Oil prices increased on Monday following positive remarks from both the US and China during weekend trade talks. The progress in negotiations had boosted market sentiment, suggesting a potential resolution to the trade dispute between the world’s two largest crude consumers. Brent crude futures climbed 43 cents, or 0.67%, to $64.34 a barrel by 0500 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were trading at $61.50 a barrel, up 48 cents, or 0.79%, from Friday’s close. Both benchmarks rose more than $1 on Friday and gained over 4% last week for their first weekly gains since mid-April, after a…
Author: Fatimah Idera
The prime minister of Albania, Edi Rama seeks an unprecedented fourth term in office during a campaign dominated by promises to join the European Union and accusations of widespread graft. Albanian elections began as Albanians started voting in parliamentary elections on Sunday. Polling stations opened at 7 a.m. (0500 GMT) and will close at 7 p.m as results were expected to be released on Monday. Rama, in power as head of the Socialist Party since 2013, is favourite to win against his old rival, former prime minister Sali Berisha of the Democratic Party, bolstered in part by an influential network…
Top Iranian and Umited States negotiators had resumed talks to address disputes over Tehran’s nuclear programme in a push for progress as Washington hardened its stance ahead of the U.S. President Donald Trump’s Middle East visit. Though Tehran and Washington both have said they prefer diplomacy to resolve the decades-long dispute, they remain deeply divided on several red lines that negotiators will have to circumvent to reach a new nuclear deal and avert future military action. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff will hold the fourth round of talks in Muscat through Omani mediators,…
London’s Stansted Airport was hit by IT problems on Sunday that left hundreds of passengers stuck in long queues outside and inside the terminal building and caused delays to flights. The technical problems, which affected check-in, baggage and security operations, were later resolved, but flights continued to run behind schedule, the airport said in a statement. Images posted on social media showed people queuing outside the airport had missed their flight. Stansted is the capital’s third-biggest airport by passenger numbers. London’s Heathrow Airport, the busiest in Europe, also shut down for almost a day in March due to a fire…
Russian President Vladimir Putin had proposed direct talks with Ukraine aimed at ending the war. This idea was also welcomed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who said Kyiv was willing to talk, but Moscow must agree to a ceasefire. Recall that Putin sent thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022, unleashing a war that has killed hundreds of thousands of soldiers and triggered the gravest confrontation between Russia and the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. With Russian forces grinding forward, the Kremlin chief has offered few, if any, concessions so far but has proposed talks with Ukraine…
Mexico had sued Google for changing the Gulf of Mexico’s name to “Gulf of America” for Google Maps users in the United States.
The Head of the Royal Navy of Britain has been suspended, pending an ongoing investigation. Adm Sir Ben Key was asked to step back as first Sea Lord, sources at the Ministry of Defende (MoD) confirmed on Friday. Key was absent from the lineup of senior military personnel on the Mall on Monday for celebrations to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, and it is understood that second Sea Lord V Adm Martin Connell has taken full charge until a permanent replacement is announced. Earlier this week, the MoD said Key had departed for private reasons yet to be…
Trade talks between the United States and China have begun in Geneva, Switzerland. The Ongoing talks began early Saturday between the U.S. Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent and the Vice Premier He Lifeng leading the talks on the Chinese side. However, this marks the first formal round of talks between the two nations since former President Donald Trump introduced broad tariffs, escalating trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies. After weeks of escalating tensions that led to tariffs on goods imports between the world’s two largest economies soaring well beyond 100%, the two sides finally came together for talks. Read…
The former US Supreme Court Justice David Souter had died at age 85. A Bookish and reclusive jurist who joined the U.S. Supreme Court as a supposed conservative stealth nominee but instead emerged as a liberal justice who backed abortion rights and dissented in the 2000 ruling that gave the presidency to Republican George W. Bush had died. Souter, who served 19 years on the court before retiring in 2009, died peacefully at his home in New Hampshire, the court said in a statement on Friday. Chief Justice John Roberts said in the statement that “Justice David Souter served our…
Donald Trump’s administration has fired the Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden, a source said on Friday. Hayden, who was the first woman and first African American in the role, headed an office that has overall management responsibility for the library and sets out policy on its programs and activities. Neither the Library of Congress nor the White House has commented on this. Top Democrats in Congress had criticized the move as Trump’s latest politically-motivated purge. “Donald Trump’s decision to fire Dr. Carla Hayden is the latest foray in his relentless campaign to dismantle the guardrails of our democracy and punish…
