Category: World

WASHINGTON: SpaceX prepares for a critical test of its Starship megarocket on Sunday following multiple failures that have raised questions about its viability. The world’s most powerful launch vehicle will lift off from the company’s Starbase in southern Texas at 6:30 pm local time for its tenth flight. This mission will subject the upper stage… Continue reading SpaceX Starship faces crucial test after recent failures raise doubts

CARACAS: Venezuelan citizens from all walks of life queued across the capital on Saturday to join the country’s civilian militia force amid rising tensions with the United States. Civil servants, housewives and retirees alike lined up in Venezuela’s capital Caracas on Saturday as thousands volunteered to join the country’s militia in case there is a… Continue reading Venezuela mobilises civilian militia volunteers amid US military threat

WASHINGTON: United States President Donald Trump may explore renewed diplomacy with North Korea during Monday’s White House meeting with South Korea’s new President Lee Jae Myung. Trump previously held three landmark summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his first term, famously claiming they “fell in love.” South Korea’s new leader advocates for… Continue reading Trump eyes North Korea talks with South Korea’s new President Lee

DAMASCUS: Syria has postponed parliamentary elections in three provinces due to security concerns following recent sectarian violence. The Higher Committee for People’s Assembly Elections announced that voting will not proceed in Sweida, Hasaka and Raqqa provinces as scheduled. This decision comes after hundreds were killed in July clashes within Sweida province involving Druze fighters, Sunni… Continue reading Syria delays parliamentary vote in Sweida over security concerns

SAO PAULO: Swedish fast-fashion retailer H&M opened its first physical store in Brazil on Saturday and launched online operations in the country. The company is already producing some items locally, including footwear and beachwear, according to an executive statement. Joaquim Pereira, H&M Brazil’s country manager, revealed the short-term goal involves opening four stores in São… Continue reading H&M opens first Brazil store with local manufacturing focus

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump has appointed Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia to lead a major overhaul of United States government digital services. Gebbia will spearhead the newly created National Design Studio with the goal of making federal websites as user-friendly as commercial platforms like the Apple App Store. “An experience that projects a level of excellence… Continue reading Trump names Airbnb co-founder to lead US government website redesign

WASHINGTON: The Pentagon has been quietly blocking Ukraine from using United States-made long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems to strike targets inside Russia. This restriction limits Kyiv’s ability to employ these weapons in its defence against Moscow’s invasion, according to the Wall Street Journal. United States officials cited in the report confirmed the policy, which Reuters… Continue reading Pentagon restricts Ukraine’s use of US missiles against Russia

ISTANBUL: Turkey’s First Lady Emine Erdogan has formally requested her American counterpart Melania Trump to demonstrate equal concern for Palestinian children in Gaza as she has shown for Ukrainian children. In a letter delivered on Saturday, Erdogan specifically asked the US First Lady to write directly to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appealing for mercy… Continue reading Turkish first lady urges Melania Trump to advocate for Gaza children

LAGOS: Nigeria’s air force confirmed it eliminated more than 35 jihadists during Saturday raids targeting militant fighters gathering near the Nigeria-Cameroon border. The operation followed an attempted attack on Nigerian ground troops by the militant fighters in the border region. This air strike represents the latest military action against a resurgence of attacks in Nigeria’s… Continue reading Nigerian air force kills over 35 jihadists near Cameroon border

TEL AVIV: Former Israeli defence minister Benny Gantz has urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to establish a unity government with opposition members to facilitate the release of hostages held in Gaza. Netanyahu’s current coalition relies on far-right partners who oppose ending the conflict and negotiating with Hamas following the group’s October 2023 attack on Israel.… Continue reading Israeli rival proposes unity government to secure Gaza hostage release deal

KYIV: Russian forces have captured two additional villages in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region, intensifying military pressure as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict falter. Moscow’s defence ministry announced the seizure of Sredneye and Kleban-Byk via Telegram on Saturday, marking further incremental gains in the grinding offensive. The capture of Kleban-Byk advances Russian troops closer to… Continue reading Russia captures two Donetsk villages as Ukraine summit hopes fade

GAZA CITY: Desperate Palestinians clutching pots and plastic buckets scrambled for rice at a charity kitchen in Gaza City on Saturday. AFP footage from Gaza’s largest city showed women and young children among the chaotic jostle of dozens clamouring and shouting for food. One young boy used his hands to scrape a few leftover grains… Continue reading UN declares famine in Gaza as Palestinians face catastrophic food crisis

SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has supervised the test-firing of two new air defence missiles according to state media reports on Sunday. The Korean Central News Agency stated that Saturday’s test demonstrated the missiles’ superior combat capability without providing technical details. KCNA reported the operation and reaction mode is based on unique and… Continue reading North Korea tests new air defence missiles amid border tensions with South

DUBAI: Iranian security forces shot dead six militants in a clash in southeastern Iran on Saturday, a day after five police officers were killed by armed rebels in the restive region, the official news agency IRNA reported. Iran’s southeast has been the scene of sporadic clashes between security forces and armed groups, including Sunni militants… Continue reading Iranian forces kill six militants in the southeast, state media says

MOSCOW: Russian forces have captured two additional villages in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, according to Moscow’s defence ministry. The ministry announced on Telegram that its troops seized control of Sredneye and Kleban-Byk on Saturday. This latest advance increases military pressure on Ukrainian defences as ground fighting continues in the embattled eastern region. Russian forces are… Continue reading Russia captures two villages in Ukraine’s Donetsk region amid ongoing conflict

KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday that countries of the Global South should push Russia toward making peace in its war with Ukraine, including by helping bring Russian leader Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table. “I reaffirmed my readiness for any format of meeting with the head of Russia. However, we see that… Continue reading Zelenskiy says Global South should push Russia toward peace

LYON: A passenger suffering from delirium tried to break into the cockpit of an Easyjet flight from France to Portugal, forcing the jet to return to Lyon airport, police and the company said Saturday. The man was subdued by other passengers and restrained until the jet landed again, French police said. The Easyjet flight, going… Continue reading Easyjet flight does U-turn after passenger tries to enter cockpit

LONDON: Former Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage set out plans on Saturday for “mass deportations” of migrants who have crossed the English Channel on small boats if his Reform UK party forms Britain’s next government. In an interview with Saturday’s edition of The Times newspaper, Farage said he would withdraw Britain from the European Convention on… Continue reading UK’s Farage sets out plan for ‘mass deportation’ of asylum seekers

WASHINGTON: Hundreds of National Guard soldiers in military fatigues and combat boots mingled with tourists, posed for selfies, and treated themselves to ice cream from food trucks on Thursday along Washington’s National Mall, one of the safest parts of America’s capital. On occasion an angry local would hurl verbal abuse at them, but the soldiers… Continue reading Trump crime crackdown deploys troops in Washington’s safest sites

PARIS: France summoned the Italian ambassador after Italy’s deputy prime minister challenged the French president for suggesting that European soldiers be deployed in Ukraine in a post-war settlement, a French diplomatic source said on Saturday. Asked earlier this week to comment on French President Emmanuel Macron’s appeals to deploy European soldiers in Ukraine after any… Continue reading France summons Italian ambassador over challenge to Macron on Ukraine

ISTANBUL: Two Dutch teenagers were found deceased in their Istanbul hotel room with their father hospitalised in a state of shock. Turkish media reported the incident on Saturday with initial suspicion falling on a restaurant meal the family had consumed. The boys aged 15 and 17 were discovered at a hotel in the Fatih district… Continue reading Two Dutch teens found dead in Istanbul hotel after meal

MADRID: Spain has almost beaten back wildfires that have swept across the country this month, killing four people and ravaging huge swathes of land, the head of its civil protection and emergencies service said Saturday. “There are fewer of them, and the end is a lot nearer,“ the official, Virginia Barcones, told state television network… Continue reading Spain’s wildfires almost vanquished: official

COLOMBO: Opposition parties in Sri Lanka accused on Saturday the government of jailing the country’s former president over fears he could return to power. Former leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, 76, who lost the last presidential election in September to Anura Kumara Dissanayake, was remanded in custody Friday on charges of misusing state funds for foreign travel.… Continue reading Sri Lanka opposition says ex-leader jailed to stop comeback

PESHAWAR: A 7-km (4-mile) lake in northern Pakistan, created by a mountain mudslide, is threatening to burst and unleash potentially “catastrophic” floods downstream, officials warned on Saturday. The mud flow descended into the main Ghizer River channel and blocked it completely on Friday, creating the lake in Gilgit Baltistan province, the National Disaster Management Authority… Continue reading Pakistan lake formed by mountain mudslide threatens ‘catastrophic’ floods

U.S. SOFT DRINKS company Coca-Cola is working with investment bank Lazard to review options, including a potential sale, of British coffee chain Costa, which it acquired in 2018 for over $5 billion, Sky News reported on Saturday. Reuters could not immediately verify the report. Coca-Cola, Costa, and Lazard did not immediately respond to requests for… Continue reading Coca-Cola exploring sale of Costa Coffee, Sky News reports

BRASÍLIA: Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro’s lawyers denied Friday that he violated restrictions imposed for his detention during his trial over an attempted coup, and accused police of “discrediting” him, according to a document submitted to the Supreme Court. The far-right former president is accused of plotting to cling onto power after losing the 2022… Continue reading Bolsonaro denies dreaching house arrest, slams police

MUMBAI: India’s foreign minister said on Saturday that trade negotiations with U.S. are still going on but there are lines that New Delhi needs to defend. Indian goods face additional U.S. tariffs of up to 50%, among the highest imposed by Washington, due to its increased purchases of Russian oil. A 25% tariff has already… Continue reading India says trade negotiations with US are still going on

SHANGHAI: China proposed rules for internet platform pricing on Saturday, seeking public comment after a raft of complaints by merchants and consumers of unfair or misleading pricing by big platforms. The draft rules for platforms selling goods or services are meant to encourage price transparency and fairness, the National Development and Reform Commission said in… Continue reading China proposes draft rules on internet platform pricing

HONG KONG: A journalist who works for Bloomberg News in Hong Kong said Saturday she has to leave the city after a foreign journalists’ club revealed that authorities had denied renewal of her working visa. Rebecca Choong Wilkins, Bloomberg’s Asia government and economy correspondent, said on social media that “after six years of reporting in… Continue reading Hong Kong rejects renewal of Bloomberg reporter’s visa

DHAKA: Pakistan’s foreign minister flew to Bangladesh on Saturday as the nations, once bitter enemies after they split in 1971, seek to rebuild ties with regional power balances shifting. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is the most senior Pakistani official to visit Dhaka since 2012, with Islamabad calling it a “significant milestone in Pakistan-Bangladesh relations”. The… Continue reading Pakistan FM heads to Bangladesh, highest level visit in years

LOS ANGELES: The global phenomenon “KPop Demon Hunters” is now expanding from Netflix dominance to cinema screens following its record-breaking summer success. This animated musical featuring demon-fighting KPop stars has achieved 210 million views while claiming five spots in Spotify’s global top ten songs. Industry analysts predict the film will reach number one at the… Continue reading KPop Demon Hunters film hits cinemas after Netflix and music chart success

NEW DELHI: India has announced a collaboration with a French company to develop and manufacture fighter jet engines within the country. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh confirmed the partnership during a speech at a conference in New Delhi on Friday. “We are moving forward to manufacture aircraft engines in India itself,“ Singh stated in comments broadcast… Continue reading India partners with French firm to develop domestic fighter jet engines

LOS ANGELES: A California judicial commission has denied parole to Joseph Lyle Menendez, maintaining his imprisonment for the 1989 murder of his parents alongside his brother Erik. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation confirmed the decision in a brief statement following an eleven-hour closed hearing. “Joseph (Lyle) Menendez was denied parole for three years… Continue reading Lyle Menendez denied parole in 1989 Beverly Hills parents murder case