WORLD

The European Commission will publish assessments of the 27 member states' budgets and economies

EU To Warn France, Italy And More Over Unruly Budgets

It comes at a particularly difficult moment for France, where both the far left and far right are piling up spending promises ahead of snap polls triggered by President Emmanuel Macron's crushing EU election defeat.

Los Angeles Moves To Ban Smartphone Use In School

Education bosses in Los Angeles are moving towards a complete ban on smartphone and social media use by children during the school day
The move came as the governor of California, the most populous state in the US, voiced support for restrictions on the devices and as concerns grow about their impact on the mental health of young people.

Putin In North Korea To Boost Defence Ties

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (L) and Russian President Vladimir Putin arrive for a welcoming ceremony in Pyongyang
Putin arrived in Kim Il Sung square, which was bedecked with Russian and North Korean flags along with large portraits of the two leaders, state media images showed, for a ceremony ahead of talks at the Kumsusan State Guest House, where a "strategic partnership" deal is likely to be signed.
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Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the patriarch of the Pheu Thai party that leads the coalition government, is accused of lese-majeste over an interview he gave to South Korean media in 2015

Thailand's Thaksin Indicted For Insulting Monarchy

The case against the 74-year-old billionaire, twice elected premier and ousted in a 2006 military putsch, is one of four before the courts that could unleash fresh political instability in the coup-prone kingdom.
Mary Ann Domingo and her younger son hold portraits of her husband and son after four policemen were found guilty of killing them during an anti-drug raid

Court Finds Four Philippine Police Guilty In Drug War Killings

The four low-ranking officers were all sentenced to up to 10 years in prison for the shooting deaths of the two victims at a Manila slum during an anti-drug police operation in 2016, Manila regional trial court judge Rowena Alejandria said in her written verdict that was read in court Tuesday.
Palestinians, some in traditional embroidered dresses, gather on Eid al-Adha in southern Gaza's Khan Yunis city

Lull In Gaza Fighting As Biden Urges Truce In Eid Message

In a holiday message late Sunday, US President Joe Biden called for the implementation of a ceasefire plan he outlined last month, saying it was "the best way to end the violence in Gaza" and to help civilians suffering "the horrors of the war between Hamas and Israel".
Microsoft President Brad Smith spent more than three hours answering questions from members of the Homeland Security Committee in Washington

Microsoft Faces Heat From US Congress Over Cybersecurity

Microsoft President Brad Smith spent more than three hours answering questions from members of the House Committee on Homeland Security in Washington, assuring them cybersecurity is being woven more deeply into the technology company's culture.
Argentina's president Javier Milei has vowed to get inflation back down

IMF Board Approves Argentina Payout Of Almost $800 Mn

A self-declared "anarcho-capitalist," Milei has vowed to halt Argentina's economic decline and reduce the budget deficit to zero, and has embarked on a program to slash public spending and bring down inflation, which remains at an annual rate of more than 275 percent.
Italian PM Meloni (C) at at Borgo Egnazia Golf Club San Domenico during the G7

G7 Summit Turns To Simmering Tensions With China

After a first day dominated by Ukraine, US President Joe Biden and the leaders of Japan, Italy, France, Germany, Canada and Britain opened the second day of their summit in Puglia with talks on migration.
The trip to Washington will be Donald Trump's first meeting with lawmakers on Capitol Hill since leaving the White House in 2021

Trump In Washington To Woo Republican Lawmakers

The former president, who is running to unseat Joe Biden in November, will have separate closed-door sessions with House members at a private club near the US Capitol and with senators at their campaign headquarters nearby, and address dozens of CEOs.
Security at the summit is tight, with the venue far away from protesters and journalists

G7 To Agree $50-bn Ukraine Loan At Italy Summit

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will join US President Joe Biden and leaders from Italy, Britain, France, Germany, Canada and Japan for the talks at the luxury Borgo Egnazia resort in Puglia.

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