Category: World

KABUL: About 622 people were killed and more than 1,500 injured in an earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan, authorities said on Monday, as helicopters ferried the wounded to safety from rubble being combed in the hunt for survivors. The disaster will further stretch the resources of the South Asian nation already grappling with humanitarian crises,… Continue reading Afghanistan earthquake kills 622 with more than 1,500 injured

KABUL: Hundreds were feared dead and injured after an earthquake of magnitude 6 struck two rugged eastern provinces in Afghanistan, authorities said on Monday, as helicopters ferried the injured to safety from rubble being combed in a hunt for survivors. The disaster will further stretch the resources of the South Asian nation already grappling with… Continue reading Hundreds feared dead, injured as earthquake of magnitude 6 hits Afghanistan

GOLD hit a more than four-month high on Monday, as increased bets for a U.S. Federal Reserve interest rate cut this month lifted bullion’s allure, while silver rose above $40 per ounce for the first time in more than a decade. By 0238 GMT, spot gold rose 0.7% to $3,470.69 per ounce, hitting its highest… Continue reading Gold rises on US rate cut bets; silver hits 14-year high

ISTANBUL: Ten people were killed and 50 others injured in the latest development of a 6.0 magnitude earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan late Sunday, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported according to the BBC’s Pashto service. Kunar province was the hardest hit, with casualties confirmed by local authorities. The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake occurred… Continue reading 6.0 magnitude quake hits eastern Afghanistan, 23 injured

JAKARTA: Indonesian authorities ramped up security Monday after six people were killed in unrest over economic hardship that escalated into violent anger against the nation’s police force. The deadly protests, which began last week over financial perks for lawmakers, have forced President Prabowo Subianto to make a U-turn over the measures. Demonstrations had began peacefully,… Continue reading Indonesia tightens security after deadly protests

WASHINGTON: A top Trump administration trade official expressed optimism Sunday that the US Supreme Court will uphold the sweeping tariffs that a lower court has struck down. The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on Friday ruled that many of Trump’s tariffs, which have upended global trade, were illegal because he did not… Continue reading Trump administration official upbeat on fate of tariffs

WASHINGTON: The videos are strikingly lifelike, featuring bikini-clad women conducting street interviews and eliciting lewd comments — but they are entirely fake, generated by AI tools increasingly used to flood social media with sexist content. Such AI slop — mass-produced content created by cheap artificial intelligence tools that turn simple text prompts into hyper-realistic visuals… Continue reading ‘Fueling sexism’: AI ‘bikini interview’ videos flood internet

DAWKAH: The arid Dawkah valley is home to one of Oman’s most prized resources: not oil or gas but frankincense trees, their fragrant sap harvested for millennia by residents who call it “white gold”. Located in Oman’s southern Dhofar region, bordering Yemen, the valley is the world’s largest such reserve, home to around 5,000 frankincense… Continue reading In oil-rich Oman, efforts to preserve frankincense ‘white gold’

SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected the country’s new missile production line, state media reported, ahead of his visit to China to attend Beijing’s massive military parade. Kim toured a munitions factory on Sunday and said “missile production capacity has rapidly been increased” in the country, an ally of Moscow. During his visit… Continue reading North Korea’s Kim inspects new missiles before China trip

TIANJIN: India and China are development partners, not rivals, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed on Sunday, as they discussed ways to improve trade ties amid global tariff uncertainty. Modi is in China for the first time in seven years to attend a two-day meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation regional… Continue reading India and China are partners, not rivals, Modi and Xi say

MUMBAI: India is likely to get above-average monsoon rainfall in September after receiving 5% above-normal rains in August, the state-run weather department said on Sunday. Above-normal rainfall could damage India’s summer-sown crops like rice, cotton, soybean, corn, and pulses, which are typically harvested from mid-September. All regions, except northeastern states and the southern states of… Continue reading India likely to receive above-average monsoon rainfall in September

WASHINGTON: A federal judge on Sunday issued a restraining order blocking the Trump administration from deporting 10 unaccompanied migrant children to Guatemala after lawyers said the removals would violate U.S. laws. The ruling following a complaint filed in the early morning hours by National Immigration Law Center, a pro-immigrant advocacy group, on behalf of the… Continue reading US judge blocks deportations of unaccompanied migrant children to Guatemala

CAIRO: Israeli forces pounded the suburbs of Gaza City overnight from the air and ground, destroying homes and driving more families out of the area as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet was set on Sunday to discuss a plan to seize the city. Residents of Sheikh Radwan, one of the largest neighbourhoods of Gaza… Continue reading Israel pounds Gaza City suburbs, Netanyahu to convene security cabinet

SINGAPORE: Oil prices traded in a tight range on Monday as worries about rising output and the impact of U.S. tariffs on demand offset supply disruptions stemming from intensified Russia-Ukraine airstrikes. Brent crude fell 12 cents, or 0.18%, to $67.36 a barrel by 0046 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was at $63.88 a… Continue reading Oil holds in tight range, rising output offsets Russia supply disruptions

JERUSALEM: Israel is considering annexation in the occupied West Bank as a possible response to France and other countries recognising a Palestinian state, according to three Israeli officials and the idea will be discussed further on Sunday, another official said. Extension of Israeli sovereignty to the West Bank – de facto annexation of land captured… Continue reading Israel mulls West Bank annexation in response to moves to recognise Palestine

ISRAELI Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Sunday that Hamas’ armed wing spokesperson Abu Ubaida had been killed by the Israeli military in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier in the day that Abu Ubaida had been targeted in a joint operation carried out by the military and the Shin Bet domestic intelligence… Continue reading Israeli defence minister says Hamas armed wing spokesperson killed in Gaza

SYDNEY: A man was arrested on Monday after a car crashed into the Russian consulate in Sydney, Australian police said. New South Wales police said in a statement that officers responded shortly after 8 a.m. (2200 GMT) to reports of an unauthorised vehicle parked in the driveway of an address on Fullerton Street that corresponded… Continue reading Man arrested after car crashes into Russian consulate in Sydney

SANAA: The leader of Yemen’s Huthi rebels said on Sunday his group would keep launching attacks against Israel, a day after confirming that an Israeli strike had killed their government’s prime minister. An attack on Thursday killed the Huthis’ prime minister, Ahmed Ghaleb Nasser Al-Rahawi, and other officials, the Iran-backed group has said. Israel’s military… Continue reading Yemen’s Huthis vow to intensify attacks on Israel after group’s PM killed

KHARTOUM: Shelling by Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces killed at least seven people and wounded 71 others in El-Fasher, a medical source said Sunday, as the paramilitary group launched its fiercest offensive yet on the besieged city. The source, who requested anonymity for safety reasons, said the true toll was “likely higher”, as many injured have… Continue reading RSF shelling kills 7, wounds 71 in besieged Sudan city: medical source

PARIS: French Socialist leader Olivier Faure declared on Sunday that Prime Minister Francois Bayrou should say goodbye amid an ongoing budget standoff. The centrist prime minister shocked France this week by announcing he would request a parliamentary confidence vote on 8 September to secure support for his spending cut plan. Bayrou planned a Sunday evening… Continue reading French PM should say goodbye in budget standoff says Socialist leader

JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on Sunday that Israel had conducted a strike targeting Abu Obeida, spokesman for Hamas’s armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades. Netanyahu stated during a government meeting that Israel had struck the spokesman for what he called a criminal and murderous organisation. The Israeli prime minister expressed hope that… Continue reading Israel targets Hamas armed wing spokesman Abu Obeida in strike

DHAKA: Sexual harassment remains the most pressing concern for Rohingya women and adolescents living in refugee camps in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar according to a study released on Sunday. Cox’s Bazar is home to around one million largely Muslim Rohingya minority members who fled a brutal military crackdown in Myanmar’s Rakhine state. ActionAid conducted sixty six… Continue reading Sexual harassment rampant in Rohingya camps according to new study

BARCELONA: Climate activists splattered Barcelona’s iconic Sagrada Familia basilica with red and black paint on Sunday to protest government handling of Spain’s devastating summer wildfires. The Futuro Vegetal activist group claimed responsibility for the protest action against what they called inadequate climate change measures. Police arrested two protesters during the incident as they shouted demands… Continue reading Activists throw paint on Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia over Spain fires

JAKARTA: Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has condemned recent protests over economic conditions and inequality, stating that some actions during nationwide rallies amount to treason and terrorism. Southeast Asia’s largest economy has experienced significant protests across major cities including the capital following footage of a motorcycle taxi driver being run over by a police tactical vehicle… Continue reading Indonesia president warns protests leaning towards treason and terrorism

JAKARTA: The home of Indonesia’s finance minister was looted overnight as soldiers guarded her residence amid escalating protests against police violence. Southeast Asia’s largest economy has faced major demonstrations since motorcycle taxi driver Affan Kurniawan died after being run over by police during a rally against financial perks for lawmakers. These protests represent the most… Continue reading Indonesian finance minister’s home looted amid growing protest anger

JERUSALEM: The Israeli military conducted a strike on a Hezbollah-operated site in southern Lebanon on Sunday. Israeli Defence Forces targeted military infrastructure, including underground facilities, at the Beaufort Ridge location where military activity was detected. “The existence of the site and the activity within it constitute a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon,“… Continue reading Israel strikes Hezbollah site in south Lebanon violating ceasefire terms

JAKARTA: Social media platform TikTok announced on Saturday that it has temporarily suspended its live feature in Indonesia for “a few days” because of violent protests after the death of a man hit by a police vehicle. “Due to escalating violence during protests in Indonesia, we have voluntarily introduced additional safeguards to keep TikTok a… Continue reading TikTok says live feature temporarily suspended in Indonesia over protests

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s most-wanted man was extradited from Indonesia along with five other criminal suspects arrested in a joint operation, police said on Sunday. Mandinu Padmasiri Perera, better known as Kehelbaddara Padme, is accused of organising the February courtroom murder of a rival in Colombo and is also wanted for a dozen other killings and… Continue reading Sri Lanka extradites most-wanted men from Indonesia

SINGAPORE: An 11-year-old boy who went missing on Friday (Aug 29) in Singapore was found dead, according to the police. The Singapore Police Force (SPF) said Muhammad Hairil Muhammad Effendi’s body was found floating in the sea off East Coast Park after a call for assistance was received at 9.55 pm on Saturday. “Upon police’s… Continue reading Missing 11-year-old boy found dead in Singapore

NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said New Delhi was committed to improving ties with Beijing in a key meeting with China’s President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of a regional security forum on Sunday. Modi is in China for the first time in seven years to attend a two-day meeting of the Shanghai… Continue reading India’s Modi says he is committed to progressing ties with China in meeting with Xi

TOKYO: Japan has decided to provide a United Nations (UN) agency with US$5.5 million for a project to improve living conditions in Syria, as residents who had fled the country amid a civil war are increasingly returning following the collapse of former President Bashar al-Assad’s government last year, Kyodo News Agency reported. The grant aid… Continue reading Japan to give US$5.5 million aid to UN for better living conditions in Syria

GENEVA: Residents of the tiny Indonesian island of Pari, threatened with disappearance by rising sea levels driven by climate change, have come to Switzerland to demand compensation from cement giant Holcim. The case is part of a wider international movement seeking to assign responsibility to major companies for the climate damage hurting the livelihoods of… Continue reading Indonesian islanders taking Swiss concrete giant to court over climate

SYDNEY: The wife of an Australian man wanted in connection with the killing of two police officers urged her husband to surrender, in a statement sent to Australian media Sunday. The heavily armed 56-year-old suspect, Dezi Freeman, fled into the bush Tuesday after opening fire on a team of 10 police officers at his home… Continue reading Wife of Australian man wanted in police killings urges him to surrender

SHANGHAI: Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have begun a bilateral meeting in the northern Chinese port city of Tianjin, state media outlet Xinhua said on Sunday. Modi is in China for the first time in seven years to attend a two-day meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, where Russian President… Continue reading China’s Xi meets India’s Modi in Tianjin