World

German lawmakers on Thursday approved a free-trade deal between the European Union and Canada, moving the accord a step closer to taking full effect. The pact, formally known as the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, or CETA, was signed in late 2016. Most of its terms have been implemented provisionally …

Beijing is considering easing back its harsh COVID policies after protests swept the nation when China reinstated some of the world’s most restrictive protocols, reports said Thursday.  Changes are expected to be announced in the coming days to quarantine rules and testing guidelines despite nationwide record highs in COVID cases, …

The U.S. Army awarded a $1.2 billion contract to Raytheon Co., to help Ukraine bolster its air defenses by procuring six National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), the Pentagon announced Wednesday.  Washington last month pledged to send Ukraine eight NASAMS as Kyiv and Western nations look to fend off Russia’s constant …

Canadian fashion company La Maison Simons promoted the “beauty” in voluntary euthanasia in a promotional video last month that is causing outrage on social media. The video titled, “All Is Beauty,” chronicles the decision of Jennyfer Hatch — a 37-year-old Canadian woman — to voluntarily euthanize herself due to suffering …

The jury in the ongoing murder trial of Lucy Letby in the U.K. recently heard evidence indicating that two parents had requested their newborn be transferred shortly before the alleged killer neonatal nurse poisoned him. Letby, 32, allegedly attempted to murder the unidentified baby boy, referred to as Child F, …

Australia’s environment minister said Tuesday her government will lobby against UNESCO adding the Great Barrier Reef to a list of endangered World Heritage sites, arguing that criticisms of government inaction on climate change were outdated. Officials from the U.N. cultural agency and the International Union for Conservation of Nature released …

The debate over who owns ancient artifacts has been an increasing challenge to museums across Europe and America, and the spotlight has fallen on the most visited piece in the British Museum: The Rosetta stone. The inscriptions on the dark grey granite slab became the seminal breakthrough in deciphering ancient …

A Dutch court on Wednesday rejected a plan to control the country’s growing wolf population by shooting at the animals with paintball guns to scare them away from people. A local court ruled that officials had not justified their decision to use the novel approach as a safe way to …

The Dutch government is planning to purchase and then close down up to 3,000 farms in an effort to comply with a European Union environmental mandate to slash emissions, according to reports.  Farmers in the Netherlands will be offered “well over” the worth of their farm in an effort to …

New Zealand’s government health service has applied to remove guardianship of a 4-month-old baby boy from his parents after they demanded that his life-saving surgery can proceed only with blood that does not contain the COVID-19 vaccine. Health New Zealand, also known as Te Whatu Ora, made a court application …