Top World News

Jan 15, 2025 - World

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is promising to implement President-elect Donald Trump's "America First" vision as secretary of state, vowing in his confirmation hearing Wednesday that the incoming administration will forge a new path by placing American interests "above all else."

Jan 15, 2025 - World

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk vowed on Wednesday to use his country's presidency of the European Union to push forward with Ukraine's membership quest.

Jan 15, 2025 - World

Britain’s new government, which is already facing anger over higher taxes, unpopular spending decisions and political scandals just six months after taking office, is now being battered by rising borrowing costs that threaten to derail its left-leaning...

Jan 15, 2025 - World

In today’s newsletter: With reports of a breakthrough in ceasefire negotiations, a look at what the detail includes – and what its obstacles areGood morning. After months of false starts, Israel and Hamas are close to agreeing a ceasefire that would involve the release of hostages and a major influx of aid into Gaza. Last night, both sides appeared to have accepted the outlines of a deal, with Reuters reporting that once Israel delivers maps showing how its forces will withdraw from Gaza, Hamas will give its response.“It’s closer than it’s ever been before,” US secretary of state Antony Blinken said yesterday. “But, right now, as we sit here, we await final word from Hamas on its acceptance, and until we get that word, we’ll remain on the brink.”Economy | UK inflation unexpectedly fell in December, handing some breathing space to the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, after a week of turbulence in financial markets. Figures from the Office for National Statistics showed the consumer prices index eased to 2.5%, below a reading of 2.6% in November.UK politics | Tulip Siddiq has resigned as a Treasury minister after accepting the furore over her close ties to her aunt, the ousted prime minister of Bangladesh now accused of corruption, had become a distraction. An investigation found no evidence of wrongdoing but said a lack of records meant that it was not possible “to obtain comprehensive comfort” over properties linked to Sheikh Hasina.South Korea | South Korea’s impeached president, Yoon Suk Yeol, has been arrested and is being questioned over his ill-fated declaration of martial law last month, anti-corruption investigators said on Wednesday, bringing to an end an early-morning standoff outside his official residence in Seoul.Health | Doctors are proposing a “radical overhaul” of how obesity is diagnosed worldwide amid concerns that a reliance on body mass index may be causing millions of people to be misdiagnosed. Relying only on BMI is “ineffective” because it is not a direct measure of fat and does not provide information about a person’s health, a report by the Lancet commission said.Comedy | The comedian and actor Tony Slattery has died aged 65 after a heart attack, his partner has announced. Slattery was known for his improvisations on the popular comedy show Whose Line Is It Anyway?, as well as his appearances on Just a Minute and Have I Got News for You. Continue reading...

Jan 15, 2025 - World

Law to stop armed groups profiting from trade in gold, tin, tungsten and tantalum is being breached, rights groups sayThe European Union has been urged to clamp down on illegal imports of conflict minerals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) after evidence was found that current regulations had been breached.The advocacy group Global Witness (GW) said there remained a “high risk” of the EU’s mineral imports being used to fund militias and state repression in several countries. Continue reading...