Reuters: World

Spain's paella rice could 'disappear', say farmers angry at EU rules A Spanish rice variety traditionally used to make paella is under threat from a fungus after the European Union banned a pesticide farmers said they relied upon, in another example of how the bloc's environmental rules are angering growers. Three rice producers in the Valencia region said their harvest of arroz bomba, or bomb rice, a variety grown almost exclusively in Spain, was half the 10-year average in 2023 as a result of the Pyricularia fungus which causes rice blast disease. Bomba rice "is very likely to disappear," said Miguel Minguet, a rice farmer in the Albufera Natural Park in Valencia. "Our crop is going to be lost to regulations." Meanwhile, major exporters such as Brazil, India and Cambodia are widely using the pesticide to protect their own crops. read more

UK PM Sunak makes transgender jibe during visit of murdered girl's mother British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak joked that the leader of the opposition Labour Party could not define what a woman was, during a parliamentary exchange on Wednesday that the mother of a murdered transgender girl had been invited to watch. Last week, two teenagers were jailed, opens new tab for the murder of Brianna Ghey, who was stabbed 28 times with a hunting knife, and a Labour lawmaker had invited Ghey's mother to watch Sunak's weekly question-and-answer session in parliament. read more

King Charles' cancer diagnosis comes just 18 months into his reign After spending more than seven decades waiting to become sovereign, Britain's King Charles has been diagnosed with a form of cancer less than 18 months since he ascended to the throne. Buckingham Palace on Monday announced that Charles, 75, would postpone public-facing duties while he undergoes treatment but was looking forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible. Charles became monarch on the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth on Sept. 8, 2022, having been the longest-serving heir apparent in British history. He was crowned on May 6, 2023. read more

El Salvador's Bukele re-elected as president in landslide win President Nayib Bukele on Sunday secured a thumping victory in El Salvador's elections after voters cast aside concerns about erosion of democracy to reward him for a fierce gang crackdown that transformed security in the Central American country. Thousands of Bukele's supporters clad in cyan blue and waving flags thronged San Salvador's central square to celebrate his re-election, which the 42-year-old leader termed a "referendum" on his government. read more

U.S. launches strikes in Iraq, Syria, nearly 40 reported killed The United States launched airstrikes in Iraq and Syria against more than 85 targets linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) and militias it backs, reportedly killing nearly 40 people, in retaliation for a deadly attack on U.S. troops. The strikes, which included the use of long-range B-1 bombers flown from the United States, were the first in response to the attack last weekend in Jordan by Iran-backed militants, and more U.S. military operations are expected in the coming days. read more

US carries out strikes in Iraq and Syria against Iran-linked targets The United States carried out retaliatory airstrikes on Friday in Iraq and Syria against more than 85 targets linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) and the militias it backs, the U.S. military said, after a deadly attack in Jordan that killed three U.S. troops and injured some 40 others. The strikes are believed to be just the first in a multi-tiered response by President Joe Biden's administration to the attack last weekend carried out by Iran-backed militants. read more

Exclusive: China tells Ukraine to remove its firms from 'sponsors of war' list China demanded on Thursday that Ukraine immediately remove more than a dozen Chinese companies from a list of firms designated as "international sponsors of war", saying it wanted Kyiv to "eliminate negative impacts". The remarks came after Reuters reported that China's ambassador in Kyiv had told senior Ukrainian government officials last month that the inclusion of the companies on the list could hurt bilateral ties. read more

Pope says Africans are 'special case' when it comes to LGBT blessings Pope Francis said in an interview published on Monday that Africans were a "special case" in the opposition of bishops and many other people in the continent to homosexuality. But he said he was confident that, except for Africans, critics of his decision to allow blessings for same-sex couples would eventually understand it. Blessings were allowed last month in a document called Fiducia Supplicans (Supplicating Trust), which has caused widespread debate in the Catholic Church, with particularly strong resistance coming from African bishops. read more

Three US troops killed, up to 34 injured in Jordan drone strike linked to Iran Three U.S. service members were killed and dozens may be wounded after an unmanned aerial drone attack on U.S. forces stationed in northeastern Jordan near the Syrian border, President Joe Biden and U.S. officials said on Sunday. Biden blamed Iran-backed groups for the attack, the first deadly strike against U.S. forces since the Israel-Hamas war erupted in October and sent shock waves throughout the Middle East. read more

More countries pause funds for UN Palestinian agency Six European countries paused funding for the U.N. refugee agency for Palestinians (UNRWA) on Saturday, following allegations that some of its staff were involved in the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel. Britain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Finland on Saturday joined the United States, Australia and Canada in pausing funding to the aid agency, a critical source of support for people in Gaza, after the allegations by Israel. read more

Exclusive: Saudi Arabia prepares to open first alcohol store for diplomats Saudi Arabia is preparing to open its first alcohol store in the capital Riyadh which will serve exclusively non-Muslim diplomats, according to a source familiar with the plans and a document. Customers will have to register via a mobile app, get a clearance code from the foreign ministry, and respect monthly quotas with their purchases, said the document, which was seen by Reuters. The move is a milestone in the kingdom's efforts, led by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to open the ultra-conservative Muslim country for tourism and business as drinking alcohol is forbidden in Islam. read more

Why is Canada capping foreign students and who will be impacted? Canada on Monday announced a two-year cap on the intake of foreign students after explosive growth in recent years aggravated the country's housing shortage. Last year Canada issued nearly 1 million study permits, about three times that of a decade ago, according to government data. The new proposal will cut the intake by nearly a third. Here is how the new plans will work and what is at stake. read more