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UK king to address Commonwealth with 'unflinching honesty' amid slavery focus
King Charles III will confront "shameful aspects" of UK history with "unflinching honesty" when he addresses Commonwealth leaders this week, Buckingham Palace said Saturday, amid renewed scrutiny of Britain's role in historical transatlantic slavery. The comments come after Prime Minister Andy Burnham revealed he was open to the UK formally apologizing for its role in the trade, but ruling out paying the financial reparations demanded by some Caribbean countries. The issues have resurfaced as Ch
Nov. 1, 2026 -
Spanish village holds memorial mass
URDA, Spain (AFP) -- Residents and local officials gathered Saturday in a Spanish village near the site of a high-speed train collision that killed at least 69 people for a memorial Mass honoring the victims. The pews inside the San Juan Bautista church in Urda, in the central province of Toledo, were packed, while dozens more people gathered outside to listen to the service. Some wiped away tears. Investigators are looking into the cause of one of Europe's deadliest rail disasters this century,
Nov. 1, 2026 -
Iran warns US, Israel against new attacks
Iran's supreme leader on Saturday warned the United States and Israel fresh attacks following their threats to resume their strikes after crucial elections, as fears increased over a return to fighting. US President Donald Trump has suggested he could launch fresh military action after the US holds its midterm elections early this week. But US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday, "If there is a diplomatic solution, we would be open to it." In Israel, which is coming off a general electi
Nov. 1, 2026 -
US midterm campaign enters final weekend
US President Donald Trump's administration pressed a criminal investigation into Alaska’s pivotal US Senate race and said on Saturday it would likely take its fight over thousands of California mail-in ballots to the Supreme Court, as the midterm campaign for control of Congress entered its final weekend. In Alaska, federal prosecutors are investigating whether aides to Democratic challenger Mary Peltola helped to recruit a retired schoolteacher, Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., to run because his name
Nov. 1, 2026 -
Rubio says he spoke to Lavrov about potential Trump-Putin interaction at APEC
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday that he spoke to Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of G20 talks and discussed a possible interaction between both countries' leaders next month. "We spoke just briefly about the opportunity for our leaders to potentially interact at APEC next month," Rubio said, referring to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation group's summit in the Chinese city of Shenzhen in mid-November. But Rubio stressed at a press conference that he did not
Nov. 1, 2026 -
A third weekend of protests in France as youth-led rallies sweep Europe
Hundreds of thousands of protesters inspired by frustrated high school students took to the streets across France on Saturday in a third consecutive weekend of demonstrations over living costs and education. Youth-led protests were also held elsewhere in Europe, including in Germany and Portugal. France's protests were overwhelmingly peaceful, with whimsical Halloween costumes lightening the mood, but gatherings in Paris and other cities ended in clouds of tear gas and scattered fires set by sma
Nov. 1, 2026 -
Next Ukraine talks depends on Middle East: Kremlin aide
The timing of the next round of three-way talks on a settlement of the Ukraine conflict is linked to the conflict in the Middle East, Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov was quoted as saying Wednesday, casting doubt on whether the talks will take place next month as initially proposed. Ushakov, quoted by Russian news agencies, said Moscow had not yet proposed a specific date for the talks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday he hoped that a meeting would take place in
Oct. 29, 2026 -
US warns allies to prepare for possible Iran strikes
US officials have told several Middle East countries and regional allies to be prepared for potential renewed military action against Iran after next week’s midterm elections in the US — as well as the possibility that Iran will attempt to retaliate against them, according to two diplomats briefed on the matter. Both of the diplomats spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment about the sensitive warnings conveyed by US diplomats and defense officials. US Pres
Oct. 29, 2026 -
Netanyahu and rival face postelection choices
Israelis braced for perhaps weeks of political uncertainty Wednesday after an election that has challenged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ’s grip on power and raised the almost unthinkable possibility of some Jewish and Arab parties teaming up in an effort to unseat him. Final election results could come this week, though no clear winner is expected to emerge. Arab-led parties made a historic showing, but it’s not clear if the other opponents of Netanyahu's far-right government would form a c
Oct. 29, 2026 -
Spain reckons with deadly train crash ahead of election
Spain's second high-speed rail disaster this year, a crash in which one train struck another from behind, killing 68 people, has raised fresh concerns about the safety of the country's rail network. Spain’s network of high-speed rail has been considered one of the nation’s crowning achievements. It ranks second to China in track mileage in the world. Until this year, it had not endured a deadly crash since coming into service over three decades ago. The collision Wednesday that turned a sleepy s
Oct. 29, 2026 -
Trump in Ohio and Obama in Georgia make closing stretch appeals to midterm voters in pivotal states
Georgia Democrats rallied with former US President Barack Obama Wednesday night, at the same time US President Donald Trump was in Ohio attempting to energize his base, as both parties began crystallizing their closing messages ahead of next week's midterm elections. Trump has been on a weekslong sprint around the country, doing 20-plus rallies this month alone while packing upcoming days with more travel. But as Americans confront record fuel prices, rising costs and an unpopular war in Iran, t
Oct. 29, 2026 -
US and Japan, long alarmed by China's aggression, agree to establish missile-production facility
The United States and Japan have agreed to establish a Japanese facility for the joint production of advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles, the Japanese defense chief said late Wednesday. It is the latest move by the allies, which have repeatedly expressed alarm over China’s growing aggression in Asia. Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi made the announcement in a news conference Wednesday night in the central province of Cebu, where he met US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on the sid
Oct. 29, 2026 -
No Israel winner, but Netanyahu not defeated
Israeli voters delivered a rebuke to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right and religious governing coalition, but exit polls Wednesday suggested the election had no clear winner and indicated that the long-serving Israeli leader was far from defeated after three years of war ignited on his watch. The exit polls suggested voters gave opponents of the current government a solid majority in the next parliament. But it's not clear if those disparate parties — which include Arab-led factions
Oct. 28, 2026 -
Rubio joins Trump on campaign trail days before US midterms
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio made a rare appearance Tuesday alongside President Donald Trump on the midterms campaign trail, visiting an oil tanker filled with Venezuelan crude just days before the crucial vote. Rubio and US Vice President JD Vance are widely viewed as top contenders to carry the Republican Party into its post-Trump era in the 2028 election. But while Vance has been crisscrossing the country in recent weeks to rally support ahead of the Nov. 3 polls, it is very unusual for
Oct. 28, 2026 -
Rights monitors raise concerns over senior UAE diplomat bid for next UN boss
Human rights monitors criticized senior UAE diplomat Lana Nusseibeh's candidacy to be the next UN chief on Tuesday, citing her role in championing the country's foreign policy and denying the UAE's role in fueling the conflict in Sudan. Pushback against the prominent Middle Eastern candidate has gathered steam since her late entry last week. Her bid upended the gridlocked race to replace UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, as he finishes his second five-year term this year. Despite months of
Oct. 28, 2026