Reuters

MALMO, Sweden (Reuters) - Eurovision 2024 began in the Swedish city of Malmo on Sunday when 37 contenders walked the "Turquoise Carpet" amid heightened security and calls for boycotts due to Israel's participation.

The 68th version of the song contest, which is always billed as non-political, is taking place against the backdrop of the devastating Israeli military campaign in Gaza, triggered by Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

Much focus... (continue reading...)

By Georgina McCartney

HOUSTON (Reuters) - As Big Oil returns this week to the industry's annual showcase for offshore energy projects and equipment in Houston, deepwater discoveries off Guyana, Namibia and the U.S. Gulf Coast will take the spotlight.

Offshore exploration had dimmed after the U.S. shale boom ushered in new and cheaper-to-tap supplies of oil, and as past offshore cost overruns pushed deepwater projects onto the industry's... (continue reading...)

By Rich McKay

(Reuters) - Los Angeles police in riot gear swarmed a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Southern California early on Sunday to clear away demonstrators, after warning everyone to leave the area or be arrested, officials and media reported.

"If you are in the center of campus, please leave," police said on the social media site X. "People who don’t leave will be arrested. We will issue another alert when it is... (continue reading...)

By Ruma Paul

DHAKA (Reuters) - Schools in Bangladesh reopened on Sunday and classes were continuing over the weekend after a searing heatwave a week ago that suspended lessons as the country baked in temperatures that surged to well over 40 degrees Centigrade.

Bangladesh has wavered over reopening schools for some 33 million students amid pressure to prepare pupils for exams, even as the worst heatwave in seven decades sent temperatures... (continue reading...)

By Ariba Shahid

KARACHI (Reuters) - An International Monetary Fund mission is expected to visit Pakistan this month to discuss a new programme, the lender said on Sunday ahead of Islamabad beginning its annual budget-making process for the next financial year.

Pakistan last month completed a short-term $3 billion programme, which helped stave off sovereign default, but the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has stressed the need... (continue reading...)