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BBC News, I'm John Shea.
The foreign ministers of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda have agreed to a cease-fire in Congo's restive eastern region. It's being seen as a first step towards ending a 30-year conflict. The agreement, brokered by the U.S. and Qatar, comes after the M23 rebels seized swathes of eastern Congo. Both countries also committed to integrating rebel groups into government forces. U.S. President Trump, who hosted the ministers in the White House Oval Office, called it a historic agreement beginning a new chapter of hope. Mayeni Jones reports. During the press conference, Mr. Trump signed letters to the presidents of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, inviting them both to Washington in July to finalize the agreement. The neighboring countries have agreed to a cease-fire in the DRC's restive eastern region. They also committed to integrating rebel groups into government forces and to facilitating the return of those displaced by the conflict. However, it's not clear how the U.S. plans to get the dozens of militias active in eastern DRC to adhere to the deal. President Trump has said he's breaking off trade negotiations with Canada immediately. He blamed the collapse of talks on Canada's digital service tax, which targets big tech companies. He said he would announce new tariffs on Canadian exports. John Donovan in Washington has more details. There's around about $750 billion of trade every year between the two countries in each direction and it's going to cause a lot of concern for businesses and consumers because when these tariffs come into effect, if they do. That is obviously going to lead to prices going up. Now in terms of what the Canadians have said, well, the Prime Minister Mark Carney said the discussions are ongoing and we will continue to try and reach an agreement. So from his point of view, it seems like negotiations haven't stopped. That's not what the Americans are saying. U.S. stocks have surged to record highs, capping a dramatic rebound from steep losses following President Trump's tariff threats in April. The S&P 500 closed up half a percent despite Mr. Trump halting trade talks with Canada. The Nasdaq also hit a new peak. Investors were encouraged by strong corporate earnings, easing recession fears. In a highly significant ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court has curbed the power of federal judges to block presidential orders nationwide. The case stems from President Trump's bid to end birthright citizenship for the children of undocumented immigrants. He hailed the 6-3 decision as a "giant win." "This is really also a decision based on common sense. It didn't work the other way. It was a disaster where somebody from a certain location in a very liberal state or a liberal judge or a liberal group of judges could tie up a whole country for years." This is the latest world news from the BBC. The stepson of Norway's Crown Prince is being accused of 23 crimes, including rape, after a 10-month police investigation. Marius Borg Høiby is the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit, but doesn't have a royal title. His lawyer said his client did not acknowledge any wrongdoing in most of the cases, especially those regarding sexual abuse and violence. The Anglican Archbishop of Wales has announced his retirement with immediate effect. It follows reports that the culture at Bangor Cathedral in North Wales was one of blurred sexual boundaries, excessive alcohol consumption and weaknesses in safeguarding procedures. Gwyn Loader reports. During the first weekend of May, two summary reports were published on the church in Wales website outlining failings at Bangor Cathedral. There were calls for the Archbishop of Wales, Andy John, who is also bishop of Bangor, to resign. He apologized in a statement. But there were more revelations to come, with six serious incident referrals to the Charity Commission. There was then a freeze on the cathedral spending its own charitable funds, and calls for an independent inquiry. Pressure on the archbishop had been mounting, and tonight, his immediate retirement as the 14th archbishop of Wales was confirmed. He will remain bishop of Bangor until the end of August. There is no suggestion that he behaved inappropriately. Californian state legislatures have voted to more than double tax incentives for film and television production, raising the annual cap to $750 million a year. The move aims to lure back producers from countries such as Britain and Canada, as well as other U.S. states. In cricket, Australia have defeated the West Indies by a huge margin of 159 runs in the first test match in Barbados. The fast bowler Josh Hazlewood led the way, taking five wickets as the home side's batting collapsed. The win gives Australia an early lead in the three-match series. And that's the latest BBC World News. |