Category: World

SAN FRANCISCO: A United States judge has granted preliminary approval to a settlement requiring artificial intelligence company Anthropic to pay $1.5 billion to resolve a class action lawsuit. The lawsuit accused Anthropic of building a library of pirated books to train its Claude AI chatbot. Anthropic deputy general counsel Aparna Sridhar expressed satisfaction with the… Continue reading US judge approves Anthropic’s $1.5 billion AI copyright settlement

UNITED NATIONS: US President Donald Trump has pledged to prevent Israel from annexing the West Bank while intensifying efforts to conclude the Gaza war. Trump made his declaration ahead of a significant visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who will speak at the United Nations and meet the US president in Washington. Israeli ministers… Continue reading Trump vows to block Israel annexation of West Bank amid Gaza talks

PARIS: Drone threats are presenting an increasingly difficult challenge for airports worldwide as the technology rapidly evolves. Russia’s recent airspace incursions have amplified these security concerns for aviation authorities. Denmark experienced multiple drone overflights at its airports this week in what the prime minister described as hybrid attacks. These incidents forced airport closures and heightened… Continue reading Drone threats pose growing problem for airports worldwide

WASHINGTON: United States President Donald Trump declared on Thursday that his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan understands “rigged elections better than anybody.” Trump made these remarks while drawing common ground with the leader frequently accused of autocratic behaviour. The American president, who falsely claims election fraud thwarted his 2020 presidential bid, noted that he and… Continue reading Trump praises Erdogan’s election knowledge amid rigging claims

HOUSTON: Alabama will execute a death row inmate using nitrogen gas on Thursday evening alongside a lethal injection in Texas. Geoffrey West faces execution at 6:00 pm US Central Time for murdering gas station clerk Margaret Berry during a 1997 robbery. The 50-year-old was convicted of killing Berry, a 33-year-old mother of two, in the… Continue reading Alabama and Texas to execute two inmates by nitrogen gas and lethal injection

JERUSALEM: The Israeli military announced on Thursday that 700,000 Palestinians have fled from Gaza City to the south since late August. This statement comes as Israel continues its intensive air and ground assault on the Palestinian territory’s main urban centre. When asked by AFP, the military confirmed that “700,000 Palestinians have evacuated” from Gaza City… Continue reading Israeli military says 700,000 Palestinians have evacuated Gaza City

GENEVA: The United Nations has warned that a new media regulation law in the Maldives will seriously undermine freedom of expression. UN rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani urged Maldivian authorities to repeal the legislation, which President Mohamed Muizzu ratified last week. The Media and Broadcasting Regulations Law establishes a regulatory commission with sweeping powers to… Continue reading UN urges Maldives to repeal new media law threatening press freedom

LYON: Interpol has announced the identification of a woman known only as “The Woman in Pink” after her body was discovered in Spain two decades ago. This case marks the latest success for the international police organisation’s “Identify Me” cold case campaign, which launched in 2023 to identify women found dead under suspicious circumstances across… Continue reading Interpol identifies ‘Woman in Pink’ as Russian national after 20-year mystery

HAMBURG: German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has declared that Europe is engaged in a “drone arms race” while highlighting the threat posed by a hostile Russia. His warning to parliament coincided with the German armed forces launching a three-day military exercise named “Red Storm Bravo” in the northern port city of Hamburg. The exercise is… Continue reading Germany warns Europe is in a drone arms race due to Russia threat

ABUJA: Nigeria’s Supreme Court has commenced hearings in a landmark blasphemy case that could determine the limits of sharia law in the country. The case involves Sufi Muslim musician Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, who received a death sentence from a sharia court in Kano state in 2020 for sharing song lyrics on WhatsApp. A Kano State High… Continue reading Nigeria Supreme Court hears WhatsApp blasphemy case challenging sharia law

ZURICH: Switzerland’s central bank has maintained its policy rate at zero percent while warning that substantial United States tariffs are negatively affecting the country’s export-reliant economy. The Swiss National Bank kept its economic growth projection for this year unchanged at between one and 1.5%. It revised its 2026 growth forecast down to “just under” one… Continue reading Swiss central bank holds zero rate as US tariffs threaten export economy

NEW YORK: Spotify has introduced new measures to promote transparency about artificial intelligence use in music while addressing potential abuses. The streaming platform now recommends that artists and publishers adopt a recently developed standard from the Digital Data Exchange consortium. This DDEX standard enables music tracks to be labelled according to whether they were created… Continue reading Spotify introduces AI transparency measures and new labelling system for music

SINGAPORE: Singapore has issued Meta a deadline of September 30 to take decisive action against a rising wave of scammers impersonating government officials on its platforms. According to the city-state’s government, Meta’s Facebook is the primary platform used by fraudsters conducting these scams, which have resulted in victims losing tens of millions of dollars. The… Continue reading Singapore gives Meta September 30 deadline on government impersonator scams

JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s aircraft adopted an unconventional flight path to New York for the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday. The plane deliberately bypassed several European nations despite France having authorised its use of French airspace. Flight-tracking data revealed the aircraft instead followed a southern trajectory over Greece and Italy. It then… Continue reading Netanyahu’s plane takes unusual route to UN summit, avoiding European airspace

PARIS: A Paris court has sentenced former French president Nicolas Sarkozy to five years in prison for criminal conspiracy related to alleged Libyan funding of his 2007 presidential campaign. The court ordered that Sarkozy be taken into custody at a later date, with prosecutors given one month to inform the former head of state when… Continue reading Former French president Sarkozy sentenced to five years in prison

MOSCOW: Russia has announced it will extend its ban on petrol exports until the end of 2025. The decision comes as Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil refineries have driven domestic fuel prices to a record high. The export ban, initially implemented in March, is designed to guarantee sufficient fuel supplies for the Russian domestic… Continue reading Russia extends petrol export ban until end of 2025 amid refinery strikes

SANTA CRUZ DAS FLORES: Hurricane Gabrielle is forecast to batter the Portuguese Azores archipelago on Thursday with winds of 200 kilometres per hour and waves higher than 10 metres. The Portuguese meteorological office stated that the archipelago will feel the first effects from late Thursday afternoon. Gabrielle, which was still classified as a Category 3… Continue reading Hurricane Gabrielle set to batter Azores with 200 kph winds and 10-metre waves

OSLO: Norwegian police have confiscated a drone operated by a foreign national near Oslo’s main airport. This seizure follows a series of drone-related flight disruptions that affected airports in both Norway and Denmark this week. A prosecutor with Norway’s police confirmed the incident occurred on Thursday. The male operator, who is in his 50s, was… Continue reading Norway police seize foreign-operated drone near Oslo airport

LONDON: Ticketmaster has agreed to implement more transparent pricing following an investigation into its sales practices for the Oasis reunion tour. Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority announced the decision after examining complaints about exorbitant costs faced by fans purchasing tickets for the highly anticipated concerts. The watchdog launched its probe last year over concerns that… Continue reading Ticketmaster agrees to clearer pricing after Oasis tour probe by UK watchdog

TOKYO: Japan’s international aid agency has cancelled a friendship exchange programme with African nations following the spread of false beliefs that it would lead to increased immigration. The Japan International Cooperation Agency announced it would scrap the “JICA Africa Hometown” initiative designed to foster cultural and social exchanges between four African countries and four regional… Continue reading Japan cancels Africa exchange programme over false immigration fears

TOKYO: Toyota has officially opened its new high-tech experimental village in Japan to road test future technologies. The project, called “Woven City”, serves as a real-life setting for trialling a wide range of inventions from flying taxis to robot pets and night-time escort drones. Approximately 360 Toyota employees and company affiliates will soon reside in… Continue reading Toyota opens high-tech Woven City as a living laboratory for future tech

BRUSSELS: The European Union has strongly criticised China’s newly announced targets for reducing planet-warming gases. Beijing revealed its first ever absolute climate targets at a United Nations summit, pledging to cut economy-wide emissions by 7-10% by 2035 relative to the year of its peak emissions, believed to be 2025. EU climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra stated… Continue reading EU climate chief criticises China’s emission targets as disappointing

NEW DELHI: India has finalised a $7 billion order for 97 domestically designed and built Tejas fighter jets to modernise its air force. The contract represents a significant step in India’s push for self-reliance in defence manufacturing as it retires its ageing Russian MiG-21 fleet. India’s Ministry of Defence confirmed the deal with state-owned Hindustan… Continue reading India signs $7 billion deal for 97 domestically made Tejas fighter jets

FRANKFURT: Germany must accelerate potentially painful economic reforms, experts warned on Thursday. This latest criticism highlights growing unease about Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s efforts to revive Europe’s largest struggling economy. Merz has promised to boost Germany’s economy through a debt-fuelled public spending programme focusing on defence and infrastructure. Geraldine Dany-Knedlik from the German Institute for Economic… Continue reading German experts urge faster economic reforms as growth prospects deteriorate

GENEVA: The World Trade Organization has welcomed China’s decision to stop requesting new special treatment in future negotiations. WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala described the move as a pivotal moment for the organisation and global trade. She stated that “China’s decision reflects a commitment to a more balanced and equitable global trading system.” Chinese Premier Li… Continue reading China to forego special WTO treatment in future trade negotiations

BRUSSELS: The European Commission has initiated an antitrust investigation into German software giant SAP over concerns about potential competition distortion. This probe focuses on whether SAP’s business practices have made it harder for rival companies to compete effectively in the market. EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera expressed concern that these practices could leave European customers… Continue reading EU opens antitrust probe into German software giant SAP over competition concerns

BELGRADE: Serbia’s efforts to combat violence against women are faltering due to a conservative backlash and alarming levels of digital abuse according to Europe’s human rights watchdog experts. The Group of Experts on Action Against Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence found little progress since their 2020 report despite Serbia ratifying the Istanbul Convention in… Continue reading Serbia women’s rights face backlash and online abuse, new report reveals

WASHINGTON: The White House has directed US federal agencies to prepare for potential mass firings should a government shutdown occur next week. A memo from the Office of Management and Budget, first reported by Politico, indicates the Trump administration plans to go beyond standard temporary furloughs used in past shutdowns. The Wednesday memo instructed agencies… Continue reading White House orders agencies to prepare for mass firings ahead of shutdown

TOKYO: Japanese police have arrested a 75-year-old woman who allegedly confessed to storing her daughter’s body in a freezer for twenty years. Investigators discovered the body of an adult woman inside a deep freezer at the Ibaraki prefecture home of Keiko Mori on Tuesday. A local police spokesman stated that Mori identified the body as… Continue reading Japanese woman arrested after keeping daughter’s body in freezer for 20 years

HANOI: A Vietnamese court has sentenced four siblings and dozens of other individuals for their roles in a massive transnational online gambling and cryptocurrency operation. The case involved an astonishing $3.8 billion in transactions, according to state media reports on Thursday. Members of the criminal ring, which was operated by the four Vietnamese siblings, faced… Continue reading Vietnam jails dozens in $3.8 billion online gambling and crypto case

LEH: Indian police maintained a heavy presence throughout the northern city of Leh on Thursday following deadly protests demanding greater autonomy for the Himalayan territory of Ladakh. Security forces opened fire during Wednesday’s demonstrations, resulting in at least five fatalities and injuries to 30 police officers alongside numerous wounded protesters. The usually vibrant tourist destination… Continue reading Security tight in Leh after deadly Ladakh autonomy protests leave five dead

TAMMUN: Israeli forces have shot dead two Palestinians during an overnight raid in the occupied West Bank village of Tammun. The military stated that special forces from the border police, army and Shin Bet security agency conducted a joint operation targeting what they described as a terrorist cell. Israeli authorities accused the two men of… Continue reading Israeli forces kill two suspected Islamic Jihad militants in West Bank raid

CHISINAU: A fugitive Moldovan oligarch wanted in connection with a $1 billion fraud case has been extradited from Greece to face justice in his home country. Vladimir Plahotniuc landed at Chisinau International Airport on Thursday after Greek authorities approved his transfer following months of detention. The former lawmaker had been evading capture since 2019 when… Continue reading Moldovan oligarch extradited from Greece in $1 billion fraud case

MANILA: The Philippines has cancelled classes and flights as a new storm approaches just days after a super typhoon caused nine fatalities. Severe Tropical Storm Bualoi is expected to intensify into a typhoon before hitting the southern end of Luzon island. Weather forecaster Benison Estareja warned that “widespread flooding and landslides in mountainous areas are… Continue reading Philippines cancels classes and flights as new storm Bualoi approaches

PARIS: France’s public debt has ballooned to a record 3.4 trillion euros ($4 trillion), according to official data released on Thursday. The figures pile immediate pressure on new Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu as he confronts widespread protests and political turmoil. Lecornu was appointed by President Emmanuel Macron earlier this month to succeed Francois Bayrou. Bayrou… Continue reading France’s public debt hits record $4 trillion, pressuring new PM Lecornu

JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has strongly criticised world leaders who recently recognised a Palestinian state. His condemnation comes as he travels to the United States for White House discussions and a scheduled speech at the UN General Assembly. The prime minister’s remarks follow a special summit led by France earlier this week where… Continue reading Netanyahu condemns Palestinian state recognition ahead of US trip and UN address

BEIJING: China has announced that North Korea’s top diplomat will visit the country this weekend. North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui will visit China from Saturday, September 27, until next Tuesday, September 30. A Chinese foreign ministry statement on Thursday confirmed the visit “following an invitation from Beijing’s top diplomat Wang Yi”. The diplomatic… Continue reading North Korea’s top diplomat Choe Son Hui to visit China from September 27

TAIPEI: Taiwan’s leading bicycle manufacturer Giant announced on Thursday it will challenge a United States customs decision blocking its products over alleged forced labour. The US Customs and Border Protection issued a Withhold Release Order against the Taiwanese company effective immediately on Wednesday. The agency stated that “the order was issued due to violations of… Continue reading Giant to challenge US ban on bicycles over alleged forced labour claims

ADDIS ABABA: The African Union congratulated Peter Mutharika for his election win in Malawi on Thursday, commending Malawians for a peaceful campaign. The veteran politician, who held power from 2014 to 2020, was re-elected with nearly 57 percent of the vote to lead the largely poor country of 21 million people. It was a landslide… Continue reading AU congratulates Malawi’s Mutharika on election win

JAKARTA: Nickel mining threatens one of the world’s most important marine biodiversity and coral hotspots in Indonesia, despite the government revoking several permits, a report warned Thursday. Analysis of recent and historic mining in the region showed a “domino effect of destruction,“ ranging from deforestation on land to sediment run-off smothering coral reefs, the report… Continue reading Nickel mining threatens Indonesia coral haven, NGOs warn

STOCKHOLM: Swedish fashion group H&M reported on Thursday a substantially bigger rise than expected in third-quarter profit as shoppers took to autumn styles, but warned of higher tariff related costs in the current quarter. The world’s second-largest listed apparel retailer predicted the cost of tariffs on imports would have a bigger impact on gross margin… Continue reading Fashion group H&M’s Q3 profit rises more than expected, warns of tariff costs

KYIV: Moldovan business magnate Vladimir Plahotniuc, detained in Greece on a warrant linked to a $1 billion fraud case, landed in Moldova’s capital Chisinau after being extradited, local media said on Thursday. NewsMaker.md outlet, broadcasting live from the airport, showed how people in dark uniforms led a man in a white shirt and dark cap,… Continue reading Fugitive tycoon Plahotniuc lands in Moldova after being extradited, media reports

COPENHAGEN: Drones flew over multiple airports across Denmark and caused one of them to close for hours, police said Thursday after a similar incident this week prompted Copenhagen airport to shut. The latest incidents in Danish skies follow similar events in Poland and Romania and the violation by Russian fighter jets of Estonia’s airspace, which… Continue reading Drones fly over multiple Danish airports

BANDUNG: More than 1,000 children in Indonesia’s West Java have suffered food poisoning this week from school lunches, authorities said, the latest in a series of outbreaks and another setback for the president’s multi-billion-dollar free meals programme. The mass poisoning was reported in four areas of West Java province, its Governor Dedi Mulyadi told Reuters… Continue reading Over 1,000 Indonesians sick from school meals in more food poisoning outbreaks

SAO PAULO: Chinese landscape architect Kongjian Yu, known for his so-called nature-mimicking “sponge cities,“ has died in a small plane crash in Brazil with two filmmakers documenting his work, police said Wednesday. The 62-year-old was considered a leading figure in sustainable urban planning; his “sponge cities” replace concrete surfaces with natural features that better absorb… Continue reading Famed ‘sponge cities’ Chinese architect dead in Brazil plane crash

DILI: Malaysia akan bekerjasama dengan Timor-Leste untuk melaksanakan kemudahan perayauan ASEAN bagi memperkukuh keterhubungan digital, menjelang Sidang Kemuncak ASEAN ke-47 di Kuala Lumpur bulan depan. Menteri Komunikasi Datuk Fahmi Fadzil berkata Suruhanjaya Komunikasi dan Multimedia Malaysia (MCMC) disaran untuk mengadakan rundingan segera dengan syarikat telekomunikasi bagi menyelaras pelaksanaan inisiatif itu. “Banyak syarikat telekomunikai mempunyai pelan… Continue reading Malaysia, Timor-Leste teroka perayauan ASEAN menjelang sidang kemuncak Kuala Lumpur

MELBOURNE: A 4.1-magnitude earthquake struck the Australian island state of Tasmania early Thursday morning, reported Xinhua. Geoscience Australia reported that the earthquake was recorded near the man-made Lake Pedder, 100 kilometres (km) west of the state capital of Hobart, at a depth of 14 km at 6.38 am on Thursday (2038 GMT on Wednesday). Over… Continue reading 4.1-magnitude earthquake strikes Australian Island state of Tasmania