Category: World

TEHRAN: Once a symbol of cultural prestige, Iran’s handmade rugs are no longer selling as fast as they once did, as sanctions weigh on an already troubled economy and buyers’ tastes change. Commanding more than $2 billion in export revenues in its heyday of the early 1990s, the industry now struggles to scrape together around… Continue reading Iran’s carpet industry crumbles under sanctions, costs

BANGKOK: A major road collapse in Bangkok’s Dusit district on Wednesday morning created a 50-metre-deep sinkhole near Vajira Hospital, forcing evacuations and causing severe traffic disruptions. According to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), the collapse on Samsen Road occurred at around 6.30 am, disrupting utilities and severely affecting traffic flow in the vicinity. BMA said… Continue reading 50-metre sinkhole disrupts Bangkok’s Dusit district

HONG KONG: Super Typhoon Ragasa, the world’s most powerful tropical cyclone this year, lashed Hong Kong with hurricane-force winds and torrential rain on Wednesday, while heavy downpours in Taiwan resulted in the deaths of 14 people. A barrier lake in Taiwan’s eastern Hualien county overflowed and sent a wall of water into a town, as… Continue reading Super Typhoon Ragasa hits Hong Kong and Taiwan, death toll rises

UKRAINIAN President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday he believes that U.S. President Donald Trump could help change Chinese President Xi Jinping’s stance on Russia’s war in Ukraine. “I think that President Trump can change the attitude of Xi Jinping to this war, because China, we don’t feel that China wants to finish this war,“ Zelenskiy… Continue reading Zelenskiy believes Trump could influence Xi on Ukraine war

WASHINGTON: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stated on Tuesday that he was surprised by comments United States President Donald Trump made earlier in the day. Trump had said he believed Kyiv could retake all its land occupied by Russia during the ongoing conflict. Zelenskiy made his remarks during an appearance on Fox News’ “Special Report” show.… Continue reading Zelenskiy surprised by Trump’s Ukraine war comments on Fox News

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump will meet Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on October 20 in Washington, a White House official confirmed. This meeting marks the first official engagement between the two leaders after a previously scheduled meeting at the G7 summit in Canada was cancelled. Albanese was re-elected as leader of a centre-left Labor… Continue reading Trump to meet Australia’s PM Albanese in Washington on October 20

UNITED NATIONS: French President Emmanuel Macron announced he will meet his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday. Macron delivered a clear ultimatum to Iran during his address to the United Nations General Assembly. “Either Iran makes a gesture and goes to the path of peace and stability and allows the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency)… Continue reading Macron to meet Iran’s president on Wednesday at UN General Assembly

MEXICO CITY: Meta Platforms announced that United States allies in Europe and Asia will now have access to its artificial intelligence system Llama. The announcement came one day after the US government approved Llama for use by its own federal agencies. Llama is a large language model capable of processing various types of data, including… Continue reading Meta’s Llama AI expands to US allies in Europe and Asia

NEW YORK: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Tuesday his country is in talks with a U.S. trade representative to reduce tariffs levied by U.S. President Donald Trump after telling world leaders that “trade is now being used as a weapon.” The U.S. is South Africa’s second-biggest trading partner. Trump in August imposed a… Continue reading South Africa seeks US tariff reduction in trade talks with Washington

WASHINGTON: US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has disbanded a committee that provided recommendations for women serving in the military, including on their well-being and treatment, alleging on Tuesday it had pursued a divisive feminist agenda. The Defence Advisory Committee on Women in the Services was created in 1951 and provided advice on recruitment, retention, employment,… Continue reading Pentagon disbands women’s military panel over divisive agenda claims

NEW YORK: Brazil will invest one billion dollars in a new global fund to protect endangered tropical forests worldwide. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announced the contribution to the Tropical Forests Forever Facility during a United Nations event on Tuesday. Brazil becomes the first nation to commit funding to this multilateral conservation mechanism. The… Continue reading Brazil pledges $1 billion to global forest fund at UN climate summit

ANKARA: President Tayyip Erdogan described a meeting on Gaza between U.S. President Donald Trump and leaders of Muslim countries as very fruitful. The meeting occurred on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday. NATO member Turkey has strongly condemned Israel’s attacks on Gaza, labelling them as genocide. Turkey has… Continue reading Erdogan calls Trump-Muslim leaders Gaza meeting very fruitful

WASHINGTON: The Trump administration is seeking an equity stake of up to 10% in Lithium Americas as it renegotiates the terms of the company’s $2.26 billion Energy Department loan for its Thacker Pass lithium project with General Motors. This proposed stake represents the latest example of the Trump administration intervening directly in the American economy… Continue reading Trump seeks 10% stake in US lithium mine amid loan renegotiation

LOS ANGELES: Jimmy Kimmel taped the first show of his return to late-night television on Tuesday after a nearly weeklong suspension over his on-air remarks about the man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk that drew the ire of the Trump administration. The comedian was expected to use the occasion to address the uproar… Continue reading Jimmy Kimmel returns to ABC after suspension

UNITED NATIONS: Iran must make some concrete steps because time is running out to prevent the reimposition of UN sanctions, the European Union’s foreign policy chief said on Tuesday. “Diplomacy has a chance. The deadlines are running, and let’s see. We need to see some real action also on the Iranian side,“ Kallas, who met… Continue reading EU’s Kallas urges Iran to take real action to avert UN sanctions

BOEING’S defence and space unit has entered a partnership with Palantir Technologies to adopt its artificial intelligence solutions. The collaboration will see Palantir’s AI platform implemented across Boeing’s defence production lines to standardise data analytics. Boeing has also selected Palantir to provide AI tools for several classified projects supporting sensitive military missions. The Boeing unit… Continue reading Boeing partners with Palantir for AI adoption in defence and space unit

KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday he had discussed Russia’s stuttering economy during a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump that he said was constructive. Zelenskiy said there was an understanding that Trump was ready to provide security guarantees for Ukraine after the war ends, adding that Trump could be a “game-changer” for… Continue reading Zelenskiy says Trump ready to provide Ukraine security guarantees post-war

NEW YORK: Canada has pledged C$60 million (US$43.35 million) in funding to support stability efforts in Haiti. Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand announced the financial commitment during the United Nations General Assembly. The funding package allocates C$40 million specifically for the multinational security support mission in Haiti. An additional C$20 million is designated for a… Continue reading Canada pledges C$60 million for Haiti stability and security mission

OSLO: Norwegian police said on Tuesday they were investigating a blast on a street in central Oslo and later conducted a controlled detonation of a second explosive device found on the site, adding that a suspect had been apprehended for questioning. There were no reports of injuries at the location, in the immediate vicinity of… Continue reading Norway police investigate Oslo explosion, warn of more explosives

CERGY: Dassault Aviation’s chief executive has declared the French planemaker possesses the full capability to develop a next-generation fighter jet independently. Eric Trappier issued a direct challenge to Germany, suggesting it should attempt to build the aircraft alone if it wishes, during a factory event on Tuesday. The Future Combat Air System (FCAS) project, a… Continue reading Dassault says it can build next-gen fighter jet without Germany

UNITED NATIONS/ WASHINGTON: French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday recognizing the state of Palestine does not amount to forgetting the October 2023 Hamas attack, with the French leader making his comments as he sat next to President Donald Trump in a bilateral meeting. WHY IT’S IMPORTANT Trump has condemned moves by Western powers and… Continue reading Macron says recognising Palestine does not ignore Hamas attack

IF U.S. President Donald Trump really wants to win the Nobel Peace Prize, he needs to stop the war in Gaza, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday. Speaking to France’s BFM TV from New York, Macron said that only Trump has the power to put pressure on Israel to end the war. “There is… Continue reading Macron says Trump must stop Gaza war to deserve Nobel Peace Prize

UNITED NATIONS: U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he believed Ukraine could retake all its land occupied by Russia and that Kyiv should act now with Moscow facing “big” economic problems, in a sudden and striking rhetorical shift in Ukraine’s favor. But there was no sign that Trump’s words would be matched by a… Continue reading Trump says Ukraine can reclaim all territory lost to Russia

PORT-AU-PRINCE: A kamikaze drone strike has reportedly killed at least eight children and several adults in an attack on an alleged Haitian gang leader’s birthday party. Local media Haiti Libre reported the attack targeted Albert Steevenson, known as Djouma, in the capital’s Simon Pele neighbourhood over the weekend. The attack killed more than a dozen… Continue reading Drone attack kills at least 8 children at Haiti birthday party

A man found lurking with a gun near Donald Trump’s Florida golf course last year was found guilty Tuesday of attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said on social media. A jury found that Ryan Routh, 59, intended to kill Trump, then a former U.S. president and Republican presidential… Continue reading Man guilty of attempted assassination plot against Trump at Florida golf club

UNITED NATIONS: Iran has not yet fulfilled the conditions established by France, Britain, and Germany to prevent the reimposition of United Nations sanctions. A French diplomatic source confirmed this situation following a meeting between the foreign ministers of the three European nations and their Iranian counterpart on Tuesday. Discussions will continue to exhaust all possible… Continue reading Iran fails to meet conditions to avoid UN sanctions return, France says

WASHINGTON: U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday scrapped a meeting with top congressional Democratic leaders to discuss government funding, raising the risk of a partial government shutdown beginning next week. Top congressional Democrats and the Republican president postured to try to pin blame on each other for a potential shutdown, which would interfere with a… Continue reading Trump cancels meeting with Democrats raising US government shutdown risk

MONTREAL: U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Tuesday criticized a United Nations aviation group for not focusing enough on safety and security and called for reform. “Over the years, this body has extended itself far beyond its proper mandate – wasting critical resources on social programs or climate financing initiatives that have nothing to do… Continue reading US criticises UN aviation group for climate and social focus

OTTAWA: TikTok has agreed to improve its measures for keeping children off its platform following a Canadian investigation that found its existing safeguards inadequate. The joint investigation by Canada’s privacy commissioner and provincial authorities revealed hundreds of thousands of Canadian children accessed TikTok annually despite its 13-plus age policy. Investigators also determined that TikTok was… Continue reading TikTok to improve child safety measures after Canadian investigation

FOLKESTONE: The European Union’s plan for a phased introduction of its new post-Brexit digital border system from next month should prevent long queues and confusion at the United Kingdom border. Eurotunnel operator Getlink’s Chief Executive Officer Yann Leriche stated that the Entry/Exit System (EES) will launch on October 12 after significant delays. EES is an… Continue reading Eurotunnel says phased EU digital border rollout will prevent UK disruption

LIMA: An earthquake of magnitude 5.6 struck the coast of southern Peru on Tuesday. The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) provided the initial report on the seismic event. The quake occurred at a depth of 40 kilometres, which is approximately 24.85 miles. Further details regarding potential damage or casualties were not immediately available. – Reuters

RHODE ISLAND: Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell strongly rebutted accusations that the central bank allows political considerations to influence its policy decisions. Powell identified President Donald Trump among the many critics alleging the Fed prioritises politics over economic data. Speaking in Rhode Island, Powell stated that many people do not believe the Fed is letting… Continue reading Powell defends Fed against political bias accusations as cheap shot

UNITED NATIONS: U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he plans to call Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to urge him to stop purchasing Russian oil, part of a broader push to pressure NATO allies to cut energy ties with Moscow. “He’s a friend of mine. I have not spoken to him, but I have… Continue reading Trump to call Orbán to urge halt to Russian oil imports

WASHINGTON: NASA officials confirmed on Tuesday that the first crewed Artemis mission around the moon remains on track for an April 2026 launch. The space agency’s Artemis program represents the flagship United States effort to return humans to the lunar surface. This multibillion dollar series of missions directly rivals a similar lunar exploration program by… Continue reading NASA’s first Artemis astronaut moon mission on track for April launch

NEW YORK: U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that NATO countries should shoot down Russian aircraft if they enter NATO airspace, shortly after NATO nations condemned Moscow for violating Estonian airspace. “Yes I do,“ Trump told reporters when asked about whether he would support the move. Trump made the comments to reporters before a… Continue reading Trump urges NATO to shoot down Russian aircraft in alliance airspace

UNITED NATIONS: U.S. President Donald Trump argued for lower levels of global migration and urged a turn away from climate change policies on Tuesday in a combative, wide-ranging speech to the U.N. General Assembly that leveled scathing criticism of world leaders. The 56-minute speech was a rebuke to the world body and a return to… Continue reading Trump tells world leaders their countries are “going to hell” at UN

UNITED NATIONS: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy met Donald Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, calling for pressure to be ramped up on Russia as he tries to persuade the U.S. president to swing more firmly behind Kyiv’s war effort. The Ukrainian leader told reporters as he sat beside Trump… Continue reading Zelenskiy seeks pressure on Russia before Trump meeting

UNITED NATIONS: Iran and European powers have agreed to continue talks about Tehran’s disputed nuclear programme, Iranian foreign ministry said on Tuesday, after a meeting to try to strike a last-ditch deal to avert the reimposition of U.N. sanctions. The foreign ministers of France, Britain and Germany – the so-called E3 – along with the… Continue reading Iran and European powers to continue nuclear talks ahead of UN sanctions

NEW YORK: Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani stated that an Israeli attack targeting Hamas political leaders in Doha was an attempt to derail Gaza ceasefire negotiations. The emir made these remarks during his address to the United Nations General Assembly. He said the strike earlier this month was an Israeli effort to sabotage… Continue reading Qatar’s Emir accuses Israel of trying to derail Gaza ceasefire talks