Author: Elizabeth Jenrola Oso

For the first time in over 100 years, the Seine River has been officially opened to the public for swimming, as Parisians and tourists alike braved the waters this weekend following a landmark environmental overhaul. City authorities gave the green light after a massive clean-up project transformed the iconic river, once infamously polluted, into a safe and swimmable public space. …At the wake of 2024 Paris Olympics This move comes in the wake of the 2024 Paris Olympics, which saw the river used for competition and training, despite health concerns that disrupted some events, including the men’s triathlon. The ambitious…

US tariffs will kick in on August 1 if trading partners from Taiwan to the European Union do not strike deals with Washington, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday. The rates will “boomerang back” to the sometimes very high levels which President Donald Trump had announced on April 2, before he suspended the levies to allow for trade talks and set a July 9 deadline for agreement, Bessent told CNN. The Treasury Secretary confirmed comments by Trump to reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday in which he also cited a new deadline: “Well, I’ll probably start them on August…

Residents across central Texas observed a day of prayer on Sunday as the death toll from Friday’s catastrophic flash floods rose to at least 82, with dozens still missing and search efforts shifting from rescue to recovery. Authorities confirmed that the sudden flooding, triggered by torrential pre-dawn rain, caused the Guadalupe River to rise 26 feet (8 metres) in just 45 minutes, devastating riverside communities and leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. Particularly hard-hit was Camp Mystic, an exclusive summer camp for girls located along the river. Ten girls and one camp counsellor remain unaccounted for, heightening fears…

Iran has begun mass deportations of Afghan refugees and migrants after a government-imposed deadline expired on 6 July.

The United Kingdom has re-established diplomatic relations with Syria for the first time in over a decade, Foreign Secretary David Lammy confirmed on Sunday during a landmark visit to the Syrian capital, Damascus. Marking the first visit by a British minister to Syria in 14 years, Mr Lammy described the development as a “renewed hope for the Syrian people” and pledged Britain’s support for rebuilding the war-torn country. “It is in our interests to support the new government to deliver their commitment to build a stable, more secure and prosperous future for all Syrians,” Mr Lammy said in an official…

Brussels is entering a critical week as EU leaders scramble to secure a last-minute trade agreement with Washington in a bid to stave off punitive US tariffs that could reach as high as 50%. With only two days of negotiations remaining before President Donald Trump’s 9 July deadline, tensions are mounting on both sides of the Atlantic. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed on Friday that talks, which continued through the weekend, are centred around 15 to 18 key agreements with strategic partners. However, Trump has made it clear that countries failing to reach a deal could face tariffs of…

Israel has continued its air assault on Gaza, launching fresh waves of strikes just hours after Hamas announced it was ready to enter immediate talks on a US-backed 60-day ceasefire proposal, raising cautious hopes of a pause in hostilities that have now stretched into a 21-month war. The militant Islamist group’s announcement on Saturday fuelled optimism that a temporary truce, and perhaps the foundation for a permanent settlement, could be achieved in the coming days. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that a delegation would travel to Qatar on Sunday for further negotiations. However, his office also said…

Pete Hegseth, the United States defence secretary, has reportedly halted a crucial shipment of military aid to Ukraine, citing unsubstantiated fears that America’s weapons stockpiles have become dangerously depleted. The aid package, which included air defence missiles and precision munitions, had been pledged during Joe Biden’s presidency to support Ukraine’s resistance against Russia’s full-scale invasion, launched in 2022. The Pentagon’s sudden reversal, however, has sparked widespread concern and confusion among US allies and members of Congress. According to a report by NBC, the decision to suspend the shipment was made unilaterally by Hegseth, a former Fox News weekend host and…

World leaders from India, the United States and Taiwan paid tribute on Sunday to the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, as he marked his 90th birthday, a milestone that casts a renewed spotlight on the future of Tibet and rising tensions with China. The revered figure, who calls himself a “simple Buddhist monk”, celebrated the occasion in India, where he has lived since 1959 after fleeing Tibet during a failed uprising against Chinese rule. Thousands of Tibetans followed him into exile, and today he remains the symbolic heart of the Tibetan struggle for cultural and religious autonomy. Tibetans…

In a striking shift that raises questions about the ideological direction of BRICS, neither Russia’s President Vladimir Putin nor China’s President Xi Jinping will attend the upcoming summit in Brazil, set to begin on Sunday. This marks a rare absence for both leaders, who have historically been staunch advocates of the bloc once seen as the developing world’s alternative to the G7. Xi, 72, has been a fixture at BRICS summits for over a decade. This year, however, he will be replaced by Premier Li Qiang, with Chinese officials citing scheduling conflicts as the reason, though no further explanation has…