SWITZERLAND: The daughter of former president of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov was facing a trial in absentia today in connection with alleged bribery and money laundering involving assets worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Gulnara Karimova is behind bars in Uzbekistan as the trial opens in a Swiss federal criminal court in Bellinzona.

Prosecutors accuse Ms Karimova of depositing hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of funds “of criminal origin” in Switzerland and abroad.

CANADA: Prime Minister Mark Carney announced today that the country is developing a new government-owned fund to invest in major Canadian industrial projects, such as energy, infrastructure, mining, agriculture and technology.

The prime minister said the federal government will put up funds alongside private investors. The money will help fund projects Mr Carney’s government is focused on building as Canada seeks to diversify away from the United States.

“We take a lesson from other jurisdictions that had the foresight many decades ago to start sovereign wealth funds,” Mr Carney said.

SOMALIA: A cargo vessel carrying cement was hijacked off the coast today, maritime security officials said.

The ship was seized off the coastal town of Garacad, according to an operations officer from the Maritime Police Force, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The vessel had departed from Egypt and was heading to the Kenyan port city of Mombasa. It was not possible to verify how many people were on board the vessel.

DR CONGO: The government announced the creation of a paramilitary guard today to secure its vast mining operations, backed by US and Emirati investments, as Washington tries to lock in access to critical minerals.

The new unit will be deployed gradually, with an initial 2,500 to 3,000 personnel expected to be operational by December following six months of training in military collaboration.

The paramilitary force is projected to have more than 20,000 personnel across all of Congo’s 22 mining provinces by the end of 2028.

VATICAN: Pope Leo XIV prayed in the Vatican with Britain’s Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, today and vowed to keep working to overcome differences “no matter how intractable they may appear.”

The encounter would have been unthinkable just a few years ago, given the divisions between their two churches over women’s ordination.

Leo acknowledged that “new problems” in their relationship had been added onto “historically divisive issues.” But he nevertheless vowed to continue the tradition of past popes to continue to try to reunite the churches.