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Iraq's parliament voted Saturday to elect Nizar Amidi, a political official with one of the country's two main Kurdish parties, as president, five months after a parliamentary election that didn't produce a bloc with a decisive majority. His election comes as Iraq is reeling from the fallout of the US-Israeli war on Iran. Iraq became caught in the middle of the conflict, with Iran-backed militias launching attacks on US bases and diplomatic facilities as well as on critical energy infrastructure. Meanwhile, the US and Israel carried out airstrikes targeting the militias, some of which killed members of the Iraqi military. The war and Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz also largely halted the oil exports upon which Iraq's economy depends. Amidi, a member of the political bureau of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan party, beat out a roster of candidates that included Iraq's current Foreign Minister, Fuad Hussein, who was the pick of the rival Kurdistan Democratic Party. By ...
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has voiced support for China's push to build a "multipolar world" and called for deeper ties between the traditional allies during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, state media said on Saturday. During the meeting on Friday, Kim said his government will fully support Chinese efforts to achieve territorial integrity based on its "one-China principle", a reference to Beijing's official position that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, according to North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency. Kim also outlined North Korea's position on unspecified regional and international issues of "mutual concern" and said sustained development of ties between the two countries has become more crucial in the current geopolitical environment, KCNA said. Wang, on a two-day trip to North Korea, said the countries' relations were entering a "new phase" following a summit last year between Kim and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Embracin
Two days before Hungary's closely-watched elections, over 100,000 people filled a sprawling square and adjacent avenues in the capital for a concert featuring dozens of the country's most popular performers a call to action for citizens to cast their ballots on Sunday and vote out the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban. More than 50 bands, all performers who have used their music to express dissent against Orban's nationalist-populist government, played one song each during the seven-hour, "system-breaking" concert on Friday. The crowd, largely made up of young people, frequently broke into anti-government chants, including "Ruszkik haza!" or "Russians go home!" It was a refrain from Hungary's 1956 anti-Soviet revolution that has taken on renewed significance as Orban has forged increasingly close relations with Moscow. One attendee, Helena Sugar, 19, said she was drawn to the event by some of her favourite artistes, but that the desire for change was the concert's most ...
Indian-origin technology leader Mangala Kuppa has been appointed the Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the US Department of Labour, formalising her role after serving in an acting capacity since October last year. Kuppa, who also serves as the department's Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer, was appointed earlier this month. She will continue to oversee information technology strategy, digital transformation and AI adoption across the agency. In a LinkedIn post confirming her appointment, Kuppa said she was "grateful for the opportunity to keep serving and making a difference". A seasoned technology executive with over 25 years of experience, Kuppa has played a key role in advancing the department's modernisation agenda, including development of enterprise AI strategy, expansion of data platforms and strengthening cybersecurity systems. She joined the Labour Department in 2010 and has since held several senior positions, including Chief Technology Officer and Director of Busine
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday condoled the death of former Suriname president Chandrikapersad Santokhi, saying his demise was not only an irreparable loss to his own country but also to the global Indian diaspora. Modi said Santokhi had a special fondness for Indian culture and won several hearts when he took oath in Sanskrit. "Deeply shocked and saddened by the sudden demise of my friend and the former President of Suriname, Mr. Chandrikapersad Santokhi Ji. This is not only an irreparable loss to Suriname but also to the global Indian diaspora," he said in a message. The prime minister also fondly recalled his many meetings with Santokhi and said the Suriname leader's tireless service for his country and his efforts in strengthening India-Suriname relations were clearly reflected in their interactions. "I extend my heartfelt condolences to his family and the people of Suriname in this hour of grief. Om Shanti," he said. Santokhi, 67, who was the president of Suriname fr
Protests continued in Nepal for the third consecutive day following the arrest of former PM K P Sharma Oli over suppression of Gen Z protests last year, even as authorities intensified probe against three ex-prime ministers over money laundering. Oli and former home minister Ramesh Lekhak were arrested on Saturday for their alleged involvement in suppressing the Gen Z movement of September 8 and 9 last year, in which 76 people, including around two dozen youths, were killed. The arrests came after the newly formed Balendra Shah government decided to implement the report of the probe commission into the Gen Z protests in its first cabinet meeting. Hundreds of members of Oli's Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Lennist) and their sister organisations and student wings gathered at Naya Baneshwor area on Monday morning carrying placards that read "Immediately release KP Oli," and "End the politics of revenge." Monday's protest rally was comparatively peaceful, unlike the protest
Myanmar's Parliament on Monday began the process of electing the country's next president, which will mark a nominal return to an elected government after five years of military rule, but is widely considered to be an effort to keep power in the hands of the army. The process began the same day that Senior Gen Min Aung Hlaing, the head of the military-led government, announced that he was relinquishing his concurrent post of the military's commander-in-chief. The move is a prerequisite for becoming head of state, because the Constitution prohibits the president from simultaneously holding the top military position. Min Aung Hlaing will be among three nominees to contend for the president's post, but is virtually certain to get the job as lawmakers from military-backed parties and appointed members from the military hold a commanding majority in Parliament. Here's what to know about the nominal transition to elected democracy. New president could be named by end of ...
Five people were killed when a train and van collided in rural Mississippi, authorities said Friday. All five killed were in the van, Stone County Coroner Wayne Flurry said. The lone surviving van passenger, a 23-year-old woman, was flown to a hospital, Flurry said. No one aboard the train was reported injured. The crash occurred when a Canadian Pacific Kansas City freight train collided with a vehicle in a crossing, the railroad said in a statement. The location was near the town of Wiggins about 45 miles (72 kilometres) northwest of Biloxi. The Stone County Sheriff's Office was investigating the crash, the company said. "Our most sincere condolences go out to the families of the victims of this tragedy," the railroad company said. The driver of the van, Ryan C Peterson, 26, and the front seat passenger, Kristina Carver, 45, were among those killed, Flurry said. Two of Carver's daughters also died, 22-year-old Emley Chamblee and 20-year-old Sarabeth Chamblee, as did 23-year-old .
Rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah 'Balen,' took oath as Nepal's democratically elected prime minister on Friday, around six months after the K P Sharma Oli-led government was ousted in a Gen-Z protest that shook the nation. The 35-year-old Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) leader was sworn in at a ceremony at the President's Office in Sheetal Niwas at the auspicious time of 12.34 pm. Balen, also an engineer, is the youngest person to assume the office in the Himalayan nation, and also the first person from the Madhes region to hold the top executive post. He was appointed as the 47th prime minister by President Ram Chandra Paudel in accordance with Article 76 (1) of the constitution earlier in the day. He is the first democratically elected prime minister to be sworn in since the coalition government led by former prime minister Oli was ousted in September last year, after the youth-led Gen Z protest against corruption, nepotism, and a social media ban escalated into violence. A
India, China relations have embarked on a "correct path" of improvement, and their shared interests far outweigh differences, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Thursday. Under the strategic guidance of the leaders of both countries, China-India relations have embarked on a correct path of improvement and development, Wang, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC), said. Facing a complex and turbulent international situation, China is willing to work with India to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of both countries, uphold the principle of viewing each other as development opportunities rather than threats and treat each other as partners rather than competitors, he said during a farewell call on the outgoing Indian Ambassador Pradeep Rawat. India, China relations, which were frozen for over five years following the military standoff in Ladakh, improved after the meetings between Prime Minister Narendra Mo
Emmanuel Gregoire, a Socialist little known to the French public, was elected mayor of Paris in a runoff vote Sunday, succeeding fellow party member Anne Hidalgo. Soon after claiming victory, Gregoire, 48, took a city bike through the streets of Paris toward City Hall, echoing his promise to make the French capital greener. Gregoire beat out prominent conservative contender Rachida Dati, who acknowledged her defeat after partial results were made public. The race for Paris mayor was part of France's second round of municipal elections. Sunday's vote showed clear gains for the traditional left and right, and one major win for the far right in the French Riviera city of Nice. Long a discreet figure in French politics, Gregoire had for years worked by Hidalgo's side. Hidalgo was elected in 2014 and reelected in 2020 but chose not to seek a third six-year term after leading the city through the 2015 extremist attacks and the 2024 Paris Olympics. Here are five things to know about Par