World

Massive Blackout Hits Spain, Portugal, France
Massive Blackout Hits Spain, Portugal, France

Power went out across all of Spain and Portugal on Monday, cutting cellphone and internet networks, halting trains and trapping people in elevators, officials said. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said after an emergency government meeting on the situation, "we have no conclusive information about the reasons for this outage". He ...

America, Iran, and the Appearance That Deceives
Op-edAmerica, Iran, and the Appearance That Deceives

Judging from the statements out of Tehran and Washington, the American-Iranian nuclear talks are going swimmingly. This studied appearance is only natural. Iran's leaders are highly motivated to draw the U.S. into protracted negotiations, during which they can appear perfectly reasonable while avoiding further consequences for their inglorious ...

Russia Says Claims Over Annexed Ukraine Regions Key to Peace
Russia Says Claims Over Annexed Ukraine Regions Key to Peace

Russia said on Monday it was ready to negotiate directly with Ukraine, but that recognition of its claims over five Ukrainian regions including Crimea were "imperative" to resolving the conflict. Since launching its Ukraine offensive in February 2022, Russia has seized large parts of four Ukrainian regions and claimed them as its own, in addition ...

Conclave to Elect New Pope Starts May 7
Conclave to Elect New Pope Starts May 7

Catholic cardinals will meet on May 7 to start voting for a new pope, the Vatican announced on Monday, a week after the death of Pope Francis. So-called "Princes of the Church" under the age of 80 will meet in the Sistine Chapel to choose a new religious leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics. The date was decided at meeting ...

Ukraine: Putin Orders Surprise Three-Day Ceasefire in May
Ukraine: Putin Orders Surprise Three-Day Ceasefire in May

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a surprise three-day ceasefire in Ukraine from May 8-10, coinciding with Moscow's World War II Victory Day commemorations, the Kremlin said Monday. The announcement came after US President Donald Trump urged Putin to "stop shooting" and "sign a deal" to end the three-year conflict, which the White ...

Syria Group Says Military Chief Arrested in UAE
Syria Group Says Military Chief Arrested in UAE

Two sources from Jaish al-Islam, a military faction now part of Syria's transitional authorities, told AFP on Monday that its leader had been arrested at Dubai airport several days ago. Since 2015, Issam Buwaydani has been head of Jaish al-Islam, a group that fought against now ousted ruler Bashar al-Assad and once controlled the Eastern Ghouta ...

Fires Rage 2 Days After Iran Port Blast Killed 46
Fires Rage 2 Days After Iran Port Blast Killed 46

Firefighters in Iran battled raging fires on Monday at the country's largest commercial port, two days after a massive explosion killed at least 46 people, state TV reported. The blast took place on Saturday at Shahid Rajaee Port in Iran's south near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a waterway through which one-fifth of global oil output ...

Hilarius or Simplicius, the Papal Name Dilemma
ReportHilarius or Simplicius, the Papal Name Dilemma

From Pius to Clement, Hilarius to Simplicius, papal names through the centuries are inextricably linked to the brilliant or wretched legacies of the men who have ruled the Vatican. Cardinals who will elect a new pontiff following the death of Pope Francis will already be mulling over the name they would choose if they were picked. Very little ...

Electing a New Pope: Glossary of Key Terms
Electing a New Pope: Glossary of Key Terms

Cardinals will take part in a conclave in the Vatican's Sistine Chapel to elect a new pope. Here is a brief glossary of the event's key terms: - Camerlengo: Between the death or resignation of a pope and the election of his successor, the cardinal camerlengo takes over the day to day running of the Vatican. Dublin-born Kevin Farrell, appointed by ...

Cardinals Set to Pick Conclave Date to Elect New Pope
Cardinals Set to Pick Conclave Date to Elect New Pope

Red-hatted cardinals were expected to pick a date Monday for the conclave to elect a new leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, following the death of Pope Francis. Dozens of so-called "Princes of the Church" from across the world have been gathering at the Vatican since the 88-year-old Argentine pontiff died on April 21. But so far there ...

Yemen’s Houthi Rebel Media Says 68 Killed in US Strikes on Migrant Centre
Yemen’s Houthi Rebel Media Says 68 Killed in US Strikes on Migrant Centre

Houthi rebel-controlled media in Yemen said Monday that US strikes targeted a migrant detention centre in the movement's stronghold of Saada, killing at least 68 people. The US military has hammered the Iran-backed Huthis with near-daily strikes since March 15 in an operation dubbed "Rough Rider," seeking to end the threat they pose ...

Canada’s Election: How Things Work
ExplainerCanada’s Election: How Things Work

Canada holds an election on Monday after a campaign dominated by US President Donald Trump's trade war. Prime Minister Mark Carney, the Liberal Party leader, is slightly favored in the polls, but the Conservative Party, headed by Pierre Poilievre, has closed the gap in recent days. Here are some key facts about the vote. The date  Canada had ...