World

WHO urges higher taxes on sugary drinks and alcohol as affordability rises in dozens of countries Sugary drinks and alcohol are not being taxed at levels that curb demand and protect public health, the World Health Organization said in two new reports, warning that the products remain broadly affordable and are fueling chronic disease. The agency renewed its call for stronger “health taxes” on alcohol and sugar-sweetened beverages to reduce consumption and bolster strained government budgets. The WHO said sugary drinks…

Venezuela says it has freed more than 400 people from prison as part of an ongoing release process, though local rights groups dispute the figure and say only 60 to 70 detainees have been released in recent days. National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez announced the releases without providing a timeline. The pledge follows public statements last week by Rodríguez and U.S. President Donald Trump that large numbers of detainees would be freed as a peace gesture after what officials in both countries described as the U.S.…

UNICEF says more than 100 children have been killed in Gaza since the start of a fragile ceasefire three months ago, underscoring the continuing toll on civilians despite a slowdown in bombardments. At least 60 boys and 40 girls have died in Israeli airstrikes and ground operations during the truce period, the UN children’s agency said. “More than 100 children have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire,” UNICEF spokesman James Elder told reporters from Gaza City. “That’s roughly a girl or a boy killed here every day during…

Trump urges Iranians to keep protesting as Tehran crackdown intensifies; Russia warns U.S. against new strikes; Europe weighs tougher sanctions U.S. President Donald Trump urged Iranians to keep protesting and said “help is on its way,” as Iran’s clerical establishment pressed a sweeping crackdown on the biggest demonstrations in years and an Iranian official acknowledged about 2,000 people had been killed in two weeks of unrest. In a post on Truth Social, Trump called on “Iranian Patriots” to “take over your institutions”…

Iran’s most serious street challenge in years is testing the durability of its theocratic state, as two weeks of protests have broadened from economic anger to overt calls for sweeping political change. Yet despite the scale and fury, analysts say Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s system still shows few of the internal fractures that typically precede regime collapse. Rights groups say a heavy crackdown has left hundreds dead, even as the 86-year-old Khamenei retains the backing of Iran’s core power centers and…

UN demands swift, independent probe into ICE shooting of Minnesota woman as protests, lawsuits escalate The United Nations on Monday urged a rapid, independent and transparent investigation into the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, 37, by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis last week, as protests spread and Minnesota filed suit against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. “Under international human rights law, the intentional use of lethal force is only permissible as a measure of…

COPENHAGEN — Denmark’s foreign minister said he and his Greenlandic counterpart will meet U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the White House tomorrow, a high-stakes attempt to shift escalating rhetoric over Greenland into face-to-face diplomacy as President Donald Trump presses to take control of the Arctic island. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt requested the meeting with Rubio after Trump recently intensified threats to take over…

COPENHAGEN — A senior European official warned that a U.S. move to seize Greenland by force would spell “the end of NATO,” as Denmark and multiple European capitals rallied behind the self-governing Arctic territory and urged Washington to abandon coercive rhetoric. European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius said European Union member states would be obliged to come to Denmark’s assistance if faced with military aggression. “I agree with the Danish Prime Minister (Mette Frederiksen) that it will be the end…

‘Please leave us alone’: In Nuuk, generations of trust in the U.S. give way to fear For generations, many in Greenland saw the United States as a protector — the superpower that helped shield the Arctic island during World War II and maintained a reassuring presence ever since. In Nuuk today, that faith has curdled into fear as talk of an American move to seize the territory reverberates across the capital’s snowy streets. Tillie Martinussen still remembers her grandmother returning with Wrigley’s gum passed out by U.S.…

BBC moves to dismiss Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit over Panorama edit The BBC will ask a Florida court to dismiss US President Donald Trump’s $10 billion (€8.5 billion) defamation lawsuit over a Panorama episode edit, arguing the court lacks jurisdiction, the venue is improper and the complaint fails to state a claim, according to court filings made late Monday UK time. The broadcaster’s motion says it neither created, produced nor broadcast the documentary in Florida and disputes Trump’s assertion that the program…