List of All Articles with Tag 'world'

A lightening-fast policy reset from Nigeria’s newly elected president has placed Africa’s biggest economy back on the radar

By David Lawder MANDEVILLE, Jamaica World Bank President Ajay Banga wants to focus on improving the development lender

The Bank of England has warned firms offloading pensions in a multibillion-pound market that they need to improve

One month after Thailand’s pro-democracy parties won the election that ended nearly a decade of military-backed rule, hurdles

Donald Trump repeatedly rejected his attorneys’ efforts to settle the classified documents case ahead of a looming indictment, according to a bombshell new report. Insiders told The Washington Post that the former president’s attorney Christopher Kise advised him multiple times to return all classified documents to the correct authorities and then tried to persuade him to try to reach a deal with Attorney General Merrick Garland in the fall of 2022. However, Mr Trump reportedly dismissed the advice. As a result, on Tuesday, the former president was arrested and arraigned on 37 charges over his handling of classified national security documents after leaving the White House. He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in a Miami federal courthouse and continues to claim he is the victim of political persecution. On Wednesday, Mr Trump then marked his 77th birthday as the first current or former president arrested on federal criminal charges in American history. He spent his birthday at his Bedminster golf club, while wife Melania and youngest son Barron were spotted in New York City. Melania has so far remained silent on her husband’s latest criminal case. Read More Merrick Garland defends Trump indictment and denies any Biden administration involvement 'Stand with Trump' becomes rallying cry as Republicans amplify attacks on US justice system Former Trump chief of staff says ex-president is ‘scared s***less’

Hundreds of refugees and migrants are feared missing after a fishing vessel carrying them from Libya capsized and sank off the southern coast of Greece. At least 79 were earlier confirmed dead in the accident that occurred early Wednesday, while officials now fear scores more may have drowned as rescue operations continued on Thursday. The exact number of people on the boat has become the subject of speculation, with some Greek officials claiming it carried as many as 600 people. This is the deadliest turn of events off the country’s coast since the height of the 2015 migration crisis. “It’s one of the biggest operations ever in the Mediterranean,” Greek coastguard spokesman Nikos Alexiou told state broadcaster ERT TV. “We won’t stop looking,” he said. Rescuers have so far saved 104 passengers, including Egyptians, Syrians, Pakistanis, Afghans and Palestinians. Mr Alexiou told local media on Thursday that all survivors are men. One of the dead, however, is a woman, said local reports. “No other survivor has been found [besides the 104 rescued yesterday] and the bodies [recovered] also remain 79,” he added. Caretaker Greek prime minister Ioannis Sarmas declared three days of national mourning on Wednesday night and said their thoughts were with “all the victims of the ruthless smugglers who exploit human unhappiness”. “There has been a dramatic rise in the death count, which is climbing by the hour,” one Greek official said on Wednesday. “Speculation is rife that as many as 600 people were onboard but that has not been confirmed. The ship is under the water. It has sunk.” Ioannis Zafiropoulos, deputy mayor of the port city of Kalamata, where survivors were taken, said there were “more than 500 people” on board. ERT TV reported that Charity Alarm Phone, which operates a trans-European network supporting rescue operations, said it received alerts from people on board a ship in distress off Greece late on Tuesday, saying 750 people were on board. However, it said that the spokesman for Greece’s caretaker government, Ilias Siakantaris, said reports that the vessel was carrying 700-750 people could not be confirmed. “We do not know what was in the hold... but we know that several smugglers lock people up to maintain control,” he said. On Thursday morning, Greek coastguard spokesman Mr Alexiou said it appeared the vessel capsized after people abruptly moved to one side – shifting the centre of gravity of the 25-30-metre vessel. “The outer deck was full of people, and we presume the interior [of the vessel] would also have been full. It looks as if there was a shift among the people who were crammed on board, and it capsized.” Eight people had been transferred to the central Port Authority of Kalamata for preliminary investigation by late Wednesday, said reports. In Kalamata on Thursday, there were tents set up for the rescued people and provisions for soup kitchens as well. The ship capsized in international waters, about 47 nautical miles (87km) southwest of Pylos off the Peloponnese coast, as it made its way to Italy. The Greek coastguard learned about the boat’s engine failure shortly before 2am, the shipping ministry said. Coastguard vessels, a navy frigate, military transport planes, an air force helicopter and an array of private craft were searching for survivors on Thursday. Reports said search and rescue efforts were hampered by strong winds. “The engine stopped and it sank in minutes,” one of the survivors was quoted as saying. Greek president Katerina Sakellaropoulou visited the area where rescued migrants were being tended to and political parties called off planned campaign events ahead of national elections later this month. The Italy-bound boat is believed to have sailed from eastern Libya’s Tobruk area. It was spotted heading north at high speed, according to the Greek coastguard. Coastguard officers tried to approach the vessel after receiving a request for help, it said at around 2am, then “saw the boat take a right turn, then a sharp left, and then another right so big that it caused the vessel to capsize”. Repeated calls to the vessel offering help were declined, the coastguard said in a statement. “In the afternoon a merchant vessel approached the ship and provided it with food and supplies, while the [passengers] refused any further assistance,” it said. A second merchant ship that approached it later offered further supplies and assistance which were turned down. About 72,000 refugees and migrants have arrived so far this year in Europe’s frontline countries Italy, Spain, Greece, Malta and Cyprus, according to UN data, with the majority landing in Italy. Meanwhile, it was reported that the rescued people who were taken to the hospital in Kalamata were battling hypothermia, fainting incidents and dehydration. “We are witnessing one of the biggest tragedies in the Mediterranean, and the numbers announced by the authorities are devastating,” Gianluca Rocco, head of the Greek section of UN migration agency International Organisation for Migration (IOM), said on Wednesday. “This situation reinforces the urgency for concrete, comprehensive action from states to save lives at sea and reduce perilous journeys by expanding safe and regular pathways to migration.” The IOM has recorded more than 21,000 deaths and disappearances in the central Mediterranean since 2014. Additional reporting by agencies Read More Charities say new Italian rules will limit rescues at sea A look at migration trends behind the latest shipwreck off Greece Greece says it's investigating claim migrants were illegally deported back to Turkey After long waits, new pilgrims prepare for Hajj's return, the first major one since COVID-19 Huge search seeks survivors of migrant boat sinking off Greece; hundreds feared missing After long waits, new pilgrims prepare for return of Hajj, the first major one since COVID-19

European natural gas prices jumped for a third consecutive day as prolonged outages and hot weather across the

Taiwan’s central bank kept its key rate on hold for the first time since 2021 at its board

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu suspended the head of the nation’s anti-corruption agency, the latest in a series of

Federal Reserve officials paused their series of interest-rate hikes but projected borrowing costs will go higher than previously

China’s youth jobless rate edged up to a fresh record in May as the economy’s recovery slowed, adding

Chinese real estate investment slumped further in May, showing both extended weakness in a key engine for economic