Global News

If Anna Anerfalt gets a license to sell gin, whiskey and schnapps to visitors at her family’s distillery near Norrtalje in Sweden, the first thing she will have to do is warn them of the dangers of alcohol. From June 1, small-scale breweries, vineyards and distilleries will be able to  sell direct to customers  – the first easing of Sweden’s more than 100 year-old alcohol sales monopoly. The aim is to boost tourism and help craft producers to grow, while preserving the role of Systembolaget – state booze shops – in limiting access to alcohol and damage to public health. “The whole event has to start off with a warning about the risks of drinking alcohol,” Anna Anerfalt, CEO of the Norrtalje Branneri said, describing one of the conditions set in return for the right to sell. She supports strict alcohol controls and said she was positive about the change to the law. “I’m not sure it will affect the sales of our product that much, though, because each visitor is only allowed...

Hamas will reject the latest US proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, a senior official from the Palestinian terror group said. A senior Hamas official told the BBC that the proposed deal did not satisfy the group’s demands, which include a permanent end to the war. By Samia Nakhoul and Hatem Maher Reuters A U.S. plan for Gaza seen by Reuters on Friday proposes a 60-day ceasefire and the release of 28 Israeli hostages alive and dead in the first week, in exchange for the release of 1,236 Palestinian prisoners and the remains of 180 dead Palestinians. The document, which says the plan is guaranteed by U.S.  President Donald Trump  and mediators Egypt and Qatar, includes sending humanitarian aid to Gaza as soon as Hamas signs off on the ceasefire agreement. The aid will be delivered by the United Nations, the Red Crescent and other agreed channels. On Thursday, the White House said Israel had agreed to the U.S. ceasefire proposal. Israeli media said Prime Minister Benjami...

By Ahmed Kingimi Thomson Reuters At least 21 people were killed in north central Nigeria on Thursday when their homes were destroyed by heavy rains and nearly a dozen were missing, the local emergency agency said. Ibrahim Hussaini, head of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency told Reuters that 50 houses were submerged in water in two communities in the state. “Twenty-one bodies have so far been recovered in the incident, while over 10 persons were still missing as the search and rescue operation continued,” Hussaini told Reuters. Nigeria is prone to flooding during the rainy season, which began in April. from The Times Of Earth https://ift.tt/uLZmglt

By Moises Avila, with Issam Ahmed in Washington AFP SpaceX’s prototype Starship exploded over the Indian Ocean on Tuesday, capping another bumpy test flight for the rocket central to billionaire Elon Musk’s dream of colonizing Mars. The biggest and most powerful launch vehicle ever built lifted off around 6:36 pm (2336 GMT) from the company’s Starbase facility, near a southern Texas village that earlier this month voted to become a city — also named Starbase. Excitement ran high among SpaceX engineers and spectators alike, after the last two outings ended with the upper stage disintegrating in fiery cascades over the Caribbean. But signs of trouble emerged quickly: the first-stage Super Heavy booster blew up instead of executing its planned splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. A live feed then showed the upper-stage spaceship failing to open its doors to deploy a payload of Starlink satellite “simulators.” Though the ship flew farther than on its two previous attempts, it sprang lea...

By Sybille de La Hamaide Reuters French farmers disrupted highway traffic around Paris and rallied in front of parliament with their tractors on Monday, protesting against amendments filed by opposition lawmakers to a bill that would loosen environmental regulations on farming. The draft legislation proposes simplifying approvals for breeding facilities and irrigation reservoirs and re-authorising a banned neonicotinoid pesticide used in sugar beet cultivation that environmentalists say is harmful to bees. It is part of a trend in numerous European Union states to unwind environmental legislation as farmers grapple with rising input costs and households struggle with the cost of living. Environmental campaigners and some unions representing small-scale and organic farmers say the bill benefits the large-scale agro industry at the expense of independent operators. President Emmanuel Macron’s opponents on the political left have tabled multiple amendments that the protesting farmers...

BY WAFAA SHURAFA and SAMY MAGDY AP Israeli strikes killed at least 46 people  in the Gaza Strip  on Monday, including 31 in a school-turned-shelter that was struck as people slept, igniting their belongings, according to local health officials. The military said it targeted militants operating from the school. Israel renewed its offensive in March after ending a ceasefire with Hamas. It has vowed to seize control of Gaza and keep fighting until Hamas is destroyed or disarmed, and until it returns the remaining 58 hostages, a third of them believed to be alive, from the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that ignited the war. Israel began allowing a trickle of humanitarian aid into Gaza last week after blocking all food, medicine, fuel or other goods from entering for 2 1/2 months. Aid groups  have warned of famine  and say the aid that has come in is nowhere near enough to meeting mounting needs. A new aid system supported by Israel and the United States but rejected by U.N. a...

By Nandita Bose and Jeff Mason Reuters U.S. President Donald Trump confronted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday with explosive false claims of white genocide and land seizures during a tense White House meeting that was reminiscent of his February ambush of Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy. South Africa has one of the highest murder rates in the world, but the overwhelming majority of victims are Black. Ramaphosa had hoped to use Wednesday’s meeting to reset his country’s relationship with the U.S., after Trump canceled much-needed aid to South Africa, offered refuge to white minority Afrikaners, expelled the country’s ambassador and criticized its genocide court case against Israel. The South African president arrived prepared for an aggressive reception, bringing popular white South African golfers as part of his delegation and saying he wanted to discuss trade. The U.S. is South Africa’s second-biggest trading partner, and the country is facing a 30% tarif...

By Nidal al-Mughrabi and May Angel Reuters Israeli forces killed at least 55 Palestinians in airstrikes in Gaza on Tuesday, local medics said, continuing to bombard the enclave despite mounting international pressure to halt military operations and allow unimpeded deliveries of aid. Britain announced it was suspending trade talks with Israel and summoning its ambassador over “egregious policies” in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, while European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas asked for a review of the EU-Israel trade deal, according to Dutch news agency ANP. The war, now in its 20th month, has left Gaza in ruins and its population facing a worsening hunger crisis. It has strained Israel’s relations with much of the world and those with its closest ally, the United States, now appear to be wavering. The United Nations said no humanitarian aid had been distributed yet in Gaza, although Israel eased its 11-week-old blockade on Monday. “Israeli authorities are requiring us to ...

By Andrew Gray, Sam Tabahriti and Susan Heavey Reuters The EU and Britain announced new sanctions against Russia on Tuesday without waiting for Washington to join them, a day after President  Donald Trump ‘s phone call with Vladimir Putin brought about neither a ceasefire in Ukraine nor fresh U.S. sanctions. London and Brussels said their new measures would zero in on Moscow’s “shadow fleet” of oil tankers and financial firms that have helped it avoid the impact of other sanctions imposed over the war. “Sanctions matter, and I am grateful to everyone who makes them more tangible for the perpetrators of the war,” Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy wrote on Telegram. He said it “would be good” if the United States added its help, adding: “It is important that America remain involved in the process of bringing peace closer.” The sanctions were unveiled without an immediate announcement of corresponding steps from Washington, despite intense public lobbying from European lead...

By JOSH BOAK and ZEKE MILLER Associated Press  President Donald Trump said Monday that Russia and Ukraine will “immediately” begin ceasefire negotiations after what he described as an “excellent” call with Russian President Vladimir Putin that lasted more than two hours. Trump also spoke with with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders in hopes of making progress toward a ceasefire. “The conditions for that will be negotiated between the two parties, as it can only be, because they know details of a negotiation that nobody else would be aware of,” Trump said in a social media post. The conversations came after the White House said the U.S. leader has grown “frustrated” with both leaders over the continuing war in Ukraine. After the call, Putin said Russia was ready to continue discussing an end to the fighting, but he indicated there was no major breakthrough in what he termed a “very informative and very frank” conversation with Trump. Putin said the warring...

Israel will allow a “basic amount” of food into the Gaza Strip, the prime minister’s office said 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 med...

At least 10 people were killed on Sunday after a suicide bomber targeted a queue of young recruits registering at the Damanyo military base in the Somali capital Mogadishu, witnesses told Reuters, in an attack claimed by militant group al Shabaab. Teenagers were lining up at the base’s gate when the attacker detonated their explosives, they said. A military captain who gave his name as Suleiman described the attack as he had seen it unfold. “I was on the other side of the road. A speeding tuk-tuk stopped, a man alighted, ran into the queue, and then blew himself up. I saw 10 people dead, including recruits and passers-by. The death toll may rise,” he said. Dozens of abandoned shoes and the remains of the suicide bomber were visible at the scene. Another witness, Abdisalan Mohamed, said he had seen “hundreds of teenagers at the gate as we passed by in a bus”. “Abruptly, a deafening blast occurred, and the area was covered by dense smoke. We could not see the details of casualties,...

By Ahmed Elumami Reuters Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah said on Saturday that eliminating militias is an “ongoing project,” as a ceasefire after deadly clashes this week remained in place. “We will not spare anyone who continues to engage in corruption or extortion. Our goal is to create a Libya free of militias and corruption,” Dbeibah said in a televised speech. Dbeibah is the country’s internationally recognized leader in the west, based in Tripoli. After Dbeibah on Tuesday ordered the armed groups to be dismantled, Tripoli was rocked by its fiercest clashes in years between two armed groups. The clashes killed at least eight civilians, according to the United Nations. The government announced a  ceasefire  on Wednesday. It followed  Monday’s killing  of major militia chief Abdulghani Kikli, widely known as Ghaniwa, and the sudden defeat of his Stabilisation Support Apparatus group by factions aligned with Dbeibah. SSA is under the Presidential...

By Ania TSOUKANOVA AFP Russia and Ukraine agreed a large-scale prisoner exchange, said they would trade ideas on a possible ceasefire and discussed a potential meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin in their first direct talks in over three years on Friday. But coming out of the highly anticipated talks in Istanbul, which lasted just over 90 minutes, there were few signs of more significant progress toward ending the three-year war. Kyiv was seeking an “unconditional ceasefire” to pause a conflict that has destroyed large swathes of Ukraine and displaced millions of people. Moscow has consistently rebuffed those calls and the only concrete agreement appeared to be a deal to exchange 1,000 prisoners each. The two sides said they would “present their vision of a possible future ceasefire”, according to Russia’s top negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky. They did not agree any suspension of the fighting. “Overall, we are satisfied with the results and ready to continue conta...

By Ania TSOUKANOVA with Max DELANY in Antalya AFP A Russian delegation landed in Istanbul on Thursday for the first direct peace talks with Ukraine in more than three years — but without President Vladimir Putin despite many world leaders urging Russia’s leader to attend. Putin was not included on a list of Moscow’s negotiating team published by the Kremlin late on Wednesday, after Zelensky challenged him to turn up in person to the talks. US President Donald Trump said he was keeping open the possibility of travelling to Turkey on Friday if there was any meaningful progress. But the absence of Putin — as well as any top diplomats such as Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov or foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov — would seem to diminish the talks’ importance or any possibility of a breakthrough. Tens of thousands have been killed since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022 in what is Europe’s worst conflict since World War II. Russia now occupies about a fifth of Ukraine’s territory. ...

By MATILDE CAMPODÓNICO and ISABEL DEBRE AP Former Uruguayan President  José Mujica , a onetime Marxist guerilla and flower farmer whose radical brand of democracy, plain-spoken philosophy and simple lifestyle fascinated people around the world, has died. He was 89. Uruguay’s left-wing president, Yamandú Orsi, announced his death, which came four months after Mujica  decided to forgo further medical treatment  for esophageal cancer and enter hospice care at his three-room ranch house on the outskirts of Montevideo, Uruguay’s capital. “President, activist, guide and leader,” Orsi wrote of his longtime political mentor before heading to Mujica’s home to pay his respects. “Thank you for everything you gave us.” Mujica had been under treatment for cancer of the esophagus  since his diagnosis last spring . Radiation eliminated much of the tumor but soon Mujica’s autoimmune disease complicated his recovery. In January, Mujica’s doctor announced that the cancer in his e...

U.S. President  Donald Trump  was in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, the first leg of his three-nation  visit to the Middle East  this week meant to tackle multiple crises and conflicts across the region. He was welcomed by Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, after Air Force One landed in Riyadh. Trump and the crown prince are to hold talks on U.S. efforts to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program, end the war in Gaza, hold down oil prices and more. Trump is also expected to be feted by the crown prince with a formal dinner and a gathering of members of the Gulf Cooperation Council — made up of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — later on Tuesday. Secretary of State and National Security Adviser Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth are travelling with the president. Trump is expected to  offer Saudi Arabia  an arms package worth more than $100 billion, sources told Reuters. This could in...

By Daren Butler Reuters The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group, which has been locked in bloody conflict with the Turkish state for more than four decades, decided to disband and end its armed struggle, a news agency close to the group reported on Monday. The PKK decision is set to have far-reaching political and security consequences for the region, including in neighbouring Iraq and also in Syria, where Kurdish forces are allied with U.S. forces. More than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict since the PKK launched its insurgency in 1984. It is designated a terrorist group by Turkey and its Western allies. “The PKK has completed its historic mission,” the group said, according to the Firat news agency, which published what it said was the closing declaration of a congress that the PKK held last week in northern Iraq where it is based. The PKK held the congress in response to a call in February from its jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan to disband. “The PKK 12th ...

By Fatos Bytyci and Edward McAllister Reuters Albanians started voting in parliamentary elections on Sunday with prime minister Edi Rama seeking an unprecedented fourth term in office after a campaign dominated by promises to join the European Union and accusations of widespread graft. Polling stations opened at 7 a.m. (0500 GMT) and will close at 7 p.m. Results are expected on Monday. Rama, in power as head of the Socialist Party since 2013, is favourite to win against his old rival, former prime minister Sali Berisha of the Democratic Party, bolstered in part by an influential network built over 12 years in power, a recent period of healthy economic growth and a largely popular image abroad. But opposition to Rama has intensified in the past year over a perceived crackdown on the opposition, including Berisha, while Rama weathered a series of scandals of his own. These include the arrest of his ally, the mayor of Tirana Erion Veliaj, this year on allegations of corruption and mon...

By Ben Ezeamalu Reuters Gunmen shot dead at least 30 travellers in an attack in Nigeria’s southeastern Imo state, Amnesty International said on Friday, raising fresh concerns about violence in a region rife with insecurity. More than 20 vehicles and trucks were set ablaze by the attackers, who were suspected to be members of the banned separatist Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Amnesty said in a post on X. Imo police spokesperson Henry Okoye confirmed the attack occurred in Thursday’s early hours, but declined comment on the number of fatalities. One of the assailants was killed by the police, Okoye told Reuters on Friday. A police statement said the gunmen, operating in three groups, barricaded the highway at about 0400 GMT and shot sporadically before setting vehicles ablaze. “A full-scale search and cordon operation is currently underway, with security operatives combing nearby forests and surrounding areas where the suspects are believed to be hiding,” the police said in t...

By Joshua McElwee, Crispian Balmer and Philip Pullella Reuters Cardinal Robert Prevost, a long-time missionary in Latin America, was elected as the surprise choice to be the new  leader of the Catholic Church  on Thursday, becoming the first U.S. pope and taking the name Leo XIV. Pope Leo  appeared on the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica after white smoke billowed from a chimney atop the Sistine Chapel, signifying the  133 cardinal electors  had chosen him as a successor to Francis,  who died last month . “Peace be with you all,” he told the cheering crowd, speaking in fluent Italian. He also spoke in Spanish during his brief address but did not say anything in English. Prevost, 69 and originally from Chicago, has spent most of his career as a missionary in Peru and has dual Peruvian nationality. He became a cardinal only in 2023. He has given few media interviews and is known to have a shy personality. President Donald Trump swiftly congratulat...

By Mubasher Bukhari, Saeed Shah and Tanvi Mehta Reuters  Pakistan and India accused each other of launching drone attacks on Thursday, and Islamabad’s Defence Minister said further retaliation was “increasingly certain”, on the second day of major clashes between the nuclear-armed neighbours. Pakistan said it shot down 25 drones from India, while India said it air defences had stopped Pakistani drone and missile attacks on military targets, dashing hopes they would soon bow to pressure to end their  worst confrontation  in more than two decades. World powers from  the U.S.  to Russia and China have called for calm in one of the world’s most dangerous, and most populated, nuclear flashpoint regions. The U.S. Consulate General in Pakistan’s Lahore ordered staff to shelter in place. Thursday’s reported exchanges came a day after India said it hit nine “terrorist infrastructure” sites in Pakistan in retaliation for what it says was a deadly Islamabad-backed atta...

By Ju-min Park Reuters North Korea fired what appeared to be multiple short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast, South Korea’s military said on Thursday, possibly to test the performance and stability of various projectiles intended for export. The missiles were launched from Wonsan, North Korea’s eastern coastal city, around 8:10 a.m. (2310 GMT Wednesday) and flew up to 800 km (497 miles) before splashing down in the sea, the military said in a statement. South Korea is closely communicating with the U.S. and Japan to share information about the launch, it added. The foreign ministry said the three countries’ nuclear envoys consulted by telephone and condemned it as a violation of U.N. sanctions. South Korea’s Joint chiefs of Staff spokesperson Lee Sung-jun declined to comment on the exact number of missiles detected or their characteristics, but told reporters the launch may have been to test the performance of missiles intended for export. A North Korea analyst at the K...