Belgium disrupted by nationwide strike over austerity cuts
A 24-hour nationwide strike crippled Belgium’s airports, transit networks and public services on Monday, as unions walked out to protest government austerity cuts to welfare and pensions.
The White House denied access to an Associated Press photographer and three reporters from Reuters, HuffPost and Der Tagesspiegel.
The White House on Wednesday barred reporters from Reuters and several other news organizations from attending President Donald Trump’s first cabinet meeting, granting access instead to select media outlets.
TV crews from ABC and Newsmax, along with correspondents from Axios, The Blaze, Bloomberg News, and NPR, were allowed to cover the event.
A day earlier, the Trump administration announced that it would take control of determining which media outlets can cover the president in smaller spaces such as the Oval Office— a process traditionally managed by the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA). Reuters, a longtime participant in the presidential press pool, has been part of this system for decades.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that while major news organizations would still have daily access to Trump, the administration plans to reshape press participation in more limited settings. The WHCA’s long-standing pool system has allowed select journalists from television, radio, wire services, and print to cover events and share their reporting with the wider media landscape.
In response to the new policy, three major wire services— the Associated Press, Bloomberg, and Reuters— issued a joint statement emphasizing the importance of press access.
“These services have long worked to ensure that accurate, fair, and timely information about the presidency is communicated to a broad audience of all political persuasions, both in the United States and globally. Much of the White House coverage seen in local news outlets worldwide comes from the wires,” the statement read. “It is essential in a democracy for the public to have access to news about their government from an independent, free press.”
HuffPost condemned the decision, calling it “a violation of the First Amendment right to freedom of the press.”
The German newspaper Der Tagesspiegel did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The WHCA also released a statement on Tuesday, protesting the administration’s decision.
The move follows the White House’s recent decision to bar the Associated Press from the press pool after the agency refused to adopt Trump’s preferred name for the Gulf of Mexico— the “Gulf of America”— in its reporting or update its widely used style guide to reflect the change.
Despite the new policy, Leavitt confirmed that the five major cable and broadcast networks would retain their rotating seats in the press pool. Print reporters and radio journalists would also continue to be included, though the White House plans to expand access to additional outlets, including streaming services and new radio hosts.
India has fired a series of missiles into Pakistani-controlled territory, in what it has described as “Operation Sindoor”
For the first time in history, an American has been chosen to lead the Catholic Church, as Cardinal Robert Prevost is named pope.
Discover every major VE Day 80 event in Britain, 5‑8 May 2025—from London’s parade and fly‑past to street parties, concerts and museum exhibitions.
Chinese e-commerce platform Temu has announced it will no longer sell goods directly from China to U.S. customers, shifting instead to U.S.-based sellers amid the closure of a long-criticized customs loophole.
A Rafale fighter jet operated by the Indian Air Force has reportedly been shot down for the first time in combat, according to sources cited by CNN, marking a significant and symbolic development in the ongoing escalation between India and Pakistan.
U.S. President Donald Trump had a "very good and productive" phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiyy on Thursday, according to the White House.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to unveil fresh sanctions targeting up to 100 Russian oil tankers used to evade international restrictions, in a bid to cut off funding for Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine.
China has agreed to send its top economic official for rare trade talks with the U.S. in Geneva, as deepening economic troubles and geopolitical frictions force Beijing back to the negotiating table.
The United States, along with its European allies, is finalizing a proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, with a strong warning that new sanctions will be imposed on Russia if the truce is not honored, according to a French diplomatic source on Friday.
Ten blasts were reported near Srinagar International Airport in India-administered Kashmir as tensions between India and Pakistan continue to escalate, prompting global concern over a potential wider conflict.
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