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Pope Francis has died, Vatican says
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -- Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, has died, the Vatican said in a video statement on Monday, ending an often turbulent reign marked by division and tension as he sought to overhaul the hidebound institution. He was 88, and had recently survived a serious bout of double pneumonia. "Dear brothers and sisters, it is with profound sadness I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis," Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced on the
April 21, 2025 -
India's Modi to host JD Vance in Delhi under US tariffs' shadow
NEW DELHI (Reuters) -- United States Vice President JD Vance begins a four-day visit to India on Monday and will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as New Delhi rushes to avoid steep US tariffs with an early trade deal and boost ties with the Trump administration. Their discussions will cover the first day of Vance's largely personal visit to the country with his family, which includes visiting the Taj Mahal and attending a wedding in the city of Jaipur, people familiar with the matte
April 21, 2025 -
Russia, Ukraine trade blame over truce as Trump predicts 'deal'
KRAMATORSK, Ukraine (AFP) -- Russia and Ukraine on Sunday accused each other of violating an Easter truce as US President Donald Trump surprisingly announced that the war rivals could make a "deal" this week. The 30-hour truce from Saturday, announced by Russia's President Vladimir Putin, had been meant to mark the religious holiday. But Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia had carried out hundreds of frontline attacks. "The Ukrainian army is acting and will continue to act in an
April 21, 2025 -
Analysts warn US could be handing chip market to China
SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) -- As the Trump administration attempts to choke off exports of strategically important computer chips to China, experts say the effort might well backfire, fueling innovation at Chinese firms that could help them seize the world semiconductor market. "What's actually happening is that the US government right now is handing China a big win as it tries to get their own chip business going," said Jack Gold, principal analyst at J.Gold Associates. "Once they're competitive," he
April 21, 2025 -
Hegseth had second Signal chat: NYT
WASHINGTON (AP) — United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth created another Signal messaging chat that included his wife and brother where he shared similar details of a March military airstrike against Yemen’s Houthi militants that were sent in another chain with top Trump administration leaders, The New York Times reported. A person familiar with the contents and those who received the messages, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, confirmed the second chat to T
April 21, 2025 -
El Salvador proposes swapping US-deported Venezuelans for 'political prisoners' held by Venezuela
El Salvador President Nayib Bukele on Sunday proposed sending 252 Venezuelans deported from the United States and imprisoned in his country to Venezuela, in exchange for taking "political prisoners" held by Venezuela. In a post on X, Bukele asked that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro hand over 252 "of the political prisoners you are holding," under his proposed deal. The Salvadoran leader did not say whether the prisoners would be incarcerated again upon an exchange. Venezuela's Ministry of C
April 21, 2025 -
Israeli probe into the killings of 15 Palestinian medics in Gaza finds 'professional failures'
JERUSALEM (AP) — An Israeli investigation into the killings of 15 Palestinian medics last month in Gaza by Israeli forces said Sunday it found a chain of “professional failures” and a deputy commander has been fired. The shootings outraged many in the international community, with some calling the killings a war crime. Medical workers have special protection under international humanitarian law. The International Red Cross/Red Crescent called it the deadliest attack on its personnel in eight yea
April 21, 2025 -
Putin is accused of violating the Easter truce he ordered
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy accused Kremlin forces of violating a 30-hour Easter Sunday truce declared by Russian President Vladimir Putin, and reiterated his proposal to extend the ceasefire for another month. Russia was trying to create “the general impression of a ceasefire, while in some areas still continuing isolated attempts to advance and inflict losses on Ukraine,” Zelenskiy said on social media. He cited 59 cases of shelling and five assault actions by Russian units in vari
April 20, 2025 -
Israel's Netanyahu says military to increase pressure on Hamas
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday he had instructed the military to intensify pressure on Hamas after the Palestinian militant group this week rejected an Israeli proposal for another temporary truce, instead demanding a deal to end the war in exchange for the release of hostages. In a late-night televised address, Netanyahu said that while war came with a heavy price, Israel had "no choice but to continue fighting for our very existence, until victory." Egyptian mediato
April 20, 2025 -
Yemen's Houthi rebels report US strikes in the capital and a coastal city
CAIRO (AP) — Yemen's Houthi rebels said Saturday that the United States military launched a series of airstrikes on the capital, Sanaa, and the Houthi-held coastal city of Hodeida, less than two days after a US strike wrecked a Red Sea port and killed more than 70 people. The Houthis’ media office said 13 US airstrikes hit an airport and a port in Hodeida, on the Red Sea. The office also reported US strikes in the capital, Sanaa. There were no immediate reports of casualties. The US military’s C
April 20, 2025 -
US Supreme Court temporarily blocks deportations of Venezuelan migrants under wartime law
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- The United States Supreme Court on Saturday temporarily barred the Trump administration from deporting a group of Venezuelan migrants it accused of being gang members under a rarely used wartime law, but the government urged the justices to lift their order. The court issued the decision after lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union asked it to intervene on an emergency basis, saying dozens of Venezuelan migrants faced imminent deportation without the judicial revi
April 20, 2025 -
Anti-Trump protesters rally in New York, Washington and communities across US
NEW YORK (AP) — Opponents of President Donald Trump’s administration took to the streets of communities large and small across the US on Saturday, decrying what they see as threats to the nation’s democratic ideals. The disparate events ranged from a march through midtown Manhattan and a rally in front of the White House to a demonstration at a Massachusetts commemoration of “the shot heard ’round the world” on April 19, 1775, marking the start of the Revolutionary War 250 years ago. Thomas Bass
April 20, 2025 -
Russia's Putin declares unilateral Easter ceasefire in Ukraine
April 19 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a surprise one-day ceasefire in Ukraine on Saturday for Easter, but Kyiv said Russian forces continued artillery fire and called instead for an extended true halt to hostilities. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia had rejected just such a proposal brokered by US President Donald Trump last month and could not be trusted. Putin's unilateral move, to last for 30 hours, followed Washington's announcement that it could
April 20, 2025 -
'Wonderful day': Dodgers' Ohtani and wife welcome first child
LOS ANGELES(Reuters) -- Shohei Ohtani and wife Mamiko have welcomed their first child, a girl, the Los Angeles Dodgers star announced via social media on Saturday. "Welcome to the Ohtani Family! I am so grateful to my loving wife who gave birth to our healthy beautiful daughter," he said in the post. "To my daughter, thank you for making us very nervous yet super anxious parents." The reigning National League MVP and World Series champion from Japan went on to thank the Dodgers, his team mates a
April 20, 2025 -
US eases port fees on China-built ships after industry backlash
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Trump administration shielded on Thursday domestic exporters and vessel owners servicing the Great Lakes, the Caribbean and US territories from port fees to be levied on China-built vessels, aiming to revive US shipbuilding. The Federal Register notice posted by the US Trade Representative was watered down from a February proposal for fees on China-built ships of up to $1.5 million per port call that sent a chill through the global shipping industry. Ocean shipping tr
April 18, 2025