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May 15, 2026 - World

Visit comes after US-Cuba relations deteriorated significantly, and as the island nation declared it had ‘absolutely no fuel’ because of US blockadeCIA director John Ratcliffe met Cuban officials in Havana on Thursday as a way to improve dialogue between the US and the communist-run island, the Cuban government said.The meeting took place “in a context marked by the complexity of bilateral relations, with the aim of contributing to the political dialogue between both nations”, a statement said. Continue reading...

May 15, 2026 - World

Tensions flared during Trump's visit to Beijing on Thursday as Chinese officials tried to disarm one of his Secret Service agents outside an historic site, according to reports.The New York Post described the scene outside the Temple of Heaven, where "Chinese officials refused to admit a Secret Service agent accompanying the presidential press pool into the secure area because the agent was carrying a firearm."With a press pool around them, the agent refused to disarm, and the American delegation didn't want to leave one of their own behind, which led to "the Chinese version of a Mexican standoff," the Post wrote. "After a thirty-minute delay and many arguments, another Secret Service agent who had already been cleared to proceed was summoned to escort reporters inside while the first agent stayed behind."Fox News reporter Peter Doocy described it as a "very physical standoff." He also suggested it wasn't an isolated incident, adding that "there have been some heated and physical clashes between the Secret Service and the Chinese police at basically the backdoors of these events."

May 14, 2026 - World

‘We know that Mark Carney wants to sort of embrace Europe,’ says competition director Martin GreenCanada is welcome to join Eurovision if it wishes, its director has said, months after the country revealed it wanted to “explore” joining the song contest in its federal budget.Eurovision director Martin Green told the BBC on Wednesday that Canada hadn’t yet applied, but would be welcome to. Continue reading...

May 14, 2026 - World

Two more Republicans sided with Democrats and broke ranks on Thursday to back the House's Iran war powers vote and challenge President Donald Trump's military operation in the Middle East ahead of midterms, according to reports.It was the third failure for the resolution to end the war in Iran with a 212-212 vote, The Hill reported. Three Republicans joined Democrats to vote for the measure in the lower chamber, where a tie means the resolution failed. Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) split from his own party with a "no" vote.For the first time, Rep. Tom Barrett (R-MI) and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) rebuked President Donald Trump's military operation, Congressional reporter for Politico Meredith Lee Hill wrote on X. Trump foe Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) also voted yes for the resolution."Barrett, an Army veteran, is in an incredibly competitive race in his Lansing-area seat against a retired Navy SEAL, who has been hammering him over the war," Lee Hill wrote. On Wednesday, new signs of strain were bubbling up among Senate Republicans after three GOP lawmakers sided with Democrats on a vote to end the Iran war. The 49-50 vote was the closest the Senate has come to having a war powers vote as the Trump administration has missed the legal deadline to tamp down its military operation, "which several Republicans have signaled would be a turning point for their support."Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) supported the resolution, joining Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Susan Collins (R-ME). Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) broke with Democrats again to oppose the vote.

May 14, 2026 - World

Far-right Jewish marchers call for Palestinian villages to ‘burn’ as they storm through Muslim quarter of Old CityIsraeli nationalists chanted “death to the Arabs”, “may your villages burn” and “Gaza is a graveyard” in a state-sponsored march through Jerusalem to mark the anniversary of the city’s capture and annexation.The annual assertion of Jewish control over Palestinian East Jerusalem has grown more extreme in recent years, and Thursday’s event culminated with the national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, unfurling an Israeli flag in front of the al-Aqsa mosque, the holiest Islamic site in the city. Continue reading...