Category: World

SAN SALVADOR: El Salvador seized packages containing 1.4 tons of cocaine floating in the Pacific Ocean. President Nayib Bukele announced the seizure on Tuesday and described it as a strike against international drug trafficking. The shipment was discovered approximately 1,600 kilometres southwest of El Cordoncillo at the mouth of the Jaltepeque estuary. This significant drug… Continue reading El Salvador seizes 1.4 tons of cocaine floating in Pacific Ocean

SAKI: Nigeria’s six-month ban on shea nut exports has created immediate hardship for producers despite government ambitions to transform the industry. Africa’s most populous country produces approximately 40% of the world’s shea nut supply, used to make shea butter for soaps, lotions and cosmetics. The west African nation currently sits at the bottom of the… Continue reading Nigeria shea nut export ban disrupts producers despite growth goals

KATHMANDU: Nepal’s youth-led unrest stems from deep-seated economic frustrations and political disillusionment with an ageing ruling class perceived as disconnected from public needs. Digital-savvy but unemployed young Nepalis reached breaking point this week amid limited opportunities and widespread government corruption. Street protests erupted on Monday after authorities temporarily banned social media platforms, leaving at least… Continue reading Nepal unrest driven by youth unemployment, corruption and social media ban

LONDON: Google has eliminated data transfer fees for organisations operating across multiple cloud platforms within the European Union and United Kingdom. This policy change precedes the implementation of the EU Data Act scheduled for Friday. Regulators in both regions aim to boost competition within the cloud computing sector currently dominated by Amazon Web Services and… Continue reading Google waives EU and UK cloud data transfer fees ahead of new law

KYIV: Russia’s leader is escalating his war on Ukraine and testing the West according to Kyiv’s assessment following the downing of drones that violated Polish airspace. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga stated that Russian drones entering Poland during the massive attack demonstrate Putin’s growing sense of impunity due to inadequate punishment for previous actions. “Putin… Continue reading Putin testing West with drone incursions into Poland, Kyiv warns

WARSAW: Poland confirmed that hostile objects were downed by Polish or allied aircraft following multiple violations of its airspace during a Russian attack on Ukraine. Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz stated on social media that aircraft had used weapons against these hostile objects. He emphasised that Poland maintains constant contact with NATO command throughout the ongoing… Continue reading Poland downs hostile objects in airspace during Russian Ukraine attack

STRASBOURG: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will defend her controversial trade agreement with former US President Donald Trump during an address to EU parliamentarians on Wednesday. Many lawmakers view the July accord as a surrender to Washington despite widespread recognition that Europe’s security dependence on America limited its negotiating power during tariff discussions.… Continue reading EU chief to defend Trump trade deal amid parliamentary criticism

BANGKOK: Thailand’s influential former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra began his first full day in prison on Wednesday following a Supreme Court ruling that his previous jail term served in hospital was improper. The court decision represents one of the most significant setbacks for Thailand’s biggest political heavyweight whose clan has opposed the pro-military and pro-royalty… Continue reading Thaksin begins first full day in Thai prison after court ruling

KATHMANDU: Nepali soldiers patrolled the streets of Kathmandu on Wednesday to restore order after protesters set parliament ablaze and forced the prime minister to resign in the worst violence to hit the Himalayan nation in two decades. Protests began Monday in the Nepali capital against the government’s ban on social media and over corruption but… Continue reading Nepal army patrols Kathmandu after deadly protests force PM to resign

WASHINGTON: Protesters jeered US President Donald Trump during a rare public dinner at a Washington restaurant, with viral videos capturing shouts of “Free DC! Free Palestine! Trump is the Hitler of our time!” The 79-year-old Republican approached the shouting protesters and paused just a few feet away, nodding and smiling placidly without offering any verbal… Continue reading Trump jeered as ‘Hitler of our time’ at Washington restaurant dinner

SEOUL: Approximately 300 South Korean workers detained during an immigration raid in Georgia will depart the United States on Wednesday. Yonhap news agency reported the workers would leave around 1430 local time, citing an unidentified diplomatic source. South Korea’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. U.S. Secretary of State Marco… Continue reading South Korean workers detained in US immigration raid to depart Wednesday

LONDON: Obesity has likely surpassed underweight as the more common condition among school-aged children and adolescents worldwide according to a new UNICEF report. The UN children’s agency attributed this shift to increasingly unhealthy food environments across the globe. UNICEF based its estimates on data from 2000-2022 compiled by academics who first predicted this tipping point… Continue reading Obesity now more common than underweight in world’s youth, says UNICEF

WASHINGTON: A federal judge has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump from removing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook in an unprecedented legal battle that challenges central bank independence. US District Judge Jia Cobb issued a preliminary ruling that prevents the president from firing Cook while the court considers whether allegations of pre-appointment misconduct constitute valid grounds… Continue reading US judge blocks Trump from removing Fed Governor Cook temporarily

WARSAW: Poland’s military engaged Russian drones that violated its airspace from Ukraine on Wednesday, marking the first direct engagement of Russian assets during the Ukraine conflict. The military command confirmed that both Polish and NATO allied air defences were scrambled to neutralise the drone-type objects entering from Ukrainian territory. “During today’s attack by the Russian… Continue reading Poland engages Russian drones in airspace, urges citizens to stay indoors

WASHINGTON: Top health officials under US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are compiling examples of harmful effects from COVID-19 vaccines on pregnant women to share with the public. The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary and the agency’s top vaccine official Vinay Prasad… Continue reading US health officials compile COVID vaccine pregnancy harm reports

PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron has appointed his defence minister and close ally Sebastien Lecornu as the new prime minister to address a deepening political crisis amid looming protests. The 39-year-old Lecornu replaces Francois Bayrou as the seventh premier of Macron’s mandate, representing a choice of loyalty over broader political outreach. Macron has instructed Lecornu… Continue reading Macron names close ally Lecornu as new French prime minister

PARIS: Apple has announced that its new iPhone 17 Air will be available globally without a physical SIM card slot, marking a significant advancement for eSIM technology. This move extends the company’s eSIM-only strategy, which began with the iPhone 14 in the United States in 2022, to the worldwide market. An eSIM is a digital… Continue reading Apple iPhone 17 Air goes eSIM-only globally, accelerating digital SIM adoption

BRUSSELS: Belgium’s Prince Laurent has publicly acknowledged fathering a son during an affair with a Flemish model before his royal marriage in 2003. The 61-year-old brother of King Philippe confirmed the paternity in an official statement released on Tuesday. Rumours had circulated since the 1990s about Laurent’s relationship with singer Wendy Van Wanten, whose real… Continue reading Belgian prince admits fathering son with model before royal marriage

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has again denied authoring a lewd birthday letter to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein after the document was publicly released. The Wall Street Journal first reported the existence of the alleged 2003 letter in July, prompting Trump to file a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the newspaper and its owners. The… Continue reading Trump denies signing Epstein letter, calls it a hoax by Democrats

WASHINGTON: Former and current Meta employees have testified that the company systematically suppressed internal research highlighting child safety risks on its virtual reality platforms. Six researchers alleged that Meta deployed lawyers to screen, edit and sometimes veto sensitive safety studies following congressional scrutiny in 2021. The whistleblowers claim Meta’s legal team sought to establish plausible… Continue reading Meta accused of suppressing child safety research in VR platforms

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump issued a rare public criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding Israel’s military strikes against Hamas targets within Qatar. Trump emphasised that he played no part in the decision for one close US ally to attack another and stated he had attempted to intervene but was too late to prevent… Continue reading Trump rebukes Netanyahu over Israeli strikes in Qatar amid Gaza talks

LOS ANGELES: A California woman appeared in court on Tuesday facing multiple felony charges for allegedly registering her dog to vote in state elections. Laura Yourex, 62, could potentially face up to six years in jail if convicted on all counts related to the voter fraud case. The charges stem from social media posts she… Continue reading US woman charged with registering her dog to vote faces six years

HONG KONG: The city’s legislature will vote on Wednesday whether to grant limited rights to same-sex couples through a new partnership registration bill. This proposed legislation would only recognise partnerships that were legally registered abroad, excluding local same-sex couples from obtaining similar recognition. LGBTQ activists have criticised the bill’s narrow scope while pro-Beijing politicians have… Continue reading Hong Kong legislature votes on limited same-sex partnership rights bill

STRASBOURG: European Parliament members have accidentally passed a motion criticising the European Union’s own Ukraine policy during a session in France. Absent-minded lawmakers approved a stern text condemning the EU’s failed militaristic strategy in Ukraine, with many voting by mistake. The parliament voted on multiple texts including one addressing Brussels’ response to Russia’s ongoing invasion… Continue reading EU parliament criticises EU’s Ukraine policy … by mistake

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has confirmed that trade negotiations between the United States and India will continue despite recent tensions. Trump announced the development through his Truth Social platform on Tuesday, expressing confidence in reaching a successful agreement. “I am pleased to announce that India, and the United States of America, are continuing negotiations… Continue reading Trump says US-India trade talks continuing, will speak to Modi soon

WASHINGTON: US Attorney General Pam Bondi has pledged to pursue the maximum penalty against a man charged with murdering a Ukrainian refugee on public transportation. Authorities allege that 34-year-old DeCarlos Brown Jr repeatedly stabbed 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska from behind while she rode a light rail train in Charlotte last month. “We will seek the maximum… Continue reading US to seek maximum penalty for Ukrainian refugee murder case

WASHINGTON: US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has unveiled the Trump administration’s roadmap to tackle chronic disease while avoiding direct restrictions on ultra-processed foods or pesticides. The plan calls for better nutrition, tighter scrutiny of medical advertising, and a new push to boost fertility without imposing concrete limits on food and agricultural industries. Kennedy… Continue reading US health plan avoids junk food and pesticide restrictions, critics say

WASHINGTON: The United States stands ready to expand tariffs targeting purchasers of Russian oil if the European Union implements similar measures to undermine Moscow’s war funding. President Donald Trump participated in US-EU discussions by phone, proposing tariff rates between 50% and 100% on nations buying Russian oil including China and India. These high-level talks coincide… Continue reading US ready to match EU tariffs on Russian oil buyers to pressure Putin

WASHINGTON: The US Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments in November regarding the legality of President Donald Trump’s extensive tariffs. His administration requested an expedited ruling after a lower court found he exceeded his authority by using emergency economic powers to impose broad duties. That court permitted the tariffs to remain temporarily in place,… Continue reading US Supreme Court to hear Trump tariff case in November

BAGHDAD: Israeli-Russian academic Elizabeth Tsurkov has been released in Iraq after 903 days in captivity following her kidnapping in Baghdad in March 2023. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and US President Donald Trump jointly announced her freedom on Tuesday after extensive security and intelligence operations. Sudani stated on social media platform X that Tsurkov’s… Continue reading Elizabeth Tsurkov released in Iraq after 903 days in captivity

DOHA: Israel’s military confirmed conducting strikes targeting senior Hamas leaders in Qatar on Tuesday. Qatar strongly condemned the attack on buildings housing members of the Palestinian militant movement’s political bureau in its capital city. The Israeli military stated these Hamas leaders had directed the organisation’s operations and were directly responsible for the October 7, 2023… Continue reading Israel strikes Hamas officials in Qatar, targeting political leadership in Doha

HELSINKI: Polish President Karol Nawrocki has issued a stark warning about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s expansionist intentions beyond Ukraine. Nawrocki expressed deep distrust toward Putin’s intentions during a joint press conference with Finnish President Alexander Stubb in Helsinki on Tuesday. Both Poland and Finland share borders with Russia and remain concerned following Moscow’s 2022 invasion… Continue reading Polish president warns Putin ready to invade other countries after Ukraine

MADRID: Spain has escalated its diplomatic confrontation with Israel by barring two far-right Israeli government ministers from entering Spanish territory. Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares announced sanctions against National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich during a press conference on Tuesday. This decision follows Monday’s announcement of nine measures by Prime… Continue reading Spain bars two far-right Israeli ministers over Gaza genocide allegations