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ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — A towering dark plume of smoke billowing over St. Petersburg’s horizon from a Ukrainian drone attack cast an ominous shadow as President Vladimir Putin prepared to launch his yearly display of Russia’s economic accomplishments.

As Putin was scheduled to reach his birthplace on Thursday for the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, the Ukrainian assault from the previous day that ignited an oil facility delivered yet another humiliating setback to his attempts to downplay the consequences of the 4-year-old war and portray it as a remote occurrence with no impact on everyday Russian life.

The strike, which simultaneously targeted a naval installation near Russia’s second-most populous city on the Gulf of Finland, highlighted Ukraine’s expanding capacity to reach far into its neighboring country and proved that even the heavily fortified city of Putin’s birth faces increasing danger.

Dozens of airline flights experienced delays or rerouting at St. Petersburg’s airport, while officials disabled mobile internet connectivity in an effort to thwart drone operations.

Putin had reduced the scale of Russia’s yearly Victory Day military parade on May 9, concerned about potential Ukrainian drone attacks. Several days afterward, a large-scale drone assault on Moscow’s outskirts resulted in three deaths and exposed the capital’s susceptibility.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Russian military forces were advancing within Ukraine “in order to prevent such attacks” similar to the St. Petersburg incident. He observed that “systematic” bombardments of Kyiv that Russia had warned about the previous week were currently taking place.

On Tuesday, Russia launched attacks against Kyiv and additional Ukrainian cities using hundreds of drones and multiple missiles, resulting in 23 fatalities and injuring 151 individuals.

Putin has utilized the forum as a platform to highlight his nation’s economic progress and attract international investment. Frequently described as Russia’s answer to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the event typically brings together tens of thousands of participants from across the globe.

Although Western government representatives and business leaders have avoided the forum since Putin deployed military forces into Ukraine in 2022, Russia has worked to draw more attendees from different regions to emphasize its stated objective of fostering a “multipolar world.”

Saudi Arabia, serving as this year’s special guest nation, has dispatched a substantial delegation. The leaders of Uzbekistan and Tanzania, along with China’s vice president, are also participating. A U.S. official, Rodney Mims Cook Jr., head of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, will attend the event for the first time in years.

Russia’s economic prospects have dimmed as the initial benefits from extensive military expenditures have diminished. The administration has implemented tax increases and expanded domestic borrowing to maintain budget deficit control.

Putin is anticipated to downplay Russia’s economic difficulties during his forum presentation, but the Ukrainian strike on St. Petersburg’s port approximately 15 kilometers (about 9 miles) from the forum’s location has emphasized the mounting obstacles created by the ongoing conflict.

In the hours before the forum commenced on Wednesday, Ukrainian drones also struck the Kronstadt naval facility located on an island in the Gulf of Finland, which has served as the headquarters for Russia’s Baltic Fleet since Peter the Great established St. Petersburg. Although the majority of the fleet has relocated to Russia’s Baltic territory of Kaliningrad, Kronstadt maintains its symbolic significance as the center of the nation’s naval heritage, featuring its historic cathedral and ancient defensive structures.

Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda has virtually guaranteed an interest rate increase this month as he adopts a more aggressive stance against rising inflation driven by Middle East conflict and energy price shocks.

During a Wednesday address, Ueda abandoned his previously cautious approach and emphasized the central bank’s willingness to combat escalating inflation that could damage Japan’s economy if allowed to continue unchecked.

This represents a fundamental change in Japan’s monetary policy direction, placing inflation concerns at the heart of interest rate decisions rather than simply focusing on reaching the stable 2% inflation target.

Most significantly, he dropped previous uncertainty regarding supply disruptions, signaling the BOJ will no longer ignore war-related inflation if it threatens to create broader economic ripple effects.

This messaging signals a new chapter in Ueda’s five-year leadership. After spending his initial period dismantling his predecessor’s aggressive stimulus measures, he’s now guiding the BOJ toward a more traditional function: maintaining stable inflation.

The BOJ ended a decade of massive economic stimulus in 2024 and has increased its benchmark rate multiple times, including in December, based on expectations that Japan was approaching sustainable achievement of its 2% inflation goal.

“Even if the situation surrounding the Middle East remains unclear, we must discuss the pros and cons of raising the policy rate if we judge that upside risks to prices outweigh downside risks to economic activity,” Ueda stated, words that strengthened widespread market expectations for a rate increase at the June 15-16 policy meeting.

His comments mirrored statements he made before December’s rate boost, when he mentioned a similar “pros and cons” evaluation.

However, this time Ueda expanded the circumstances under which rates might increase.

Previously, the BOJ’s tightening approach had been characterized as a careful, gradual withdrawal from stimulus connected to achieving consistent 2% inflation.

Ueda has now introduced an additional catalyst focused solely on inflation dangers. With companies altering their pricing strategies, he cautioned that energy disruptions could intensify price pressures.

“Unless there’s a severe escalation in the conflict, the BOJ will probably hike rates in June,” said a source familiar with its thinking, a view echoed by another source.

Ueda also warned against delaying action too long, pointing out that increasing raw material expenses are already pushing up wholesale prices and could spread more widely throughout the economy.

The shift in messaging demonstrates the BOJ’s increasing worry about building price pressures, according to veteran BOJ watcher Mari Iwashita, who considers a June rate hike certain.

“The war-induced wave of price increases has only just begun and is likely to intensify around summer,” she said. “Ueda’s remarks suggest the BOJ is bracing for the chance of being forced to raise rates in autumn, possibly at a faster pace.”

Meanwhile, Ueda attempted to ease concerns from a dovish government about potential economic harm from rate increases.

He presented policy tightening as protection against declining household buying power. Considering the administration’s resistance to higher government borrowing expenses, Ueda also promoted timely hikes as a method to maintain market confidence and prevent disruptive spikes in bond yields.

Despite the more hawkish direction, the yen kept declining, highlighting ongoing market doubt. The currency stays close to the 160-per-dollar threshold viewed as Tokyo’s intervention trigger, maintaining pressure on import costs and living expenses.

Even a June increase may not reverse the yen’s downward trajectory.

Some experts believe it will require a stronger, sustained tightening message to significantly impact the currency.

“Even if the BOJ raises rates in June, any rebound in the yen will be limited,” said Rinto Maruyama, a strategist at SMBC Nikko Securities.

Taiwan’s leadership called on China Thursday to acknowledge the violent suppression of pro-democracy demonstrators in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square 37 years ago, marking an anniversary that China continues to treat as forbidden territory.

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te used social media to address the sensitive milestone, writing: “I sincerely hope that China can face up to the June 4 incident of 37 years ago, acknowledge the truth, soothe the pain, and open the door to reconciliation and dialogue.”

The June 4, 1989 incident, when Chinese military forces fired on student-led democracy advocates in and around the Beijing square, remains off-limits for public discussion in China with no official recognition of the anniversary.

Memorial events now occur in cities outside China’s borders, including Taipei, where Taiwan’s government officials regularly use the date to criticize China. Beijing considers the democratically-run island nation part of its territory.

In his social media statement, Lai cautioned against “blindly believing” in military force and argued that responsible governments and societies should work to improve future generations’ prospects rather than employ “violence, surveillance, and other means to strangle their dreams and erase their opinions.”

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office had not provided a response to requests for comment regarding Lai’s statements.

Beijing labels Lai a “separatist” and has rejected his repeated attempts at dialogue. Lai maintains that Taiwan’s citizens alone should determine their nation’s path forward.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also marked the anniversary Wednesday, stating that Beijing’s censorship efforts cannot eliminate recollections of the military attack. This continues the American tradition of the nation’s chief diplomat recognizing the date, which consistently angers Beijing.

“Those who sacrificed to uphold their unalienable rights of free expression and peaceful assembly will be vindicated someday,” Rubio stated.

China’s foreign ministry had not responded to requests for comment on Rubio’s remarks. Last year, Beijing condemned Rubio for his Tiananmen commentary, claiming he was “distorting” historical reality and attacking China’s governing structure.

Chinese military tanks entered Tiananmen Square in the early morning hours of June 4, 1989, ending weeks of democracy demonstrations by students and laborers.

Beijing has never released complete casualty figures, though human rights organizations and eyewitnesses estimate deaths could number in the thousands. China characterized the demonstrations as counter-revolutionary efforts to topple the ruling Communist Party.

In Hong Kong, where annual candlelight ceremonies in Victoria Park once attracted tens of thousands annually, public memorial events ended after Beijing enacted a national security law in 2020.

These vigils previously symbolized the financial center’s greater freedoms compared to mainland China, but the anniversary there now features heavy police deployment with minimal visible remembrance activities.

Multiple memorial events were planned for Thursday in various global cities, including four locations in Germany and one in Australia.

Ukrainian military forces conducted operations against two primary population centers in the Crimean peninsula under Russian control, according to Moscow-appointed regional authorities who reported the incidents early Thursday morning. The attacks occurred following a day of mutual strikes between the two nations targeting urban areas.

The Russia-appointed leader of Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, posted on Telegram that Ukrainian military forces had struck a non-residential area of Simferopol, which serves as the peninsula’s primary administrative center. Three people lost their lives in the attack while seven others sustained injuries, according to his statement.

In Sevastopol, a major Crimean port city, the locally-installed Russian governor Mikhail Razvozhayev reported that defense systems had successfully intercepted over 20 Ukrainian unmanned aircraft.

While Razvozhayev did not report any casualties in Sevastopol, he noted that falling drone fragments caused damage to several structures. The city remained under air raid warnings for almost five hours.

Russia took control of and formally annexed the Crimean peninsula in 2014, eight years prior to launching its comprehensive invasion of Ukraine in 2022. This occurred after widespread demonstrations led to the departure of a pro-Moscow Ukrainian leader.

Regional authorities have implemented steps to address fuel supply issues following Ukraine’s intensified campaign targeting petroleum infrastructure, including facilities located far within Russian territory.

Both countries launched strikes against each other’s urban centers on Wednesday.

In the Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk, described as one of the nation’s key “fortress cities” positioned along the 1,200-kilometer front line, Russian bombardment resulted in the deaths of at least three civilians, as reported by Vadym Filashkin, who governs Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.

In the neighboring Dnipropetrovsk region, local governor Oleksandr Hanzha reported that Russian military actions wounded eight individuals in the vicinity of Dnipro, the region’s primary urban center.

Ukraine’s campaign against Moscow’s petroleum sector included an assault on an oil facility in St Petersburg on Wednesday. Zelenskiy stated that these strikes allow Ukraine “to end this war on equal footing.”

In Russia’s Bryansk border region, Acting Regional Governor Yegor Kovalchuk reported that a Ukrainian drone strike killed a crane operator employed by the area’s utility company.

Diplomatic efforts mediated by the United States aimed at progressing toward resolution of the conflict, which has lasted more than four years, have reached an impasse as Washington maintains its attention on the situation in Iran.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio informed a Senate subcommittee on Wednesday that the possibility of conflict escalation was “real,” representing a greater threat than existed two years earlier.

Russia announced last month its intention to conduct “systematic” attacks on targets in Kyiv as retaliation for what it characterized as a drone assault on a dormitory in the Russian-controlled Luhansk region. Ukraine has rejected responsibility for that attack.

Russian military actions against Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities resulted in 23 deaths early Tuesday morning.

Aviation officials from South Korea and China have finalized their first flight expansion deal in seven years, marking another positive development in the relationship between the neighboring countries, according to Seoul’s transport ministry announced Thursday.

During bilateral aviation discussions held in Seoul from May 27 to 28, both nations agreed to boost passenger flight allowances by 56 weekly flights, bringing the total from 608 to 664. Cargo flight permissions will also grow by 14 weekly flights, increasing from 54 to 68, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport reported.

According to ministry officials, the expanded flight rights will facilitate additional service on popular travel corridors like Incheon to Shanghai and Incheon to Guangzhou, where current flight allocations have reached capacity for both countries.

The agreement will also open new pathway options connecting South Korea’s smaller airports, including those in Busan and Cheongju, to 10 destinations across China including Guangzhou, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Chongqing and Xian, ministry representatives stated.

Travel between the two countries has already rebounded strongly, with first-quarter passenger numbers hitting approximately 4.39 million – surpassing the pre-pandemic figure of 4.14 million, the ministry’s data shows.

Lee So-young, who serves as the ministry’s aviation policy chief, expressed optimism about the timing of the flight expansion coinciding with increased bilateral exchanges.

“We expect this agreement to help promote visits to South Korea by Chinese tourists, improve convenience for our citizens travelling to China and for import-export companies, and contribute to revitalising the economy by further boosting Korean airlines’ entry into the Chinese market,” Lee said.

The ministry indicated it will distribute the additional flight rights to South Korean carriers during the latter half of this year.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un revealed a new nuclear fuel production facility on Thursday, declaring his intention to strengthen the nation’s atomic weapons capabilities “at an exponential rate.”

According to the official Korean Central News Agency, the plant employs “more sophisticated technology,” though no additional specifics were shared regarding its location or when operations commenced. Images released by state media displayed what looked like an extensive centrifuge hall, suggesting the facility’s purpose is enriching uranium for weapons use.

This revelation aligns with Kim’s ongoing promises to expand the nuclear weapons program in response to what he describes as growing military threats led by the United States.

KCNA reported that Kim toured the nuclear installation on Wednesday to examine its operational metrics and future production strategy.

The news agency quoted Kim as stating that the need to strengthen the country’s nuclear war deterrent, in both quality and quantity, has intensified due to confrontations with “the most ferocious enemies,” seemingly referring to the United States and South Korea. Kim pointed to additional unidentified threats and crises as justification for enhancing North Korea’s nuclear capabilities, according to the report.

Kim asserted that North Korea’s production capacity for weapons-grade nuclear materials has more than doubled from five years ago, KCNA stated. Independent verification of this assertion is virtually impossible.

Following a meeting at the site, Kim announced that he and other senior officials “confirmed the order of priority for implementing the ambitious future plan designed to beef up our state’s nuclear forces at an exponential rate,” KCNA reported.

State media photographs depicted Kim moving through narrow pathways surrounded by densely packed rows of metallic tubes and pipes, appearing to be within a centrifuge facility. A separate image captured him discussing matters with high-ranking officials in a conference room, where a blurred diagram showing a cone-shaped item was visible on a table. The nature of the diagram, whether depicting a warhead design, remained unclear.

The facility’s announcement follows less than two years after North Korea revealed another hidden uranium-enrichment plant in September 2024, marking the first public acknowledgment of such a facility since displaying one at the primary Yongbyon nuclear complex to visiting American academics in 2010.

Kim conveyed a comparable message during his 2024 visit to that facility, demanding an increase in centrifuge numbers to “exponentially” grow the country’s nuclear stockpile and pushing for the creation of more advanced centrifuge systems.

Last September, South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young stated that North Korea was running four uranium enrichment facilities in total, including the Yongbyon complex, and that they operated daily.

Nuclear weapons can be constructed using either highly enriched uranium or plutonium, and North Korea maintains facilities to produce both materials at Yongbyon.

North Korea has concentrated on expanding and modernizing its nuclear arsenal since Kim’s high-stakes diplomacy with U.S. President Donald Trump fell apart in 2019. Kim has subsequently rejected U.S. and South Korean proposals to resume diplomatic talks.

In April, International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi informed reporters that his organization had verified “a rapid increase” in activities at nuclear facilities in North Korea.

MANILA, Philippines — A political standoff that forced the Philippine Senate to close for two straight days came to an end Wednesday when opposition lawmakers secured enough members to reopen the legislative chamber.

The upper house had been paralyzed since Monday when Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano and 10 supporting senators refused to attend sessions. Their absence came after two of Cayetano’s allies faced legal troubles, reducing the 24-seat chamber to 22 functioning members.

Cayetano defended his group’s boycott as a form of “protest” designed to block opposing senators from seizing leadership of the chamber. The 11 lawmakers who oppose Cayetano condemned his actions and demanded his resignation.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. urged the missing senators to return immediately to their duties, warning that the legislative gridlock would block critical laws needed to address an energy crisis triggered by Middle Eastern conflicts affecting the impoverished nation.

The stalemate broke when Sen. Francis Escudero, who had previously supported Cayetano, appeared at the Senate to establish the minimum attendance required for official business before lawmakers begin a scheduled multi-week break.

“The current impasse in the Senate is untenable and unacceptable,” Escudero stated, noting that “political divisions” had “become too extreme” for the chamber to operate effectively.

Writing on Facebook, Cayetano insisted he continues to hold the Senate presidency and declared that he and his remaining supporters would reject any committee leadership changes implemented by opposing senators on Wednesday.

The Marcos administration issued a statement backing Sen. Win Gatchalian, whom anti-Cayetano senators named as temporary Senate leader. “What happened in the Senate…was based on the law and the rule of law,” the administration declared.

Cayetano’s opponents accused him of desperately supporting two missing allies — Ronald dela Rosa and Jinggoy Estrada — to preserve his narrow majority leadership.

Dela Rosa, who previously served as national police chief, has gone into hiding following an International Criminal Court arrest warrant naming him as a co-conspirator with former President Rodrigo Duterte, who faces trial in The Hague for alleged crimes against humanity. Both men deny authorizing extrajudicial executions.

Estrada was taken into custody at the Senate on Monday on corruption allegations connected to a flood control project. He maintains his innocence and remains jailed pending trial.

Cayetano maintains ties to the former president, whose daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, has blamed Marcos and his government for the “kidnapping” of her father by police and his transfer to the international court.

Senate leadership control carries significant weight as the chamber prepares to begin the July trial of Sara Duterte, who was impeached as vice president last month by the House of Representatives, which is controlled by Marcos supporters.

The vice president, who has announced plans to run for president in 2028, faces impeachment on criminal allegations including unexplained wealth and publicly threatening to assassinate the president — charges she denies but has declined to address comprehensively.

Canada’s federal government has ordered its telecommunications regulator to abandon a controversial decision that would have significantly increased financial obligations for American streaming platforms like Netflix to fund Canadian programming, according to an announcement Wednesday from the country’s culture minister.

Culture Minister Marc Miller announced that instead of implementing the fee structure, the government plans to invest hundreds of millions of dollars directly into the entertainment industry.

The policy reversal follows intense lobbying from the Motion Picture Association, which represents major streaming companies, urging Canadian leadership to reconsider the approach. U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra had also pressed for the policy to be withdrawn.

The about-face occurs during ongoing negotiations between Canada and the United States regarding potential renewal of the trilateral trade pact that includes Mexico.

In May, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission — Canada’s counterpart to America’s Federal Communications Commission — announced it would mandate major streaming platforms contribute 15% of their Canadian earnings to domestic content production. The requirement was part of implementing the Online Streaming Act.

When questioned about whether the reversal represented another compromise to American interests, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Wednesday that officials were considering the financial impact on Canadian consumers.

“It is another step to reinforce affordability for Canadians. This is not the time to raise the costs for Canadians,” he stated.

U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra praised the government’s decision on social media.

“American firms want to invest in Canada’s creative sector, and a fair, nonburdensome framework makes that possible,” Hoekstra wrote online.

Culture Minister Miller told media in Ottawa that American identification of the Online Streaming Act as a trade concern was not the sole factor behind the government’s request for the CRTC to reverse direction.

“We’re impatient to make sure that the (streaming) sector stays vital and stays supported, and that’s why we’re making that investment of $600 million Canadian (US$432 million) into the industry,” Miller explained.

The policy change has drawn criticism from some quarters.

Kyle Irving, chair of the board of the Canadian Media Producers Association, expressed concern in a statement, saying the board was still analyzing the development but “we are concerned that the federal government has sold out Canadian culture in favor of big U.S. tech interests.”

Irving questioned whether American streaming services, which earn “tens of billions” from Canadian subscribers, should be obligated to support Canadian storytellers producing domestic content.

Lebanon and Israel have reached a ceasefire agreement following diplomatic talks in Washington, the State Department announced Wednesday in a joint statement involving the United States.

The breakthrough came after negotiations between the two nations were facilitated by American officials in the nation’s capital.

SANTIAGO, Chile — Violent confrontations erupted between law enforcement and thousands of demonstrators in Chile’s capital city Wednesday as crowds gathered to oppose President José Antonio Kast’s proposed education budget reductions and cost-cutting policies.

The ultraconservative leader, who assumed the presidency on March 11, has committed to slashing approximately $6 billion from government expenditures within an 18-month timeframe to strengthen the nation’s financial position. His administration’s sweeping austerity strategy includes implementing close to a 3% reduction in funding for every government department.

These policies have faced opposition not just from rival political parties, but also from certain groups within Kast’s own governing alliance.

The demonstration was coordinated by the Confederation of Chilean Students with backing from various groups, including the Teachers’ Union, secondary school student associations, and feminist groups.

While the protest started without incident, the situation deteriorated when confrontations erupted between demonstrators and law enforcement. Police deployed water cannons and tear gas to break up the crowds, as some participants hurled stones and other projectiles. Traffic was disrupted on numerous streets and several subway stations shut down operations.

“The government sought to provoke this, to create this situation to justify repression,” Mario Aguilar, president of the Chilean Teachers’ Union, said.

Participants also voiced opposition to the administration’s National Reconstruction bill, an extensive legislative package designed to decrease government expenditures, stimulate investment and strengthen Chile’s economic performance.

The legislation, referred to as the “mega-reform” bill, received approval from the Chamber of Deputies in late May and will now move to Senate consideration.

“They want to silence us, but we are not going to stop,” said Magdalena Correa, a 21-year-old student. “They’re taking away our resources and rights, and we have to fight back.”

Neither police nor government representatives have issued statements regarding the confrontations. Nevertheless, Associated Press reporters witnessed no fewer than twelve arrests and multiple injuries throughout the disturbances.

Canada’s federal government has given the green light to relocate the final group of captive marine mammals from a closed Ontario theme park to facilities in the United States and Spain, potentially preventing the animals from being euthanized.

Thirty-four marine mammals remain at the former Marineland attraction in Niagara Falls, Ontario — consisting of 30 beluga whales and four dolphins. The park was listed for sale in early 2023 and shut its doors to visitors during late summer 2024, though no buyer has been announced.

Since closing, the former entertainment venue has been working to relocate its remaining animal population while attempting to sell the extensive grounds located near Horseshoe Falls.

In 2024, Marineland faced conviction under Ontario’s animal cruelty statutes in connection with the treatment of three black bears.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has approved initial permits for the whale transfer and plans to issue additional authorization documents as the relocation approaches in the coming months. Recent permits were granted under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, known as CITES permits.

“I think this is a positive step forward,” said Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson. “There’s still more work to be done, but it’s a step forward.”

Since 2019, twenty marine mammals have perished at Marineland — including 19 beluga whales and one killer whale — based on provincial records obtained through freedom-of-information requests and official announcements.

Thompson’s department stated it is working alongside the Canada Border Services Agency, Health Canada and other government branches to “ensure all requirements are met for a safe and timely transfer.”

The park stated it remains “fully committed to the safe and timely relocation of our beluga whales, and we want to be clear: this is our top priority.”

“Relocating these animals is an extraordinarily complex undertaking,” the facility said in its statement.

Officials have not determined whether taxpayer funding will support the whale relocation effort.

The marine mammals are destined for five different facilities: Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, SeaWorld locations in San Antonio and San Diego, and Oceanografic Valencia.

Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut, which received five beluga whales from Marineland in 2021, will assist with the current transfer, according to the American consortium.

John Holer, who founded Marineland, passed away in 2018. His widow, Marie Holer, assumed control of park operations and listed it for sale in 2023 before her death in 2024.

The estate has been working to dismantle the attraction, which included roller-coasters and various amusement rides.

A toddler has died from wounds suffered when powerful winds launched a bouncy castle into the sky during a church gathering at a Montreal park over the weekend.

The 3-year-old girl was among eleven people hurt when strong gusts sent the inflatable structure and a tent flying through the air on May 31 at Parc Ouellet in LaSalle, a southwestern Montreal borough, according to emergency medical officials. Six of those injured required hospitalization.

Weather officials from Environment Canada reported wind speeds reached 50 kilometers per hour (31 miles per hour) during Sunday afternoon’s church event.

Coroner Martine Lachance will examine what led to the fatal incident.

Cathy Denis, who owns a Quebec-based inflatable rental business, explained she refuses to set up or operate bounce houses when weather forecasts predict winds above 38 kilometers per hour (24 miles per hour).

“That limit is important because inflatables present a large surface area and sudden gusts can move the structures, even when they are properly installed,” she said.

This tragedy follows a pattern of similar fatal incidents worldwide. A fair in Mislata, near Valencia, Spain claimed the life of an 8-year-old girl in 2022 when winds hurled a bouncy castle several meters high, also injuring eight other children who needed medical care.

Tasmania’s Hillcrest Primary School in Devonport witnessed an even deadlier accident in 2021 when wind gusts lifted a jumping castle approximately 10 meters (33 feet) into the air during an end-of-year event, killing six children and seriously injuring three others.

A 2017 incident in Caldes de Malavella, northeastern Spain, resulted in one 6-year-old girl’s death and six other children’s injuries when an inflatable structure broke free from its anchors and became airborne. Authorities investigated whether faulty anchoring or equipment failure caused that accident.

Health Canada recommends that inflatable structure operators properly secure their equipment to prevent movement, tipping, or becoming airborne.

Research from the Public Health Agency of Canada documented 674 inflatable attraction injuries reported through the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program from 1990 to 2009. Children ages 2 through 9 suffered the majority of injuries, with fractures making up more than one-third of all reported cases.

Additional research conducted by Toronto Metropolitan University scholars found that inflatable structures caused 42% of amusement ride injuries recorded in a U.S. injury tracking database during 2010 — exceeding any mechanical ride category.

Study lead researcher Kathryn Woodcock supported Health Canada’s operator guidelines while emphasizing that inflatable structures should remain unused when weather conditions, including strong winds, surpass manufacturer safety standards.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un toured a recently opened facility that produces nuclear materials and demanded a dramatic buildup of the nation’s nuclear weapons program, according to state media reports released Thursday.

The leader stated that the facility’s capacity to produce weapons-grade nuclear materials has more than doubled during the past five years, and he directed officials to boost production even further to achieve the country’s long-range strategic objectives.

State media KCNA reported that Kim received briefings about new manufacturing methods that use more sophisticated technology and examined current production goals along with upcoming plans during his facility tour.

The leader justified the weapons expansion by pointing to what he described as increasing security dangers and ongoing confrontation with adversarial nations, while restating the country’s commitment to continuously strengthening its nuclear deterrent capabilities.

According to KCNA, officials held an important strategy session the same day focused on strengthening nuclear capabilities, where Kim provided direction for speeding up both the quality and quantity improvements to North Korea’s nuclear weapons stockpile.

Kim announced that the nation had reached “responsible and significant decisions,” which included establishing the timeline and protective measures for implementing what he characterized as an extensive strategy to boost nuclear capabilities “exponentially.”

The leader declared that North Korea had “set a transformative milestone for the advancement of nuclear capabilities.”

WASHINGTON – As the 37th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square incident approaches, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared Wednesday that China’s efforts to suppress information cannot eliminate the historical memory of the 1989 events where peaceful protesters were attacked.

Speaking in advance of the June 4th anniversary, Rubio issued a statement commemorating the date when Chinese Communist Party forces were directed to assault thousands of peaceful demonstrators in the Tiananmen Square area and surrounding locations.

“On June 4, the world marks 37 years since the Chinese Communist Party ordered its troops to attack thousands of peaceful demonstrators in and around Tiananmen Square,” Rubio said in a statement.

The Secretary of State emphasized that attempts to silence discussion of the events would ultimately fail. “No amount of censorship can erase the past. Those who sacrificed to uphold their unalienable rights of free expression and peaceful assembly will be vindicated someday,” Rubio said.

A major Spanish hospitality company has become the latest international business to pull back from Cuba’s struggling tourism market, shuttering nearly half of its island operations amid escalating U.S. economic pressure.

Meliá will end operations at 15 of its 34 Cuban properties, according to the state-run website Cubadebate, delivering another significant setback to the Caribbean nation’s critical tourism industry that has been in steep decline since reaching its highest point in 2018.

The hospitality company cited “a sense of corporate responsibility and external factors that have significantly affected the operation, legality and security of these establishments” as reasons for the May 26 decision, according to Wednesday’s report.

The announcement came just weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order broadening economic restrictions against Cuba. The sanctions primarily focused on Grupo de Administración Empresarial S.A., a business conglomerate run by the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces, which the U.S. characterized as a national security threat.

The presidential directive freezes foreign company assets, seizes their U.S. accounts and bans travel by their shareholders, investors and staff members, effectively cutting off their access to American financial systems.

GAESA, the Cuban business empire established in the 1990s, controls numerous enterprises ranging from vehicle rental services and retail outlets to transportation firms. The conglomerate partners with Meliá in hotel operations through its subsidiary company, Gaviota.

The Spanish firm represents one of Cuba’s most significant tourism industry allies. Before this partial exit, the company managed approximately 14,000 hotel rooms across the island.

Companies from Spain and Canada represent the largest foreign investors in Cuba’s hospitality industry, according to Lee Schlenker, a research associate at the Quincy Institute’s Global South program, a Washington think tank.

“With the lack of international tourism, the fuel shortages, and just the broader decline since COVID…I’m sure that these companies will be rethinking their operations in Cuba with major implications for the people of Cuba, not just GAESA,” he said. “There are thousands of Cubans who work in these hotels.”

Many of the properties Meliá abandoned in scenic locations including Varadero, Cayo Santa María and Jardines del Rey resort areas “were already closed and inactive due to energy problems and the drop in demand in Cuba,” Cubadebate reported.

Cuban officials have attributed prolonged power outages, water shortages, supply chain issues, healthcare system problems and widespread daily life disruptions to the U.S. energy blockade.

Workers in Cuba’s deteriorating tourism industry expressed dismay over Meliá’s decision.

“It’s going to affect us, our families, and everyone involved in tourism. Our pay and income depend on this,” said Erich López, a driver of a green 1950s Dodge who has been driving for two decades to support his family.

For Carlos Luis Carbonel, a 62-year-old parking attendant who works in front of the giant Meliá Cohiba hotel in Havana, the situation “is going to be a blow.”

“This is terrible for everyone: for tour guides, for parking attendants, for hotel workers, for everyone,” he said.

Additional major hospitality brands including Canadian-owned Royalton and Spain’s Iberostar have reduced or halted their Cuban operations within the past week.

Cuban tourism, which peaked at 4.3 million visitors in 2019, experienced a dramatic decline in first-quarter arrivals this year, dropping 48% compared to the same timeframe in 2025.

Just 298,000 tourists visited Cuba during January, February and March, down from 573,300 international visitors in the corresponding period last year, government statistics show.

On Wednesday, workers removed the massive, recognizable signage from the Royalton Paseo del Prado hotel at Old Havana’s entrance, The Associated Press confirmed during a site visit. The 500-room Iberostar Selection — also called Tower K — the most contemporary and upscale hotel scheduled to debut in 2025, towering more than 150 meters (490 feet) high, has remained shuttered for several days.

Air carriers including World2Fly, Air France and Iberia have scrapped flights to and from Cuba.

Cuba’s Central Bank also announced Wednesday that Visa and MasterCard services on the island would be halted after foreign entities ended their relationships with FINCIMEX S.A., a Cuban financial agency connected to GAESA.

Last month, Canadian mining company Sherritt International Corp. signed a preliminary deal with Gillon Capital LLC, a family office tied to a former Trump adviser, to divest its ownership in a Cuban mining operation.

In late January, Trump warned of potential tariffs against any nation that sells or provides oil to Cuba, as his administration pushes for political and governmental changes. This action has intensified a crisis stemming from seven decades of U.S. economic restrictions.

Despite earlier talks between U.S. and Cuban representatives this year, relations have deteriorated. In late May, former President Raúl Castro faced charges in a U.S. indictment for his alleged involvement in shooting down two civilian planes flown by Miami-based exiles in 1996 over Cuban waters.

TIRANA, Albania (AP) — A large-scale beachfront development project connected to Jared Kushner, who is married to U.S. President Donald Trump’s daughter, is encountering mounting opposition from demonstrators in Albania.

Officials say the coastal development would dramatically transform the former communist country as it works to break into luxury tourism markets and pursues membership in the European Union.

However, the project — which covers an uninhabited island and adjacent waterfront property along Albania’s southern shoreline — has sparked backlash from environmental activists and opponents of longtime Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama.

The high-end development consists of two parts: a beachfront project in the Narta Lagoon region, which serves as a protected wildlife area, and a smaller vacation complex on the nearby deserted island of Sazan, formerly a military installation during communist times.

The proposed construction of hotels, residential units, luxury homes and a boat harbor is connected to Kushner and Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump.

During a recent interview with U.S. podcaster David Senra, Ivanka Trump explained they stumbled upon the location unexpectedly.

“We were on a friend’s boat, and we stopped for a swim. Effectively, that’s how we found it,” she said. “We swam to the island. We went on a hike, barefoot all the way up to the top, and we were just captivated.”

An investment company connected to Kushner has received special investor designation from Albanian officials.

Albania possesses 450 kilometers (280 miles) of shoreline that stayed mostly untouched throughout decades of strict communist governance.

Demonstration groups worry that portions of this unspoiled coastline might be acquired by influential investors. Public outrage intensified after footage emerged showing an activist being pulled by private security personnel during a demonstration at the location.

The construction is scheduled within a protected natural area and one of Albania’s most important ecological regions, serving as a crucial rest stop for migrating birds traveling the Adriatic shoreline.

Demonstrators have displayed cardboard replicas of pink flamingos, representing one of the protected migrating bird types, during gatherings in the capital Tirana.

Beginning in late May, bulldozers and additional heavy equipment have moved into the region, creating entry paths, excavating sand, removing vegetation among pine forests and putting up barriers.

Environmental organizations from Albania and other European nations have denounced the activity, with one notable local organization alleging that historically protected ecosystems are being “irreversibly destroyed.”

Albania’s national anti-corruption office has verified it launched an inquiry regarding the project but has not revealed specifics.

Officials state the property designated for the project is under private ownership. However, conflicting claims have surfaced challenging the privatization process — a typical form of legal disagreement.

Rama has endorsed the project, stating it would support Albania’s goal to become a leading international tourism location.

“Albania should not be a country that fears an extraordinary project like this one, where exceptional partners have come together to invest 4 billion euros ($4.6 billion),” Rama said.

He added: “There is no chance for this investment to stop as long as I am here.”

Nevertheless, the collapse of a comparable project in Serbia provides a warning example. In November, Serbia’s Parliament approved special legislation to allow construction of a luxury development in the capital, Belgrade, to be funded by an investment firm connected to Kushner.

The next month, Serbia’s prosecutor for organized crime filed charges against four individuals, including a government minister, for misuse of authority and document falsification to help facilitate the development.

Kushner subsequently pulled out of the planned multi-million investment that would have replaced an extensive bombed military facility, a recognized heritage site whose legal protections were removed by the former officials now facing trial.