EU Aims to Boost Ukraine’s Economy With Single Market Access

Associated Press
Israeli forces take control of the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing with Egypt
An Israeli tank brigade seized control Tuesday of the Gaza Strip side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, authorities said, moving forward with an offensive in the southern city even as cease-fire negotiations with Hamas remain on a knife’s edge. The Israeli 401st Brigade entered the Rafah crossing early Tuesday morning, the Israeli military said, taking “operational control” of the crucial crossing for both aid and those able to flee into Egypt. Footage released by the Israeli military showed a tank entering the crossing.
AFP
HRW: Israel attack on Lebanon rescuers was 'unlawful'
Human Rights Watch said Tuesday an Israeli strike in Lebanon that killed seven first responders was "an unlawful attack on civilians", and urged Washington to suspend weapons sales to Israel.The rights group urged the United States to "immediately suspend arms sales and military assistance to Israel given evidence that the Israeli military is using US weapons unlawfully". lg/aya/srm/jd/kir
AFP
PM Modi votes as India's marathon election heats up
Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi cast his ballot Tuesday in India's ongoing general election after giving several inflammatory campaign speeches accused of targeting minority Muslims.Modi's brand of Hindu-nationalist politics has made India's 220-million-plus Muslim population increasingly anxious about their future in the country.
AFP
London's gentlemen-only club votes on admitting women
One of London's oldest gentlemen's clubs on Tuesday votes on whether to start accepting women amid a row that has bitterly divided members.BBC world affairs editor John Simpson last week tweeted: "Various Garrick Club members including Sting, Mark Knopfler and leading actors and producers have reportedly written to the club chairman saying they'll resign if the membership doesn't vote to accept women next Tuesday."
AFP
Boeing Starliner crewed mission postponed shortly before launch
The first crewed flight of Boeing's Starliner spaceship was dramatically called off just two hours before launch after a new safety issue was identified, officials said Monday, pushing back a high-stakes test mission to the International Space Station.But other problems that came to light -- including weak parachutes and flammable tape in the cabin that needed to be removed -- caused further delays to the crewed test flight, necessary for the capsule to be certified for NASA use on regular ISS m
CNN
Building collapse in South Africa leaves three dead, dozens trapped
Rescue efforts were underway after three people were killed and dozens remained trapped after a multi-storey building under construction collapsed in the South African city of George, authorities said.
AFP
UBS net profit up 71% after two quarters in the red
Swiss banking giant UBS on Tuesday said first quarter net profit rose 71 percent to nearly $1.8 billion after two quarters in the red due to the takeover of Credit Suisse.In March 2023, Swiss authorities strongarmed UBS into the $3.25-billion takeover to prevent Credit Suisse from going under with catastrophic consequences for the global financial system.
Reuters
Italian shoemaker Tod's to court US lovers of quiet luxury
An investment firm backed by LVMH is betting demand from wealthy Americans for quiet luxury will ensure its 510 million euro ($545 million) stake in Italian shoemaker Tod's yields the double-digit returns private equity typically seeks. L Catterton, created by U.S. fund Catterton and LVMH-owner Groupe Arnault, on Friday secured sufficient shares to take Tod's private once the deal, valuing the company at just over 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion), formally concludes in the coming days. Listed in Milan but controlled by its founding Della Valle family, Tod's profitability has lagged rivals.
AFP
Amazon says will invest $9 billion in Singapore
Amazon said Tuesday it would invest US$9 billion in Singapore over the next four years to expand its cloud computing capabilities in the city.Microsoft pledged US$2.2 billion in artificial intelligence and cloud computing investment in Malaysia on Thursday.
Associated Press
India votes in third phase of national elections as PM Modi escalates his rhetoric against Muslims
Millions of Indian voters across 93 constituencies were casting ballots on Tuesday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has mounted an increasingly shrill election campaign, ramping up polarizing rhetoric in incendiary speeches that have targeted the Muslim minority. In recent campaign rallies, Modi has called Muslims “infiltrators” and said they “have too many children,” referring to a Hindu nationalist trope that Muslims produce more children with the aim of outnumbering Hindus in India.
Associated Press
Tornado causes extensive damage to small Oklahoma town as powerful storms hit central US
A tornado destroyed homes and toppled trees and power lines when it roared through a small Oklahoma town, one of several twisters that erupted in the central United States amid a series of powerful storms that forecasters warned could stretch into the early hours of Tuesday. Osage County Sheriff Eddie Virden told KOTV that there were no confirmed fatalities as of 11 p.m. local time. The National Weather Service in Tulsa had warned earlier in the evening that “a large and life-threatening tornado” was headed toward Barnsdall, with wind gusts up to 70 mph (112 kph).
AFP
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators protest outside the Met Gala
Protesters in New York converged near the Met Gala on Monday in a rally against the ongoing war in Gaza, leading to several arrests, police said.Among the rallying points were the gates of Columbia University, which has been the center of spreading demonstrations, before protesters marched through Manhattan to American fashion's biggest night -- or at least as close as police would let them.
Associated Press
North Macedonia holds presidential and parliamentary elections Wednesday
Voters in Northern Macedonia go to the polls Wednesday for a double election — parliamentary and presidential — following a campaign in which the country's aspirations to join the European Union have played a central role. The office of prime minister wields the real power, and the president is largely ceremonial, so the parliamentary election is the more important of the two contests. The election for the unicameral parliament takes place in a single round, while the presidential election is the runoff of a two-round contest that began in April with the center-right candidate scoring a large lead over the center-left incumbent.
CNN
‘I am leaving for the unknown.’ Palestinians fleeing Rafah describe their fear and despair
Palestinian civilians told to evacuate eastern Rafah by the Israeli military have described their fear and despair at being uprooted from their homes and shelters, as Israel airstrikes hit Gaza’s southernmost city.
Associated Press
China's Xi begins Serbia visit on the 25th anniversary of NATO's bombing of the Chinese Embassy
U.S. jets dropped five bombs on the Chinese Embassy compound in the Serbian capital on May 7, 1999, setting it ablaze and killing three Chinese nationals. Twenty other people were injured in the incident, which has burdened relations between the two powers ever since.
Reuters
Apple working on AI chips for data centers, WSJ reports
Apple, which has been falling behind its competitors on AI, has been evading questions about its plans for the technology. "We continue to feel very bullish about our opportunity in generative AI and we're making significant investments," CEO Tim Cook told Reuters in an interview. The project, internally codenamed as Project ACDC (Apple Chips in Data Center), aims to leverage Apple's chip design expertise for its server infrastructure, the report said.
CNN
Officials describe telltale ‘buzz’ that led to last-minute scrub of Boeing Starliner’s crewed launch
Boeing scrubbed its Monday launch attempt of its new Starliner spacecraft, crewed by veteran NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore.
CNN
Former Georgia Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan says he is voting for Biden in November
Former Georgia Republican Lt. Gov. and CNN contributor Geoff Duncan on Monday said he will vote for President Joe Biden in November, arguing former President Donald Trump “has disqualified himself through his conduct and his character.”
Associated Press
Putin is starting his 5th term as president, more in control of Russia than ever
Vladimir Putin begins his fifth term as Russian president in an opulent Kremlin inauguration Tuesday, after destroying his political opponents, launching a devastating war in Ukraine and consolidating all power in his hands. Already in office for nearly a quarter-century and the longest-serving Kremlin leader since Josef Stalin, Putin’s new term doesn’t expire until 2030, when he is constitutionally eligible to run for another six years. Following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine that has become Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II, Russia has been heavily sanctioned by the West and is turning other regimes like China, Iran and North Korea for support.
Associated Press
Ukraine-born House member who opposed aiding her native country defends her seat in Indiana primary
A Ukrainian-born congresswoman who recently opposed sending aid to her war-torn country is defending her seat Tuesday against a fellow Republican who has outpaced her in spending and fundraising. U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz is the first and only Ukrainian-born House member and previously backed support for the country. More broadly, the race is a barometer of whether support for Ukraine is a powerful issue among GOP voters.

Latest Stories