As the results rolled in for the first round of France's parliamentary elections, the leader of France's new left-wing alliance sounded both hopeful and triumphant.Speaking from a trendy bar in northeast Paris serving as his election night headquarters, Jean-Luc Melenchon said the so-called NUPES – or New Ecological and Social Popular Union – alliance he heads had passed its first test in "magnificent fashion.""Everyone should be thanked who made this alliance possibl

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has said the Pfizer COVID vaccine is safe and effective in children under five, ahead of a meeting to weigh its authorization later this week.Children under five are the only age group not yet eligible for vaccination in the United States (US) and most countries, a pressing need since rates of hospitalization and death "are higher than among children and adolescents 5-17 years of age," the FDA said in a document posted on its website Sunday.

She has half a million followers on Instagram, leads a glamorous lifestyle and describes herself as the "little girl" of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra – one of the most influential and controversial figures in modern Thai history.The 35-year-old Paetongtarn Shinawatra, youngest of billionaire tycoon Thaksin's three children, is now launching herself into the country's deeply divided political scene ahead of a national election due by March 2023.The move brings the Shin

The World Trade Organization (WTO) chief voiced cautious optimism Sunday as global trade ministers gathered to tackle food security threatened by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, overfishing and equitable access to COVID vaccines.Speaking ahead of the WTO's first ministerial meeting in nearly five years, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala acknowledged that "the road will be bumpy and rocky."But she told journalists she was "cautiously optimistic" that the more than 100 attending m

China will "fight to the very end" to stop Taiwanese independence, the country's defence minister vowed Sunday, stoking already soaring tensions with the United States (US) over the island.The superpowers are locked in a growing war of words over the self-ruled, democratic island, which Beijing views as part of its territory awaiting reunification.Frequent Chinese aircraft incursions near Taiwan have raised the diplomatic temperature, and on Saturday US Defense Secretary Lloyd

Ukraine has accused Russia of stealing grain from the country and selling it, while Russia has denied the claims.The allegations come amid fears of a global food crisis over Ukraine’s inability to export millions of tonnes of grain through its blockaded ports.

Nupur Sharma's remarks, made in a TV debate in May-end, have incensed Indian Muslims and outraged more than a dozen Islamic nations.On Thursday, two weeks after her comments, Delhi police said they had opened investigations against Ms Sharma – and a few others – "on the basis of social media analysis against those trying to disrupt public tranquillity and inciting people on divisive lines".On Sunday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) suspended Ms Sharma from the party.

Thousands of people took to the streets in the United States (US) on Saturday to push for action on the devastating gun violence plaguing the country, where Republican politicians have repeatedly blocked efforts to enact stricter firearms laws.Protesters of all ages streamed onto the National Mall in Washington, where a gun violence prevention group placed more than 45,000 white vases holding flowers – one for each person killed by a firearm in the US in 2020."Protect People Not Guns,&qu

United States (US) Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Saturday blasted China's "provocative, destabilising" military activity near Taiwan, as well as Beijing's growing aggression across the wider Asia-Pacific region.Tensions between Washington and Beijing are soaring over democratic, self-ruled Taiwan, which China views as its territory and has vowed to seize one day, by force if necessary.Beijing has conducted dozens of incursions into Taiwan's air defence zone this y

Beijing will "not hesitate to start a war" if Taiwan declares independence, China's defence minister warned his United States (US) counterpart Friday, the latest salvo between the superpowers over the island.The warning from Wei Fenghe came as he held his first face-to-face meeting with US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin on the side-lines of the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore.Beijing views democratic, self-ruled Taiwan as its territory and has vowed to one day