Northern Gaza: UN official declares full-blown famine A top UN official said Friday that hard-hit northern Gaza was now in full-blown famine'' after more than six months of war between Israel and Hamas and severe Israeli restrictions on food deliveries to the Palestinian territory. Cindy McCain, the American director of the UN World Food Programme, became the most prominent international official so far to declare that trapped civilians in the most cut-off part of Gaza had gone over the brink in

Debris from drones injures three in Ukraine's Kharkiv, governor says Debris from downed Russian drones struck civilian targets early on Saturday in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city, injuring three people and sparking a fire in an office building, the regional governor said. Oleh Synehubov, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said a 13-year-old child and a woman were being treated in hospital. A second woman was treated at the site. Emergency services were bringing the fire under control

US condemns attack on displacement camp in eastern Congo The United States strongly condemned an attack on Friday on a displacement camp in eastern Congo that killed at least nine people, the State Department said in a statement. The statement said the attack came from positions held by Rwandan Defense Forces (RDF) and the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group. The U.S. is gravely concerned about the recent RDF and M23 expansion in eastern Congo, it said. A two-year offensive by M23 rebels has moved clo

Drones hit Ukraine's Kharkiv, three injured, mayor says Two Russian drones struck civilian targets early on Saturday in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city, injuring three people and sparking a fire, the city's mayor said. Ihor Terekhov, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said the injured included a 13-year-old child and a woman. Emergency services were at the site, he said.

King Charles and UK royals to relinquish dozens of patronages King Charles and other senior British royals are to relinquish patronages of almost 200 charities and organisations after a review of their association with more than 1,000 groups, Buckingham Palace said on Saturday. The review was launched following the death of Queen Elizabeth to examine all the charities and bodies to which she, Charles and his wife Queen Camilla were connected, either as a president or patron. Elizabeth was patron

Rains in southern Brazil kill at least 39, some 70 still missing Heavy rains battering Brazil's southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul have killed 39 people, local authorities said on Friday, and the death toll is expected to rise as dozens still have not been accounted for. Rio Grande do Sul's civil defense authority said 68 people were still missing and at least 24,000 had been displaced as the storms affected more than half of the 497 cities in the state, which borders Uruguay and Argentina.

Israel briefs US on plan to evacuate Palestinian civilians in advance of potential Rafah operation Israel this week briefed Biden administration officials on a plan to evacuate Palestinian civilians ahead of a potential operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah aimed at rooting out Hamas militants, according to US officials familiar with the talks. The officials, who were not authorised to comment publicly and requested anonymity to speak about the sensitive exchange, said that the plan detai

Paramount will let exclusive talks with Skydance lapse, NYT reports Paramount Global will end its exclusive negotiations with Skydance Media without reaching a deal, the New York Times reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. Shares of Paramount rose 3% in extended trading. A special committee of the Paramount board, created to evaluate offers for the company, has been holding exclusive deal talks with Skydance Media. That period of exclusivity ends Friday. Skydance Media and

Google trial wraps up as judge weighs landmark US antitrust claims Google and the U.S. Justice Department wrapped up closing arguments on Friday over claims that the Alphabet unit has unlawfully dominated web search and related advertising, in a case the government contends could shape the future of the internet. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta in Washington for hours grilled both sides with questions, probing whether competitive platforms such as ByteDances TikTok and Metas Facebook and Instagra

Georgian PM rejects US, EU criticism of draft 'foreign agents' law Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze rejected on Friday criticism from the United States and European Union of a draft foreign agents law, saying opponents of the bill were unwilling to engage in a meaningful discussion. The draft legislation, which is winding its way through the Georgian parliament, would require organisations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as agents of foreign influence, a

Gaza Aid Sea Route Opens, USAID Prioritizes Treating Starving Children On-the-ground preparations are on track in Gaza for humanitarian workers to be ready to deliver food, treatment for starving children and other urgent assistance by early or mid-May when the American military expects to finish building a floating pier to receive the shipments, a US Agency for International Development official said Friday. Ramping up the delivery of aid on a planned US-backed sea route will be gradual as aid

Tragic Bombing Claims Lives of Innocent Children and Others at Displacement Camps in Eastern Congo Attacks on two camps for displaced people in eastern Congo's North Kivu province on Friday killed at least 12 people, including children, according to local officials, an aid group and the United Nations. The UN said in a statement that bombs hit two camps for displaced people in Lac Vert and Mugunga, near the city of Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu. The UN called the attacks a flagrant

Biden gives Katie Ledecky, Michelle Yeoh the Medal of Freedom A winner of seven Olympic gold medals, a leader of the Mississippi civil rights struggle and a pioneer of television's tabloid talk show genre are part of this year's class of Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients. U.S. President Joe Biden extended the highest U.S. civilian award to 19 people, including Team USA swimmer Katie Ledecky, the assassinated civil rights leader Medgar Evers and television host Phil Donahue. Don't let age

Motor racing-Verstappen takes Miami sprint race pole Red Bull's Max Verstappen grabbed pole position for the Miami Grand Prix sprint race on Friday, the triple world champion joined on the front row by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who missed most of the morning practice after spinning out. Verstappen, winner of the first sprint race of year at the Chinese Grand Prix, will start from the front on Saturday after clocking the top time of one minute, 28.194 seconds around the steamy the Miami Internat

Rugby-Leicester Tigers' Brown banned for two weeks after swearing Leicester Tigers back Mike Brown has been handed a two-week ban for using foul language towards match officials after being sent off during the club's defeat by Bristol Bears on Saturday. Brown, 38, was sent off in the 71st minute after making head contact in a tackle and swore at as he left Welford Road Stadium, with the Tigers losing the Premiership Rugby match 21-19. The former England player was handed a five-week ban by an in

Science News Roundup: Orangutan's use of medicinal plant to treat wound intrigues scientists; Boeing sending first astronaut crew to space after years of delay and more Following is a summary of current science news briefs. German company launches candle wax-powered rocket on test flight into space German company HyImpulse successfully launched on Friday a candle wax-powered rocket capable of carrying commercial satellites on a test suborbital flight into space for the first time. We're signalli

Entertainment News Roundup: Harvey Weinstein will be retried in New York after rape conviction overturned; Inspired by 'The Crown', new series explores Gandhi's early life and more Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs. Inspired by 'The Crown', new series explores Gandhi's early life The years of Mahatma Gandhi when he was a shy young man who had yet to become the revered father of a nation are being brought back to life in a historic London pub and other British venues for

Health News Roundup: CDC recommends avoiding exposure to sick or dead animals; Amgen jumps after teasing weight-loss drug data, rival stocks fall and more Following is a summary of current health news briefs. CDC recommends avoiding exposure to sick or dead animals The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday that people should avoid exposures to sick or dead animals suspected to be infected with the H5N1 bird flu virus. Farmers, workers and emergency responders should wear

Soccer-Kokubo's injury time penalty save secures title for Japan Japan lifted the Under 23 Asian Cup after they beat Uzbekistan 1-0 on Friday, an injury time penalty save by Leo Kokubo securing the trophy for Go Oiwa's side. Substitute Fuki Yamada gave the Japanese the lead when he stroked his shot into the bottom corner of the Uzbek goal in the 91st minute, but a handball by Hiroki Sekine gifted Uzbekistan an opportunity to take the game into extra time. Kokubo, however, dived to his right to k

Hamas, CIA director to hold talks in Cairo on Gaza truce Hamas said on Friday it was sending a delegation to Cairo to discuss a deal for a truce and the release of hostages in Gaza, hours after U.S. CIA Director William Burns arrived in the Egyptian capital, according to Egyptian sources. Egypt, along with Qatar and the United States, has been leading efforts to mediate between Israel and Hamas to broker a deal for a ceasefire in the conflict that began on Oct. 7. The Hamas and CIA officials wil

3 Indian Nationals Arrested in Killing of Alleged Khalistan Advocate Canadian police have arrested three Indian nationals believed by investigators to be members of an alleged hit squad tasked by the government of India with the killing of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey last year, police said. The ties between India and Canada came under severe strain following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations in September last year of the ''potential'' involvement of Ind

UN agencies prepare for Rafah incursion, warn of 'slaughter' An Israeli incursion in Rafah would put the lives of hundreds of thousands of Gazans at risk and be a huge blow to the aid operations of the entire enclave, the U.N. humanitarian office said on Friday, as the World Health Organization announced contingency plans for an incursion. Israel has repeatedly warned of an operation against Hamas in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where around a million displaced people are crowded together, h

Canada police charge three with murder of Sikh leader Nijjar, probe India link Canadian police on Friday arrested and charged three Indian men with the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year and said they were probing whether the men had ties to the Indian government. Nijjar, 45, was shot dead in June outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, a Vancouver suburb with a large Sikh population. A few months later, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau cited evidence of Indian govern

Environmental journalism is increasingly dangerous profession, UN chief says Journalists covering environmental issues have become increasingly targeted with violence as the world faces an unprecedented environmental emergency, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Friday. A report by UNESCO, the United Nations' scientific and cultural organization, released the day before showed an increase in violence against environmental reporters around the world by both state and private actors.

Brazil's Lula Welcomes Japan's Prime Minister to Experience the Delights of Brazilian Cuisine Brazil's President Luiz Incio Lula da Silva on Friday welcomed Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on his first visit to the country, with the two meeting in the capital of Brasilia and the South American leader pushing his counterpart to buy his country's beef. Brazil had wished to seize on the bilateral meeting to push forward an agreement to open Japanese markets to Brazilian beef, a goal the Latin

GLOBAL MARKETS-Stocks jump, yields drop as Fed cut hopes bloom A gauge of global stocks rallied while Treasury yields fell on Friday after a U.S. payrolls report was softer than anticipated, easing concerns the Federal Reserve would keep interest rates higher for longer. Nonfarm payrolls rose by 175,000 last month, the lowest since October 2023, and short of the 243,000 estimate of economists polled by Reuters. The 3.9% annual change in average hourly earnings was the smallest since May 2021 and

US STOCKS-Wall St ends sharply higher, jobs data strengthens case for rate cuts Wall Street surged to a higher close on Friday as a softer-than-expected employment report bolstered the case for rate cuts from the Federal Reserve while also providing evidence of U.S. economic resilience. All three major U.S. stock posted robust gains. The tech-heavy Nasdaq led the pack, rising 2% with an assist from Apple shares following the iPhone maker's record share buyback announcement. All three indexes not

US STOCKS-Wall St ends sharply higher, US jobs data strengthens case for rate cuts Wall Street surged to a higher close on Friday as a softer-than-expected employment report bolstered the case for rate cuts from the Federal Reserve while also providing evidence of U.S. economic resilience. All three major U.S. stock posted robust gains. The tech-heavy Nasdaq led the pack with an assist from Apple shares following the iPhone maker's record share buyback announcement. All three indexes were on tra

Canada police charge three with murder of Sikh leader Nijjar Canadian police said on Friday they had arrested and charged three Indian nationals with the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June 2023 and said they were probing possible links to the Indian government. Nijjar, 45, was shot dead outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, a Vancouver suburb with a large Sikh population. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has cited evidence of Indian government involvement, prompting a

At least nine killed in strike on displacement camp in eastern Congo At least nine people, including seven children, were killed on Friday in a strike on a displacement camp in the eastern Congolese city of Goma, a local official and a military spokesman said. It was not immediately clear what kind of explosive device was used or who was responsible for the attack. A two-year offensive by the Rwanda-backed rebel group M23 has moved closer to Goma in recent months, prompting thousands to seek ref

Haitians brace for more rain after downpours kill 13 Heavy rains are expected to continue across Haiti on Friday, the national weather service said, after killing at least 13 people in the north and damaging thousands of homes. If you live by a river, ravine or mountainside, move, Haiti's civil protection body warned. Nearly all of the country is at risk of frequent and intensifying to significant thunderstorms through Friday evening, the weather service added, warning of flash floods. Outside o

Ukraine central bank introduces largest wartime currency liberalisation measures Ukraine's central bank introduced its largest wartime currency liberalization measures on Friday, with most of the new provisions to take effect on May 4. A package of liberalisation measures had been expected for some time to support business and soften strict restrictions on capital outflows and tight foreign exchange controls imposed after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. The Ukrainian economy shrank by a

US Rep. Cuellar hit with bribery charges tied to Azerbaijan, Mexican bank U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar and his wife were indicted for allegedly accepting close to $600,000 in bribes in two schemes meant to benefit an Azerbaijani state-owned energy company and an unnamed bank based in Mexico, court papers showed. The indictment, returned by a grand jury on Tuesday and unsealed on Friday, said the bribes were laundered through sham consulting contracts into shell companies owned by Imelda Cue

Congress, Left Allegedly Used Rohith Vemula's Suicide for Political Gains: Ex-MLC Rao Former BJP MLC N Ramchander Rao, an accused in the 2016 Rohith Vemula suicide case, on Friday alleged that Congress and Left parties had tried to gain political mileage by linking the death of the University of Hyderabad student to the BJP. Vemula's suicide was painful but the attitude of the Congress and Left parties was deplorable, Ramchander Rao said. Rao's remarks came after Telangana Police filed a closure

EXPLAINER-What is behind the pro-Palestinian protests at US universities? Student protests over the war in Gaza have swept the U.S. in past weeks, with police clearing a number of encampments, at times after confrontations between protesters and counter-protesters; other tent protests dismantled after universities agreed to protesters' demands; and some demonstrations continuing. Here are details on the protests: WHAT DO THE PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTESTERS WANT? Across campuses where protests have br

AI-Enabled Fighter Jet Revolutionizes Combat: A Historical Flight with Air Force Leadership With the midday sun blazing, an experimental orange and white F-16 fighter jet launched with a familiar roar that is a hallmark of US airpower. But the aerial combat that followed was unlike any other: This F-16 was controlled by artificial intelligence, not a human pilot. And riding in the front seat was Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall. AI marks one of the biggest advances in military aviation since th

Bodies found in Mexico where Australian, US tourists missing, sources say Mexican authorities have located three bodies in the state of Baja California where two Australians and one American were reported missing, according to two sources with knowledge of the investigation. Australian brothers Callum, 33, and Jake Robinson, 30, and American Jack Carter Rhoad, 30, were last seen on April 27, according to Baja California's prosecutor's office. The three were on vacation surfing in the municipalit

AAP leaders rally for INDIA bloc nominees in Delhi LS polls With Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal behind bars, AAP leaders on Friday addressed public meetings in different parts of Delhi to rally support for the opposition INDIA bloc's candidates in the Lok Sabha polls. Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh and Delhi minister Atishi held a 'Sankalp Sabha' as part of the AAP's 'Jail Ka Jawab Vote Se' campaign in Kalkaji assembly segment which falls under South Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. The INDIA bloc has

Ukraine central bank introduces largest wartime currency liberalization measures Ukraine's central bank on Friday introduced its largest wartime currency liberalization measures to take effect on May 4. Under the new regulations, posted on social media, currency restrictions are to be lifted on imports of goods and services, restrictions on repayments of newly contracted external loans are eased and restrictions on transferring foreign currency from representative offices to parent companies are

Vemula Suicide Case: Family to Challenge Telangana Police's Closure Report The family of University of Hyderabad student Rohith Vemula on Friday said it will legally contest the Telangana Police's closure report in his 2016 suicide case. His brother Raja Vemula claimed the district collector has to decide on the family's SC status, prompting the police to say that they will conduct a further investigation. In its closure report on Rohith Vemula's death, the Telangana Police claimed he was not a

Sony, Apollo await response to $26 billion Paramount bid Sony Pictures Entertainment and private equity firm Apollo Global Management on Wednesday submitted a $26 billion offer for Paramount Global but have yet to receive a response as of Friday, according to a person familiar with the matter. A special committee of the Paramount board, created to evaluate offers for the company, has been holding exclusive deal talks with Skydance Media. That period of exclusivity ends Friday, and a separate sou

Former Trump aide Hope Hicks testifies he told her to deny Stormy Daniels affair Hope Hicks, a former top aide to Donald Trump, testified on Friday that he told her in the final days of the 2016 presidential election to deny that he had a sexual relationship with porn star Stormy Daniels. Hicks' testimony gave jurors an inside look at the campaign's damage-control efforts when Trump faced multiple accusations of unflattering sexual behavior in the waning weeks of his successful White House campa

Prison Break: Inmate Flees After Severing Lockup Barriers in Delhi A man, who was arrested by Rajouri Garden police in an alleged a case of theft, escaped from custody after breaking the iron bars of the lockup, officials said on Friday. Deepak RDX was later nabbed from the same area, they said. He was arrested in a case of theft last week and kept in the temporary lockup in the Special Staff Office located near Rajouri Garden Police Station but escaped after breaking the iron bars of the lockup

US officials believe some progress made in Gaza hostage talks but still waiting to see, US official says U.S. officials believe there has been some progress in Gaza hostage talks in Cairo but are still waiting to hear more, a U.S. official said on Friday. The official spoke after a Hamas official told Reuters a delegation from the Palestinian militant group Hamas would visit Cairo on Saturday amid expectations they will deliver a written response to an Israeli proposal on a Gaza ceasefire and ho

Hardik Pandya Admits Numerous Questions to be Answered But Time Needed All but out of play-off contention after eighth defeat in 11 games, Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya seemed as if he was groping in the dark for replies to all the unanswered questions hounding the five-time champions in yet another disastrous IPL season. Pandya was handed over the captaincy after the franchise removed national captain Rohit Sharma, something that the fans didn't really embrace with the colourful Baroda a

Canadian police arrest 3 suspects in killing of Khalistan separatist Nijjar: Media reports Canadian police on Friday arrested three Indian nationals believed by investigators to be members of an alleged hit squad tasked by the government of India with the killing of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey last year, according to media reports. The ties between India and Canada came under severe strain following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations in September last ye

FACTBOX-What led to Canada's arrests over killing of Sikh separatist? Canadian police on Friday charged three people linked to the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in the province of British Columbia in June 2023, a source directly familiar with the matter said. The following is a timeline of key events leading up to the arrests in a killing that has frayed relations between Canada and India. June 18, 2023: Nijjar, 45, is shot dead outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, a Vancouve

Pakistan Establishes Dedicated Body to Combat Escalating Cybercrimes The Pakistan government has set up a new body to exclusively tackle the rising number of cybercrimes in the country, officials said. The National Cyber Crimes Investigation Agency (NCCIA) was formed under Section 51 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016 (PECA) and would take over the functions of the now-defunct Cybercrime Wing of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). According to the officials, all existing personn

Botanical Garden Metro Station Honored as 'Best Metro Station' on DMRC's 30th Anniversary The Botanical Garden metro station won the awards of best station while Shastri Park depot was titled as the est metro depot, a statement issued by the DMRC on Friday said. Over 70 employees of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) won annual Managing Director's awards in recognition of their outstanding contribution in the last one year, officials said. The DMRC on Friday celebrated its 30th foundation day

Wall St Week Ahead-US small caps struggle as elevated interest rates take a toll The prospect of interest rates remaining elevated as the Federal Reserve battles inflation is further clouding the outlook for shares of smaller U.S. companies, which have lagged broader markets this year. Small cap stocks surged at the end of 2023, as expectations grew that the Fed was done raising interest rates and would soon begin easing monetary policy. That would be a welcome change for smaller companies, whic