World

Britain, under pressure on immigration, urges reform of European human rights framework

LONDON (Reuters) -Britain called on Wednesday for reform of the European Convention on Human Rights, amid growing domestic criticism that it allows a foreign-based court to meddle in sensitive areas of policy such as immigration and deportation rulings.

World

France aims to buy four Global Eye military aircraft, Sweden says

OSLO (Reuters) -France on Wednesday communicated its intent to acquire four Global Eye aircraft, Swedish Defence Minister Pal Jonson said in a post on social media X.

World

Asian, Middle Eastern airlines dominate 2025 top 10 rankings

PARIS, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Airlines from Asia and the Middle East topped the 2025 Skytrax World Airline Awards announced Tuesday, with Qatar Airways named the world's best airline in this annual passenger-voted ranking.

World

China expands zero-tariff policy for least developed countries

GENEVA, June 18 (Xinhua) -- China has notified the World Trade Organization (WTO) of its expanded zero-tariff policy for least developed countries (LDCs) that maintain diplomatic relations with Beijing, raising product coverage from 98 percent to 100 percent.

World

China allocates 60 mln yuan to aid flood relief efforts in Guangdong

BEIJING, June 18 (Xinhua) -- The National Development and Reform Commission on Wednesday said that it has allocated 60 million yuan (about 8.36 million U.S. dollars) from China's central budget to bolster flood relief efforts in Guangdong Province.

World

Kyiv mourns as death toll from Russian strike climbs to 28

KYIV (Reuters) -Flags across Kyiv were lowered to half-mast on Wednesday, as Ukrainians mourned more than two dozen people killed a day earlier in Russia's deadliest strike on the capital this year.

World

Austrian government agrees on plan to allow monitoring of secure messaging

VIENNA (Reuters) -Austria's coalition government has agreed on a plan to enable police to monitor suspects' secure messaging in order to thwart militant attacks, ending what security officials have said is a rare and dangerous blind spot for a European Union country.

World

Big blow for Thailand's PM as major party exits coalition

BANGKOK (Reuters) -Thailand's Bhumjaithai Party on Wednesday withdrew from Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra's government in a major blow to the embattled premier, leaving her ruling coalition with only a slim majority. 

World

Portugal's new minority centre-right government takes power

LISBON (Reuters) -A minority centre-right government formally took power in Portugal on Wednesday after parliament threw out a motion by the small opposition Communist Party calling for rejection of the new administration's programme.

World

Pakistan's army chief to meet Trump after conflict with India defused

WASHINGTON/ISLAMABAD (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to have lunch with Pakistani armed forces chief Asim Munir at the White House on Wednesday, according to Trump's official schedule.

World

Analysis-US defence firms chase European military spending wave

PARIS (Reuters) -U.S. defence giants, backed by a strong Congressional delegation from Washington, used the Paris Airshow to showcase cutting-edge technologies and court European partners as they seek to tap into rising regional military spending.

World

Man shot by Kenyan police during protests is in intensive care, father says

(Corrects to add dropped word "range" in first paragraph)

World

Spain's grid operator disputes miscalculation in blackout report

MADRID (Reuters) -Spanish grid operator Redeia disputed the findings of a government report that said failure by the operator to calculate the correct mix of energy was one of the factors that led to a massive blackout in Spain and Portugal on April 28.

World

Legacy of past hangs over anti-immigrant violence in Northern Ireland

BELFAST (Reuters) -Bullets and bombs were a part of life in the Belfast that Raied al-Wazzan moved to from Iraq in 1990, but he never felt threatened as a member of one of the divided region's tiny ethnic minorities.

World

Cash-strapped Vatican unveils fundraising video centred on Pope Leo

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -The Vatican on Wednesday unveiled a fundraising video centred on newly elected Pope Leo, urging the faithful to support his mission amid a serious financial crisis for the Catholic Church.

World

Austria plans to tighten gun control rules after school shooting

VIENNA (Reuters) -Austria plans to tighten its gun control rules after a 21-year-old killed 10 people then killed himself in the country's worst school shooting by far, the conservative-led government said on Wednesday.

World

Exclusive-US to drop guidance to limit alcohol to one or two drinks per day, sources say

(Reuters) -U.S. Dietary Guidelines are expected to eliminate the long-standing recommendation that adults limit alcohol consumption to one or two drinks per day, according to three sources familiar with the matter, in what could be a major win for an industry threatened by heightened scrutiny of alcohol's health effects.

World

UN trade agency says it faces 'painful' cuts as countries navigate tariffs

GENEVA (Reuters) -The United Nations trade and development agency, tasked with helping developing countries access the global economy, faces "painful" cuts as part of broader reforms prompted by a decline in global donor funding, its secretary general said.

World

France aims to intercept UK-bound migrant boats offshore as Channel crossings surge

PARIS (Reuters) -Faced with a growing number of Channel migrant crossings, France hopes to stop more small boats from reaching Britain by changing its rules of engagement to intercept vessels, France's interior ministry has said.

World

Ukraine allows multiple citizenship as war drags on

KYIV (Reuters) -Ukrainians will be able to hold dual or multiple citzenship under a law approved by the parliament on Wednesday that aims to ease a demographic crisis exacerbated by the four-year war with Russia and to improve ties with the country's large diaspora.