G7 leaders agreed Thursday on a new $50 billion loan for Ukraine using profits from frozen Russian assets, a move Joe Biden said showed Moscow «we're not backing down». The US president and other G7 leaders agreed at a summit in Italy to use the profits from the interest on the assets to back the loan to provide help this year to Kyiv as it struggles in its third year of war with Russia. Summit host Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced the «political agreement» after the first day of the Puglia talks, saying it was a hard-fought but «fundamental» step. Meloni invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to join a special session on the Ukraine war alongside the leaders of Germany, France, Canada, Britain and Japan. At a joint press conference with the Ukrainian leader afterwards, Biden said the deal emphasised to Russian President Vladimir Putin the long-term commitment of Kyiv's allies. With it, the G7 leaders «collectively show Putin he cannot wait us out, he cannot divide us», he said. Addressing leaders earlier at the luxury Borgo Egnazia resort, Zelensky said the loan was a «vital step forward in providing sustainable support for Ukraine in winning this war». He said it would go towards «both defence and reconstruction». But he said Ukrainian forces still needed more air-defence systems to help counter attacks by Moscow, which has been pummelling Kyiv's front-line troops and the country's power grid. - Loan syndicate - The EU agreed earlier this year to help Kyiv by using the profits from the interest on Russian central bank assets frozen by Western allies -- the majority of them held in the bloc. But Washington has been pushing for more and faster help through a huge upfront loan. A senior Biden administration official said the United States was willing to provide up to $50 billion, but said its contribution could be «significantly less» as it would be a shared initiative. «We will not be the only lenders. This will be a loan syndicate. We're going to share the risk, because we have a shared commitment to get this done,» the official said on condition of anonymity. He would not say how much other G7 countries would contribute, nor did any other leaders on Thursday. - 'Historic step' - G7 countries, which count the EU as their unofficial eighth member, have been Ukraine's key military and financial backers since Russia invaded in February 2022. The G7 and the EU have frozen around 300 billion euros ($325 billion) of Russian assets, much of it frozen by Euroclear, an international deposit organisation based in Belgium. EU countries say they could generate 2.5 to 3.0 billion euros a year for Kyiv from the profits on the interest. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hailed the loan agreement as a «historic step» and a «clear signal to the Russian president that he cannot simply sit this matter out». «The basis has been created for Ukraine to be in a position to procure everything it needs... in the near future, in terms of weapons but also in terms of investment in reconstruction or in energy infrastructure,» he said. Zelensky has been engaged in a flurry of diplomacy aimed at shoring up international support, from a reconstruction conference in Berlin earlier this week to an upcoming peace conference in Switzerland at the weekend. In Puglia Thursday, he also signed what he called a «historic» 10-year security deal with Biden, and another with Japan. - Political flux - The summit comes at a time of extraordinary global turmoil. Apart from the conflict in Ukraine, the Hamas-Israel conflict in Gaza is raging and economic tensions are rising between China and Western countries. Many G7 countries are also in political flux, with summit attendees aware this could be Biden's last G7 summit if he loses to Donald Trump in November elections. Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is tipped to be ousted in July 4 elections, while France's Emmanuel Macron and Germany's Scholz are both under pressure after gains by the far right in EU Parliament elections last weekend. By contrast, Italy's Meloni is riding high after her far-right party came out on top in her country's EU Parliament vote. But she drew criticism from both France and the United States after reportedly seeking to remove a reference to safe access to abortion from the final G7 statement. The summit talks began Thursday with a short session on Africa, before turning to the Middle East, and on Friday the focus will turn to China -- and a visit by Pope Francis. G7 leaders on Thursday confirmed their support for a truce and hostage deal in the Hamas-Israel war. Biden said that so far, the «biggest hang-up» was Hamas, which was refusing to sign up. © Agence France-Presse

South Africa's newly-elected parliament meets Friday and is expected to re-elect President Cyril Ramaphosa to form an unprecedented coalition government after his ruling ANC cobbled together a coalition deal. The African National Congress leader had called for a government of national unity after his party lost its absolute majority in last month's general election, but two major leftist parties shunned the deal. Instead, according to ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula, the government would «gravitate to the centre» -- backed by the centre-right Democratic Alliance (DA), the Zulu nationalist Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and several smaller parties. «We have reached a breakthrough on the common agreement that we need to work together,» Mbalula told a news conference in Cape Town, confirming that the radical leftist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) had refused to join what he still called a unity government. Graft-tainted former president Jacob Zuma's new electoral vehicle, the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK), has disputed the May 29 election results and warned it would boycott Friday's sitting of the 400-member assembly. Mbalula said the ANC was talking to MK, but had not reached agreement. Ramaphosa is now expected to win the secret ballot of MPs to confirm his re-election. That would see him sworn in next week in Pretoria and then unveil his new cabinet, presumably including ministers from both the ANC and the former opposition parties in the coalition. - Post-apartheid democracy - «The ANC is going into this under the guise of a government of national unity, but really it isn't,» political analyst Dr. Hlengiwe Ndlovu of the Wits University School of Governance told AFP. «It's more like coalition talks.» For 30 years since the advent of post-apartheid democracy, the late Nelson Mandela's African National Congress has held an absolute majority and elected a president from its own ranks. But the former liberation movement -- weakened by corruption and recent governments' poor economic performance -- saw its support collapse at the May 29 election, leaving it with only 159 seats out of 400. «Besides the DA and IFP, Ramaphosa will be building up support from smaller parties... as insurance,» said author and political analyst Susan Booysen, amid reports that some ANC MPs may vote against their leader. «He needs that buffer,» she told AFP. But the left-wing Economic Freedom Fighters of former ANC youth leader Julius Malema, who wants to nationalise land and some privately-owned businesses, will not join the administration. At a news conference on Thursday, Malema said his members would vote for the ANC candidate for president if they were promised the speaker or deputy speaker position in parliament. But he denounced the idea of joining a unity government with white politician John Steenhuisen's liberal right DA, which has promised privatisations and market reform. «We have made it very clear to the president that we are not against the government of national unity,» Malema said, recounting a meeting he had held earlier with Ramaphosa. «We are against the inclusion of the DA and the Freedom Front Plus, because that represents imperialism, represents racism and white supremacy, represents backwardness.» The Freedom Front Plus is a right-wing party, seeking an autonomous Afrikaner homeland. - Millionaire businessman - A former trade unionist turned millionaire businessman, 71-year-old Ramaphosa first came to power in 2018 after Zuma was forced out under the cloud of corruption allegations. Once described by Mandela as one of the most gifted leaders of his generation, Ramaphosa played a key role in the negotiations that brought an end to apartheid in the early 1990s. Upon taking the reins of the country, he promised a new dawn for South Africa. But critics say he has disappointed. Under his watch unemployment has reached an almost record high, pushing the ANC towards its worst election result ever. The party's latest tilt towards the centre, with a coalition supported by centre-right and right-wing groups, might further hamper his popularity, particularly among ANC ranks. The broad-church party is a progressive outfit of the left that has overseen welfare and economic empowerment programmes for poor, black South Africans. © Agence France-Presse

The Hill summit marked a pivot point in the GOP campaign to recapture the White House, win the Senate majority and expand control of the House.

The ex-president’s off-campus visits Thursday with congressional Republicans mark his first foray to Capitol Hill since he was in office and since his supporters attacked Congress.

The US and Ukraine have signed a defense and security agreement aimed at helping Kiev “win the war” with Russia Read Full Article at RT.com

US President Joe Biden has said that he will not pardon his son Hunter or commute his sentence Read Full Article at RT.com

While England ­manager Gareth Southgate has been lavish in his praise of wife ­Alison, she's not the only ­influential lady in his life.

The England striker famously scored three as Sir Alf Ramsey's side beat West Germany 4-2 at Wembley to win the national men's team's only major trophy 58 years ago

DANIEL MATTHEWS AT PINEHURST: McIlroy and Cantlay are on five-under-par. No one has ever shot a lower than their 65 in the US Open here. And the Northern Irishman did it without a single bogey.

Sir Mark Rowley , who leads the Metropolitan Police , said it was 'startling' that people could stir hatred if they 'avoid being threatening or abusive'.

Surreal video footage shows the moment a woman suddenly approached a girl in broad daylight and smacked her in the face in Brazil.

A Saskatchewan oilfield company fined for illegally importing taxidermized wildlife produced an online reality show that showed employees posing with the forbidden fauna.

Video evidence presented during a hearing for the man who recently pleaded guilty in the 2023 attacks in a University of Waterloo, Ont., gender-studies class shows the former student telling police he was a stabbing victim, then saying «it was me» and asking to be handcuffed.

Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council cited the example of modern France, which keeps the currencies of Francophone Africa dependent on Paris

The US and Ukraine have signed a defense and security agreement aimed at helping Kiev “win the war” with Russia Read Full Article at RT.com

Maria Zakharova compared two statements made by the US Embassies in Armenia and Georgia about the continuing protests in those countries

An Indian Air Force (IAF) special aircraft, carrying the mortal remains of 45 Indian victims who lost their lives in the tragic fire incident in Kuwait, has departed for Kochi.​​Accompanying the remains is Minister of State Kirti Vardhan Singh, who worked closely with Kuwaiti authorities to ensure the swift repatriation process. «MoS Kirti Vardhan Singh, who coordinated with Kuwaiti authorities to ensure swift repatriation, is onboard the aircraft,» confirmed India in Kuwait.

RIYADH: King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language on Thursday signed an agreement with Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies in Tashkent. The agreement aims to enhance cooperation in promoting the Arabic language, teaching it, preserving its integrity and supporting its use in alignment with the objectives of the human capability development program, one of the initiatives of Saudi Vision 2030.

RIYADH: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi arrived in the Saudi city of Madinah on Thursday and prayed at the Prophet’s Mosque, the Saudi Press Agency reported. El-Sisi was received by Prince Salman bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, the governor of the Madinah region, and a number of local officials on his arrival at Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport. The annual pilgrimage starts on Friday and El-Sisi will be taking part this year. 

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman sent a message of condolence and sympathy to Malawi’s President Lazarus Chakwera following the deaths of Vice President Saulos Klaus Chilima and nine others in a plane crash. The king wrote: “We received news of the death of the vice president of the Republic of Malawi, Mr. Saulos Klaus Chilima, and his companions, and we express to your excellency and your friendly people our deepest condolences and sincere sympathy.” Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sent a similar message to the president, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

MAKKAH: Authorities have reminded pilgrims that the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority’s Tawakkalna app provides access to several digital services that can help them during Hajj.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s climate envoy Adel Al-Jubeir said the Kingdom is one of the largest investors in clean energy and has huge projects aimed at reducing the effects of climate change and initiatives to enhance global climate action. Al-Jubeir, who is also the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Cabinet member, added that these projects include a waste recycling program, Middle East Green Initiative, and one of the largest hydrogen schemes in the world, which is being established in NEOM. 

The Government has signed a US$20 million loan agreement with the World Bank for a project that will see the establishment of a national unemployment insurance scheme. 

«We are committed to promoting talks for peace,» said Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the United States

Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council warned that the ‘mountains of gold,’ including membership in the European Union, were offered to Yerevan in exchange Armenia’s complete loyalty

Jeudi 13 juin, en plein relais de la flamme olympique, internet a été partiellement coupé sur l'île de Tahiti. Dans un communiqué, Onati indique que ses équipes sont «mobilisées pour identifier et résoudre ce problème dans les plus brefs délais.» Conséquence ou pas de ces perturbations : les paiements par carte bancaire ne fonctionnent plus.

Pour la première fois de son histoire, le relais de la flamme olympique passera en Polynésie française. Polynésie la 1ère vous invite ce jeudi 13 juin à assister à ce moment historique dès 6h15, en direct à la radio, à la télévision, sur le web et sur ses réseaux sociaux. Nous serons au plus près des relayeurs de la flamme qui traverseront les 11 communes de Tahiti. Tout au long de la journée, suivez notre minute par minute, en temps réel dans cet article.

Live updates from the 2024 campaign trail, with the latest news on presidential candidates, polls, primaries and more.

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) was at fault for a Sunday morning auto accident in western Maryland, where he was speeding before rear-ending another driver, a 62-year old woman, who was taken to the hospital, according to a Maryland State Police report.

Western currency trade restrictions are pushing Russia closer to China Read Full Article at RT.com

La direction générale de l'Office Gabonaise de la Propriété Industrielle (OGAPI) a organisé un séminaire ce jeudi 13 juin 2024 à Libreville. Ledit séminaire a porté sur «les lois type relatives aux ressources génétiques, savoir traditionnel et patrimoine culturel». En lieu et place du ministre de l'Industrie, c'est le Secrétaire général dudit ministère, Alain Simplice Boungoueres, qui a officiellement lancé l'ouverture du séminaire sous le regard attentif de Marlène Olivia Mbazoghe, (...) - SOCIETE / SUJET_ECRIT_MAISON

The EU will have to establish relations with Moscow when the Ukraine conflict is resolved, outgoing Dutch PM Mark Rutte has said Read Full Article at RT.com

Controversial Russian lawmaker Vitaly Milonov has proposed shutting down sex-shops and using their products as bombs against Kiev’s troops Read Full Article at RT.com

The Southern Command has insisted that the deployment of the USS Helena to Guantanamo Bay is unrelated to Russian naval drills Read Full Article at RT.com