Category: World

VATICAN CITY: Pope Leo discussed the “tragic situation in Gaza” during a meeting on Thursday with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and called for a permanent ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave, the Vatican said. The pontiff also called for the release of the remaining hostages held by the Palestinian militant group Hamas, the statement said, and… Continue reading Pope Leo raises ‘tragic situation in Gaza’ in meeting with Israeli president

ROME: Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani has died, the company said on Thursday. “With infinite sorrow, the Armani Group announces the passing of its creator, founder, and tireless driving force: Giorgio Armani,“ the fashion house said in a statement. Armani, who was 91, was synonymous with modern Italian style and elegance. He combined the flair… Continue reading Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani has died

KATHMANDU: Nepal said on Thursday it would block access to several social media platforms, including Facebook, after they failed to register with authorities in a crackdown on misuse. The government says users with fake IDs are spreading hatred and rumours, committing cyber crime, and disturbing social harmony via some platforms in a nation where 90%… Continue reading Nepal to block some social media including Facebook

ISTANBUL: Access to Google services was restored Thursday after a region-wide outage cut off millions of users across dozens of countries, with disruptions reported on platforms including YouTube, Gmail and Maps, Anadolu Ajansi reported. Monitoring site DownDetector said reports of outages surged around 10 am local time (0700GMT), as users struggled to access multiple Google… Continue reading Google services restored after outage hits millions across Europe

SANAA: UN staff arrested by Yemen’s Huthi rebels earlier this week are suspected of spying for Israel and the United States, a Huthi official told AFP Thursday on condition of anonymity. At least 11 United Nations workers were detained on Sunday after an Israeli air strike killed the Huthis’ prime minister and about half of… Continue reading UN staff held in Yemen suspected of spying for Israel: Huthi official

KABUL: Rescue workers on Thursday pulled bodies from the rubble of homes razed in Afghanistan’s earthquakes as the confirmed death toll topped 2,200, while homeless survivors faced a bleak future with global aid agencies warning of dwindling resources. Search operations continued in the quake-hit mountainous eastern areas, the Taliban administration said, announcing a new death… Continue reading Afghanistan earthquake death toll tops 2,200, survivors face aid crunch

BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping and Kim Jong Un met for talks in Beijing on Thursday, state media reported, while the North Korean leader is in China on a rare foreign visit. Kim and Russia’s Vladimir Putin flanked Xi at a massive parade of Chinese military might on Wednesday in Beijing, where underwater drones, massive… Continue reading China’s Xi holds talks with North Korea’s Kim in Beijing

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump’s surge of federal law enforcement into Washington, D.C., is exposing the FBI’s fleet of unmarked cars, potentially risking its ability to do its most sensitive national security and surveillance work, nine current and former employees of the bureau warned. The surge, which the White House has said is meant to crack… Continue reading FBI employees worry Trump’s Washington surge is exposing unmarked cars

WASHINGTON: Donald Trump’s administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday to swiftly hear a bid to preserve his sweeping tariffs pursued under a 1977 law meant for emergencies after a lower court invalidated most of the levies that have been central to the Republican president’s economic and trade agenda. The Justice Department appealed an… Continue reading Trump administration appeals tariffs ruling to US Supreme Court

VLADIVOSTOK (Russia): Russia has no plans to discuss any potential foreign military deployment in Ukraine in any format, calling it “unacceptable”, foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters on Thursday. She was commenting on remarks by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on plans to send European troops to Ukraine, a move, which was… Continue reading Russia rejects potential foreign military deployment in Ukraine

LIMA: A top Peruvian court has ordered the release of former President Martin Vizcarra while he awaits trial for allegedly taking bribes during his tenure as governor more than a decade ago. Vizcarra had been jailed last month ahead of his trial, where prosecutors have requested a 15-year sentence for the former leader. The court’s… Continue reading Peru court orders release of jailed ex-President Vizcarra

SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his country would “fully support” Russia’s army as a “fraternal duty”, and Russian President Vladimir Putin called the two countries’ ties “special”, state media KCNA reported on Thursday. Kim and Putin held a meeting on Wednesday on the sidelines of China’s celebrations to mark the formal surrender… Continue reading Kim Jong Un pledges full military support to Russia in Ukraine war

LIMA: A Peruvian court on Wednesday sentenced former President Alejandro Toledo to 13 years and four months in prison for money laundering, his second conviction in connection with widespread corruption. Toledo, 79, who was president from 2001 to 2006, was found guilty of using bribe money from the Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht, now known as… Continue reading Former Peruvian president Toledo gets second corruption sentence

WASHINGTON: The United States Department of Homeland Security has moved to end the Biden-era designation of Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelan migrants. A department spokesperson stated that Venezuela no longer meets the requirements for this protected immigration status. Temporary Protected Status provides work authorisation and deportation protection to migrants from countries experiencing disasters or conflicts.… Continue reading Trump administration ends Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans

MOSCOW: Russia’s defence ministry announced on Wednesday that its troops had captured approximately half of the Ukrainian city of Kupiansk in the northeastern Kharkiv region. Ukraine’s military immediately denied any such Russian advance in the strategically important city. Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield reports from either side regarding the situation in Kupiansk. The… Continue reading Russia claims capture of half of Kupiansk as Ukraine denies advance

CAIRO: Hamas reiterated on Wednesday that it is ready for a comprehensive Gaza deal through which all Israeli hostages are released in exchange for the release of an agreed upon number of Palestinian prisoners. The group’s remarks came shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump called on Hamas to release all 20 hostages. Israeli Prime Minister… Continue reading Hamas reaffirms readiness for Gaza deal following Trump remarks

SANA: Yemen’s Houthi-run Foreign Ministry declared that United Nations officials’ legal immunities must not protect espionage activities. This statement follows the detention of at least 18 United Nations personnel in the capital city by Houthi forces. The United Nations confirmed on Sunday that Houthi rebels raided its premises in Sanaa and detained staff members. United… Continue reading Yemen Houthis say UN immunities should not shield espionage activities

QUITO: An Ecuadorian judge has ordered pre-trial detention for two men accused of masterminding the 2023 assassination of anti-corruption presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio. The same ruling also requires a former government minister and another suspect, both currently in the United States, to report periodically to an Ecuadorian consulate. Villavicencio was the most prominent victim of… Continue reading Ecuador judge orders pre-trial detention in candidate murder plot

MEXICO CITY: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that security cooperation with Mexico was closer than it had ever been, during a visit to the country as the Trump administration pursues a sweeping crackdown on illegal immigration and drug cartels. The two countries vowed to work together against organized crime groups, several… Continue reading US and Mexico pledge closer security ties amid sovereignty concerns