World

Skiers in Crans-Montana formed a heart on a snowy slope in a powerful tribute to the victims of the New Year’s Eve blaze at the “Le Constellation” bar, where 40 people were killed and 119 others were injured, many of them severely. The heart-shaped formation, captured on video, became a focal symbol of collective mourning in the ski community after the deadliest nightclub fire in years. Organizers and participants aligned themselves across the piste, their tracks drawing a clear, white outline visible from above — a quiet…

BEIJING — Taoiseach Micheál Martin is set to hold in-depth talks on trade with Chinese Premier Li Qiang during a five-day visit to China, pressing for progress on Irish beef exports and relief from tariffs on dairy products as EU-China trade tensions simmer. The meeting with Li follows Martin’s summit with President Xi Jinping, where the Irish leader raised sector-specific barriers facing Irish agri-food exporters and broader questions about how Europe and China manage an increasingly fraught economic relationship. “I…

Greenland warns ‘that’s enough’ as Trump renews push to bring Arctic territory into U.S. Greenland and Denmark condemned fresh calls by U.S. President Donald Trump for the autonomous Arctic territory to become part of the United States, as European leaders lined up to reject any prospect of annexation and insisted Greenland’s future rests solely with Copenhagen and Nuuk. Speaking aboard Air Force One en route to Washington, Trump reiterated his goal. “We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is…

Nicolas Maduro pleads not guilty in New York after U.S. raid; judge orders ex-Venezuelan leader held without bail Toppled Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking and other charges in a federal courtroom in Manhattan, days after he was taken into U.S. custody during a predawn raid in Caracas that officials said involved air and naval support. Maduro, 63, spoke softly through a Spanish interpreter but struck a defiant tone. “I’m innocent. I’m not guilty,” he told the judge. He said he is the…

ROME — The Vatican said more than 33 million pilgrims traveled to Rome during the 2025 Jubilee year as the final faithful crossed the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, capping a yearlong Catholic celebration that doubled as a stress test for the Eternal City and a defining early chapter for Pope Leo XIV. Pope Leo is due to close the basilica’s ornate bronze doors in a ceremony, just over 12 months after they were opened by his predecessor, Pope Francis, who died in April. The rite formally concludes a Jubilee marked by…

Maduro brought to New York federal court for arraignment NEW YORK — Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro was brought to federal court in Manhattan for arraignment, a dramatic turn in a yearslong U.S. criminal case that has accused him of helping steer a state-backed cocaine trafficking enterprise. Details of the proceeding, including the specific charges to be read in court and any initial decisions on detention or bail, were not immediately available. An arraignment typically marks a defendant’s first appearance before a judge,…

Israel urges Supreme Court to keep Gaza media ban, citing security risks Israeli authorities have asked the country’s Supreme Court to keep a ban on independent international media access to Gaza in place, arguing that unescorted reporting would pose unacceptable security risks, according to a government submission filed by the public prosecutor and obtained by AFP. The prohibition has stood since the war in Gaza erupted in October 2023. In that time, Israel has permitted only a limited number of foreign reporters to enter…

Ireland’s prime minister, or Taoiseach, Micheál Martin said his government never accepted “the legitimacy of the Maduro regime” in Venezuela but has sought a peaceful, democratic transition — remarks that came as deposed Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro was set to appear in a U.S. court following his weekend capture by U.S. forces. Maduro was detained during a military raid Saturday in Caracas that has plunged the country into uncertainty. U.S. officials have not publicly detailed the legal proceedings ahead, but…

The Irish Heart Foundation is urging the Government to mirror the UK’s new junk food advertising ban, calling the move a crucial step to protect children’s health and tackle childhood obesity. The British regulations, billed by ministers as world-leading, restrict daytime TV advertising for products high in fat, salt or sugar and ban paid online adverts, with the aim of reducing children’s exposure to unhealthy food marketing. Britain’s health ministry says the measures, which apply to pre-9 p.m. television and across…

Russia pounds Ukraine with overnight strikes, killing two near Kyiv on eve of Paris peace summit Russia launched overnight airstrikes across Ukraine early Monday, killing two people in the Kyiv region and triggering nationwide air raid alerts hours before European leaders gather in Paris to discuss a potential peace framework, Ukrainian authorities said. Sirens sounded shortly after midnight as Ukrainian air defenses engaged multiple incoming targets, the military said. In Kyiv, a private medical facility caught fire…