Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky met briefly in the hush of St Peter’s Basilica on the sidelines of Pope Francis’s funeral yesterday in their first encounter since a noisy White House clash, as the US president pushes the Ukrainian leader to make a peace deal with Russia.

A shallow 6.3-magnitude earthquake left more than 30 people injured, damaged more than 800 buildings and caused widespread power cuts in the Ecuadoran port city of Esmeraldas on Friday.

The Russian army has fully liberated the border Kursk region from Ukrainian control with the help of North Korean soldiers, Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov said on Saturday, admitting their participation in the conflict for the first time.

A powerful explosion ripped through a key port in southern Iran yesterday, killing five people and injuring more than 500, state media said.

The United States and Iran reported progress in their latest round of nuclear talks yesterday and agreed to meet again next week as they pursue a deal that could help ease soaring Middle East tensions.

A White House spokesman called the meeting "very productive"

The blast occurred as Iran began a third round of nuclear talks with the United States in Oman, although the cause of the explosion was not immediately clear

Israel resumed its military campaign in the Gaza Strip on March 18, ending a two-month truce that had largely halted the fighting

On April 17, Hamas, which opposes a 'partial' ceasefire agreement, rejected an Israeli proposal that included a 45-day truce in exchange for the return of 10 living hostages

Applause rang out as the wooden coffin, inlaid with a large cross, was brought out of St. Peter's Basilica and into the sun-filled square by white-gloved, black-suited pallbearers.

Among those attending from more than 150 countries will be US President Donald Trump

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military, which more than a month ago had resumed its offensive against Hamas across the Gaza Strip

"Our valiant armed forces remain fully capable and prepared to defend the country's sovereignty," Sharif said while addressing a military ceremony

The Bank has been advising developing countries to focus attention on cutting trade barriers and boosting regional flows of goods

Since the attack, the nuclear-armed nations have unleashed a raft of measures against each other

Islamabad, which rejected the allegations, responded Thursday with similar tit-for-tat measures

China's commerce ministry had already denied on Thursday that Beijing and Washington were conducting economic or trade negotiations.

Giuffre, a US and Australian citizen, was 41.

The decision was announced during a court hearing

Trump was asked aboard Air Force One about crumbling relations between India and Pakistan as the fallout deepens from a deadly attack