EU interior ministers meeting Thursday struggled to reach an agreement on a long-stalled revision of the bloc's rules to share the hosting of asylum seekers and migrants more equitably.. The priority is for EU countries to share the hosting of asylum-seekers, taking in many that arrive in nations on the bloc's outer rim, mainly Greece and Italy.
Smoke from Canadian wildfires continued to shroud US cities in a noxious haze Thursday, forcing flight delays and cancellations to outdoor activities as environmental groups called for urgent action to tackle climate change.. Environmental groups were quick to draw attention to climate change, which is creating warmer, drier conditions that are increasing the risk and extent of wildfires.
Oleg Orlov, co-chair of the human rights group Memorial, went on trial in Moscow Thursday over criticism of Russia's Ukraine campaign, which could see him jailed for up to five years.. His organisation established itself as a key pillar in civil society by preserving the memory of victims of communist repression and campaigning against rights violations in Russia under President Vladimir Putin.
Pakistan failed to meet any economic growth targets for the fiscal year 2022-23, according to a key government report released Thursday -- a day before the new budget is to be presented to the national assembly.. Pakistan is expected to set a growth target of 3.5 percent for the upcoming fiscal year, to be announced in the national budget on Friday.
Ukrainian rescuers have been venturing into Russian-held areas despite shelling as they search for residents stranded by massive flooding from a destroyed dam.. "My apartment in Kherson was destroyed by shelling last year -- I moved to another flat and it was flooded," she told AFP. "How can we live on?"
The family firm that turned the parents of Princess Catherine -- the wife of the heir to the British throne -- into millionaires left debts of nearly £2.6 million ($3.2 million) when it collapsed last month, a report by insolvency specialists has revealed.. A report from the administrators said the firm was £2.59 million short of what it needed to clear its debts.
Turkmenistan's authoritarian leader launched an "unprecedented" anti-smoking crusade Thursday, ordering the Central Asia country to rid itself completely of tobacco within two years.. "Our state will launch a vast anti-tobacco movement of unprecedented size to help expand the tobacco-less countries of the world," he added.
A man armed with a knife attacked a group of pre-school children playing by a lake in the French Alps Thursday, wounding four as well as an adult and sending shockwaves through the country.. Two of the children -- believed to be aged around three -- and an adult victim were in critical condition and fighting for their lives in hospital, a security source told AFP. A police source said checks on the man, who was arrested at the scene, were ongoing, but he was unknown to French security services.
Pope Francis, 86, spent a restful night and was in good condition after a hernia operation, the Vatican said Thursday, as doctors cautioned his age and health issues could affect his recovery time.. He said the operation usually required a stay of between five and seven days, but the pope's age and illness in March -- when he was hospitalised with a respiratory infection -- may affect his recovery time.
The United States pledged $148 million on Thursday for stabilisation efforts in Iraq and Syria as it joined Saudi Arabia in urging Western states to repatriate foreign Islamic State group fighters and their relatives.. "I’m announcing that the United States is committing $148.7 million to that fund," said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who kicked-off a three-day visit to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.
