Expectant parents whose lives have been upended by DOGE cuts say the way they’ve been treated flies in the face of Trump’s calls to raise the birth rate.

«The legislative framework in this area is being improved,» Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu stressed

The US president stressed that it would be «a big honor» for him to broker an agreement between Moscow and Kiev

According to the agency, primary disagreements between the US’ suggestions on the one hand and Europe and Ukraine’s proposals on the other, «are over the sequencing for resolving questions over territory, the lifting of sanctions on Russia, security guarantees and the size of Ukraine's military»

Sergey Shoigu also emphasized that Western intelligence agencies «carry out acts of information and psychological warfare aimed at destroying the fundamental moral and cultural norms, traditional religious standards, and the institutions of marriage and the family»

The service claims that the vessel was allegedly loaded with wheat in the port of Sevastopol in late 2024

TEHRAN – Daliv Shahrukh Khozhakbarovich, Uzbekistan’s First Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, has called for enhancing cooperation between Sharif University of Technology and the top universities of Uzbekistan.

TEHRAN –A total of 507 earthquakes have been recorded across the country over the past calendar month that ended on April 20, indicating a 13.7–percent decrease compared to 588 earthquakes recorded in the last Iranian calendar month, Esfand, (February 19 – March 20), according to the seismological networks of the Institute of Geophysics of the University of Tehran.

TEHRAN – Hamid Zohrabi, an official with the Department of Environment (DOE), and Meder Mashiev, Kyrgyz Minister of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision, met on Friday to enhance bilateral relations.

TEHRAN - The Sagaing Fault, passing nearby Mandalay, Myanmar, has a long history of destructive earthquakes. In 1946, in an earthquake of M7.7 similar to the 2025 earthquake, the northern part of the Sagaing Fault ruptured near Mandalay, causing widespread damage.

TEHRAN - A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2 in the Sea of Marmara, 40 km from Istanbul, Turkiye, shook at 12:49 pm local time on April 23, 2025. All thirty-three stations of the IIEES Iranian broadband seismic network of the International Institute of Seismology and Earthquake Engineering throughout Iran recorded this earthquake. The mechanism of the earthquake is strike-slip, and the epicenter of the earthquake is located at a depth of approximately 10 km and about 40 km southwest of Istanbul within the Sea of Marmara.

Former The Voice Kids star Karen Silva has tragically died from a haemorrhagic stroke aged 17, due to bleeding into the brain by the rupture of a blood vessel.

Workers' Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh has warned that «nothing can be taken for granted» when it comes to his party's presence in Parliament. In a pre-recorded broadcast aired on Friday (April 25), Singh said that «one or even two» constituencies currently held by the WP «can easily be lost» in this General Election. He was referring to the 10 seats that the party won in GE2020, including Aljunied and Sengkang GRCs, as well as its long-held stronghold of Hougang SMC. With that, Singh, 48, said that it is «important for Singapore's democracy» for the WP to win more constituencies. «With more WP constituencies comes a higher chance that Parliament will continue to have a fully-elected democratic opposition presence for the longer term,» he said. «This will make our system stable and sustainable for the future.» WP is contesting 26 out of 97 seats across five GRCs including five GRCs — Aljunied, Sengkang, East Coast, Punggol and Tampines — and the single seats of Hougang, Tampines Changkat and Jalan Kayu.

Nine rallies are scheduled to take place on Saturday (April 26). The parties involved are the People's Power Party (PPP), Progress Singapore Party (PSP), People's Action Party (PAP), People's Alliance for Reform (PAR), Workers' Party (WP), Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), and Red Dot United (RDU). The rallies are scheduled to begin at 7pm and end at 10pm. The PAP will hold three rallies: one for Chua Chu Kang GRC at the Hard Court along Choa Chu Kang Avenue 4, another for East Coast GRC at Bedok Stadium, and one for Punggol GRC at Yusof Ishak Secondary School. PSP's rally for Bukit Gombak SMC will be held at Bukit Gombak Stadium, while SDP will hold its rally for Sembawang West SMC at Evergreen Primary School. PPP will stage its rally for Ang Mo Kio GRC at Yio Chu Kang Stadium and RDU will hold theirs for Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC at Bukit View Secondary School. Last, WP will hold its rally for Tampines GRC at Temasek Junior College. Police advisory Police said rally attendees are encouraged to take public transport as large crowds are expected at the rallies.

Vote for candidates who are of «good character», Prime Minister Lawrence Wong urged in his address to voters during the People's Action Party (PAP)'s first party political broadcast since the start of the hustings. During the broadcast on Friday (April 25), PM Wong, who is also the PAP's secretary-general, said that voters should «vote for the candidates who will put Singapore and Singaporeans ahead of everything else». «Above all, choose leaders who are upright, honest and of good character. Because in the end, more than policies, more than promises, it is character that counts,» he stated. Should the PAP win the mandate, PM Wong said, his priority lies in working with his team to unite Singaporeans, protecting livelihoods and securing the future. He explained that this would be the PAP's «collective new resolve», stating: «Every member of my team knows the weight of this responsibility. This is our promise, and our commitment, to you.»

A Romanian national had been collecting classified data for Ukrainian intelligence, the agency has said Read Full Article at RT.com

The move could pave the way for “temporary peace,” Vitaly Klitschko has said Read Full Article at RT.com

An Il-76 carrying 65 Ukrainian servicemen destined for an exchange was shot down by Kiev in 2024, according to Moscow Read Full Article at RT.com

Russia needs to revise budget rules to mitigate fiscal risks amid declining oil revenues and global trade tensions, Anton Siluanov has said Read Full Article at RT.com

Reuters has detailed Kiev’s rejection of crucial elements of the US proposal to resolve its conflict with Russia Read Full Article at RT.com

Les travaux législatifs de ce mercredi 23 avril 2025 se sont achevés avec la séance de la Commission des Collectivités Locales, du Développement, de l'Aménagement du Territoire, de l'Environnement, de la Décentralisation, des Travaux Publics et des Transports. À cette occasion, les sénateurs ont auditionné Jonathan Ignoumba, Ministre des Transports et de la Marine Marchande, autour de deux projets de lois : • le projet de loi relatif à la répression des actes de pollution marine par (...) - TRANSPORTS / SUJET_ECRIT_MAISON

«Like India has suspended the Indus water treaty, Pakistan has also threatened to suspend the Simla Agreement. I will say that this is a good thing because it also ends the existence of the Line of Control (LoC). This means that India is not obligated to respect the LoC. Ye karke Pakistan apne gale main rassa dalega (This is suicide for Pakistan). This also makes India free to cross the LoC,» Dhillon told ANI.

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar asserted that terrorism is a global menace demanding unified action, emphasizing the paramount importance of national interest. He highlighted that national interests should supersede partisan, political, or personal agendas, echoing Dr. B.R. Ambedkar's sentiment.

Following the deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Rahul Gandhi met with Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah and visited victims in Srinagar, emphasizing the need for national unity against divisive forces. He assured full support from the Congress party to both state and central governments. Gandhi also attended an all-party meeting, condemning the attack and backing government measures against terrorism.

When 26 people were methodically executed in Kashmir’s Pahalgam valley — identified by name, religion, and in some cases, their inability to recite Islamic prayers — the global media did what it does best: looked away, chose its words carefully, and reached for the comforting vocabulary of denial. Not terrorism. Not jihad. Just “gunmen,” “militants,” and the ever-useful “tensions.” Because in the moral economy of modern newsrooms, the value of a life — and the weight of a headline — depends on who the victims are, and who the killers pray to.

Get the latest news on President Donald Trump’s return to the White House and the new Congress.

[allAfrica] Almost six years ago, we embarked on a journey to address one of the deadliest diseases on the African continent - malaria. In 2019, Burkina Faso, where nearly 5,000 children die from malaria every year, became the centre of the R21 malaria vaccine Phase II trial. What began as a scientific challenge for my colleagues and I, turned into a historic public health achievement that we can all take pride in.

The US president has claimed that even Zelensky understands the peninsula will remain under Moscow’s control in a final settlement Read Full Article at RT.com

Romania's national recovery and resilience plan (NRRP) represents an ambitious agenda of reforms and investment aimed at mitigating the socioeconomic effects of the COVID-19, energy and cost-of-living crises. The amended plan – approved by the Council on 8 December 2023 – amounts to €28.5 billion, or 12.8 % of the country's 2019 gross domestic product (GDP). This includes the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) grants of €12.1 billion (cut by 14.9 % following the June 2022 revision of the allocation); REPowerEU grants worth €1.4 billion; the transfer of Romania's share (€43.2 million) from the Brexit Adjustment Reserve to its NRRP; and the RRF loan allocation already fully committed under the initial version of the plan (€14.9 billion). The recovery plan is to be implemented by 2026. The REPowerEU chapter comes with seven investment and two reform measures, which –together with the remaining NRRP measures – devote €12.6 billion (44.1 % of the plan) to the green transition. Digital projects have been endowed with 21.9 % of the NRRP resources (excluding the REPowerEU chapter). Romania has so far received €9.4 billion (33.1 %) of RRF resources, including two payments and the pre-financing; this is below the EU average of 47.4 %. On 16 October 2024, the European Commission issued a partial positive assessment of the third payment request for grants and loans of €2 billion (net of pre-financing); the assessment, proposing a partial payment suspension, is being examined by the Council's Economic and Financial Committee. According to the Commission's evaluation in the 2024 European Semester, execution of the NRRP is facing significant delays. The European Parliament continues to guarantee transparency and provide accountability for EU citizens by engaging in interinstitutional dialogues on the implementation of the RRF and scrutinising the Commission's work. This briefing is one in a series covering all EU Member States. Fifth edition. The 'NGEU delivery' briefings are updated at key stages throughout the lifecycle of the plans. The author would like to thank Amalia Fumagalli, trainee in the Next Generation EU Monitoring Service, for her research assistance. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Ce document s’intègre dans une série d’études qui, avec une perspective de droit comparé, visent à faire une présentation du principe de protection de l’environnement dans différents ordres juridiques. Après avoir expliqué le droit positif et la jurisprudence d’application, le contenu, les limites et la possible évolution de ce principe sont examinés. La présente étude a pour objet le cas de la France. L’introduction de la Charte de l’environnemment dans la Constitution de 1958, il y a désormais vingt ans, a constitué une avancée remarquable. La Charte, intégrée au bloc de constitutionnalité, garantit des droits environnementaux tels que le droit à un environnement équilibré (article 1er), le principe de précaution (article 5) ou encore le droit de participation et le droit à l’information (article 7). Bien que la Charte confère des droits, leur mise en œuvre dépend de dispositions législatives spécifiques. Cela crée une tension entre l’objectif de protection environnementale et la justiciabilité limitée. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Malta's National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) had an initial value of €344.9 million, while its amended plan is worth €336.3 million. Under the EU's Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), at the core of the Next Generation EU (NGEU) instrument, Malta's RRF grant allocation decreased from €316.4 million to €258.3 million. In April 2023, Malta submitted a request to amend its NRRP, to which it added a new REPowerEU chapter with an additional grant allocation of €30 million. It also requested to transfer a portion of its share of the Brexit Adjustment Reserve to its plan (€40 million). With these funds, and cutting some measures, the overall EU financial contribution to the amended plan amounts to €328.2 million in grants, with the rest to be covered by national means. Malta has not requested loans. While in nominal terms, Malta has the second smallest allocation, it ranks higher in terms of RRF grants per capita. The value of Malta's grants under the RRF equals about 2.3 % of its 2019 gross domestic product (GDP), less than the average for the EU overall (the RRF equals 5.2 % of EU-27 GDP in 2019). So far, Malta has received its pre-financing, the REPowerEU pre-financing, and two result-based payments, which has brought the total disbursements to date to €166.3 million, or 50.7 % of its RRF allocation (above the EU average of 47.4 %). A third payment request is currently under assessment. The plan takes into account the Council's 2019 and 2020 country-specific recommendations, and aligns with both national economic and investment plans and funding under EU cohesion policy programmes for the 2021-2027 period. The plan's overall objective is to contribute to sustainable, equitable, green and digital recovery, embracing major common EU challenges. The amended plan has a stronger focus on the green transition, devoting 68.8 % of the funds to it (up from 53.8 % in the original plan), making Malta's NRRP one of the greenest; 26.2 % of the amended plan (excluding the REPowerEU chapter), or 20.6 % (including the chapter), will contribute to the digital target. The European Parliament participates in interinstitutional forums for cooperation and discussion on the implementation of the RRF, and scrutinises the European Commission's work. This briefing is one in a series covering all EU Member States. Fifth edition. The 'NGEU delivery' briefings are updated at key stages throughout the lifecycle of the plans. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP