World

Steven Spielberg gave CinemaCon in Las Vegas an early jolt with new footage from his upcoming sci-fi feature Disclosure Day, telling the audience there is “more truth than fiction” behind the film’s premise. The Oscar-winning filmmaker introduced the project during Universal’s presentation at the annual convention of cinema owners and industry executives. With Disclosure Day, Spielberg returns once again to alien-themed storytelling, almost 50 years after Close Encounters of the Third Kind first brought his fascination with…

Panic tore through a school in تركيا’s southern Kahramanmaras province when a 13-year-old opened fire, killing nine people and wounding 13 in an attack that sent students scrambling for safety and leaping from windows, officials said. It was the country’s second school shooting in two days. The assault took place in Kahramanmaras province in the south, a region in a country where mass school shootings have historically been rare. "We regret to report nine deaths (...) and 13 wounded. Six of them are currently in intensive…

A possible diplomatic opening has emerged in one of the region’s longest-running fault lines, with US President Donald Trump saying leaders of Israel and Lebanon are expected to speak after a high-level face-to-face meeting in Washington on Tuesday — the first such negotiation since 1993. "Trying to get a little breathing room between Israel and Lebanon. It has been a long time since the two leaders have spoken, like 34 years. It will happen tomorrow," Mr Trump wrote, offering no further details and not specifying who would…

North Korea’s capacity to build nuclear weapons is rising at an alarming pace, according to the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, who warned of a “very serious increase” in the country’s production capability. South Korea’s spy agency has said it believes North Korea is running multiple uranium-enrichment facilities, a crucial stage in producing nuclear warheads. Among them is a plant at the Yongbyon nuclear complex, which Pyongyang had purportedly decommissioned after talks but later brought back into…

Three years into Sudan’s devastating war, international donors meeting in Berlin pledged about €1.3 billion in a bid to ease a crisis that has killed tens of thousands of people and driven millions from their homes. "This nightmare must end," UN Secretary-General António Guterres said, describing the anniversary as "a tragic milestone in a conflict that has shattered a country of immense promise". "The consequences are not confined to Sudan. They are destabilising the wider region," he told the conference in a video address.…

Hungary is moving swiftly toward a political handover after Peter Magyar’s sweeping election win ended Viktor Orban’s 16-year grip on power, with the country’s new parliament expected to meet in early May to formally choose its next prime minister. Mr Magyar, who decisively defeated Orban in Sunday’s vote, said lawmakers could gather as soon as 4 May or around 6-7 May after he met President Tamas Sulyok to discuss the timetable. He also urged the president, seen as an Orban ally, to step down as part of what he cast as a…

A late-night fire at Viva Energy Group's Geelong refinery in southern Australia has triggered an emergency response, with local authorities describing the incident as "significant" as crews work to bring the blaze under control. The full scale of the damage was not immediately known. Fire Rescue Victoria said in a statement that the fire was reported at about 11 p.m. local time today. The agency said the blaze was still not under control, but confirmed that all staff had been accounted for. Emergency crews were sent to the…

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte opened a meeting of Ukraine’s main backers in Berlin with a stark warning: allies must not let attention drift from the war and should raise their support for Kyiv to $60 billion in 2026. The appeal came as defence ministers from countries including Germany and Britain gathered with the conflict against Russia now entering its fifth year. "We have to ensure that we are capable of delivering uninterrupted support for Ukraine," Mr Rutte said. "We cannot lose sight of Ukraine." In recent weeks,…

Maine lawmakers have backed a pause on new large data centres, putting the state on track to become the first in the US to slow construction tied to the intensifying AI boom. The measure cleared both the state house and senate and now heads to Democratic Governor Janet Mills, according to the bill’s sponsor, Representative Melanie Sachs. It will take effect unless Ms Mills decides to veto it. "This bill positions Maine to respond deliberately and responsibly to a rapidly evolving industry," said Ms Sachs. The rise of…

With energy costs climbing again, Europe is being urged not to repeat the expensive policy mistakes made during the 2022 crisis. European Economic Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said governments should make sure any support for households and businesses is tightly targeted and comes with a clear end-date. Speaking at the International Monetary Fund, Mr Dombrovskis said efforts to blunt the impact of rising prices linked to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, following the US-Israeli war on Iran, must not end up encouraging…