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WorldJun 23, 2022

US to send rocket systems, other aid to Ukraine

The U.S. will send another $450 million in military aid to Ukraine, including some additional medium-range rocket systems, U.S. officials said Thursday. The latest package will include a number of High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS. The initial four that the U.S. sent have already gone into Ukraine and are in the hand of troops there. The package will also include ammunition and other supplies. The new aid comes just a week after the U.S. announced it will send an additional $1 billion in military aid to Ukraine, as America and its allies send Ukraine the longer-range systems th
WorldJun 23, 2022

Supreme Court strikes New York gun law in major ruling

The Supreme Court on Thursday struck down a restrictive New York gun law in a major ruling for gun rights. The justices’ 6-3 decision is expected to ultimately allow more people to legally carry guns on the streets of the nation’s largest cities — including New York, Los Angeles and Boston — and elsewhere. About a quarter of the U.S. population lives in states expected to be affected by the ruling, the high court’s first major gun decision in more than a decade. The ruling comes as Congress is actively working on gun legislation following recent mass shootings in Texas, New York and
WorldJun 22, 2022

San Francisco subway train shooting kills 1, wounds another

A San Francisco city supervisor says one person was killed and another was wounded in a shooting on a subway train Wednesday. Supervisor Myrna Melgar says the San Francisco Police Department informed her that the shooting happened on a San Francisco Muni train between Forest Hill and Castro stations. She says the perpetrator ran out of the train at Castro station and remains at large. San Francisco police and city transportation officials did not immediately respond to telephone messages seeking more information. Melgar told The Associated Press that San Francisco Deputy Chief David Lazar info
WorldJun 22, 2022

Afghanistan earthquake death toll surpasses 1,000

More than 1,000 people were killed in Afghanistan after a powerful earthquake hit the country on Wednesday, media reports said. An earthquake of magnitude 6.1 struck southeastern Afghanistan. A severe earthquake struck in the early hours of this morning near the city of Khost in the southeastern part of the country. The most affected areas are in Spera District in Khost Province, and Barmala, Ziruk, Naka and Gayan districts in Paktika Province. "We have over 1,000 dead and over 1,500 wounded. Many villages were destroyed," Amin Huzaifa, the head of the culture and information department of th
WorldJun 21, 2022

Global crude oil prices decline on fears of recession, weak demand outlook

International crude oil prices have come off their recent highs and declined on fears of the possibility of a recession in the global economy following aggressive monetary policy tightening by central banks and the likelihood of weak demand outlook for the commodity. Ongoing Covid-led lockdown in parts of China too led to a decline in the prices. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil futures are currently trading at around $110 per barrel, as against its recent peak of around $123 per barrel. Notably, the prices of the key global commodity had soared sharply on account of supply chain disru
WorldJun 21, 2022

UK rail strike strands commuters, pits workers against govt

Tens of thousands of railway workers walked off the job in Britain on Tuesday, bringing the train network to a crawl in the country’s biggest transit strike for three decades. About 40,000 cleaners, signalers, maintenance workers and station staff were holding a 24-hour strike, with two more planned for Thursday and Saturday. Compounding the pain for commuters, London Underground subway services were also hit by a walkout on Tuesday. The dispute centers on pay, working conditions and job security as Britain’s railways struggle to recover from the coronavirus pandemic. Last-minute talks on
president-macron-loses-absolute-majority-in-french-parliamentary-elections
WorldJun 20, 2022

President Macron loses absolute majority in French parliamentary elections

French voters have denied the re-elected President Emmanuel Macron an absolute majority. The result announced in the early hours of Monday. According to the result, Marcon secured 245 out of a total 577, however, it still fell short of the 289-seat threshold for an absolute majority in the National Assembly, France's lower house. After the new result, Macron became the first sitting French president to not win a parliamentary majority since a 2000 electoral reform. According to the publication, it is expected to try and form alliances with other political parties, including the traditional rig
WorldJun 20, 2022

Israel coalition agrees to dissolve, hold new elections

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's office announced Monday that his weakened coalition will be disbanded and the country will head to new elections. Bennett has struggled to keep his unruly coalition of eight parties together, and defections have left the crumbling alliance without a majority in parliament for over two months. Bennett and his main coalition partner, Yair Lapid, decided to present a vote to dissolve parliament in the coming days, Bennett's office said. Lapid is then to serve as caretakever prime minister. The election, expected in the fall, would be Israel's fifth in thre
WorldJun 20, 2022

Philippines health official says COVID-19 cases start to peak

The steady uptick in the COVID-19 infections in the Philippines signals the start of the peak of cases, the Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) said on Monday. "Right now, (we see) that the number of cases is continuously increasing," Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire told a television interview. "We can see that this is really the start in the peak in the number of cases." Vergeire said the Southeast Asian country is seeing a trend similar to what happened in September 2021 and January 2022. The Philippines reported the highest single-day tally on Jan. 15 this year, with 39,0

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WorldApr 14, 2026

Italy suspends automatic renewal of defence agreements with Israel amid Middle East tensions

Italy has halted the automatic renewal of its defence agreements with Israel, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said, citing ongoing tensions in the Middle East and the need to support diplomatic efforts. According to statements from the Italian government, the decision comes as conflict dynamics involving Iran and the United States continue to raise concerns about regional stability. Meloni said advancing peace talks remains a priority and stressed the importance of reopening key maritime routes, including the Strait of Hormuz. The Italian government said the suspension applies specifically to th
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BCApr 14, 2026

Poilievre criticizes Liberal government following byelection results, questions legitimacy of majority

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre criticized the federal Liberal government after recent byelection results, arguing its parliamentary majority does not reflect direct voter support. Speaking after the results, Poilievre said the Liberals’ position in the House of Commons was achieved through what he described as “backroom deals,” alleging that some Members of Parliament joined the government without a mandate from their constituents. He claimed those moves undermined voter trust, though he did not provide specific examples during his remarks. Poilievre also targeted Prime Minister Ma
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CanadaApr 14, 2026

Ottawa suspends federal fuel excise tax until Labour Day amid rising global energy prices

The federal government will suspend excise taxes on gasoline and diesel until Labour Day, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Tuesday, citing rising global energy costs linked to conflict in the Middle East. Speaking on Parliament Hill, Carney said the temporary measure will take effect Monday and is expected to reduce the price of regular gasoline by about 10 cents per litre and diesel by about four cents per litre. He described the move as a “responsible, temporary measure” aimed at easing cost pressures on households and businesses. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the tax r
AlbertaApr 14, 2026

Teen charged after stabbing at Edmonton high school leaves student injured

A 16-year-old boy is facing multiple charges after a stabbing at Jasper Place School in Edmonton that sent another student to hospital with life-threatening injuries, according to police. The Edmonton Police Service said the incident occurred Friday at the west-end high school. Police allege the accused confronted another 16-year-old boy over an earlier argument. Investigators say the victim was stabbed as he attempted to walk away. According to police, other students tried to restrain the suspect, who was able to flee the school. A school resource officer arrived shortly afterward and assiste
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CanadaApr 14, 2026

Liberals secure majority after three byelection wins under Prime Minister Mark Carney

The Liberal Party led by Prime Minister Mark Carney has secured a majority government following victories in three federal byelections held Monday, according to preliminary election results. The party now holds 174 seats in the House of Commons, surpassing the 172 seats required for a majority. According to Elections Canada results, Liberal candidates won comfortably in the Ontario ridings of University–Rosedale and Scarborough South West, while narrowly capturing Terrebonne in Quebec by roughly 700 votes. This marks the first time in Canadian history that a governing party has moved from mi