Biden signs same-sex marriage protections into law

US President Joe Biden on Tuesday signed into law a bill granting federal protections to same-sex marriage, with a large crowd of guests gathered at the White House to celebrate the legislative milestone..Biden -- who as vice president took a public stand in favor of same-sex unions well b
14 December 2022

120 killed in DR Congo flooding

More than 120 people were killed Tuesday as the worst floods in years battered DR Congo's capital Kinshasa following an all-night downpour, authorities said in a provisional assessment..Major roads in the centre of Kinshasa, a city of some 15 million people, were submerged for hours, and a
14 December 2022

Russia rejects peace proposal

Russia yesterday dismissed a peace proposal from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that would involve a pullout of Russian troops, saying Kyiv needed to accept new territorial “realities”.
13 December 2022

UK slaps new sanctions on Russia & Iran

The UK yesterday announced new sanctions against senior Russian military commanders, as well as Iranians involved in the production and supplying of drones to target Ukraine.
13 December 2022

Still no major progress at COP15

The world had just eight days to seal a historic deal to stem the destruction of nature. But half way into the COP15 biodiversity talks, there has been no major progress either on increased funding for conservation in developing nations, or towards a pledge to protect 30 percent of the world’s land and seas.
13 December 2022

New Zealand set to ‘ban tobacco’

New Zealand will phase in a near-total tobacco ban from next year, prohibiting anyone born after 2008 from ever purchasing
13 December 2022

UN: Aid staves off Somalia famine

Humanitarian aid and support from local communities have helped avert a dreaded famine declaration in Somalia this year, but the
13 December 2022

EU parliament sacks VP Kaili

The European Parliament yesterday sacked one of its own vice presidents amid corruption accusations allegedly linked to World Cup host Qatar, as the institution tries to contain the scandal.
13 December 2022

EU approves treatment for prostate cancer

The European Union has approved a new treatment against an advanced type of prostate cancer by Novartis, the Swiss pharmaceutical giant said yesterday.
13 December 2022

What is nuclear fusion?

The US Department of Energy’s nuclear fusion laboratory was set to officially announce a “major scientific breakthrough”,
13 December 2022

‘Complete’ Roman-era cemetery found in Gaza

Researchers in the northern Gaza Strip have unearthed dozens of Roman-era tombs at a site discovered earlier this year during construction work, the Palestinian enclave’s Islamist rulers Hamas announced Monday.
13 December 2022

LA mayor declares state of emergency

A state of emergency over spiraling levels of homelessness was declared in Los Angeles on Monday as the new mayor pledged a “seismic shift” for one of the most intractable problems in America’s second biggest city. 
13 December 2022

400 people jailed over protests

Courts in Tehran have sentenced 400 people to jail terms of up to 10 years over their involvement in protests sparked by Mahsa Amini’s death, Iran’s judiciary said yesterday.
13 December 2022

US, allies vow all options on table against North Korea

The United States, South Korea and Japan yesterday vowed to consider all options against North Korea, including counterstrikes, in the wake of an unprecedented blitz of missile tests by Pyongyang that has sent regional tensions spiralling.
13 December 2022

Belarus holds snap ‘combat readiness’ drills

Belarus held a surprise inspection of its armed forces yesterday, the defence ministry said, after repeated warnings from Ukraine of a threat from its Moscow-aligned northern neighbour.
13 December 2022

Qatar bribe claim: EU parliament to sack vice president

<B>The European Parliament took a first step today in efforts to restore its credibility, amid allegations of corruption linked to World Cup host Qatar, moving to ditch one of its own vice presidents.</B>.At the same time, in a first reaction since she was charged in a Belgian anti-graft p
13 December 2022

Bolsonaro supporters attack police headquarters in Brazil

Supporters of far-right Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Monday attempted to invade the federal police headquarters in the capital Brasilia, in a flash of post-election violence on the day the president's electoral defeat was certified..Reuters witnesses saw Bolsonaro supporters, many
13 December 2022

New Zealand’s Ardern apologises for swearing at rival

New Zealand's Jacinda Ardern apologised for calling a political rival an "arrogant prick" in parliament on Tuesday, as the prime minister faces a drop in public support..In the throes of spirited parliamentary debate, Ardern took issue when the leader of an opposition party asked her to gi
13 December 2022

World must 'rethink nuclear safety': Ukraine energy minister

The world must "rethink nuclear safety" after Russia's seizure of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe's largest, Ukrainian energy minister German Galushchenko told AFP ahead of a Tuesday conference in Paris.
13 December 2022

FTX founder Bankman-Fried arrested in The Bahamas

Disgraced cryptocurrency tycoon Sam Bankman-Fried was arrested Monday in the Bahamas at the request of the United States, according to US officials seeking to charge him after the spectacular collapse of his FTX platform.
13 December 2022