Category: World

LOS ANGELES: A Southwest Airlines flight made a sudden mid-air dive on Friday to avoid a potential collision with another aircraft while en route to Las Vegas, leaving two flight attendants injured. Passengers reported being thrown from their seats during the abrupt maneuver. Minutes after takeoff from Burbank, California, the flight dropped several hundred feet,… Continue reading Southwest Airlines flight dives to avoid mid-air collision near Burbank

WASHINGTON: At least 11 people were injured in a stabbing incident at a Walmart store in Traverse City, Michigan, authorities confirmed on Saturday. Police have detained a suspect, though details remain limited. Munson Medical Center stated on social media, “We can confirm that 11 victims are being treated” following the attack. The hospital noted a… Continue reading 11 stabbed at Walmart in Michigan, suspect in custody

LONDON: The Scottish National Party (SNP) has threatened to introduce legislation forcing a parliamentary vote on recognising Palestinian statehood if Prime Minister Keir Starmer maintains his opposition. The minor opposition party, which advocates for Scottish independence, announced plans to table a “Palestine Recognition Bill” when UK lawmakers return from summer recess in September. Starmer has… Continue reading UK opposition pushes for Palestinian statehood vote amid pressure

ISTANBUL: Turkey’s environment ministry confirmed a historic temperature of 50.5 degrees Celsius in the southeastern town of Silopi, setting a new national record. The reading, recorded on Friday, surpasses the previous high of 49.5C registered in August 2023. The ministry stated that 132 weather stations across Turkey reported record-breaking temperatures for July, intensifying concerns over… Continue reading Turkey hits record 50.5C heatwave amid wildfires

JERUSALEM: Israeli forces intercepted a boat operated by the pro-Palestinian activist group Freedom Flotilla as it attempted to break the naval blockade of Gaza on Saturday. The incident was livestreamed by activists before being abruptly cut off. “The Israeli navy has stopped the vessel Navarn from illegally entering the maritime zone of the coast of… Continue reading Israeli forces intercept Gaza-bound activist ship in Mediterranean

TURNBERRY: US President Donald Trump spent his first full day in Scotland playing golf at his Turnberry resort under heavy security, as hundreds of demonstrators gathered in major cities to protest his visit. Accompanied by his son Eric and US ambassador to the UK Warren Stephens, Trump waved to photographers while navigating the scenic course,… Continue reading Trump plays golf in Scotland amid protests and tight security

BANGKOK: Thailand has expressed willingness to engage in ceasefire talks with Cambodia following days of intense border clashes, the deadliest in over a decade. The conflict has claimed at least 33 lives and forced more than 150,000 people to flee their homes. In a statement on X, Thailand’s foreign ministry confirmed its openness to a… Continue reading Thailand offers ceasefire talks with Cambodia amid deadly border clashes

KANTHARAROM (Thailand): As Cambodia and Thailand traded deadly strikes, fleeing civilians on both sides described their cross-border neighbours as “siblings” and “friends” — swapping calls for peace against the backdrop of artillery barrages. The death toll from three days of fighting has risen to 33, the majority civilians, after a long-running border dispute sharply escalated… Continue reading Fleeing Thais, Cambodians plead for peace amid border war

MADRID: At least 54 children and about 30 adults swam from Morocco to Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta in rough seas and fog, Spanish television reported on Saturday. Video footage on Spanish television channel RTVE showed Civil Guard launches making repeated rescue attempts to bring some of the swimmers to safety, while others swam… Continue reading 54 children swim from Morocco to Spain’s Ceuta enclave

DAVID NABARRO, the World Health Organization’s special envoy for Covid-19 since the early stages of the outbreak in 2020, has died at the age of 75, the WHO said on Saturday. “David was a great champion of global health and health equity, and a wise, generous mentor to countless individuals,“ World Health Organization chief Tedros… Continue reading WHO Covid-19 envoy David Nabarro dies at 75

TAIPEI: Taiwan opposition lawmakers survived a major recall election on Saturday, thwarting a bid to oust one-fifth of the island’s parliamentarians – a move supporters had hoped would send a message to China but that opponents said was an assault on democracy. All recall votes against 24 lawmakers from the largest opposition party, the Kuomintang… Continue reading Taiwan recall vote fails, opposition lawmakers keep seats

SYRIAN and Israeli officials agreed to meet again after no final accord was reached in U.S.-mediated talks in Paris on de-escalating the conflict in southern Syria, state-run Ekhbariya TV reported on Saturday, citing a diplomatic source. The source described the dialogue as “honest and responsible”, in the first confirmation from the Syrian side that talks… Continue reading Syria, Israel agree to continue talks after Paris meeting

VATICAN CITY: Pope Leo met on Saturday with Metropolitan Anthony, a senior cleric in the Russian Orthodox Church, in a possible effort to ease ties between the churches strained by the invasion of Ukraine. The pontiff saw Anthony, chairman of the department of external church relations, and five other high-profile clerics during an audience in… Continue reading Pope Leo meets Russian Orthodox leader amid Ukraine tensions

PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s super powers as a public figure have long included the ability to redirect, evade and deny. But the Republican’s well-worn methods of changing the subject when a tough topic stings politically are not working as his White House fends off persistent unrest from his usually loyal base about convicted sex offender Jeffrey… Continue reading Trump struggles to deflect Epstein fallout amid GOP pressure

BUDAPEST: Hungary’s government will not support the European Union’s new seven-year budget unless Brussels unlocks all suspended EU funds, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Saturday. In the past 15 years, the nationalist leader has clashed with Brussels over his policies on migration, curbing LGBTQ rights and what critics see as eroding democracy in Hungary.… Continue reading Hungary’s Orban vows to block EU budget over frozen funds

AT least nine people were killed in an armed attack by the Sunni Jaish al-Adl Baluch group on a courthouse in Iran’s restive Sistan-Baluchestan province on Saturday, including three of the assailants, state media reported. Another 22 were injured, according to the report. Jaish al-Adl confirmed the deaths of its three members in the clashes… Continue reading Nine killed in Iran courthouse attack by Jaish al-Adl group

PARIS: France’s left-wing politicians on Saturday called on President Emmanuel Macron to intervene over US plans to destroy nearly $10 million worth of female contraceptives in Europe, calling it an “affront” to public health. A State Department spokesperson told AFP this week that “a preliminary decision was made to destroy certain” birth control products from… Continue reading French left urges Macron to stop US contraceptive destruction

LAGOS: More than 600 malnourished children have died in northern Nigeria in six months after failing to receive proper care as foreign aid dries up, a medical charity has said. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said northern Nigeria, which already is struggling with an insurgency, is “currently facing an alarming malnutrition crisis”. Cases of the most… Continue reading Over 600 malnourished children die in Nigeria in 6 months

TURNBERRY (United Kingdom): US President Donald Trump was expected to play golf on the first full day of his visit to Scotland Saturday, as protesters prepared to take to the streets across the country. Trump’s arrival at his Turnberry resort has turned this picturesque and normally quiet area of southwest Scotland into a virtual fortress,… Continue reading Trump plays golf in Scotland as protests loom over visit

NEW DELHI: Police in India have arrested a man accused of running a fake embassy from a rented house near New Delhi and duping job seekers out of money with promises of overseas employment. Harsh Vardhan Jain, 47, was operating an “illegal West Arctic embassy by renting a house” in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, which neigbhours… Continue reading Indian police arrest man operating fake embassy near Delhi

TAIPEI: Taiwanese voters turned out at schools, temples and community centres on Saturday to cast their ballots in a high-stakes recall election that could give President Lai Ching-te’s party control of the parliament. Civic groups backed by Lai’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) are seeking to unseat 31 lawmakers belonging to the main opposition Kuomintang party,… Continue reading Taiwan holds pivotal recall vote targeting opposition MPs

THESSALONIKI (Greece): A strong blast early Saturday damaged an apartment building in a suburb of Greece’s second city Thessaloniki, wounding two passersby and shattering windows of nearby buildings. Six cars were also damaged in the explosion in the suburb of Sikies and anti-terror police were probing the incident, public broadcaster ERT said. The blast damaged… Continue reading Anti-terror police investigate Greek apartment blast in Thessaloniki

PARIS: President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement that France would become the first Western member of the United Nations Security Council to recognise a Palestinian state in September has caused diplomatic ructions from the Middle East through Europe to Washington. But it did not come out of the blue. When Macron visited the Egyptian town of Al-Arish… Continue reading Macron’s solo move on Palestine recognition driven by Gaza crisis

SEOUL: South Korea will prepare a trade package that is mutually agreeable with the United States ahead of minister-level meetings planned next week and a U.S. tariff-pause deadline of August 1, the presidential office said on Saturday. The package will include shipbuilding cooperation, a sector of high interest to U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who… Continue reading South Korea readies trade package for US ahead of tariff deadline

KYIV: Russia launched a barrage of drones and missiles in an overnight attack that killed three people in Ukraine’s Dnipro and the nearby region on Saturday, Ukrainian officials said. Moscow’s troops launched 235 drones and 27 missiles, damaging residential and commercial buildings and causing fires, the Ukrainian Air Force said. It said in a statement… Continue reading Russian attack kills 3 in Ukraine’s Dnipro, governor reports

MILAN: Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Saturday that recognising the State of Palestine before it is established could be counterproductive. “I am very much in favour of the State of Palestine but I am not in favour of recognising it prior to establishing it,“ Meloni told Italian daily La Repubblica. “If something that… Continue reading Meloni warns premature Palestinian state recognition may backfire

SHANGHAI: China said on Saturday it wanted to create an organisation to foster global cooperation on artificial intelligence, positioning itself as an alternative to the U.S. as the two vie for influence over the transformative technology. China wants to help coordinate global efforts to regulate fast-evolving AI technology and share the country’s advances, Premier Li… Continue reading China proposes global AI cooperation body amid US tech rivalry

AN armed attack by the Sunni Jaish al-Adl Baluch group on a courthouse in Iran’s restive southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province killed at least five people and injured 13, Iranian media reported. Three assailants were also killed in the ensuing clashes with security forces, a senior police official told the state news agency IRNA. He said a… Continue reading Five killed in Iran courthouse attack by Jaish al-Adl group

AN earthquake of magnitude 5.93 struck West Papua region of Indonesia on Saturday, the German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) said. The quake was at a depth of 10 km (6 miles), GFZ said. – Reuters

BEIJING: Thousands of men allegedly shared intimate photos and videos of their girlfriends without consent on Telegram, Chinese media reported, triggering widespread condemnation over privacy violations and demands for stronger protections for women. Pornography is illegal in China, yet conservative social attitudes towards women persist, often reinforced by state media and cultural norms. The issue… Continue reading Thousands share non-consensual intimate photos on Telegram in China

MOSCOW: US President Donald Trump has claimed that US$100 million raised by the FireAid benefit concert for California wildfire victims is now missing, calling it a “democrat inspired scam.” The funds were intended to assist survivors of the devastating Eaton and Palisades wildfires in Los Angeles, which killed over 30 people and displaced thousands. “FireAid… Continue reading Trump claims US$100 million for LA fire victims now missing

SAMRAONG: Thailand and Cambodia clashed for a third day on Saturday, as the death toll from their bloodiest fighting in years rose to 33 and Phnom Penh called for an “immediate ceasefire”. A long-running border dispute erupted into intense conflict involving jets, artillery, tanks and ground troops on Thursday, prompting the UN Security Council to… Continue reading Thai-Cambodian border clashes escalate with 33 dead despite ceasefire calls

ABERDEEN: US President Donald Trump delivered a sharp message to Europe on immigration as he arrived in Scotland for a four-day visit to his golf courses. Landing late Friday, he warned that unchecked migration is “killing Europe” and urged leaders to act swiftly. “On immigration, you better get your act together,“ Trump told reporters. “You’re… Continue reading Trump urges Europe to act on immigration during Scotland visit

WASHINGTON: US officials have strongly condemned France’s criminal investigation into social media platform X, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, over suspicions of foreign interference. The US State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor stated on X, “Democratic governments should allow all voices to be heard, not silence speech they dislike. The United States… Continue reading US condemns French probe into X platform over alleged interference

GAZA CITY: Israeli airstrikes on Friday killed at least 44 Palestinians and wounded dozens more, with attacks focusing on schools sheltering displaced families, tents, and civilians waiting for humanitarian aid, according to medical sources and witnesses. Among the deadliest strikes was one on Al-Qahira School in Gaza City, where thousands of displaced civilians had taken… Continue reading Israeli airstrikes kill 44 in Gaza, targeting displaced civilians and aid seekers

JERUSALEM/WASHINGTON/CAIRO: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump appeared on Friday to abandon Gaza ceasefire negotiations with Hamas, both saying it had become clear that the Palestinian militants did not want a deal. Netanyahu said Israel was now mulling “alternative” options to achieve its goals of bringing its hostages home from Gaza… Continue reading Netanyahu, Trump halt Gaza ceasefire talks as humanitarian crisis worsens

WASHINGTON/CANBERRA/CHICAGO: President Donald Trump said the U.S. will sell “so much” beef to Australia after Canberra relaxed import restrictions on Thursday, but economists and traders said high prices and tight supplies make major American exports unlikely. Australia said it would loosen biosecurity rules for U.S. beef. The move will not significantly increase U.S. shipments, though,… Continue reading Economists skeptical of Trump’s US beef export claims to Australia

PARIS: French luxury conglomerate LVMH is in discussions with multiple buyers, including Authentic Brands Group and WHP Global, to sell its fashion label Marc Jacobs, according to sources familiar with the matter. The deal could be valued at around $1 billion, as reported by the Wall Street Journal. The Bernard Arnault-led company has been exploring… Continue reading LVMH in talks to sell Marc Jacobs for $1 billion, sources reveal

WASHINGTON: The White House is pushing for financial penalties from multiple universities, including Harvard, Cornell, Duke, Northwestern, and Brown, over alleged failures to address antisemitism on campus. The move aims to restore federal funding, according to a Trump administration official. The official, speaking anonymously, confirmed discussions with several institutions, noting that Northwestern and Brown are… Continue reading White House seeks fines from universities over antisemitism claims

BARBADOS: A snake so small it could be mistaken for a worm has been spotted in Barbados, nearly two decades after it was thought to have been “lost” to science. The Barbados threadsnake (Tetracheilostoma carlae) was found hiding under a rock in central Barbados during an ecological survey in March by the Barbados Ministry of… Continue reading World’s smallest snake rediscovered in Barbados after decades