World

A fragile ceasefire and a fresh burst of diplomacy brought the Middle East conflict to another pivotal moment as Iran's foreign minister arrived in Pakistan and US envoys traveled to Islamabad in hopes of reviving stalled peace negotiations. The White House said emissaries Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would hold an "in-person conversation" with Iranian representatives, though Iranian state media insisted direct talks were not on the agenda. Even after US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that the ceasefire in…

The US Justice Department is moving to widen both when the federal death penalty is pursued and how executions can be carried out, saying it wants to add the firing squad, electrocution and gas alongside lethal injection. "The prior administration failed in its duty to protect the American people by refusing to pursue and carry out the ultimate punishment against the most dangerous criminals, including terrorists, child murderers, and cop killers," acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche said. In a statement, Mr Blanche said…

A fresh diplomatic push is taking shape as US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner prepare to fly to Pakistan tomorrow morning for talks involving Iran, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in an interview with Fox News this evening. "I can confirm Special Envoy Witkoff and Jared Kushner will be off to Pakistan again tomorrow morning to engage in talks ... with representatives from the Iranian delegation," Ms Leavitt said. Vice President JD Vance is not expected to…

Oil prices climbed sharply today as fears of renewed conflict in the Middle East gripped markets after Iran released footage showing commandos boarding a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, with little sign of progress toward reopening the crucial shipping lane. Traffic through the strait, which before the war handled roughly a fifth of global oil output, remains effectively shut down. Iran’s seizure of two cargo ships has also underscored the challenges Washington faces in trying to secure passage through the waterway.…

The European Union is already moving toward a fresh round of pressure on Moscow, with its 21st sanctions package now under discussion just a day after the bloc approved its 20th set of measures over Russia’s war in Ukraine. "We're really pushing to go on with the 21st package of sanctions," Ms Kallas told reporters ahead of an informal summit of EU leaders in Cyprus. "It sends a very clear signal to Russia that they can't outwait us. It also sends a clear signal to Russia that Ukraine is more important to us than it is to…

At least three people were killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza, Palestinian health officials said, in the latest attack to hit the enclave despite a ceasefire meant to halt the fighting. Medics and witnesses said the strike hit a busy area of Gaza City near a position where local police had been deployed to guard a bank. In a statement, Gaza's interior ministry said the strike targeted a police patrol. Reuters has previously reported that Israel has stepped up attacks on Gaza's Hamas-run police force, which the militant…

Norway is moving to tighten children’s access to social media, with the government saying it will propose a ban for users under 16 and place the burden of age verification on technology companies. "We are introducing this legislation because we want a childhood where children get to be children," Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said in a statement. "Play, friendships, and everyday life must not be taken over by algorithms and screens. "This is an important measure to safeguard children's digital lives," Mr Stoere said. The…

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is preparing to shed 10% of its global workforce — a move that would amount to about 8,000 jobs. It remains unclear how the planned cuts will affect the company’s Irish business, where roughly 1,800 people are employed. A spokesperson for Meta Ireland declined to discuss the specifics of the redundancies, but confirmed the details of a Bloomberg report that first revealed the worldwide layoffs. The reductions were set out in a memo to employees, which also said Meta will leave thousands…

A fragile truce in the Middle East was given more time on Thursday after Israel and Lebanon agreed at the White House to extend their ceasefire by three weeks, while US President Donald Trump signalled he was willing to hold out for what he called “the best deal” to ⁠end his conflict with Iran. Mr Trump brought together Israel’s ambassador to Washington, Yechiel Leiter, and Lebanon’s ambassador to the US, Nada Moawad, in the Oval Office for a second round of talks mediated by the United States. “The Meeting went very well!…

Warner Bros Discovery cleared a major hurdle in its proposed $110 billion merger with Paramount Skydance after shareholders approved the transaction, even as they signaled sharp unease over the executive pay arrangements tied to the deal. Those compensation plans drew a clear rebuke in an advisory vote. Under the proposed packages, CEO David Zaslav stands to collect as much as $887 million if the sale goes through. Proxy adviser ISS had described Zaslav's possible payout as "extremely large". "Management now faces a twofold…