WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that the United States would not attack Iran before the Nov. 3 midterm elections, even as a U.S. blockade remained in place, while describing ongoing talks with Tehran as productive.
"We will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the Midterm Elections to be held in the United States on November 3rd," Trump wrote on Truth Social. (US-Iran-Trump)
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BERLIN -- Two people were killed in a shooting in Berngau, in the German state of Bavaria, German newspaper Bild reported on Thursday.
Citing police, local media reported that the shooting took place while two government staff were carrying out a routine weapons check at a residential building. Police have surrounded the house, where the suspected gunman is believed to be hiding. (Germany-shooting)
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STOCKHOLM -- Canadian writer Anne Carson has been awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature, becoming the second Canadian author ever to receive the honor, the Swedish Academy announced on Thursday.
The prize was awarded to Carson "for her bold and inventive oeuvre that, in playful dialogue with the classical tradition, has created new forms for contemporary literature," the academy said. (Nobel-Literature)
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GENEVA -- The World Trade Organization (WTO) said on Thursday that global merchandise trade is expected to grow by 3.9 percent in 2026, up from its March forecast of 1.9 percent, driven by supply chain adaptation and strong investment in artificial intelligence.
While raising the forecast for merchandise trade growth, the WTO's latest Global Trade Outlook and Statistics report lowered the outlook for commercial services trade in 2026 over the impact of the Middle East conflict. (WTO-Trade Outlook-Report) ■
