World

Indiana execution revives fraught national debate over capital punishment On a quiet Tuesday night in Indiana, the state carried out the lethal injection of Roy Lee Ward, a 53‑year‑old convicted in the 2001 rape and murder of 15‑year‑old Stacy Payne. Ward, who was arrested at the scene holding a knife, had been sentenced to death in 2002. His final hours — which included a last meal of a hamburger, a steak melt, chips, shrimp and breadsticks — closed a chapter that has become, for many Americans, part tragedy and part…

Ceasefire Holds as Gazans Stream Back to Ruins and Uncertainty Under a truce that went into effect at midday local time, thousands of displaced Palestinians began a slow, solemn return to the shattered neighborhoods of Gaza on Saturday as Israeli forces pulled back from some urban positions. The first trickle of people soon became a flood, as families who had lived for months in tented camps walked north along the coastal road toward Gaza City, many stepping over rubble and past burnt-out buildings to stand again where…

French prime minister resigns hours after naming new cabinet, deepening political turmoil What happened France's newly appointed prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu, abruptly resigned on Thursday morning just hours after unveiling his cabinet, throwing President Emmanuel Macron's government into fresh and immediate uncertainty. The Élysée confirmed the move in a brief statement: "Mr Sébastien Lecornu has submitted the resignation of his Government to the President of the Republic, who has accepted it." Lecornu, a close ally…

Indirect talks open in Sharm El-Sheikh under Trump plan as Gaza war grinds on Delegations representing Hamas and Israel have begun indirect negotiations in Egypt’s Red Sea resort of Sharm El‑Sheikh aimed at ending nearly two years of war in Gaza, diplomats and officials said Monday, in a U.S.‑backed effort that has raised hopes and doubts in equal measure. Under the outline promoted by former U.S. President Donald Trump — who has waded into the role of broker with envoys including businessman Steve Witkoff and his…

Newly elected German mayor found with life‑threatening stab wounds; investigators probe possible family link The newly elected mayor of Herdecke, a small town in Germany’s industrial Ruhr region, was discovered with life‑threatening stab wounds at her home on Tuesday, authorities said, touching off a wave of shock and unanswered questions about whether the attack was personal or political. What happened Iris Stalzer, 57, who won a run‑off election on Sept. 28 to lead the town of roughly 23,000 residents between Hagen and…

Mayor-elect of German town badly wounded in stabbing; motive unclear The newly elected mayor of Herdecke, a small town outside Dortmund in western Germany, was seriously wounded in a stabbing attack that left national leaders demanding answers and local residents reeling. What happened Iris Stalzer, 57, was attacked shortly after noon near her home on Monday, public broadcaster WDR reported. Chancellor Friedrich Merz called the assault a "heinous act" and said on X that "we fear for her life," urging that "the crime and…

Two years on, ceasefire talks shadowed by airstrikes and the weight of memory On the second anniversary of the October 7 attacks that plunged Israel and Gaza into an ever-expanding war, negotiators gathered in Sharm el‑Sheikh for what many describe as the most serious attempt yet to halt the fighting. Yet beneath the diplomatic fanfare, tanks rolled, jets and naval vessels struck and families on both sides marked the day with grief that a single negotiated text has so far failed to touch. The talks — cautious hope,…

Protests, proscription and policing: London’s fraught weekend in the shadow of terror At least 355 people were held by London police over the weekend as pro-Palestine demonstrators deliberately defied a ban on activity linked to the group Palestine Action, in protests that intersected with a city still raw from a terror attack on a Manchester synagogue. The arrests stretched across central London with the largest concentration in Trafalgar Square, where organisers of a “silent vigil” said more than 1,000 people had…

When a Budget Fight Becomes a Battle for Power The United States finds itself once again at the mercy of procedural paperwork made emotional — a partial government shutdown because Congress failed to pass the stopgap spending bill that keeps federal paychecks flowing and services running. On paper, the dispute looks technical: a few pages of appropriations law and a deadline on the calendar. In practice, it has become a pitched political battle over health-care subsidies, presidential authority and the very idea of…

Trump says Israel has agreed to “initial withdrawal line”; ceasefire hinges on Hamas confirmation as strikes continue WASHINGTON — Former US President Donald Trump said on social media that Israel has accepted an “initial withdrawal line” for Gaza and that the details have been shared with Hamas, setting the stage for a tentative ceasefire and a prisoner swap — but only “when Hamas confirms.” The announcement came amid renewed Israeli bombardment that killed dozens on Saturday, underscoring how fragile any pause remains on…