Spain plans to grant legal status to 500,000 undocumented migrants

Spain’s left-wing government has approved a decree to grant legal status to an estimated 500,000 undocumented migrants, a sweeping regularisation that underscores Madrid’s divergence from tougher migration policies elsewhere in Europe. Migration Minister Elma Saiz said those who qualify will be able to work “in any sector, in any part of the country,” framing the plan as both an economic necessity and a rights-based reform. “We are talking about estimations, probably more or less the figures may be around half a million…

China pledges to firmly support the UN as the global order’s core

Xi backs UN-centered order in meeting with Finland’s Orpo as Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ raises questions BEIJING — President Xi Jinping said China seeks to uphold a United Nations–based world order during talks with Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo in Beijing, a pointed message as Washington courts allies for a new “Board of Peace” initiative announced by U.S. President Donald Trump this month. “China is willing to work with Finland to firmly uphold the international system with the United Nations at its core,” Xi told Orpo…

France approves bill barring social media for kids under 15

France’s lower house has approved a bill that would ban social media use by children under 15, a measure championed by President Emmanuel Macron to curb excessive screen time and protect mental health. Lawmakers in the National Assembly passed the text 130–21 after a lengthy session, sending it to the Senate for further scrutiny before it can become law. Macron hailed the vote as a “major step” to protect children and teenagers, reiterating his concern that social platforms can manipulate young users. “The emotions of our…

Russia: Peace talks promising, but territorial issues remain a central hurdle

The Kremlin said U.S.-brokered trilateral talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators in the United Arab Emirates over the weekend were held in a “constructive spirit,” but cautioned that no early breakthrough should be expected as core territorial disputes remain unresolved. “It would be a mistake to expect any significant results from the initial contacts,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, calling the opening exchanges positive while adding there was “significant work ahead.” He underscored that…

Trump overhauls Minneapolis immigration unit as White House scrambles to contain fallout

MINNEAPOLIS — President Donald Trump moved to install border czar Tom Homan to take control of the administration’s immigration operation in Minneapolis today, an attempt to tamp down a growing political crisis after federal agents fatally shot Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, during weekend protests. The shift comes as the White House weighs a broader reset of its tactics in Minnesota, where some 3,000 federal agents have patrolled the streets for weeks. According to officials familiar with internal…

Arctic blast threatens United States in the storm’s aftermath

At least 30 people are dead and more than half a million households woke up without electricity as a monster winter storm and life-threatening Arctic air mass gripped large swaths of the United States from New Mexico to Maine. Forecasters warned the northern half of the country could remain “continuously below freezing through February 1,” the National Weather Service said in a post on X, with “record low temperatures” hitting several southern states unaccustomed to severe winter weather. The sprawling system delivered a…

European Union and India conclude landmark trade agreement, von der Leyen says

EU, India seal landmark free trade deal after nearly two decades of talks Pact touted as “mother of all deals” creating a market of two billion people; formal signing to follow legal review The European Union and India have agreed on a sweeping free trade deal, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Tuesday, declaring the pact the “mother of all deals” and a “free trade zone of two billion people.” “Europe and India are making history today,” von der Leyen said on X, adding that both sides are set to…

Indonesia landslide kills 17 as search continues for dozens missing

West Bandung, Indonesia — The death toll from a massive landslide in West Java rose to 17 as rescuers used heavy equipment and hand tools to search for dozens still missing days after heavy rain unleashed a torrent of mud through the village of Pasirlangu. The flow of soil and debris surged across the community at the foot of Mount Burangrang early Saturday, burying homes and forcing hurried evacuations. Authorities warned that saturated, unstable slopes and persistent rainfall were complicating operations and raising the…

Israeli officials say final hostage’s remains recovered from Gaza Strip

Israel’s military said it has retrieved the remains of Israeli police officer Ran Gvili, the last hostage held in Gaza, a development officials said fulfills a key condition in the initial phase of a U.S.-brokered plan to end the Gaza war. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had “brought them all back,” after months of operations and negotiations to secure the release or recovery of the 251 people abducted during Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 assault. Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said the return of the final Israeli hostage…

Rights watchdog reports Iran protest death toll approaching 6,000

A U.S.-based rights group says it has confirmed the deaths of nearly 6,000 people amid a wave of anti-government protests in Iran, as Tehran warned Washington against intervening and a nationwide internet blackout obscured the true toll. The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported it had verified 5,848 deaths since demonstrations that began over economic grievances in late December swelled into mass protests against the Islamic Republic, with the largest crowds on Jan. 8. HRANA said the confirmed dead include 209…