Ukraine's Zelenskiy says Ukraine will attend Istanbul talks on Monday
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks to the media during a press conference, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine May 13, 2025. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
15 minutes ago
- The Sun
Oilers, Panthers set for high-stakes Stanley Cup rematch
A tension-packed Canada-United States rivalry reaches an emotional high starting Wednesday when the Edmonton Oilers try to become the first Canadian club since 1993 to win the Stanley Cup. The Oilers, powered by superstar Connor McDavid, will face defending champion Florida in the NHL's best-of-seven championship series in a rematch of last year's final, won by the Panthers in seven games. Not since the Montreal Canadiens in 1993 has a Canadian team captured the trophy, but in what has been an intense US-Canada rivalry year, the Oilers have a chance to end the epic drought and US possession of the Cup. 'It's going to be an incredible battle again,' Panthers forward Sam Reinhart said. 'They're playing some pretty dominant hockey, so we're excited for the challenge. We've got to be ready for it.' A US-Canada grudge match fueled by political overtones could be in the making when the series begins on Wednesday in Edmonton. US President Donald Trump began the tensions by calling for Canada to become the 51st state, even calling former prime minister Justin Trudeau 'governor' as if he were only in charge of a US state not a nation. Tariffs against the border neighbors didn't help either. It all boiled over in the NHL's Four Nations Faceoff tournament when the United States played Canada at Montreal in a round-robin game on February 15 and fans booed the pre-game singing of the US national anthem. Once the puck was dropped, there were three fights in the first nine seconds as the crowd roared. A hard-hitting contest followed with the Americans winning 3-1. Five nights later, the USA and Canada met in the tournament final at Boston, where microphone-wearing referee Gord Dwyer said, 'Let's get ready for an epic battle,' before dropping the puck. Only one penalty was called and the teams delivered a world-class contest with McDavid scoring the winning goal for Canada in a 3-2 overtime triumph. 'You can't take our country -- and you can't take our game,' Trudeau posted on X moments after the finish. Heated emotions remain in US-Canada relations. Canadian hockey legend Wayne Gretzky faced backlash at home over his support for Trump. 'Never say never' Travel from Canada to the United States has dipped dramatically and new Canadian prime minister Mark Carney had a minor confrontation in a White House visit with Trump. Carney told Trump Canada would never be for sale, with the US leader replying, 'Never say never.' That is the backdrop for the Oilers and Panthers rematch, the 12th time the same two teams meet in consecutive Cup finals, the first since Pittsburgh beat Detroit in 2009 after losing to the Red Wings the previous year. No NHL team has beaten the same rival in back-to-back finals since Montreal beat Boston in 1977 and 1978. McDavid and German teammate Leon Draisaitl lead all NHL playoff scorers and Edmonton goaltender Stuart Skinner has rebounded after losing his starting job earlier in the playoffs. The Panthers seized a 3-0 lead in last year's final before the Oilers pulled level only to fall in game seven. 'I think we were better for going through last year. It was a great learning experience and it has really driven us all year,' McDavid said. 'This run has felt different than last year. It has felt very normal. It hasn't been as emotional. We haven't had the highs and we haven't had the lows. It has just kind of been steady and I think that has put us in a good position.' Florida makes a third consecutive finals appearance, having lost to Vegas in 2023 before winning last year. The Panthers are sparked by Finnish forward Alexander Barkov, who has six goals and 11 assists to lead Florida in this playoff run. Sam Bennett has a playoff-best 10 goals for the Panthers and right wing Matthew Tkachuk, who started one of the early fights in the US-Canada Four-Nations slugfest, brings an emotional lift to the trophy holders. Russian 36-year-old goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky is 12-5 in the playoffs with a 2.11 goals-against average for Florida.
The Star
15 minutes ago
- The Star
Malaysia looking to strengthen cooperation with UK in strategic sectors, says Zahid
LONDON: Malaysia is looking to strengthen its bilateral cooperation with the United Kingdom in several strategic sectors, following a meeting between Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and United Kingdom Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Steve Reed. In discussing closer bilateral cooperation between Malaysia and the UK, Ahmad Zahid said he expressed the Malaysia's commitment to becoming the Asean Hub for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Certification and Excellence. "The focus will be on high-value industries such as semiconductors, electric vehicles (EV), aerospace, and green energy. "I also conveyed Malaysia's intention to expand collaboration with UK academic institutions and industries to enhance TVET training, certification, and the employability of Malaysian graduates," he told reporters during his working visit to Britain on Monday (June 2). On rural development, Ahmad Zahid said the country is keen to learn from the UK's approach in transforming rural areas into sustainable economic growth zones. "We also discussed matters related to disaster management, access to clean water, and the use of new technologies to strengthen resilience against global climate change," he said. Several issues concerning the environment were also discussed especially on ways to overcome the problem of polluted rivers. "Malaysia needs to learn how the UK dealt with rehabilitating polluted rivers. "We need to take heed of how polluted rivers have become a thing of the past in the UK as we are still facing the same problem. "The first step to learning from them is to raise public awareness of the problem with polluted rivers," he said. The meeting also touched on renewable energy cooperation, including the proposal to reactivate the Asean Power Grid and explore investment opportunities in solar and green energy, he said. "The UK's establishment of GB Energy, a national clean energy company, was noted as a positive signal of its strong commitment to the green agenda. "I expressed Malaysia's readiness to be a strategic partner in this development," he said In addition, Ahmad Zahid said he also highlighted the potential of Islamic financial instruments such as sukuk to support climate finance and sustainable development cooperation. "This includes bolstering the global halal industry through the establishment of a World Halal Council and a unified halal logo, which aims to reinforce international consumer confidence in Malaysia's standards," he added. Ahmad Zahid said both countries reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening trade ties, including through frameworks such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), and increasing business-to-business (B2B) engagement between the private sectors of both nations. "I believe this meeting has opened new avenues to elevate Malaysia–UK cooperation to a more strategic level, especially in building a more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient future," he said. Ahmad Zahid also hosted a special gathering on Monday night with approximately 101 Malaysians, including 60 Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) sponsored students based in the UK, reinforcing the government's engagement with the diaspora community. He reminded the students to never forget to give back to the country once they have finished their studies. "While the salaries here (UK) might be substantially higher, returning and helping to develop the country further is priceless and much more meaningful. "We must instil in the Mara students the spirit of togetherness," he said.
The Star
17 minutes ago
- The Star
More deaths than births recorded in Tamil Nadu
Compiled by ARFA YUNUS, and R. ARAVINTHAN THE Tamil Nadu state in India has the highest number of districts where death rates are higher than birth rates in the country, Makkal Osai reported. In India as a whole, the districts with lower than replacement birth rates has gone from seven in 2019 to 49 in 2021. Seventeen of the 49 districts are from Tamil Nadu, which had zero such areas in 2019. South Indian states are showing more districts with lower birth rates than deaths, the report said. But the two most populous states in India – Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh – are showing the opposite trend, with most or even all of its districts recording higher birth rates. According to the report, these statistics have deep political implications, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist BJP party keen to redraw parliamentary maps according to these trends. Most southern states are wary of these moves as their influence in the national parliament will be affected. (The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a >, it denotes a separate news item.)
