high murder rate are young black men in urban areas, according to police figures.  -Danny Kemp, Agence France-Presse  Wed, 21 May 2025 20:27:36 Z /news/world/actor-george-wendt-beloved-as-norm-in-cheers-dies-aged-76/ /news/world/actor-george-wendt-beloved-as-norm-in-cheers-dies-aged-76/ George Wendt, known for playing Norm Peterson in Cheers, has died at age 76.  Wendt’s family confirmed he died peacefully in his sleep at home on Tuesday.  He was nominated for six Emmy awards and was uncle to Ted Lasso star Jason Sudeikis.  George Wendt, the American actor best known for his role as the curmudgeonly Norm Peterson in Cheers, has died, a representative says.  Wendt, 76, was nominated for six successive Emmy awards for his role as the perennial barfly opposite Ted Danson in one of television’s most successful sitcoms.  “George’s family confirmed the news of his death early Tuesday morning, announcing he died peacefully in his sleep while at home,” the family’s representative, Melissa Nathan, told AFP.  “George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him.  “He will be missed forever.”  Wendt was also uncle to Ted Lasso star Jason Sudeikis.  The heavyset Norm was one of the regulars who sat at the bar in Cheers, swapping banter with postman Cliff (played by John Ratzenberger) and psychiatrist Frasier Crane (played by Kelsey Grammer), among others.  The three had beers served to them by head barman Danson and his younger - and somewhat dimmer - sidekick Woody, played by Woody Harrelson.  Wendt’s character was famously greeted by a unanimous shout of “Norm!” from every patron in the bar every time he walked in, followed each time by a witty one-liner in response to Danson or Harrelson’s “What’ll you have?”  - Agence France-Presse  Tue, 20 May 2025 21:03:20 Z /news/world/us-surgeons-perform-world-s-first-bladder-transplant/ /news/world/us-surgeons-perform-world-s-first-bladder-transplant/ Surgeons in Los Angeles performed the world’s first human bladder transplant at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Centre. The recipient, Oscar Larrainzar, 41, also received a kidney, ending seven years of dialysis. The procedure, led by Dr Nima Nassiri, showed immediately positive results, with improved kidney function. Surgeons at a hospital in Los Angeles, California, have successfully performed the world’s first human bladder transplant, hospital officials said. The surgery, performed on May 4 at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Centre in the United States, is a promising development for other patients suffering from serious bladder disorders. The recipient of the innovative procedure was Oscar Larrainzar, 41, a father-of-four who had a large portion of his bladder removed because of cancer several years ago, the University of California, Los Angeles, said in a statement. Larrainzar later had both of his kidneys removed because of cancer and end-stage kidney disease and was on dialysis for seven years. He received both a bladder and a kidney from an organ donor and had them successfully transplanted in an eight-hour operation. “The surgeons first transplanted the kidney, followed by the bladder; they then connected the kidney to the new bladder using the technique they had pioneered,” the UCLA statement said. Dr Nima Nassiri, one of the surgeons involved in the historic transplant, said the procedure yielded positive results almost instantaneously. “The kidney immediately made a large volume of urine, and the patient’s kidney function improved immediately,” Nassiri said. “There was no need for any dialysis after surgery, and the urine drained properly into the new bladder.” Nassiri and fellow surgeon Inderbir Gill said full bladder transplants had not been performed previously because of the complex vascular structure of the pelvis, making it a technically difficult procedure. “This first attempt at bladder transplantation has been over four years in the making,” Nassiri said. Previously, patients in need of bladder reconstruction could have one artificially created using a part of the intestines or have a stoma bag inserted to collect urine. Those techniques had several short-term and long-term risks that doctors hope will be circumvented with the full bladder transplant, Nassiri said. – Agence France-Presse Tue, 20 May 2025 04:07:35 Z /news/world/trump-signs-bill-criminalising-revenge-porn-and-mandating-removal/ /news/world/trump-signs-bill-criminalising-revenge-porn-and-mandating-removal/ US President Donald Trump signed the “Take It Down Act”, making “revenge porn” a federal crime. The law mandates the removal of non-consensual intimate images from online platforms within 48 hours. Critics warn the act could increase censorship power, while supporters call it a significant step. US President Donald Trump signed a bill today making it a federal crime to post “revenge porn” – whether it is real or generated by artificial intelligence. The “Take It Down Act,” passed with overwhelming bipartisan congressional support, criminalises non-consensual publication of intimate images, while also mandating their removal from online platforms. “With the rise of AI image generation, countless women have been harassed with deepfakes and other explicit images distributed against their will,” Trump said at a signing ceremony in the Rose Garden of the White House. “And today we’re making it totally illegal,” the President said. “Anyone who intentionally distributes explicit images without the subject’s consent will face up to three years in prison.” Websites that fail to remove the images promptly, within 48 hours, will face civil liabilities, Trump said. First Lady Melania Trump endorsed the bill in early March and attended the signing ceremony in a rare public White House appearance. The First Lady has largely been an elusive figure at the White House since her husband took the oath of office on January 20, spending only limited time in Washington. In remarks at the signing ceremony, she described the bill as a “national victory that will help parents and families protect children from online exploitation”. Websites failing to remove non-consensual intimate images within 48 hours may face civil liabilities. Photo / Getty Images “This legislation is a powerful step forward in our efforts to ensure that every American, especially young people, can feel better protected from their image or identity being abused,” she said. Deepfakes often rely on artificial intelligence and other tools to create realistic-looking fake videos. They can be used to create falsified pornographic images of real women, which are then published without their consent and proliferate. Some US states, including California and Florida, have laws criminalising the publication of sexually explicit deepfakes, but critics have voiced concerns the “Take It Down Act” grants the authorities increased censorship power. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit focused on free expression, has said the bill “gives the powerful a dangerous new route to manipulate platforms into removing lawful speech that they simply don’t like”. The bill would require social media platforms and websites to have procedures in place to swiftly remove non-consensual intimate imagery upon notification from a victim. An online boom in non-consensual deepfakes is currently outpacing efforts to regulate the technology around the world because of a proliferation of AI tools, including photo apps digitally undressing women. While high-profile politicians and celebrities, including singer Taylor Swift and Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have been victims of deepfake porn, experts say women not in the public eye are equally vulnerable. A wave of AI porn scandals have been reported at schools across US states, with hundreds of teenagers targeted by their classmates. Such non-consensual imagery can lead to harassment, bullying or blackmail, sometimes causing devastating mental health consequences, experts warn. Renee Cummings, an AI and data ethicist and criminologist at the University of Virginia, said the bill is a “significant step” in addressing the exploitation of AI-generated deepfakes and non-consensual imagery. “Its effectiveness will depend on swift and sure enforcement, severe punishment for perpetrators and real-time adaptability to emerging digital threats,” Cummings told AFP. At least one mother hailed the new legislation as a step in the right direction. “It’s a very important first step,” Dorota Mani told AFP on Monday, calling it a “very powerful bill”. As the mother of a young victim, Mani said she felt empowered because “now I have a legal weapon in my hand, which nobody can say no to”. - Agence France-Presse Tue, 20 May 2025 03:47:28 Z /news/world/rocket-lab-launched-satellites-to-help-ukraine-in-war-against-russia/ /news/world/rocket-lab-launched-satellites-to-help-ukraine-in-war-against-russia/ Rocket Lab launched its third mission for iQPS from Māhia Peninsula, aiding Ukraine’s military. Japan agreed to provide Ukraine with advanced synthetic aperture radar imagery from iQPS satellites. Ukraine increased its satellite imagery purchases after the US temporarily suspended official support. By RNZ A group of satellites that Rocket Lab has helped put into space is poised to aid Ukraine’s military in the war with Russia. Rocket Lab USA launched its third mission for Japanese company iQPS at the weekend from its spaceport on Mahia Peninsula. It has been widely reported that Japan has agreed to provide Ukraine’s military intelligence agency for the first time with advanced synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery from satellites run by iQPS (Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space). “Another fantastic launch by the Electron team to flawlessly deliver another iQPS mission to orbit,” Rocket Lab founder Sir Peter Beck said on May 17. Ukraine has been buying commercial satellite imagery since the war began but ramped up its quest for it early this year after the Trump Administration temporarily suspended its official satellite imagery support for Kyiv. SAR can see through clouds to map two- or three-dimensional images. Last year, a Finnish start-up ICEYE, that operated the largest constellation of 48 SAR satellites, provided two-fifths of the targeting data used by Ukrainian intelligence for high-profile strikes on Russian logistics hubs. Based at Kyushu University, iQPS had five SAR observation satellites in orbit, and was aiming for three dozen. Two of these were launched from Māhia in December 2023 and March this year. - RNZ Tue, 20 May 2025 03:34:15 Z /news/world/us-top-court-allows-lifting-of-legal-protections-for-venezuelans/ /news/world/us-top-court-allows-lifting-of-legal-protections-for-venezuelans/ The US Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to end temporary protected status for 350,000 Venezuelans. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s request was granted, revoking protections while an appeal proceeds. Venezuelan-American activist Adelys Ferro criticised the decision as a “xenophobic, discriminatory, racist attack.” The US Supreme Court has allowed President Donald Trump’s administration to end legal protections that have shielded some 350,000 Venezuelans from potential deportation. The top court granted a request by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to revoke temporary protected status (TPS) for the Venezuelans while an appeal proceeds in a lower court. Federal law permits TPS to be granted to foreign citizens who cannot safely return home because of war, natural disasters or other “extraordinary” conditions. Former President Joe Biden extended TPS for Venezuelans for 18 months just days before Trump returned to the White House in January, citing ongoing crises in the South American country under long-time ruler Nicolas Maduro. A federal judge in California put a temporary stay in March on the Trump administration’s plans to end TPS for Venezuelan nationals. US District Judge Edward Chen said the plan to end TPS “smacks of racism” and mischaracterises Venezuelans as criminals. “Acting on the basis of a negative group stereotype and generalising such stereotype to the entire group is the classic example of racism,” Chen wrote Solicitor General John Sauer filed an emergency application with the conservative-majority Supreme Court asking it to stay the judge‘s order. Reacting to the Supreme Court’s decision on Tuesday, Venezuelan-American activist Adelys Ferro blasted “a xenophobic, discriminatory, racist attack, coordinated for more than a year against a community whose only sin was to run away from a criminal dictatorship”. She pointed to the US State Department’s continued Level 4 safety advisory for Venezuela – its highest warning against travel to the country. “The Trump administration is basically becoming our tormentor, at least of the most vulnerable,” Ferro told AFP by phone. Trump campaigned for President promising to deport millions of undocumented migrants and a number of his executive orders around immigration have encountered pushback from judges across the country – including the Supreme Court. The President lashed out at the Supreme Court last week after it blocked his bid to resume deportations of alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua using an obscure wartime law, the 1798 Alien Enemies Act (AEA). “The Supreme Court of the United States is not allowing me to do what I was elected to do,” he said. “This is a bad and dangerous day for America!” In a 7-2 decision, the Supreme Court, which includes three justices nominated by Trump, said the alleged Tren de Aragua members were not being given enough time to legally contest their removal. Trump invoked the AEA, which was last used to round up Japanese-American citizens during World War II, on March 15 and flew two planeloads of alleged TdA members to El Salvador’s notorious maximum security CECOT prison. Since taking office, Trump has sent troops to the Mexican border, imposed tariffs on Mexico and Canada for allegedly not doing enough to stop illegal crossings, and designated gangs like TdA and MS-13 as terrorist groups. - Agence France-Presse Tue, 20 May 2025 01:14:46 Z /news/world/i-m-surprised-trump-questions-timing-of-biden-cancer-announcement/ /news/world/i-m-surprised-trump-questions-timing-of-biden-cancer-announcement/ Donald Trump claimed Joe Biden’s prostate cancer diagnosis was covered up, sparking political controversy. Biden, 82, expressed gratitude for support following his diagnosis, which had a Gleason score of nine. The diagnosis raised questions about Biden’s health and alleged efforts to conceal his cognitive decline. US President Donald Trump has fuelled speculation that former President Joe Biden’s cancer diagnosis was covered up, saying he was “surprised” the public was not told about his predecessor’s condition earlier. Republican Trump’s extraordinary claim came just a day after it emerged that his bitter Democratic political rival, 82, had an aggressive form of prostate cancer. Trump also tried to tie the issue into a wider political row, sparked by a new book released this week, about whether Biden’s White House covered up evidence of his cognitive decline while in office. Biden had earlier on Tuesday expressed gratitude for an outpouring of “love and support” following his shock diagnosis. “I’m surprised that the public wasn’t notified a long time ago,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked for his reaction to Biden’s cancer. “It takes a long time to get to that situation, to get to a stage nine,” he added, apparently referring to the announcement by Biden’s office that his cancer had “a Gleason score of 9 [Grade Group 5]”. US President Donald Trump has said he was “surprised” the public was not told about Joe Biden's condition earlier. Photo / Getty Images Prostate cancer that looks “very abnormal” is assigned the highest rating, Grade 5, according to the American Cancer Society. The Gleason Score goes up to 10, indicating the seriousness of Biden’s disease. Oncologists that AFP spoke with, however, said that screening limitations could very well have left Biden’s condition undetected until now, and that late identification of an advanced cancer would not be unheard of, even for a former President receiving top-of-the-line medical care. ‘Things going on’ Suggesting that tests when Biden was President should have picked up signs of the disease, Trump added: “If you take a look, it’s the same doctor that said Joe was cognitively fine.” “There are things going on that the public wasn’t informed of.” Trump, who spent much of the 2024 election campaign bashing Biden’s cognitive fitness, had said in a statement on Monday that he was “saddened” by the diagnosis. But 24 hours later, he was leaning into accusations by others in his orbit of a cover-up, including his son Don Jr. Don Jr. questioned on Monday whether the cancer should have been detected earlier – and then on Tuesday boosted unfounded claims Biden had covered up a previous diagnosis. He posted a clip of Biden – whose son Beau died of brain cancer – saying in an apparent gaffe in 2022 that “I, and so damn many other people I grew up with, have cancer.” Vice-President JD Vance, meanwhile, said that “we really do need to be honest” about Biden’s fitness. “You can separate the desire for him to have the right health outcome with a recognition that – whether it was doctors or whether there were staffers around the former President – I don’t think he was able to do a good job for the American people,” Vance said after a meeting with Pope Leo XIV. ‘Quick buck’ The cancer diagnosis comes after swirling new questions in recent weeks over Biden’s health while in office, with a new book titled Original Sin by two journalists alleging his staff worked to conceal his decline. Biden’s granddaughter Naomi lashed out at the book’s authors, CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios’ Alex Thompson, calling it “a bunch of unoriginal, uninspired lies written by irresponsible self promoting journalists out to make a quick buck”. Biden’s team has consistently denied there was any effort to hide fears about his health. His diagnosis had prompted an outpouring of support from other quarters, including Biden’s Vice-President Kamala Harris and ordinary Americans. “Cancer touches us all. Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places,” Biden said on social media on Tuesday, including a photo of him and former first lady Jill Biden. “Thank you for lifting us up with love and support.” King Charles, 76, who himself is being treated for an undisclosed form of cancer, wrote to Biden to express his well wishes, Buckingham Palace said. The mental and physical health of Biden, the oldest person ever to hold the US presidency, was a dominant issue in the 2024 election. After a disastrous debate performance against Trump, Biden ended his campaign for a second term. -Agence France-Presse Tue, 20 May 2025 01:10:42 Z /news/world/trump-s-2-hour-call-with-putin-us-president-says-russia-and-ukraine-ceasefire-talks-will-begin-immediately/ /news/world/trump-s-2-hour-call-with-putin-us-president-says-russia-and-ukraine-ceasefire-talks-will-begin-immediately/ US President Donald Trump announced Russia and Ukraine will start ceasefire negotiations after his call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.  Putin said Moscow will propose a memorandum with Ukraine outlining positions for a possible peace deal.  Putin thanked Trump for enabling the first direct talks between Kyiv and Moscow in over three years.  US President Donald Trump says Russia and Ukraine will begin negotiations towards a ceasefire “immediately”, after he held a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the grinding conflict.  “Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations toward a Ceasefire and, more importantly, an END to the War,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform after the call, adding that the “tone and spirit of the conversation were excellent”.  Russian President Vladimir Putin said he had agreed with Trump that Moscow will propose a “memorandum” worked on with Ukraine outlining positions for a “possible” future peace deal.  Putin made the comment after speaking to Trump by phone in a call he said lasted more than two hours.  The Russian leader said Istanbul talks last week between Moscow and Kyiv put the world on the “right path” towards ending the conflict, which began with Moscow’s full-scale 2022 offensive.  “Russia will propose and will be ready to work with the Ukrainian side on a memorandum on a possible future peace agreement defining a range of positions,” Putin told Russian media after his call with Trump.  The war in Ukraine began with Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. Photo / Getty Images  He said the document could outline “the principles of settlement, the timing of a possible peace agreement and so on – including a possible ceasefire for a certain period of time if appropriate agreements are reached”.  Putin gave no more details on the “memorandum”.  Ukraine and its Western allies have pressured Russia to agree to a ceasefire, which Moscow has so far resisted.  Putin thanked Trump for enabling the first direct talks between Kyiv and Moscow in more than three years.  “Contact between participants of the meeting and negotiations in Istanbul – this contact was restarted and it gives us the basis to think that on the whole we are on the right path,” Putin said.  He said both Moscow and Kyiv should show “maximum” effort to find “compromises that would suit all sides”.  Putin described his call with Trump as “very useful”.  – AFP Mon, 19 May 2025 19:26:01 Z /news/world/fbi-identifies-us-fertility-clinic-bomb-suspect-as-nihilistic-25-year-old/ /news/world/fbi-identifies-us-fertility-clinic-bomb-suspect-as-nihilistic-25-year-old/ The FBI identified Guy Edward Bartkus, 25, as the suspect in the Palm Springs fertility clinic bombing. The attack was deemed an “intentional act of terrorism” with “nihilistic ideations”. All embryos were saved, and there is no continuing threat to the community, authorities said. The FBI has identified the suspect behind the bombing at a California fertility clinic as a 25-year-old man with “nihilistic ideation” who is believed to have died in the blast. The explosion on Saturday morning (local time) tore through downtown Palm Springs, ripping a hole in the clinic and blowing out the windows and doors of nearby buildings. Akil Davis, the head of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office, said the attack was being considered an “intentional act of terrorism”. He said the suspect had been identified as Guy Edward Bartkus, 25, of Twentynine Palms, California, a small city, about 80km from Palm Springs. Davis told a press conference: “The subject had nihilistic ideations and this was a targeted attack against the IVF facility.” He said authorities were investigating a “possible manifesto” shared online ahead of the attack, which he said Bartkus “was attempting to live stream”. All of the embryos at the clinic had been saved, Davis said, thanking the quick work of fire, police and FBI personnel. “They understood the sensitivity and the precious nature of what was inside, and they took extreme care to ensure that there was no loss of any sensitive material,” he said. Palm Springs police chief Andrew Mills said he was “absolutely confident that this city is safe”. “There is no continuing threat to our community as a result of this incident,” he said. Reproductive care, including abortion and fertility services, remains controversial in the US, where some conservatives believe the procedures should be outlawed for religious reasons. Violence against clinics providing such services is rare, but not unheard of. US Attorney General Pam Bondi said on social media that “violence against a fertility clinic is unforgivable”. -Agence France-Presse Mon, 19 May 2025 00:05:54 Z /news/world/zelenskyy-meets-vance-as-russian-drones-pound-ukraine/ /news/world/zelenskyy-meets-vance-as-russian-drones-pound-ukraine/ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met US Vice-President JD Vance in Rome amid Russia’s drone barrage on Kyiv. They discussed the Istanbul talks, sanctions against Russia, defence co-operation, and prisoner exchanges. Russia launched a record number of drones on Ukraine, targeting Kyiv and Kherson, killing two people. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with US Vice-President JD Vance on Sunday, for the first time since the heated debate in the White House in February, as Russia launched a “record” drone barrage on Kyiv. The meeting came two days after the first direct talks between Ukraine and Russia in over three years in Turkey, where a prisoner exchange was agreed but no progress made on securing a ceasefire. “We discussed the talks in Istanbul, where the Russians sent a low-level delegation with no decision-making powers,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram following the meeting with Vance at the US ambassador’s residence in Rome after the two of them attended Pope Leo’s inaugural mass in the Vatican. “We also touched on the need for sanctions against Russia, bilateral trade, defence co-operation, the situation on the battlefield and the future exchange of prisoners,” Zelenskyy added. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Zelenskyy’s aide Andriy Yermak were also present at the meeting, where the two sides discussed steps towards a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. Vance also held a meeting with the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and Italy’s Prime Minister Georgia Meloni. A senior Ukrainian official from the President’s office, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP that Zelenskyy and Vance also discussed preparations for Monday’s telephone conversation between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social on Saturday that he would speak by phone with Putin on Monday in order to stop the “BLOODBATH” in Ukraine. The leaders of Britain, Germany and France also want to talk to Trump before that call with Putin, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said. The US President has increased pressure on Ukraine and so far abstained from criticising Putin, who started the biggest conflict in Europe since World War II. ‘Better’ talks The official said that the Rome encounter went “better” than the Oval Office row three months ago, when Vance publicly accused Zelenskyy of being “disrespectful” towards Trump, who told the Ukrainian leader he should be more “thankful” and that he had no “cards” to play in negotiations with Russia. Zelenskyy and his wife, Olena Zelenska, were earlier granted an audience with Leo following his inauguration. “We thank the Vatican for its willingness to become a platform for direct negotiations between Ukraine and Russia,” Ukraine’s leader said after meeting the pontiff. “The martyred Ukraine is waiting for negotiations for a just and lasting peace to finally happen,” Leo said during his inauguration. ‘Record’ drone barrage Ukraine on Sunday said that Russia had launched a record number of drones at the country overnight, targeting various regions, including that of the capital Kyiv, where a woman was killed. Another man was killed in the southeastern Kherson region, where a railway station and private houses and cars were hit. The Ukrainian air force said that Russia had launched “273 Shahed attack drones and various types of imitator drones”, of which 88 were destroyed and 128 more went astray “without negative consequences”. Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said it was a “record” number of drones. “Russia has a clear goal – to continue killing civilians,” she said. The Russian military said it had intercepted 25 Ukrainian drones overnight and on Sunday morning. Moscow also claimed it had captured Bahatyr, another village in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region, as it intensifies the war effort despite the Istanbul peace talks. ‘Root causes’ In an interview with Russian state TV published on Sunday, Putin said that Moscow’s aim was to “eliminate the causes that triggered this crisis, create the conditions for a lasting peace and guarantee Russia’s security”, without elaborating further. Russia’s references to the “root causes” of the conflict typically refer to alleged grievances with Kyiv and the West that Moscow has put forward as justification for launching the invasion in February 2022. They include pledges to “de-Nazify” and demilitarise Ukraine, protect Russian speakers in the country’s east, push back against Nato expansion and stop Ukraine’s westward geopolitical drift. Kyiv and the West say that Russia’s invasion is nothing more than an imperial-style land grab. Tens of thousands have been killed since Russia started the war, with millions forced to flee their homes. Friday’s talks in Turkey led to an agreement to exchange 1000 prisoners each. -Agence France-Presse Sun, 18 May 2025 23:31:10 Z /news/world/us-probes-mexican-navy-ship-s-deadly-new-york-bridge-collision/ /news/world/us-probes-mexican-navy-ship-s-deadly-new-york-bridge-collision/ US safety officials are investigating after the Mexican ship Cuauhtemoc crashed into Brooklyn Bridge, killing two crew members. Nineteen others were injured, with two in critical condition, during the incident involving 277 people. The ship lost power while departing New York, leading to panic as it struck the bridge. US safety officials have launched a probe after a 45m tall Mexican sailing ship crashed into New York’s iconic Brooklyn Bridge, snapping its masts and killing two crew members. Numerous sailors were positioned among the navy vessel Cuauhtemoc’s rigging at the time, video of the incident showed. New York Mayor Eric Adams said early on Sunday that 277 people had been on board the vessel and that two people had died from their injuries, without specifying where they were located on the vessel. Nineteen others sustained injuries, he said, two of whom were in critical condition. The white-hulled ship was moored on Sunday along the banks of the East River, its mangled masts contrasting against colourful decorations for its US departure. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said on social media that it was “launching a go-team” to conduct an initial probe of the crash. Nearby the ship, Aldo Ordonez told AFP that his sister, 24-year-old cadet Alejandra Ordonez, had been standing among the sails when the ship struck the Brooklyn Bridge. His sister was temporarily left hanging from a sail, he said, but sustained only minor injuries and slept with others on the boat. Aldo Ordonez arrived on Sunday morning from Mexico City after seeing the accident on television. Crew members were expected to fly home to Mexico later on Sunday, he said. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum wrote on X that she was “deeply saddened” by the two crew members’ deaths. The ship lost power around 8.20pm (local time) while the captain was manoeuvring the vessel, forcing it to head for a bridge abutment on the Brooklyn side, New York police chief of special operations Wilson Aramboles told a press conference. There was “panic on the ship”, Brooklyn resident Nick Corso, 23, who was standing near the water, told AFP. He had been poised to take a photo, but when he realised what was happening he switched to video. “Lots of screaming, some sailors hanging from the masts, looked like panic happening on the ship,” he said. The Mexican Navy said in its statement that no one had fallen into the water, and that no rescue operation had been launched. The ship had been departing New York at the time and flags fluttered in its rigging, while an enormous Mexican flag waved off its stern. The Cuauhtemoc, built in 1982, was sailing to Iceland when it crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge, the world’s longest suspension bridge when it opened in 1883. The incident is the second deadly ship crash into a US bridge in little over a year, after a fully laden cargo vessel smashed into a bridge in Baltimore, Maryland in March 2024, causing it to collapse, leaving six road workers dead. - Agence France-Presse Sun, 18 May 2025 23:18:39 Z /news/world/netanyahu-under-pressure-israel-to-allow-food-into-gaza-amid-blockade/ /news/world/netanyahu-under-pressure-israel-to-allow-food-into-gaza-amid-blockade/ Israel will allow a “basic amount” of food into Gaza to prevent a hunger crisis. The military has begun extensive ground operations in Gaza, aiming to free hostages and defeat Hamas. Negotiations are ongoing in Qatar for a deal, including the release of hostages and a potential ceasefire. Israel will allow a “basic amount” of food into the Gaza Strip, the Prime Minister’s office said on Sunday, after facing mounting pressure to lift a total blockade imposed more than two months ago. The announcement came hours after the military said it had begun “extensive ground operations” in a newly intensified campaign in Gaza, and as Israel and Hamas engaged in indirect talks on a deal to potentially halt the fighting. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that at the military’s recommendation, “Israel will authorise the entry of a basic amount of food for the population to ensure that a hunger crisis does not develop in the Gaza Strip”. Such a crisis would jeopardise the army’s new operation, it said, adding Israel would “act to prevent Hamas from seizing this humanitarian aid”. Israel said its blockade since March 2 was aimed at forcing concessions from the Palestinian militant group, but UN agencies have warned of critical shortages of food, clean water, fuel and medicines. Last week US President Donald Trump, a critical ally, acknowledged that “a lot of people are starving”, adding “we’re going to get that taken care of”. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot called on Israel after the latest announcement to allow the “immediate, massive and unhampered” resumption of aid. Israel’s military announced on Sunday that troops had “begun extensive ground operations throughout the northern and southern Gaza Strip”, and were “currently being deployed in key positions”. The ramped-up campaign, which Israel says aims to free hostages and defeat Hamas, started Saturday as the two sides entered indirect talks in Qatar on a deal. Netanyahu’s office said negotiators in Doha were “working to exhaust every possibility for a deal – whether according to the Witkoff framework or as part of ending the fighting”. Steve Witkoff is the US Middle East envoy who has been involved in discussions. Netanyahu’s statement said a deal “would include the release of all the hostages, the exile of Hamas terrorists, and the disarmament of the Gaza Strip”. Since a two-month ceasefire collapsed in March as Israel resumed its offensive, negotiations mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States have failed to make a breakthrough. Netanyahu has opposed ending the war without Hamas’ total defeat, while Hamas has balked at handing over its weapons. A Hamas source familiar with the negotiations said the group was willing “to release all Israeli hostages in one batch, provided that a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire agreement is reached”, but Israel “wants to release its prisoners in one batch or in two batches in exchange for a temporary truce”. ‘Working towards’ a deal Speaking to troops in Gaza on Sunday, Israeli army chief Eyal Zamir said the military would “provide flexibility to the political echelon to advance any hostage deal”. “A hostage deal is not a halt, it is an achievement. We are actively working towards it,” he said. Air raid sirens sounded in southern Israel on Sunday afternoon and the army said one of two projectiles launched from Gaza had been intercepted. The military later issued an evacuation order for several parts of Gaza before an attack, warning it would “launch a powerful strike on any area used for launching rockets”. On the ground, Gaza civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP at least 50 people had been killed as of Sunday afternoon “as a result of ongoing Israeli air strikes since the early hours”. He said 22 people died and at least 100 others were wounded in one attack on tents sheltering displaced Palestinians in Al-Mawasi in the southern Gaza Strip. AFPTV footage showed people sifting through ruined shelters and rescuers treating the wounded. “All my family members are gone. There is no one left,” said a distraught Warda al-Shaer. “The children were killed as well as their parents. My mother died too, and my niece lost her eye.” The military said that a “preliminary wave” of strikes over the past week had hit “over 670 Hamas terror targets throughout the Gaza Strip”. Hospitals out of service Marwan al-Hams, director of field hospitals at Gaza’s health ministry, told AFP that since Israel’s aid blockade began, “57 children have died in Gaza as a result of famine”, adding the number could rise as supplies ran out. AFP was not able to independently verify the figure. The UN had warned of the risk of famine in Gaza before the aid blockade was imposed. The health ministry also accused Israel Sunday of besieging the Indonesian Hospital in Beit Lahia, cutting off access and “effectively forcing the hospital out of service”, leaving the north without a functioning public hospital. Hamas’ October 2023 attack that triggered the war resulted in the deaths of 1218 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Hamas also took 251 hostages during the attack, 57 of whom remain in Gaza, including 34 the military says are dead. Gaza’s health ministry said Sunday at least 3193 people have been killed since Israel resumed strikes on March 18, taking the war’s overall toll to 53,339. - Agence France-Presse Sun, 18 May 2025 23:09:52 Z /news/world/canada-pauses-some-counter-tariffs-against-us/ /news/world/canada-pauses-some-counter-tariffs-against-us/ Canada has temporarily paused some counter tariffs against the United States, but Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne on Sunday pushed back against claims they have all been quietly lifted. The government of Prime Minister Mark Carney, who won Canada’s April 28 election on a pledge to stand up to US President Donald Trump, had slapped counter tariffs on billions of dollars of imports from the United States in response to US tariffs on Canadian goods. During the election campaign, automakers were offered a reprieve, provided they maintained production and investment in Canada. This was outlined on May 7 in the Canada Gazette, the government’s official newspaper, along with a pause on tariffs on products used in food and beverage processing and packaging, health, manufacturing, national security and public safety. Oxford Economics said in a report this week that the exemptions covered so many categories of products that the tariffs rate against the United States was effectively dropped to “nearly zero.” Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre pounced on the claim, widely cited in the media, to accuse Carney of having “quietly dropped retaliatory tariffs to ‘nearly zero’ without telling anyone”. Champagne called those assertions “falsehoods”. “To retaliate against US tariffs, Canada launched largest-ever response - including $60B [NZ$73b] of tariffs on end-use goods. 70% of those tariffs are still in place,” he said on X. Canada’s tariffs response, his office told AFP, “was calibrated to respond to the US while limiting economic harm to Canada”. Tariffs relief was provided for six months to give some Canadian companies “more time to adjust their supply chains and become less dependent on US suppliers”, Champagne spokeswoman Audrey Milette said. Canada continues to charge tariffs on roughly Can$43 billion ($52b) of US goods, she added. The nation of 41 million people sends three-quarters of its exports to the United States, and the latest jobs report shows tariffs imposed by Trump are already damaging the Canadian economy. The US President has slapped general tariffs of 25% on Canada as well as sector-specific levies on autos, steel and aluminium, but he has suspended some of them pending negotiations. -Agence France-Presse Sun, 18 May 2025 22:49:30 Z /news/world/former-us-president-joe-biden-diagnosed-with-prostate-cancer/ /news/world/former-us-president-joe-biden-diagnosed-with-prostate-cancer/ Former US President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer that has spread to his bones. Biden, 82, is reviewing treatment options with his physicians, as the cancer is hormone-sensitive. The announcement follows concerns over Biden’s age and abilities, after he withdrew from the 2024 race. Former US President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an “aggressive” form of prostate cancer that has spread to his bones, and is reviewing treatment options, a statement from his office said. On Friday (local time) the 82-year-old Democrat was diagnosed with the cancer after he experienced increasing urinary symptoms and was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule, the statement said. “While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management. The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians,” it continued. Cancer cells are commonly found in the prostates of men of Biden‘s age, though in most cases they grow slowly. Hormone therapy is a common treatment that can shrink tumours and slow cancer growth, but is not a cure. Cancer is the absolute worst. It is hell.It is incredibly difficult for any family, anywhere that has to deal with it. Wishing nothing but healing, prayers, light and strength to President Biden and his family. I don’t believe times like these are appropriate for politics.— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) May 18, 2025 According to the statement, Biden’s cancer was found to have “a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5)”. Prostate cancer that looks “very abnormal” is assigned the highest rating, Grade 5, according to the American Cancer Society. The Gleason Score often indicates the sum of the grades from the two areas in the prostate that make up most of the cancer, but can also be calculated other ways. US President Donald Trump shared on his social media platform Truth Social that he and Melania were “saddened” to hear about Biden’s diagnosis. “We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery.” Doug and I are saddened to learn of President Biden’s prostate cancer diagnosis. We are keeping him, Dr. Biden, and their entire family in our hearts and prayers during this time. Joe is a fighter — and I know he will face this challenge with the same strength, resilience, and… pic.twitter.com/gG5nB0GMPp— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) May 18, 2025 Biden left office in January this year as the oldest serving US President in history, and was dogged by questions over his health and age for much of his presidency. For years he had faced questions, including from Democratic voters, over whether he was too old – lacking in mental acuity or physical endurance – for a job as trying as the presidency. His response to doubters was a brisk: “Watch me.” But in July last year he was forced to drop his reelection bid after a disastrous debate against Republican Donald Trump in which fears about his decline and cognitive abilities came surging to the fore. His Vice President, Kamala Harris, eventually lost to Trump. Biden maintains that he could have won the election, but questions have long swirled over the responses of staff and key Democrats to evident signs of his decline. They have flared with the release, set for this Tuesday, of Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again by CNN journalist Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson of Axios. Last week a newly published recording of Biden speaking hesitantly and struggling to remember key events and dates fuelled renewed debate over his mental capabilities while still in office. Biden’s life has been marked by personal tragedy. In 1972 his wife and baby daughter were killed in a car crash, days after he had been elected as a US senator at the age of 29. Biden underwent surgery twice in 1988 for brain aneurysms. In 2023 he had a skin lesion – a basal cell carcinoma – removed from his chest. He had previously had non-melanoma skin cancers removed. Biden’s son Beau Biden died of brain cancer in 2015. The Cancer Society NZ says the Gleason scoring system grades cancer cells taken during a biopsy. The prostate cancer is given a Gleason score from six to 10. The higher the score the more likely the cancer cells are to spread through the body. - Agence France-Presse, with additional reporting by NZ Herald Sun, 18 May 2025 20:52:50 Z /news/world/uk-to-strike-new-deal-with-eu-in-coming-days-sir-keir-starmer-s-office-says/ /news/world/uk-to-strike-new-deal-with-eu-in-coming-days-sir-keir-starmer-s-office-says/ UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will sign a new deal with the EU to reset post-Brexit ties. Talks will focus on defence, security, and regulatory alignment, despite last-minute issues like fishing rights. Starmer aims for closer co-operation without rejoining the customs union or single market. British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is set to sign a new deal with the European Union, seeking to reset ties after Brexit, his office said ahead of landmark talks. Starmer will meet on Monday (local time) with European Union (EU) chiefs for the first post-Brexit EU-UK summit aimed at agreeing steps towards a closer relationship between Britain and the 27-country bloc which it left five years ago after an acrimonious and knife-edge referendum. “This week, the Prime Minister will strike yet another deal that will deliver in the national interest of this country,” Downing Street said in a statement, also pointing to recent trade deals with the United States and India. Starmer will welcome EU bosses Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa as well as top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas for the talks at the storied Lancaster House venue in London. “The Prime Minister will set out how a strengthened, forward-looking partnership with the European Union will deliver for working people and lead to more money in pockets,” the statement said. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is set to sign a new deal with the EU seeking to reset ties after Brexit. Photo / Getty Images Talks looked set, however, to go down to the wire due to last-minute squabbling over long-standing issues, such as fishing rights and food checks. But negotiators were hopeful of at least signing a defence and security partnership. Starmer, elected Labour Prime Minister last July, wants a deeper relationship with the European Union than the one negotiated by the previous Conservative Government. That deal “isn’t working for anyone”, Starmer’s office said. The move is aimed at opening the door to closer co-operation as both the EU and Britain race to rearm in the face of the threat from Russia and fears the United States under President Donald Trump will no longer help protect Europe. That should mean more regular security talks, Britain considering joining EU military missions and the potential for London to fully tap into a €150 billion ($285b) defence fund being set up by the bloc. But Starmer has several red lines he has said he will not cross, while sticking points remain over some EU demands that threaten to stall the rapprochement. ‘Significant moment’ In an interview with the Times on Saturday, local time, Starmer said a deal would be a “really significant moment”. Starmer has ruled out rejoining the customs union and single market but has suggested that the UK is ready for regulatory alignment with the EU on food and agricultural products. EU diplomats in Brussels have been working on getting Britain to keep its waters open for European fishermen in return for easing the checks on some food imports from the UK. And Starmer appeared to have made a key concession by agreeing to an EU demand to clear the way to let young Europeans live and work in Britain under a youth mobility scheme. While freedom of movement was a “red line”, he told the Times, “youth mobility is not freedom of movement”. Starmer is approaching the scheme cautiously under pressure from rising support for Nigel Farage’s anti-immigration and Euro-sceptic party Reform UK, which made huge gains in local elections earlier this month. Starmer said in a statement that on Monday “we take another step forwards, with yet more benefits for the United Kingdom as the result of a strengthened partnership with the European Union”. “In this time of great uncertainty and volatility, the UK will not respond by turning inwards, but by proudly taking our place on the world stage.” – Agence France-Presse Sun, 18 May 2025 03:58:19 Z /news/world/mayor-says-bomb-triggered-blast-outside-us-fertility-clinic/ /news/world/mayor-says-bomb-triggered-blast-outside-us-fertility-clinic/ A vehicle exploded outside a California fertility clinic, killing one person in a bomb attack. The FBI is investigating alongside police and firefighters, with bomb technicians on the scene. The clinic reported no harm to staff or damage to reproductive materials. A vehicle exploded outside a California fertility clinic, killing one person in what the local mayor described as a bomb attack. Palm Springs Mayor Ron deHarte told the Los Angeles Times in a text message that “a bomb in or near a vehicle parked at the building” caused the blast around 11am (local time). The FBI said in a statement it was responding alongside police and firefighters, and that it had dispatched investigators and “bomb technicians”. US police later said the blast was likely an “intentional” act and confirmed reports that one person had been killed. “The blast appears to be an intentional act of violence and the blast extends for blocks with several buildings damaged,” Palm Springs Police Chief Andy Mills said in a statement, adding that the incident was likely isolated. Aerial footage of the scene broadcast by CNN showed nearby buildings whose tile roofs were dislodged by the blast. The American Reproductive Centers fertility clinic, which was not open at the time, described the incident as “unexpected and tragic”. “We are immensely grateful to share that no members of the ARC team were harmed, and our lab — including all eggs, embryos, and reproductive materials — remains fully secure and undamaged,” it added in a statement on Facebook. The post contained a photo of the clinic with dark smoke billowing from a large hole in its facade. California Governor Gavin 九一星空无限om wrote on X that he had been briefed on the incident and called on residents to avoid the area. US conservatives are divided on fertility treatments such as IVF, with many hailing them as a boost to American families. Others, with strong beliefs that life begins at conception, oppose IVF because the procedure can produce multiple embryos, not all of which get used. -Agence France-Presse Sat, 17 May 2025 22:14:33 Z /news/world/ben-roberts-smith-s-war-crimes-appeal-dismissed-by-australia-s-federal-court/ /news/world/ben-roberts-smith-s-war-crimes-appeal-dismissed-by-australia-s-federal-court/ Ben Roberts-Smith lost his appeal to overturn court findings implicating him in war crimes in Afghanistan. The Federal Court dismissed his appeal, citing sufficient evidence he murdered four Afghan men. Roberts-Smith’s defamation case against three newspapers failed in 2023, with claims deemed “substantially true”. One of Australia’s most decorated soldiers on Friday lost a legal bid to overturn bombshell court findings that implicated him in war crimes while serving in Afghanistan. Former SAS commando Ben Roberts-Smith has been fighting to repair his tattered reputation since 2018, when newspapers unearthed allegations he took part in the murder of unarmed Afghan prisoners. His multimillion-dollar bid to sue three Australian newspapers for defamation failed in 2023, with a judge ruling the bulk of the journalists’ claims were “substantially true”. The 46-year-old suffered another setback on Friday, when Australia’s Federal Court dismissed his appeal. Justice Nye Perram withheld the reasons for the decision, saying there were national security implications the Government must consider before they are released. A published summary said there was sufficient evidence to support findings Roberts-Smith had “murdered four Afghan men”. Roberts-Smith argued in his appeal that the judge “erred” in the way he assessed some of the evidence. Perth-born Roberts-Smith had been Australia’s most famous and distinguished living soldier. He won the Victoria Cross – Australia’s highest military honour – for “conspicuous gallantry” in Afghanistan while on the hunt for a senior Taliban commander. The Age, the Sydney Morning Herald and the Canberra Times shredded this reputation with a series of reports in 2018. The papers reported Roberts-Smith had kicked an unarmed Afghan civilian off a cliff and ordered subordinates to shoot him. He was also said to have taken part in the machine-gunning of a man with a prosthetic leg, which was later brought back to an army bar and used as a drinking vessel. The 2023 court ruling ultimately implicated Roberts-Smith in the murder of four unarmed Afghan prisoners. Civil court matters such as defamation have a lower standard of proof than criminal trials. Roberts-Smith has not faced criminal charges. Australia deployed 39,000 troops to Afghanistan over two decades as part of US and Nato-led operations against the Taliban and other militant groups. A 2020 military investigation found special forces personnel “unlawfully killed” 39 Afghan civilians and prisoners, revealing allegations of summary executions, body count competitions and torture by Australian forces. - Agence France-Presse Fri, 16 May 2025 04:17:43 Z /news/world/ukrainian-charged-with-arson-at-london-properties-linked-to-british-pm-keir-starmer/ /news/world/ukrainian-charged-with-arson-at-london-properties-linked-to-british-pm-keir-starmer/ A Ukrainian citizen arrested on suspicion of having caused fires at properties linked to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was charged with arson on Thursday, British police said. Roman Lavrynovych, 21, was arrested on Tuesday in connection with a spate of fires across north London, including the home in the Kentish Town area where Starmer lived with his family before becoming premier. The Ukrainian “has been charged with three counts of arson with intent to endanger life”, a statement from London’s Metropolitan Police said. Roman Lavrynovych is set to appear on Friday before London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court. Photo / Facebook Those related to a car fire on May 8 in Kentish Town, a blaze on Sunday in front of the entrance to a property in the nearby Islington neighbourhood, and the fire at Starmer’s home on the night of Sunday/Monday, the prosecutor’s office said in a separate statement. Starmer still owns the Kentish Town house, where he lived until he moved into the Prime Minister’s official residence at 10 Downing St in July last year, according to the British press. They have also drawn links between Starmer and the Islington property, a house converted into flats. Starmer is still the owner of the Kentish Town house. Photo / Getty Images “Due to the property having previous connections with a high-profile public figure, officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command have led the investigation into the fires,” the police statement said. Lavrynovych is set to appear on Friday before London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court. Starmer’s spokesperson on Monday said the Prime Minister had thanked the emergency services for their intervention. – Agence France-Presse Fri, 16 May 2025 04:14:21 Z /news/world/menendez-brothers-resentenced-over-parents-murders-parole-possible/ /news/world/menendez-brothers-resentenced-over-parents-murders-parole-possible/ Lyle and Erik Menendez have been resentenced to 50 years to life for killing their parents. The ruling allows parole consideration next month, after more than three decades in prison. The brothers admitted responsibility for the 1989 murders, with family urging their release. Lyle and Erik Menendez have been resentenced for the murder of their parents in 1989, with a term that now opens the possibility of parole. A judge in Los Angeles said the men’s prison terms should be changed to 50 years to life, reducing their original sentence of life without the possibility of parole. The ruling means the men, who have already been behind bars for more than three decades for the bloody shotgun killings, could be freed next month when a parole board meets. The brothers, who are serving life terms for the notorious double murder, have spent two years trying to get their sentences reduced. At an emotional hearing on Tuesday (local time), family members had pleaded with Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic to open the path to the men’s freedom, insisting they were changed. Lyle Menendez addressed the court via video link, admitting he had murdered his parents. “I killed my mom and dad. I make no excuses. I take full responsibility,” he said, according to reporters who were in court. Blockbuster trials in the 1990s heard how the men killed Jose and Kitty Menendez in their luxury Beverly Hills home, in what prosecutors said was a cynical attempt to get their hands on a large family fortune. The men shot Jose Menendez five times with shotguns, including in the kneecaps. Kitty Menendez died from a shotgun blast in her last desperate bid to crawl away from her killers. The brothers initially blamed the deaths on a mafia hit, but changed their story several times in the ensuing months. Supporters say they turned on abusive and controlling parents, who had subjected them to years of sexual and emotional abuse. Erik Menendez said on Tuesday that he was wrong to take the law into his own hands and that his actions were cruel and cowardly. “I have no excuse, no justification. I take full responsibility,” he said. “I reached out to my brother for help and convinced him that we couldn’t escape. “I fired five rounds at my parents and went to get more ammunition. I lied to police, lied to my family. I am truly sorry.” – Agence France-Presse Wed, 14 May 2025 02:03:39 Z /news/world/cassie-ventura-testifies-about-abuse-in-sean-diddy-combs-sex-trafficking-case/ /news/world/cassie-ventura-testifies-about-abuse-in-sean-diddy-combs-sex-trafficking-case/ Cassie Ventura testified about physical and psychological abuse by Sean Combs during his federal sex trafficking trial.  Ventura detailed being forced into humiliating “freak offs” and controlled by Combs throughout their relationship.  Combs, facing charges including racketeering and sex trafficking, has pleaded not guilty.  Star witness Casandra “Cassie” Ventura has taken the stand at Sean “Diddy” Combs’ federal sex trafficking trial.  She detailed physical abuse (“He would… knock me over, drag me, kick me, stomp me in the head”), as well as the nature of “freak offs”, which she said included the hiring of an escort and “performing” under the direction of Combs.  Ventura, an R&B singer who used to date Combs and was signed to his record label, helped open a floodgate of accusations against the producer when she sued him in 2023, alleging that Combs abused her and forced her to participate in humiliating sex parties. She and Combs settled the lawsuit a day later, but dozens of others have since accused Combs of similar abuses, as have federal prosecutors. He faces 15 years to life in prison if convicted on all five criminal counts: racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.  Testimony in the trial started after opening statements on Monday (local time), with searing accounts from other witnesses who detailed alleged violence, paid sex acts and coercion by Combs, who has pleaded not guilty. The jury on Monday also viewed surveillance footage, which showed Combs dragging and beating Ventura in a hotel in 2016.  Ventura told the court she didn’t feel she had much of a choice but to participate in Combs’ freak-offs. Ventura, who described herself as “naive” and a “total people-pleaser”, feared making him angry or uncomfortable with a rejection. Combs controlled much of her life, she said.  Later, Ventura feared that she would be blackmailed with videos and images of her participation in the freak-offs, as well as threatened with violence.  Ventura also testified about the “psychological abuse” she experienced with Combs. She said she always had to be working on something, and Combs would check in to make sure she was doing so. This included submitting a list of songs she was working on to him. “A lot of the things [songs] I did didn’t actually come out,” she said, describing the tasks as “busy work” and “just control over what I was doing every minute of the day”.  When Ventura ignored Combs, he would call constantly and sometimes send a security agent or trusted assistant to her home. It was part of Combs’ security staff’s job, Ventura said, to keep an eye on her.  She described being “enamoured” by Combs in the early part of their relationship. “I really fell in love with him,” she said, describing herself as a “little shadow” who followed him around. She thought it was “my first real adult relationship”.  But as the relationship continued, Combs exercised more control over Ventura’s life, such as how she looked, whom she was speaking to and what she was working on that day, she testified. She said he was an “incessant caller” — and would have staff, assistants and security continuously pester her “until he found you”.  The court prompted Ventura to recall her early interactions with Sean Combs — when he was her boss, but not yet her boyfriend. Asked about what she knew about Combs before she met him, Ventura said: “I just knew he was this larger than life entrepreneur, musician. [I] was a fan of the music.”  Ventura was around 19 years old when she signed a 10-album deal with Bad Boy records, the record label Combs founded, in early 2006.  About a quarter of the dozens of people who have filed sex abuse lawsuits against Combs also claim they were aspiring entertainers when they fell into his orbit.  She traced the beginning of her romantic relationship with Combs to a trip the pair took in Miami a few months after her 21st birthday. It was the first time they had sex, Ventura said, and the first time she “intentionally” took ecstasy.  After that trip, “we were just together”, Ventura said. “I’d become one of his girlfriends after that trip.”  At the time, Ventura thought they might be in a monogamous relationship. I “can’t say ‘naive’ enough,” Ventura said, describing her mindset at the time.  Ventura described being gifted a New York City apartment by Combs. He paid the rent and lived nearby.  She also testified about moving to Los Angeles, saying she moved there because Combs wanted to be closer to his kids, some of whom were living in California at the time. Ventura said Combs also paid for some of her apartments in Los Angeles, had his own keys and would enter “whenever he wanted”.  Earlier on Tuesday, defence attorney Xavier Donaldson cross-examined Daniel Phillip, which largely rehashed his prior testimony. On Monday afternoon, Phillip said he was paid to have sex with Ventura in front of Combs on multiple occasions.  The prosecution conducted a redirect, where Phillip reiterated that Combs would give him and Ventura direction during some of these encounters, such as telling Ventura to give Phillip oral sex and instructing them to slather on baby oil.  All of Combs’ adult children returned to his trial on Tuesday dressed in white — a contrast to the black ensembles many wore the day before — as they continue to present a united front in supporting their father.  Combs’ mother, Janice, arrived in a colourful blazer. The family matriarch has been one of her son’s most vocal defenders, calling his mounting legal troubles a “public lynching” in an October statement.  The trial is not being broadcast.  SEXUAL HARM  Where to get help:If it's an emergency and you feel that you or someone else is at risk, call 111.If you've ever experienced sexual assault or abuse and need to talk to someone, contact Safe to Talk confidentially, any time 24/7:• Call 0800 044 334• Text 4334• Email support@safetotalk.nz• For more info or to web chat visit safetotalk.nzAlternatively contact your local police station - click here for a list.If you have been sexually assaulted, remember it's not your fault. Tue, 13 May 2025 19:43:03 Z /news/world/sean-combs-s-trial-begins-allegations-of-violence-and-coercion-detailed/ /news/world/sean-combs-s-trial-begins-allegations-of-violence-and-coercion-detailed/ Sean “Diddy” Combs’ trial in New York includes charges of racketeering and sex trafficking. Witnesses described violent incidents and coercion, with surveillance footage showing Combs assaulting Cassie. Combs’ defence argues the case involves “voluntary adult choices” and denies the charges of trafficking. Sean “Diddy” Combs’ federal sex trafficking trial has begun in New York with opening statements and searing testimony from witnesses who detailed alleged violence, paid sex acts and coercion by the music mogul. Combs, who has pleaded not guilty to five criminal counts of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution, entered the courtroom at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan US Courthouse, embraced his attorneys and greeted his family seated in the row behind him with a smile. He faces 15 years to life in prison if convicted on all counts. After jurors were selected and sworn in by Judge Arun Subramanian, proceedings continued with witness testimony from former hotel security guard Israel Florez and sex worker Daniel Phillip, who detailed their interactions with Combs. The jury was also shown surveillance footage of Combs dragging and beating his then-girlfriend Cassie – whose legal name is Casandra Ventura – at a hotel in 2016. During opening statements, prosecutors described Combs’ alleged “freak offs” – drug- and sex-fuelled parties – and the “high-ranking” employees tied to his alleged crimes. They also outlined how victims, including Ventura and another former romantic partner identified only as “Jane”, were forced or coerced into sex acts at these events. “They will describe freak offs for you in painstaking detail,” Assistant US Attorney Emily Johnson told the jury – with “some of the most painful and personal experiences of their lives”. Johnson told the jury that some of the evidence would be disturbing and described how enablers among Combs’ employees facilitated his crimes and helped to control his victims. The prosecutor conceded that Combs and Ventura had a rocky relationship ridden with jealousy and infidelity. “But only one of them had power, only one had control,” Johnson said. Combs’ defence attorney Teny Geragos told jurors that “Sean Combs is a complicated man, but this is not a complicated case”. She described him as “extremely jealous” and said “violence did take place,” but said that it was unrelated to the charges he is facing. Combs has denied all of the allegations against him. Geragos also brought up Ventura, who is expected to take the stand this week. “What Combs did to Cassie on this videotape is indefensible,” she said. “It is not evidence of sex trafficking. It is evidence of domestic violence.” Geragos’ remarks underscored the defence’s central position: “The evidence is going to show you a very flawed individual,” she said, but not someone guilty of racketeering, sex trafficking or prostitution. The lawyer also argued that Combs’ accusers chose to remain in his orbit, saying the case was “about voluntary adult choices” and involved “capable, strong adult women”. “They made free choices every single day for years,” Geragos argued. Former hotel security guard accuses Combs of bribery Among the first witnesses the prosecution called Monday afternoon was Florez, a former security guard at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles where Combs was caught on camera assaulting Ventura in 2016. On the stand, Florez, who is now an officer with the Los Angeles Police Department, testified that he was offered a bribe by Combs after intervening in the rapper’s attack on Ventura. According to Florez, Combs presented a “stack of money” and told the officer not to tell anyone about what he saw. “I don’t want your money,” Florez said he told Combs. In court, jurors were shown a phone recording Florez said he took of the hotel surveillance footage. A second video shown to jurors depicted Florez trying to calm Combs while the rapper can be seen shouting at Ventura from down the hallway. The officer said he saw Ventura with a bruised eye and first arrived to the floor where the pair fought to see her cowering in a corner and covering her face. The videos, which are now part of evidence, were shown to jurors after Subramanian ruled last month that some footage of the assault could be admitted, rejecting Combs’ bid to exclude it. CNN first obtained and published video of the incident last year. At the time, Combs released an apology video and called his attack on Ventura as his “rock bottom”. Combs’ lawyer Brian Steel conducted a lengthy cross-examination of Florez, repeatedly asking the officer why he didn’t include certain details in his report. Steel also seemed to suggest that Combs was not offering money as a bribe, but to pay for property damage. Sex worker details encounters with Combs and Ventura The Government’s second witness, Phillip, testified that Ventura paid him multiple times to have sex with her in the presence of Combs. During one encounter, Phillip said he witnessed Combs physically assault Ventura as she screamed and got dragged into a bedroom. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Ventura wailed, according to the witness. “She was screaming, and I could hear what sounded like him slapping her,” Phillip testified. According to Phillip, Combs filmed a couple of sexual encounters between Phillip and Ventura on a cellphone and a camcorder. He told jurors that these sessions with the couple, between 2012 and 2014, could last anywhere from an hour to 10 hours. He also recalled an instance when Combs took down Phillip’s driver’s licence information – “just for insurance, just in case”, he said Combs told him. Phillip said he understood that to be a threat. The payments ranged from US$700 (NZ$1195) to $5000 or $6000, Phillip said, but “I didn’t care if I got paid one way or the other – they gave that to me every time I went to see them”. Phillip added that if he couldn’t perform sexually, sometimes he wouldn’t get paid, but that he would have been involved with them without compensation because it was exciting “to be in this world” and involved with the famous pair. Xavier Donaldson led the defence’s cross-examination of Phillip, with questions ranging from the search optimisation practices of the male stripper business Phillip used to work for as a manager to why he was chosen to meet Ventura for the first time at the Gramercy Park Hotel. Ventura, who is pregnant with her third child with husband Alex Fine, is expected to take the stand Tuesday. The singer’s testimony is a key fixture in the Government’s case, following her explosive lawsuit against Combs in 2023 that ignited the rapper’s legal troubles. The case was settled for an undisclosed amount but it has since triggered nearly 80 sexual assault lawsuits against the rap mogul. In September, Combs was arrested on charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking for alleged crimes dating back to 2008. He has been detained in a Brooklyn jail. The scene in and outside the courthouse Before proceedings Monday, longtime Combs supporters, attorneys, onlookers and reporters were packed outside the courthouse early morning to attend the trial, which will not be publicly broadcast. Chenoa Laurencin, 53, lined up at 2am for a spot inside. “I really want to see it firsthand as much as I can,” said Laurencin, who noted she was “a little anxious” about Ventura testifying because “she’s looking real pregnant”. “It’s surreal,” Laurencin added. “I have a love-hate relationship with [Combs]. … I was there for the whole Bad Boy era, but he has a reputation for other things, too, that weren’t really so great throughout the years.” Combs’ mother and all six of his adult children appeared in court Monday. With the exception of his daughter Chance, who was dressed in white, they were all wearing black as the family presented a united front amid intense public scrutiny. Also seated in the courtroom was music producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, who alleges in a lawsuit filed earlier this year that he was forced to “solicit sex workers and perform sex acts to the pleasure of Mr. Combs” from 2022 to 2023. Combs’ legal team denied the allegations and called them “pure fiction”. What to expect before in the trial Last week, potential jurors were shown a long list of possible witnesses and people whose names may come up at the trial. It included Kid Cudi, who was named in Ventura’s lawsuit as the target of an alleged arson incident orchestrated by Combs. Among other testimony expected during the trial, prosecutors told jurors they would hear from another girlfriend of Combs’, referred to as “Jane”. They say Combs forced her to perform in “freak offs,” videotaping the events and then blackmailing her with the videos. Jurors will also hear from a former employee of Combs, who will testify that her boss “forced himself on to her sexually” on more than one occasion, Johnson said. Tue, 13 May 2025 01:17:00 Z /news/world/kurdish-pkk-says-it-will-disband-and-end-armed-struggle/ /news/world/kurdish-pkk-says-it-will-disband-and-end-armed-struggle/ The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) announced its dissolution and conclusion of its armed struggle. The decision follows founder Abdullah Ocalan’s call for the PKK to disarm and disband. The PKK’s insurgency since 1984 has cost more than 40,000 lives. The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has announced its dissolution and the end of more than four decades of armed struggle against the Turkish state, the pro-Kurd ANF news agency reported. “The 12th PKK Congress has decided to dissolve the PKK’s organisational structure and end its method of armed struggle,” the group announced on Monday in a statement, after holding its congress last week. The PKK’s announcement to dissolve itself heeds a call by its founder Abdullah Ocalan, jailed in an island off Istanbul since 1999, who urged his fighters in February to disarm and disband. In a letter, Ocalan urged the PKK to hold a congress to formalise the decision. Days later, the PKK’s leadership accepted Ocalan’s call, declaring a ceasefire. In a speech on Saturday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hinted that news about a dissolution could come at any moment, adding that his Government was determined to “save our country from the scourge of terrorism”. “We are advancing with firm steps on the path to the goal of a terror-free Turkey,” he said. The PKK, designated a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, has waged an insurgency since 1984. Its original aim was to carve out a homeland for Kurds, who make up about 20% of Turkey’s 85 million people. Since Ocalan was jailed there have been various attempts to end the bloodshed, which has cost more than 40,000 lives. – Agence France-Presse Mon, 12 May 2025 09:10:51 Z