Category: World

COPENHAGEN: Denmark has committed significant funding to develop infrastructure in Greenland through a new bilateral agreement. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced the infrastructure development agreement for the autonomous territory on Tuesday. The Danish government has allocated 1.6 billion kroner ($253 million) in its 2026 budget proposal for infrastructure projects spanning 2026 to 2029. This… Continue reading Denmark invests $253 million in Greenland infrastructure amid US interest

GENEVA: The United Nations human rights chief has condemned Israel’s airstrike targeting Hamas leaders in Qatar as a serious threat to regional peace and stability. Volker Turk warned that last week’s attack represented a shocking breach of international law during his address to the UN Human Rights Council on Tuesday. Israel’s strike on negotiators in… Continue reading UN condemns Israel’s Qatar attack as threat to regional peace and stability

BRUSSELS: The European Union is failing to match the economic transformation speed demonstrated by the United States and China according to a key report’s author. Former European Central Bank chief and Italian leader Mario Draghi delivered this stark warning during a conference in Brussels on Tuesday, exactly one year after presenting his comprehensive 400-page assessment.… Continue reading Europe failing to match economic rivals US and China, warns Draghi

TOKYO: An emerging Japanese political party has announced plans to install an artificial intelligence system as its new leader following the resignation of its founder. The Path to Rebirth party revealed this unconventional decision after its maverick founder Shinji Ishimaru quit following a disastrous performance in recent elections. This unique political group launched in January… Continue reading Japanese political party to install AI as leader after election losses

STOCKHOLM: Sweden’s prosecution authority has confirmed a major data breach exposing personal information of 1.5 million people following a cyberattack against IT systems provider Miljodata. The attack occurred during the weekend of August 23-24, with stolen data subsequently appearing online according to official statements. Prosecutor Sandra Helgadottir revealed that the leaked data belongs to more… Continue reading Swedish data breach exposes 1.5 million people’s personal information

BRUSSELS: Luxembourg will join multiple countries in recognising the State of Palestine during next week’s United Nations summit in New York. French President Emmanuel Macron leads this diplomatic initiative as international criticism mounts against Israel’s nearly two-year military campaign in Gaza. Prime Minister Luc Frieden told journalists that the ground situation has deteriorated considerably in… Continue reading Luxembourg to recognise Palestinian state at UN summit next week

ALMATY: Kazakhstan has implemented a new law prohibiting forced marriages and bride kidnappings effective Tuesday. The Central Asian nation has criminalised these practices despite their historical persistence in the region. Forcing someone into marriage now carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years according to Kazakh police authorities. These changes are aimed at preventing forced… Continue reading Kazakhstan bans forced marriages and bride kidnappings with new law

SOFIA: Bulgarian authorities have arrested a shipowner wanted in connection with the catastrophic 2020 Beirut port explosion that killed more than 220 people. Igor Grechushkin is among three individuals subject to Interpol red notices for their alleged involvement in the ammonium nitrate shipment that detonated at the Lebanese port. The massive explosion on August 4,… Continue reading Shipowner arrested in Bulgaria over deadly Beirut port blast that killed 220

MADRID: Spain has experienced its hottest summer since records began in 1961 according to the national meteorological agency AEMET. The average temperature reached 24.2C during summer 2025, breaking the previous record set in 2022 by a significant margin. AEMET spokesman Ruben del Campo confirmed this milestone during a press conference on Tuesday, highlighting the unprecedented… Continue reading Spain records hottest summer in 2025 with average temperature of 24.2C

PARIS: France has repatriated three women and ten children from Syrian detention facilities originally holding alleged jihadists. Anti-terror prosecutors confirmed the operation on Tuesday, marking another chapter in the country’s divisive approach to handling citizens linked to Islamic State territories. The women range between 18 and 34 years old, with two immediately taken into police… Continue reading France repatriates 13 citizens from Syrian camps amid ongoing security concerns

BANGKOK: Ancient societies across China and Southeast Asia developed smoke-drying techniques for preserving their dead thousands of years earlier than Egyptian mummification practices. New research indicates these communities created what might be the world’s oldest known mummies through smoke-drying methods rather than the bandage-based preservation associated with ancient Egypt. While Egyptian mummies date back approximately… Continue reading Ancient smoke-dried mummies found in Asia predate Egyptian mummification by millennia

JERUSALEM: Israel has strongly rejected a United Nations investigation that concluded the country is committing genocide in Gaza. The Israeli foreign ministry issued a statement on Tuesday categorically dismissing the UN Commission of Inquiry’s report as distorted and false. Israel called for the immediate abolition of the commission, accusing its authors of serving as Hamas… Continue reading Israel rejects UN probe accusing it of genocide in Gaza as false

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s military has confirmed the killing of 31 local Taliban militants during two separate operations conducted near the Afghanistan border. The military operations followed a deadly ambush on Saturday that killed 12 soldiers in a neighbouring district, with the Pakistani Taliban claiming responsibility for the attack. Authorities used the term “Khwarij” to describe the… Continue reading Pakistan military kills 31 Taliban militants amid increased border presence

TEL AVIV: US President Donald Trump will likely meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky next week while continuing efforts to broker a peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the potential meeting during his Tuesday press briefing in Israel, noting leaders would gather in New York for the UN General Assembly.… Continue reading Trump likely to meet Zelensky next week on Ukraine peace efforts

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump announced a $15 billion defamation and libel lawsuit against the New York Times on Monday. Trump declared on his Truth Social platform that the newspaper had been permitted to freely lie, smear and defame him for too long. He stated that the lawsuit was being filed in Florida to immediately… Continue reading Trump files $15 billion lawsuit against New York Times for defamation

DILI: East Timor police fired tear gas on Tuesday against protesters demonstrating for the second consecutive day against plans to purchase new official vehicles for lawmakers. More than 2,000 people, mostly students from several universities in the capital Dili, gathered near the National Parliament to protest the plan to procure cars for each of the… Continue reading East Timor police fire tear gas at protesters opposing lawmakers’ car purchases

LONDON: Donald Trump arrives in Britain on Tuesday for an historic second state visit that will see the UK government spare no effort in trying to flatter the mercurial American president. As wars still rage in Ukraine and the Middle East, and major economies grapple with US tariffs, Britain hopes the pageantry of its monarchy… Continue reading Trump makes historic second UK state visit amid trade and security talks

TEL AVIV: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned on Tuesday that Hamas has only days to accept a ceasefire deal as Israel intensified its bombardment of Gaza City. Rubio stated that the window for a negotiated settlement is rapidly closing amid ongoing Israeli military operations in the region. “The Israelis have begun to take… Continue reading Hamas has days to accept ceasefire deal, warns US Secretary Rubio

DOHA: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Qatar on Tuesday to request the Gulf state continue serving as mediator in Gaza despite recent Israeli airstrikes targeting Hamas leaders. Rubio travelled directly from Israel, where he expressed pessimism about ceasefire prospects but emphasised Qatar’s unique diplomatic position. “We’re going to ask Qatar to continue… Continue reading US asks Qatar to continue Gaza mediation role after Israeli strikes

LONDON: Prime Minister Keir Starmer hopes the ceremonial grandeur of Donald Trump’s state visit to Britain will provide political cover against potential controversies ranging from free speech debates to the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. The US president arrives late Tuesday for a visit featuring meetings with King Charles and Starmer, heavy on royal pageantry and promoting… Continue reading Starmer hopes Trump state visit will shield him from political pitfalls

TEL AVIV: Qatar and the United States are close to finalising an enhanced defence cooperation agreement according to top US diplomat Marco Rubio. Rubio made this announcement while travelling from Tel Aviv to Doha following Israel’s recent attack on Hamas political leaders in Qatar. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated he would not rule out… Continue reading Qatar and US near finalising enhanced defence cooperation agreement

SEOUL: South Korea’s presidential office confirmed on Tuesday that tariff negotiations with the United States have remained stalled for some time. President Lee Jae Myung remains determined to avoid forcing Korean companies to accept losses by hastily signing a trade agreement. Both nations continue struggling to overcome significant obstacles preventing finalisation of their July trade… Continue reading South Korea says tariff talks with US stalled over national interest

RIVNE/LONDON: United States-funded research has identified more than 210 sites where Ukrainian children undergo military training, drone manufacturing, and forced re-education under a large-scale Russian deportation programme. Yale School of Public Health reported on Tuesday that more than 150 new locations have been discovered since its initial findings last year, which alleged Russian presidential aircraft… Continue reading Russia expands forced re-education of deported Ukrainian children, US research shows

MISSOULA: A group of young Americans is taking President Donald Trump to court over his administration’s aggressive fossil fuel policies and alleged suppression of federal climate science. The plaintiffs argue that these actions violate their constitutional rights to life, liberty and a stable climate in a landmark case being heard in a Montana courtroom. Lighthiser… Continue reading Youth climate lawsuit challenges Trump’s fossil fuel policies in Montana

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has called for publicly listed American companies to stop reporting earnings quarterly and shift to a half-yearly system instead. Trump stated that companies should report on a six-month basis rather than quarterly, pending approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission. He posted on his Truth Social platform that this change… Continue reading Trump proposes ending quarterly reporting for US companies

BOGOTÁ: The United States has formally decertified Colombia as an ally in the fight against drugs, a move that could cost the South American nation hundreds of millions of dollars in military support. President Donald Trump criticised his Colombian counterpart Gustavo Petro for failing to curb cocaine production and instead overseeing its rise to all-time… Continue reading US decertifies Colombia as ally in drugs fight over cocaine surge

SYDNEY: Australia will not mandate that social media platforms verify the ages of all users under its new ban prohibiting children under 16 from accessing these services. The government clarified that platforms including Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube must instead take reasonable steps to prevent underage access. This approach has raised concerns among experts who… Continue reading Australia clarifies social media age verification rules for under-16 ban

BEIJING: Nvidia has affirmed its compliance with all legal requirements following a Chinese investigation that found the company breached antitrust regulations. This development represents the latest escalation in the ongoing technological rivalry between Beijing and Washington. “We comply with the law in all respects,“ a Nvidia spokesperson stated in a written communication to AFP. The… Continue reading Nvidia complies with Chinese law after antitrust investigation findings

JERUSALEM: Israel conducted heavy bombardment across Gaza City on Tuesday following US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s public endorsement of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s military offensive. Rubio expressed full alignment with Netanyahu during his Monday visit to Jerusalem, assuring Israel of America’s unwavering support for its military operations in the Palestinian territory. Witnesses reported intense… Continue reading Heavy bombing in Gaza City continues after Rubio backs Israel offensive

WASHINGTON: The US Senate narrowly confirmed President Donald Trump’s nominee Stephen Miran to the Federal Reserve board just hours before the central bank’s crucial policy meeting. This confirmation occurred alongside a federal appeals court ruling that allows Fed Governor Lisa Cook to retain her position while challenging her attempted removal by the Trump administration. Both… Continue reading US Senate confirms Trump aide to Fed amid political pressure on rates

DOHA: Arab and Muslim leaders have called for a comprehensive review of ties with Israel during emergency talks held in Doha on Monday. The urgent meeting followed last week’s deadly Israeli strike on Hamas members in the Qatari capital that killed six people. The joint session of the Arab League and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation… Continue reading Arab and Muslim leaders call for review of Israel ties after Qatar attack

RIO DE JANEIRO: Brazil’s Amazon rainforest has lost an area equivalent to Spain’s size over the past four decades according to new monitoring data released on Monday. The rainforest is approaching a dangerous tipping point where 20 to 25 percent vegetation loss would cause it to cease sustaining itself as a rainforest according to researcher… Continue reading Brazil’s Amazon rainforest lost Spain-sized area in 40 years

WASHINGTON: The US Senate will vote late Monday on confirming President Donald Trump’s nominee Stephen Miran to the Federal Reserve board. Miran currently chairs the White House Council of Economic Advisers and would become one of twelve voting members on the interest rate-setting panel. Federal Open Market Committee policymakers begin their crucial two-day meeting on… Continue reading US Senate to vote on Trump Fed nominee Miran amid rate cut pressure

WASHINGTON: South Korea’s trade minister has indicated that the United States government now considers a recent immigration raid on a Hyundai-LG battery plant in Georgia to have been excessive. Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo made these remarks to reporters upon arriving in Washington for bilateral trade negotiations with US counterparts. “The mood is that the US… Continue reading US admits Georgia plant raid on South Koreans was excessive