People have been killed in two shootings Thursday at a university hospital and a nearby home in the Dutch port city of Rotterdam, police said, but they did not immediately announce the number of victims. Rotterdam police said on X, formerly Twitter, that they were informing next of kin before releasing any more details. A suspect had been arrested after the shootings at the Erasmus Medical Center and the nearby apartment. Also read: Shootings kill 8 within a week in U.S., prompting renewed concern over gun violence Fire also broke out at both locations, local authorities said. Earlier Thursday, police had said that a man wearing military clothing and carrying a handgun had opened fire in a classroom at the university hospital, wounding one person. They also reported a shooting earlier at the home nearby. Also read: Authorities say 4 people dead in shooting at California biker bar Police said they had arrested a 32-year-old man under the hospital's helipad and said that the Rotterdam resident was a suspect in both shootings. They said they did not believe any other shooters were involved. No motive was immediately announced for Thursday's shootings. Also read: U.S. records over 400 mass shootings so far in 2023 The Erasmus Medical Center appealed on social media for people not to go to the hospital. There have been scores of small explosions and at homes and businesses across Rotterdam this year, blamed on rival drug gangs.

Six young people argued that governments across Europe aren't doing enough to protect people from climate change at the European Court of Human Rights on Wednesday in the latest and largest instance of activists taking governments to court to force climate action. Legal teams for the 32 nations — which includes the 27 EU member countries, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Norway, Russia and Turkey — questioned the admissibility of the case as well as the claim that the plaintiffs are victims of climate change harm. But lawyers representing the young adults and children from Portugal said the nations they're suing have failed to adequately address human-caused warming and therefore violated some of the group's fundamental rights. Barrister Sudhanshu Swaroop, a counsel for United Kingdom, said national governments understand the threat of climate change and its challenges and are determined to tackle it through international cooperation. He said the plaintiffs should have gone through national courts first, and stressed that since they are not nationals of the countries they are attacking, other than Portugal, the European Court of Human Rights cannot have jurisdiction. European Film Festival presents a true cultural collaboration between Bangladesh, EU: Dutch Ambassador "There was no attempt by the applicants to invoke, let alone exhaust domestic remedies," agreed Isabelle Niedlispacher, a legal expert for Belgium. Pleading on behalf of the young people, Alison Macdonald told the judges about the urgency to tackle the "biggest crisis that Europe and the world" have perhaps faced, and that they should play a bigger role in helping control planet-warming emissions. "It cannot be within a state's discretion whether or not to act to prevent catastrophic climate destruction," she said. Although there have been successful climate cases at national and regional levels — young environmentalists recently won a similar case in Montana — the activists' legal team said that because national jurisdictions did not go far enough to protect their rights, the group felt compelled to take the matter to the Strasbourg-based court. Arguing that their rights to life, to privacy and family life, and to be free from discrimination are being violated, the plaintiffs hope a favorable ruling will force governments to accelerate their climate efforts. "We've put forward evidence to show that it's within the power of states to do vastly more to adjust their emissions, and they are choosing not do it," lawyer Gerry Liston told The Associated Press at the start of the day-long hearing. The court's rulings are legally binding on member countries, and failure to comply makes authorities liable for hefty fines decided by the court. "This judgement would act like a binding treaty imposed by the court on the respondents, requiring them to rapidly accelerate their climate mitigation efforts," Liston said. "In legal terms, it would be a gamechanger." Bangladesh Judicial Service Association slams European Parliament for ‘interference’ Liston said a ruling in favor of the group would also help future climate cases taken at domestic level by providing guidance to national courts. But the plaintiffs — who are between 11 and 24 years of age and are not seeking financial compensation — will need to convince judges that they have been sufficiently affected to be considered as victims. The group will also need to prove to the courts that governments have a legal duty to make sure global warming is held to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) since pre-industrial times in line with the goals of the 2015 Paris climate agreement. "We have put forward evidence before the court that all of the respondents' state climate policies are aligned to 3 degrees (Celsius) of warming within the lifetime of the applicants, or in the case of some states, worse than that," Liston said. "No state has put forward evidence to counter that position." Science is on the activists' side. The world is way off track on limiting warming to 1.5 C, scientists say, with global average temperatures projected to rise by 2 to 4 degrees C (2.6 to 7.2 F) by 2100 on current trajectories of warming and emissions reductions plans. As the world warms, climate scientists predict more frequent and more extreme weather events, from heavier flooding and rainfall to prolonged droughts and heat waves and increasingly intense storms. Resolution moved by European Parliament disregards Odhikar’s error-ridden advocacy for radical forces, minority leader says The activists said climate change affects their daily lives and their studies, and damages both their physical and psychological well-being. They started judicial action in the wake of a series of deadly wildfires in central Portugal in 2017, where four of them live. "It's 43 degrees (109 F) one day, and the next it's hail, and that's dangerous because we can't predict what's going to happen," said 15-year-old André Oliveira, adding that the heat wave that hit Portugal in May hindered his schoolwork. Representing Portugal, Ricardo Matos questioned the "victim status" of the applicants, arguing that they have not established a direct link between states' emissions and the harm suffered because of the wildfires in their country. Matos insisted that because climate change has an impact on everyone, no one should be allowed victim status. It's the first climate case to be filed with the court. Two other climate cases — one by an association of Swiss senior women against Switzerland, the other by a French lawmaker against France — have been brought before the court since. Members of the Swiss association traveled to Strasbourg in support of the young Portuguese. They stood in front of the courthouse before the hearing, alongside a few dozens of other supporters. "I wish them a future, because they are very young," said Anne Mahrer, the group's co-president. "We probably won't be there to see it, but if we win, everybody wins." A decision is not expected for several months. It's still unclear whether the court will deliver its ruling on all three climate cases at the same time.

President Emmanuel Macron announced Sunday that France will end its military presence in Niger and pull its ambassador out of the country as a result of the coup that removed the democratically elected president. Niger's junta said in response that the announcement signals a “new step towards the sovereignty" of the country. "Imperialist and neo-colonialist forces are no longer welcome on our national territory. The new era of cooperation, based on mutual respect and sovereignty is already underway,” it said in a statement. The announcement was a significant, if expected, blow to France’s policy in Africa, with French troops having had to pull out of neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso in recent years after coups there. France had stationed thousands of troops in the Sahel region at the request of African leaders to fight Islamic extremist groups. Read: After castigating video games during riots, France’s Macron backpedals and showers them with praise France has maintained some 1,500 troops in Niger since the July coup, and had repeatedly refused an order by the new junta for its ambassador to leave, saying that France didn't recognize the coup leaders as legitimate. But tensions had mounted in recent weeks between France and Niger, a former French colony, and Macron said recently that French diplomats were surviving on military rations as they holed up in the embassy. Macron’s announcement came after the coup leaders issued a statement earlier Sunday that they were closing Niger’s airspace to French planes, commercial and military, so that the new leadership could “retake total control of its skies and its territory.″ The decision did not apply to other international aircraft. Ali Sekou Ramadan, an aide to Niger's deposed President Mohamed Bazoum, told The Associated Press that Bazoum requested that Macron withdraw the French ambassador, Sylvain Itte, “in order to reduce tension.” Read: Britain, France and Germany say they will keep their nuclear and missiles sanctions on Iran In an interview with the France-2 and TF1 television networks, Macron said he spoke to Bazoum on Sunday and told him that “France has decided to bring back its ambassador, and in the coming hours our ambassador and several diplomats will return to France." He added, "And we will put an end to our military cooperation with the Niger authorities because they don't want to fight against terrorism anymore.” He said the troops would be gradually pulled out, likely by the end of the year, in coordination with the coup leaders ‘’because we want it to take place peacefully.” He said France’s military presence was in response to a request from Niger’s government at the time. That military cooperation between France and Niger had been suspended since the coup, however. The junta leaders claimed Bazoum's government wasn’t doing enough to protect the country from the insurgency. The junta is now under sanctions by Western and regional African powers. Read: France, Germany ‘regret Bangladeshi court's decision regarding Adilur Rahman and ASM Nasiruddin’: Joint Statement Insa Garba Saidou, a local activist who assists Niger’s new military rulers with their communications, said they would continue to monitor developments until the French ambassador leaves the country. He also demanded a clear deadline for the withdrawal of the French troops. “This announcement from the French president announces the victory of the people of Niger. However, we are going to take it with a lot of reservation because I no longer believe in Mr. Macron,” said Saidou. The junta in August gave the French ambassador 48 hours to leave. After the deadline expired without France recalling him, the coup leaders then revoked his diplomatic immunity. In New York on Friday, the military government that seized power in Niger accused U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of obstructing the West African nation’s full participation at the U.N.’s annual meeting of world leaders in order to appease France and its allies. Experts say that after repeated military interventions in its former colonies in recent decades, the era of France as Africa’s “gendarme” may finally be over, as the continent's priorities shift. Read: Niger crisis deepens as France plans evacuation and coup leaders get support from neighboring juntas Andrew Lebovich, a research fellow with the Clingendael Institute, a think tank, said the decision marks both an acceptance of a “harsh reality for France in the region and may possibly put some limits on the U.S. deployments in Niger, though as we have seen, the U.S. and France have not followed exactly the same positionings in Niger.” Rida Lyammouri, a senior fellow at the Policy Center for the New South, a Morocco-based think tank, said Niger will feel the loss of French support in its fight against violent extremist groups. "France has been a reliable partner providing support to its operations and Niger simply doesn’t have an alternative to fill this void by the French, at least in short and mid term,” Lyammouri said. Macron last year withdrew French troops from Mali following tensions with the ruling junta after a 2020 coup, and more recently from Burkina Faso, for similar reasons. Both African countries had asked for the French forces to leave. France also suspended military operations with Central African Republic, accusing its government of failing to stop a “massive” anti-French disinformation campaign.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced several support measures for Ukraine, including military, economic and humanitarian assistance, while also pledging an additional show of diplomatic backing through steps intended to punish Russia over the war. “We’re continuing to impose costs on Russia and ensuring that those responsible for this illegal, unjustifiable invasion do not benefit from it,” Trudeau said Friday during a joint news conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Ottawa, the Canadian capital. Zelenskyy also addressed Canada's Parliament on Friday. He flew into Ottawa late Thursday after meetings with U.S. President Joe Biden and lawmakers in Washington. He spoke at the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday. Canada and Ukraine agreed to establish a working group with G7 partners to study seizure and forfeiture of Russian assets, including from the Russian Central Bank, Trudeau said. Read: With no end in sight for Ukraine war, Biden at UN says world must remain united against Russian aggression Canada also added 63 Russian individuals and entities to the country’s sanctions list, including "those complicit in the kidnapping of children and the spreading of disinformation,” Trudeau said. Canada’s pledge to stand with Ukraine will include $650 million in new military assistance over the next three years, Trudeau said. Canada will provide Ukraine with 50 armored vehicles, including armored medical evacuation vehicles built in London, Ontario. Pilot and maintenance instructors for F-16 fighter jets, support for Leopard 2 battle tank maintenance, 35 drones with high-resolution cameras, light vehicles and ammunition are part of the intended support package, Trudeau said. The multiyear support also will include a financial contribution to a U.K.-led consortium delivering air defense equipment to Ukraine, Trudeau said. Canada’s monetary support will continue into the 2024 fiscal year, while the governments also have signed a free trade agreement, Trudeau said. Read: US defense chief urges nations to dig deep and give Ukraine more much-needed air defense systems Other assistance for nongovernmental organizations and Ukraine’s government will include measures to improve “cyber resilience,” rebuild local infrastructure and assist farmers. Canada also plans to contribute funds for Ukraine’s national war memorial and money to increase the availability of mental health support at the appropriate time, he said. “We stand here absolutely united in our defense of democracy and our condemnation of (Russian President) Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked, unjustified and unconscionable invasion of Ukraine,” Trudeau said. Read more: Heading for UN, Ukraine's president questions why Russia still has a place there

President Joe Biden made his case before the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday that the world must remain united in defending Ukraine against Russian aggression, warning that no nation can be secure if "we allow Ukraine to be carved up" as he tries to rally support for Kyiv's effort to repel a nearly 19-month-old Russian invasion that has no end in sight. The U.S. president called on world leaders to not let support for Ukraine diminish, arguing that Russia is counting on countries to grow tired of prolonged conflict in Kyiv which will "allow it to brutalize Ukraine without consequence." Russia alone is standing in the way of a resolution, Biden argued, saying that Moscow's price for peace was "Ukraine's capitulation, Ukraine's territory and Ukraine's children." "I ask you this: If we abandon the core principles of the United States to appease an aggressor, can any member state in this body feel confident that they are protected?" Biden said in his address. "If we allow Ukraine to be carved up, is the independence of any nation secure? US House of Representatives to open Biden impeachment inquiry He continued: "I'd respectfully suggest the answer is no." The president's forceful rhetoric on Ukraine appeared aimed not just for a global audience but for Washington, where an increasingly isolationist strain of the Republican Party is jeopardizing the prospects of the U.S. successfully replenishing the steady flow of aid that has gone to Kyiv since the war began in February 2022. The Biden administration has asked Congress to greenlight an additional $24 billion in security and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, but Republicans who control the House have all but ignored that request as lawmakers scramble to ensure government funding remains flowing beyond the end of September. Animated by the views of former President Donald Trump, a vocal faction of House Republicans remain steadfastly opposed to more Ukraine aid, even as other GOP lawmakers, primarily in the Senate, continue to advocate support for Kyiv to dissuade Russia from spreading its attacks beyond Ukraine's borders. "We have to stand up to this naked aggression today and deter other would-be aggressors tomorrow," Biden said in his U.N. address. "That's why the United States - together with our allies and partners around the world — will continue to stand with the brave people of Ukraine as they defend their sovereignty and territorial integrity and their freedom." Other senior members of the Biden administration were making their case on Tuesday, as Defense Secretary Lloyd Austinpushed allied defense leaders in remarks at Ramstein Air Base in Germany to "dig deep" and provide more air defense systems for Ukraine to help the country wage its counteroffensive. Indeed, the broader message is intended to resonate beyond Moscow and even Capitol Hill. Washington remains on guard against Chinese aggression in the South China Sea, where competing territorial claims have caused tension in the region. Beijing also wants to reunite the mainland with the self-governing island of Taiwan, a goal that raises the prospect of another war. Your achievements are very impressive: Biden tells PM Hasina During his address, Biden described the partnerships that the U.S. government was fostering around the globe — from Africa to the Indo-Pacific — that he said were creating economic, security and other advancements, even as he stressed that those relationships were not about "containing any country" — a clear reference to Beijing. "When it comes to China, let me be clear and consistent," Biden said. "We seek to responsibly manage competition between our countries so it does not tip into conflict. I've said we are for de-risking — not decoupling — with China." Biden emphasized that Beijing and Washington need to cooperate on climate, and referenced recent natural disasters — devastating heat waves, droughts and floods around the globe — as part of a "snapshot" that tells the "urgent story of what awaits us if we fail to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and begin to climate-proof the world." Despite his own emphasis on climate as a priority, Biden does not plan to attend a special summit on climate that U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres will host on Wednesday, where countries are encouraged to bring new ideas and proposals on how to further cut emissions and combat climate change. Officials played down Biden's absence at the climate summit, and said John Kerry, the U.S. climate envoy, will attend in Biden's place. In his 30-minute address, Biden also repeatedly emphasized the value of institutions such as the United Nations and international coalitions that has helped the world confront significant challenges such as poverty and disease, as well as echoing his defense of democracy, a common theme of his presidency. Biden has intention to build good relations with Bangladesh: Momen "We will not retreat from the values that make us strong," Biden said. "We will defend democracy — our best tool to meet the challenges that we face around the world. And we're working to show how democracy can deliver in ways that matter to people's lives." The annual forum was a chance for Biden to showcase to other world leaders — and the 2024 U.S. electorate — that he's reestablished U.S. leadership on the world stage that he says was diminished under Trump. There were some notable absences as Biden addressed the General Assembly: British Prime Rishi Sunak, French President Emmanuel Macron, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Putin — the leaders of the other permanent members of the U.N. Security Council — are all skipping the gathering. U.S. officials downplayed that fact and instead emphasized the importance that Biden attaches to showing up at the annual diplomatic forum. For Biden, the more important audience for Tuesday's speech could be closer to home as he looks to make the case to voters that he's skillfully handled a complicated foreign policy agenda and that the experience that comes with age has proved to be an asset. It's an argument that the 80-year-old Biden is likely to continue to make to counter skepticism — even in his own Democratic Party — among voters who are concerned about his age. After the speech, Biden sat down with Guterres, and later Tuesday met with leaders from the so-called C5 group of Central Asian nations, which include Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Saying the cooperation among the nations is at "new heights," Biden outlined several areas of collaboration including on critical minerals and disability rights. Xi has stepped up his own courting of those countries. During his own summit in May with the Central Asian leaders, Xi promised to build more railway and other trade links with the region and proposed jointly developing oil and gas sources. "We are stronger, and I genuinely believe the world is safer, when we stand together, our five nations," Biden said following the closed-door meeting with the leaders. Biden is scheduled to host talks Thursday at the White House with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Days before potentially crossing paths with Russia’s top diplomat at the United Nations, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested Monday that the world body needs to answer for allowing his country's invader a seat at the tables of power. "For us, it’s very important that all our words, all our messages, will be heard by our partners. And if in the United Nations still — it’s a pity, but still — there is a place for Russian terrorists, the question is not to me. I think it’s a question to all the members of the United Nations,” Zelenskyy said after visiting wounded Ukrainian military members at a New York hospital. He had just arrived in the U.S. to make his country’s case to the world and to Washington for continued help in trying to repel Russia’s invasion, nearly 19 months into what has become a grinding war. Russia says it is justified. Read: End the Ukraine war thru negotiations: PM Hasina tells Russian foreign minister Ukraine’s Western allies have supplied weapons and other assistance, and the U.S. Congress is currently weighing President Joe Biden’s request to provide as much as $24 billion more in military and humanitarian aid. U.S. lawmakers are increasingly divided over providing additional money to Ukraine. Zelenskyy is scheduled to spend some time Thursday on Capitol Hill and meet with Biden at the White House. Before that, Zelenskyy is due to address world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday and speak Wednesday at a U.N. Security Council meeting about Ukraine. Russia is a permanent, veto-wielding member of the council, and Foreign Minister Minister Sergey Lavrov is expected to make remarks. Asked whether he'd stay in the room to listen, Zelenskyy said, “I don't know how it will be, really.” Read: Putin, Erdogan set to meet amid efforts to repair Ukraine grain deal Zelenskyy has taken the United Nations to task before — even before the war launched by a neighbor that, as a Security Council member, is entrusted with maintaining international peace and security. In one memorable example, he lamented at the General Assembly in 2021 that the U.N. was ”a retired superhero who's long forgotten how great they once were." Traveling to the U.S. for the first time since December, he began his trip with a stop at Staten Island University Hospital. The medical facility has, to date, treated 18 Ukrainian military members who lost limbs in the war, said Michael J. Dowling, the CEO of hospital parent company Northwell Health. With help from a New Jersey-based charity called Kind Deeds, the injured have gotten fitted for prostheses and are undergoing outpatient physical therapy. Zelenskyy greeted several injured troops as they exercised in a rehab gym. He asked about their wounds, wished them a speedy recovery and thanked them for their service. “How are you doing? Is it difficult?” Zelenskyy asked one military member, who paused and then said it was OK. Read: Drones target 6 regions in biggest attack on Russia since troops sent to Ukraine, officials say “Stay strong,” Zelenskyy replied, later telling the group their country was grateful and proud of them. Later, in a hospital conference room, he awarded medals to the injured, posed for photos, signed a large Ukrainian flag and thanked medical personnel and the injured troops. “We all will be waiting for you back home,” he said. “We absolutely need every one of you.”  

French President Emmanuel Macron is extending an olive branch to video gamers after previously linking computer games to rioting that rocked France earlier this year. Posting on social media platform X, previously known as Twitter, Macron backpedaled on remarks in June where he blamed video games for having "intoxicated" some young rioters. Those comments dismayed some in the gaming community, even beyond France. Japanese game director Kastuhiro Harada tweeted in response that "blaming something is a great way to escape the burden of responsibility." France's Macron heckled by crowd angry over pensions Macron started his unusually lengthy post this weekend with a mea culpa, saying: "I startled gamers." He then sought to clarify his thinking and showered video games and the industry with praise. "Video games are an integral part of France," Macron declared. "I expressed my concerns at the end of June because delinquents had used video game habits to trivialize the violence on social networks," he said. "It is this violence that I condemn, not video games." Emotions high at French protests over Macron's pension plan The unrest started after the police shooting of Nahel Merzouk in the Paris suburb of Nanterre on June 27. The French-born 17-year-old of north African descent was stopped by two officers on motorbikes who subsequently alleged that he'd been driving dangerously. He died from a single shot through his left arm and chest. From Nanterre, violent protests quickly spread and morphed into generalized nationwide mayhem in cities, towns and even villages that was celebrated on social networks. In a government crisis meeting at the time, Macron accused social networks of playing "a considerable role" in the unrest and of fueling copycat violence and castigated video games. "Among the youngest (rioters), this leads to a sort of escape from reality. We sometimes have the feeling that some of them are living out, on the streets, the video games that have intoxicated them," Macron said. Macron's govt ignites firestorm of anger in France with unpopular pension reforms His latest post, however, struck an entirely different tone. "I have always considered that video games are an opportunity for France, for our youth and its future, for our jobs and our economy," he said. The industry "inspires, makes people dream, makes them grow!" Macron continued. He concluded: "You can count on me." Anger spreads in France over Macron's retirement bill push

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday that Turkey may part ways with the European Union, implying that the country is thinking about ending its bid to join the 27-nation bloc. “The EU is making efforts to sever ties with Turkey,” he told reporters before departing for the 78th U.N. General Assembly in New York. Also read: Turkey’s Erdogan turns away reform-minded challenger to win another term “We will evaluate the situation, and if needed we will part ways with the EU.” He was responding to a question about a recent report adopted by the European Parliament, which stated “the accession process cannot resume under the current circumstances, and calls on EU to explore ‘a parallel and realistic framework’ for EU-Türkiye relations.” Also read: Turkey's Erdogan retains power, now faces challenges over the economy and earthquake recovery Turkey applied to join the European Union in 1999, and accession talks began in 2005. Accession negotiations were frozen in 2018 because of “democratic backsliding,” according to the European Parliament. Also read: Incumbent Erdogan claims victory in Turkey’s presidential runoff Erdogan's statement on Saturday came more than a week after Turkey's foreign minister affirmed his country’s resolve to join the EU and urged the bloc to take courageous steps to advance its bid.

Britain, France and Germany announced Thursday they will keep their sanctions on Iran related to the Mideast country's atomic program and development of ballistic missiles. The measures were to expire in October under a timetable spelled out in the now defunct nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers. In a joint statement, the three European allies known as E3 and which had helped negotiate the nuclear deal, said they would retain their sanctions in a “direct response to Iran’s consistent and severe non-compliance” with the accord, also known by its official name as Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA. The measures ban Iran from developing ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons and bar anyone from buying, selling or transferring drones and missiles to and from Iran. They also include an asset freeze for several Iranian individuals and entities involved in the nuclear and ballistic missile program. Iran has violated the sanctions by developing and testing ballistic missiles and sending drones to Russia for its war on Ukraine. The sanctions will remain in place until Tehran “is fully compliant” with the deal, the E3 said. The sanctions, according to the accord from eight years ago, were to expire on Oct. 18. Iran's Foreign Ministry called the European decision an “illegal, provocative action” that will hamper cooperation, in comments quoted by the country's official news agency IRNA. “The actions of the European parties will definitely have negative effects on the efforts to manage the tension and create a suitable environment for more cooperation between the JCPOA parties,” the ministry said. The 2015 nuclear deal was meant to ensure that Iran could not develop atomic weapons. Under the accord, Tehran agreed to limit enrichment of uranium to levels necessary for nuclear power in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. Read: North Korea says it has deployed a new nuclear attack submarine to counter US naval power In 2018, then-President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled the United States out of the accord, saying he would negotiate a stronger deal, but that did not happen. Iran began breaking the terms a year later and is now enriching uranium to nearly weapons-grade levels, according to a report by the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog. Formal talks to try to find a roadmap to restart the deal collapsed in August 2022. The E3 have informed the European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, about their decision, the statement said. Borrell, in turn, said he had forwarded the E3 letter to other signatories of the 2015 deal — China, Russia and Iran. The development comes at a delicate moment as the United States is preparing to finalize a prisoner swap with Iran that would include the unfreezing of Iranian assets held in South Korean banks worth $6 billion. Iran’s mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment. U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters that Washington was in touch with the European allies over “the appropriate next steps.” “We are working closely with our European allies, including members, of course, of the E3, to address the continued threat that Iran poses including on missiles and arms transfers with the extensive range of unilateral and multilateral tools that are at our disposal," he said. Iran has long denied ever seeking nuclear weapons and continues to insist that its program is entirely for peaceful purposes, though Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog, has warned that Tehran has enough enriched uranium for “several” nuclear bombs if it chose to build them. Read: China bans seafood from Japan after the Fukushima nuclear plant begins its wastewater release Under the terms of the nuclear deal, a U.N. arms embargo against Tehran will expire on Oct. 18, after which countries that do not adopt similar sanctions on their own as the E3 — likely Russia and perhaps also China — will no longer be bound by the U.N. restrictions on Iran. However, Iran has lately slowed the pace at which it is enriching uranium, according to a report by the IAEA that was seen by The Associated Press earlier this month. That could be a sign Tehran is trying to ease tensions after years of strain between it and the U.S. “The decision makes sense,” Henry Rome, an analyst with the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said of the European decision. “The real question is how Iran will react. Given the broader de-escalation efforts underway, I would expect Iran not to act rashly, but we never know.” Read more: Putin profits off US and European reliance on Russian nuclear fuel

The Rolling Stones are back, and they've brought a few famous friends. "Hackney Diamonds," the band's first album of new songs in 18 years, features guest appearances from the likes of Lady Gaga, Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder. Poignantly, it also features Charlie Watts, the stalwart Stones drummer who died in 2021 after almost six decades in the band. His drumming, recorded in 2019, features on two of the album's dozen tracks, with Steve Jordan playing on the rest. Watts' absence lent a wistful note to the excitement of surviving Stones Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood when they came to east London's Hackney district on Wednesday to unveil the new album and announce its release date: Oct. 20. Read : No satisfaction: Jagger has COVID, Rolling Stones gig off Of Watts, Richards said: "Of course he's missed incredibly. But thanks to Charlie we have Steve Jordan, who was his recommendation if anything should happen to him." "It would have been a lot harder without Charlie's blessing," he said. The album reveal was executed with the swaggering showmanship the Stones are famous for. It followed a cryptic teaser campaign, in which a glittery, jagged version of the band's iconic mouth and tongue logo was projected onto the façade of landmarks in cities around the world, including New York, London and Paris. Hard-core fans lined up in a heatwave outside the Hackney Empire, where the band members were interviewed onstage by "The Tonight Show" host Jimmy Fallon in front of dozens of sweltering journalists and a global online audience. Inside the ornate former Edwardian musical hall where Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel once performed, Jagger, 80, Richards, 79 and Wood, 76 gave details of the Stones' first studio album of new songs since "A Bigger Bang" in 2005. The band released a set of blues covers, "Blue & Lonesome," in 2016. The lead single is called "Angry," but Jagger said not all the songs are furious. The album also contains "love songs, ballads, country-type" sounds, he said. Read : Rolling Stones return to stage, tour after Mick Jagger mends Recorded in December and January at studios around the world, the album sees the Stones team up with Grammy-winning producer Andrew Watt, who helped assemble the starry guest list, which also includes former Stone Bill Wyman. Jagger said Lady Gaga — who sings on "Sweet Sound of Heaven" — was recording in a next-door studio while the Stones were in Los Angeles and ended up on the album after she popped in to say hello. "She walked in next to me and we started singing together," Jagger told The Associated Press backstage. "She sang it live and then we went in and tidied it up a bit." The band screened the video for "Angry," which has a classic mid-tempo crunchy Stones sound. The clip features "Euphoria" star Sydney Sweeney, shown cruising LA's Sunset Boulevard in a red convertible, past billboards of the Stones from various eras. As to why the band waited almost two decades between albums, Richards said the timing was largely down to Jagger. "When you have a singer that wants to sing, you grab him and throw him in the studio," Richards told the AP. He said when they did get in the studio, the songs tumbled out with "energy and urgency." Jagger joked that the long gap between albums was due to laziness. "I don't want to be big-headed but we wouldn't have put this album out if we hadn't really liked it," he said. "We said we had to make a record we really love ourselves. Read : Why are fans throwing objects at favourite musicians on stage? Adele speaks out "We are quite pleased with it, we are not big headed about it, but we hope you all like it." "Hackney Diamonds" is a slang term for shattered glass, and the band also teased fans with an ad in the local Hackney Gazette newspaper for a fictional glass repair business: "When you say gimme shelter, we'll fix your shattered windows." Jagger said the phrase evoked "when you get your windscreen broken on Saturday night in Hackney and all the bits go on the street." Richards said the band hit upon the title after "flinging ideas around the table, and we went from 'Hit and Run,' 'Smash and Grab' — and somehow between that we came up with 'Hackney Diamonds.'" It was fitting, he said, because the Stones are a London band — though none of the members hails from Hackney. Brazilian fan Taric Fioravanti, from Sao Paulo, was one of many who lined up to get a glimpse of the band. "I love these guys," he said. "Keith Richards is one of the biggest guitar heroes in the history of rock music. "(And) they're 80 years old. Most bands have stopped making new music" by that age, he said. Founded in 1962, the Stones show no signs of planning to retire. The band played a 60th-anniversary tour of Europe in 2022, and Wood said they had an American tour "penciled in" for next year. Wood said retirement would be "impossible." "You've got to keep playing," he said.