Middle East crisis overshadows EU summit devoted to the economy (www.euronews.com)
European Union leaders are gathering in Brussels for a special two-day summit focused on the bloc’s economic competitiveness....
Iran’s imprisonment of EU diplomat reveals new era of hostage diplomacy (www.politico.eu)
Johan Floderus, an EU diplomat, has spent two years in an Iranian prison....
EU pledges €3.5 billion to protect world's oceans (www.dw.com)
The European Union has bledged billion of dollars to embrace the idea of a “blue economy” to protect the world’s oceans from damage caused by human activity....
Protesters demand Georgia government withdraw proposed 'Russian law' (www.bbc.com)
Canada hands ‘long-overdue’ title over more than 200 islands to Haida Nation (www.theguardian.com)
Devastating floods ravage Kazakhstan and Russia (www.dw.com)
Tens of thousands of people were displaced following devastating floods after major rivers burst their banks in northern Kazakhstan and Russia....
Sorry, but Iran is not the aggressor here (www.aljazeera.com)
On Saturday, April 13, Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel in retaliation for a deadly Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria, that took place on April 1. ****...
Brussels venue withdraws from Orbán conference (www.politico.eu)
Concert Noble will no longer host NatCon conference next week....
Five people killed in stabbing attack at Sydney's Westfield Bondi Junction, alleged offender shot dead (www.abc.net.au)
Taliban to return private land to Hindu, Sikh minorities in Afghanistan (www.livemint.com)
Vietnam tycoon given death for $12.5bn fraud (www.bangkokpost.com)
‘It is simply best not to get pregnant’: women left terrified as Haiti’s maternity services collapse (www.theguardian.com)
Delivering a baby was already risky, but an unprecedented surge in gang violence has forced clinics and hospitals to close...
EU gears up to sue Germany if it doesn’t change divisive gas tax (www.politico.eu)
Germany’s neighbors say the measure is harming EU unity and hindering their efforts to ditch Russian energy....
The US Postal Service wants to hike stamp prices again in July. Here’s how much you’ll pay (edition.cnn.com)
The US Postal Service filed a notice with its regulators to increase prices on First-Class “Forever” stamps to 73 cents from 68 cents, marking yet another price hike for the financially beleaguered federal agency.
Iran says Israeli presence in the UAE is a threat. (www.middleeastmonitor.com)
US delivers confiscated weapons to Ukraine (kyivindependent.com)
Russia’s migrants and ethnic minorities shiver at new Putin terror crackdown (www.politico.eu)
After deadly Moscow terror attack, authorities have targeted vulnerable scapegoats....
Protests begin in Georgia against ‘Russian law’ (www.politico.eu)
The demonstrations come amid a growing row between Georgia and the EU over its proposed “foreign agent” bill....
Intensive pig farming hogs scarce water in drought-hit Catalonia (www.politico.eu)
Europe’s top pork-producing region is ground zero for intensive systems that devour scarce water and cause nitrate pollution....
UN nuclear watchdog head condemns drone strike on Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (www.theguardian.com)
The head of the UN’s atomic watchdog agency has condemned a drone strike on one of six nuclear reactors at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP) in Ukraine, saying such attacks “significantly increase the risk of a major nuclear accident”....
Russia increases gasoline imports from Belarus as domestic supplies shrink (www.reuters.com)
Russia has increased gasoline imports from neighbouring Belarus in March to tackle the risk of shortages in its domestic market because of unscheduled repairs at Russian refineries after drone attacks, four industry and trade sources said on Wednesday....
Giorgio Armani bags were produced by exploited Chinese workers near Milan, Italian police say (abcnews.go.com)
Italian police say that underpaid and exploited Chinese laborers working for an unauthorized subcontractor made handbags and accessories for the Giorgio Armani fashion house...
Biden administration set to greenlight $18 billion sale of F-15 fighter jets to Israel | CNN Politics (edition.cnn.com)
Xi Jinping’s misguided plan to escape economic stagnation (www.economist.com)
Archive link
UN rights council demands halt to arms sales to Israel (www.france24.com)
The UN Human Rights Council on Friday demanded a halt in all arms sales to Israel, highlighting warnings of “genocide” in its war in Gaza, which has killed more than 33,000 people....