Category: World

FRANKFURT: Climate disasters such as droughts, wildfires, floods and storms could slash up to five percent off the eurozone’s GDP by 2030, economists warned Wednesday in an ECB blog post. Under a severe scenario, the 20-member eurozone would suffer an economic hit not only from a series of natural hazards at home but also those… Continue reading Climate shocks could cost eurozone 5% of GDP, economists warn

BEIRUT: Syria must publish the full results of an investigation into the March killings of Alawite civilians and ensure those responsible are held accountable, Amnesty International said Wednesday ahead of the expected release of the government’s findings. The massacres in the religious minority’s coastal heartland killed more than 1,700 people, most of them Alawites, according… Continue reading Syria must release findings of inquiry into Alawite killings: Amnesty

BERLIN: A Syrian man arrested after a violent attack on a German high-speed train last week has been admitted to a psychiatric ward, police said on Wednesday. The 20-year-old is accused of attacking passengers with an axe and a hammer on the train from Hamburg to Vienna on Thursday, leaving four people seriously injured. The… Continue reading Germany train attack suspect moved to psychiatric ward

STRASBOURG: A top European court on Wednesday ruled Russia committed a string of human rights violations in backing anti-Kyiv separatists in eastern Ukraine from 2014, the downing of the MH17 flight that year and invading Ukraine in 2022. The European Court of Human Rights, part of the Council of Europe rights body, is tasked with… Continue reading Top European rights court finds Russia committed abuses in Ukraine

BARCELONA: Spanish authorities lifted lockdown measures for thousands of villagers in the northeastern Catalonia region on Wednesday as firefighters began taming a forest fire raging for a third day. The blaze that started on Monday has burned more than 3,300 hectares (8,154 acres) in Tarragona province, with the protected Els Ports natural park making up… Continue reading Spain lifts lockdown for thousands as forest fire eases

ROME: A man injured during a huge explosion at a petrol station in a Rome suburb last week died on Wednesday, a local administration official told AFP. The 35-year-old, who worked at the gas station in the Prenestino neighbourhood of eastern Rome, suffered burns over 55 percent of his body, the official said. A total… Continue reading Fuel station worker hurt in huge Rome blast dies

LONDON: US tariffs unpredictability, trade tensions between Beijing and Washington as well as conflicts in Iran, Gaza and Ukraine pose risks to UK financial stability, the Bank of England warned Wednesday. “Risks and uncertainty associated with geopolitical tensions, global fragmentation of trade and financial markets, and pressures on sovereign debt markets are still elevated,“ the… Continue reading Trump tariffs, conflicts pose risks to UK economy: BoE

GENEVA: Lower-income countries will gain access to a “game-changing” HIV prevention drug with a new deal signed between with US pharmaceutical giant Gilead and the Global Fund, the health financing group said Wednesday. The group set up to battle AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, described the deal to procure lenacapavir for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)… Continue reading Poorer countries granted access to HIV prevention drug

JERUSALEM: Israel’s military said Wednesday its troops entered southern Lebanon as part of targeted operations to dismantle infrastructure belonging to the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. “Following intelligence information and the identification of Hezbollah weapons and terrorist infrastructure in several areas of southern Lebanon, the soldiers launched special, targeted operations to dismantle them and prevent Hezbollah… Continue reading Israel army says launched ‘special, targeted operations’ in south Lebanon

LAGOS: Temporary-stay visas for Nigerian citizens visiting the United States are now limited to three months, the US embassy in the capital Abuja, has announced. It was the latest of a series of travel bans or restrictions announced by Washington, many of them affecting African countries. “Effective immediately, most non-immigrant and non-diplomatic visas issued to… Continue reading US restricts temporary visas for Nigerians

WASHINGTON: Three people were killed by flash floods in the US state of New Mexico, officials said Tuesday, just days after a devastating deluge claimed more than 100 lives in neighboring Texas. The “historic” flash floods struck Ruidoso, a small town about 150 miles (240 kilometers) south of Albuquerque, New Mexico. “The Village of Ruidoso… Continue reading Flash floods kill three in New Mexico

LONDON: Hospital doctors in England will walk out for five days later this month, their union said Tuesday, ten months after they settled a long-running wave of strikes. The move comes after the doctors accepted a pay rise offer totalling 22.3 percent over two years last September, soon after Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s new Labour… Continue reading Hospital doctors in England set to strike again over pay

PARIS: The leader of France’s National Rally said police seized documents from the far-right party’s headquarters Wednesday, a raid prosecutors said was linked to a French probe into alleged illegal campaign financing. The party of Marine Le Pen, the longtime standard bearer of the French far right, has come under increasing scrutiny in recent years.… Continue reading France police raid far-right party offices over campaign financing

FRANKFURT: Europe’s largest automaker Volkswagen said Wednesday that sales into the United States had taken a hit, underscoring the impact of President Donald Trump’s drastic trade measures. Total vehicle deliveries into North America fell almost seven percent in the first half of the year, the German group said, even as overall deliveries worldwide notched a… Continue reading Volkswagen US deliveries fall as Trump tariffs bite

DAMASCUS: A Kurdish military commander met with Syria’s leader in Damascus on Wednesday in the presence of a US envoy to discuss stalled efforts to integrate the country’s autonomous Kurdish administration into the Syrian state. Mazloum Abdi of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) — the Kurdish administration’s de facto army — and interim President Ahmed… Continue reading Kurdish military chief meets with Syrian leader, US envoy

SEOUL: More than a thousand people have been affected by heat-related illnesses in South Korea, officials said Wednesday, as the country recorded its highest early July temperature since records began. A heatwave warning was in place and the Seoul city government on Wednesday said the extreme temperatures were a “disaster” that posed a threat to… Continue reading Record July temperatures as South Korea grapples with heatwave

ROME: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived Wednesday in Rome, where he is due to meet Pope Leo XIV and participate in an international conference on rebuilding his war-torn country. Zelensky is also expected to meet with Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Keith Kellogg, US President Donald Trump’s envoy for Ukraine and Russia, according to the… Continue reading Zelensky in Rome for pope talks, Ukraine recovery conference

WASHINGTON: Billionaire Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup on Wednesday removed posts made by its chatbot Grok on X after it came under fire for antisemitic content. “We are aware of recent posts made by Grok and are actively working to remove the inappropriate posts,“ said a post attributed to the AI system on Musk’s social… Continue reading Musk’s AI firm deletes Grok posts after antisemitism criticism

AHMEDABAD: Indian forensic investigators have identified all 260 people killed in last month’s crash of a London-bound passenger plane, health authorities said Wednesday, ahead of a hugely anticipated preliminary report into what went wrong. India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is leading the probe into one of the deadliest air disasters in decades — with an… Continue reading Toll of Air India disaster rests at 260 as focus turns to crash report

STRASBOURG: The EU on Wednesday announced its first ever plan to help stockpile essential goods such as food, water, fuel and medicines in case of crises, amid fears over potential war with Russia. The “stockpiling strategy” from Brussels comes as NATO warns that Russia — currently waging war on EU neighbour Ukraine — could be… Continue reading EU unveils ‘stockpiling strategy’ to prepare for war

BAKU: The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan will meet on Thursday in the United Arab Emirates for peace talks, a day after the US expressed hope for a swift deal. Baku and Yerevan fought two wars over the disputed Karabakh region, which Azerbaijan recaptured from Armenian forces in a lightning offensive in 2023, prompting the… Continue reading Armenia, Azerbaijan to meet for peace talks in UAE Thursday

TOKYO: A trial challenging Japan’s lengthy and gruelling detention of criminal suspects opened in Tokyo Wednesday, with plaintiffs decrying “subhuman” treatment they say ignores the presumption of innocence. Campaigners argue that lengthy pre-trial detention is meted out too easily in Japan, especially if suspects remain silent or refuse to confess. The lawsuit is challenging the… Continue reading Trial challenging Japan’s ‘hostage justice’ opens

MARSEILLE: A wildfire that disrupted plane and train in Marseille, France’s second largest city, decreased in intensity on Wednesday, officials said. Several fires have raged in recent days in the southern region, fanned by winds and kindled by parched vegetation, including Tuesday’s just north of the port city of Marseille. “The fire is clearly receding,… Continue reading Marseille wildfire that closed airport ‘receding’

ARBIL: More than 30 percent of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region now has 24-hour state electricity, authorities said Thursday, with plans to extend full coverage by the end of 2026. The northern region of Kurdistan has long promoted itself as a haven of relative stability in an otherwise volatile country. Despite Iraq’s vast oil wealth, the… Continue reading Iraq’s Kurdistan enjoys all-day state electricity

BERLIN: Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Wednesday he was “cautiously optimistic” about the prospects of a deal between the European Union and the United States to avert increased tariffs threatened by President Donald Trump. “I am cautiously optimistic that we may succeed in reaching an agreement with the United States in the next few days… Continue reading German chancellor ‘cautiously optimistic’ on EU-US tariff deal

PARIS: Provocative Georgian designer Demna will bow out after 10 years at Balenciaga on Wednesday during Paris Haute Couture Week before taking the reins at Gucci. Demna, known for his daring work as well as controversies during his stint at Kering-owned Balenciaga, will unveil his final collection on Wednesday at what is likely to be… Continue reading Demna to bow out at Balenciaga with farewell Paris fashion show

GAZA CITY: Gaza’s civil defence agency on Wednesday said that 20 people, including at least six children, were killed in two Israeli air strikes overnight in the Palestinian territory. Agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP the first hit a tent housing displaced people in Khan Yunis in the south shortly after midnight local time (2100… Continue reading Gaza civil defence says 20 killed in Israeli air strikes

BEIJING: Beijing dismissed on Wednesday claims by Berlin that the Chinese military had directed a laser at a German aircraft over the Red Sea as “completely inconsistent with the facts”. The foreign ministry in Berlin said on Tuesday that a German aircraft participating in a “routine” EU-led mission to protect marine traffic in the Red… Continue reading China says German plane laser claim ‘inconsistent with facts’

BEIJING: Beijing said on Wednesday that the European Union needed to rebalance its “mentality”, not its economic ties with China, ahead of a summit between the two this month. “It is hoped that the European side realises that what needs to be rebalanced right now is Europe’s mentality, not China-EU economic and trade relations,“ foreign… Continue reading China says EU ‘mentality’, not trade, needs to be rebalanced

SEOUL: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will visit North Korea this weekend, state media reported, the latest in a series of high-profile visits by top Moscow officials as the two countries deepen military ties. Lavrov “will visit the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea from July 11 to 13 at the invitation of the DPRK Foreign… Continue reading Russian FM Lavrov to visit North Korea this weekend: state media

KYIV: Russia fired its largest missile and drone attack on Ukraine in more than three years of war, Kyiv said Wednesday after strikes that mainly targeted areas furthest from the front line. The attack comes just after US Donald Trump said he would increase weapons deliveries to Ukraine — reversing an earlier US policy announcement… Continue reading Ukraine says Russia launched largest drone, missile attack of war

ISTANBUL: Both the disarmament of Kurdish PKK militants and the creation of a Turkish parliamentary committee to oversee the peace process will be “crucial”, the group’s jailed founder said Wednesday. His announcement came ahead of a planned PKK ceremony in northern Iraq to lay down weapons on Friday, some two months after the militant group… Continue reading PKK leader says political framework key for peace with Turkey

WASHINGTON: Mattel has launched its first Barbie doll with type 1 diabetes in a bid to foster a greater sense of inclusion and empathy among children, a company vice-president said Tuesday. The new Barbie has been designed in partnership with the global type 1 diabetes not-for-profit Breakthrough T1D. “Introducing a Barbie doll with type 1… Continue reading Mattel launches Barbie doll with diabetes

DAMBADARJAA: Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako visited a World War II memorial in Mongolia during their landmark state visit, honouring compatriots who perished in Soviet-era labour camps. The eight-day trip marks 80 years since the war’s end, highlighting growing Mongolia-Japan relations despite historical complexities. The imperial couple laid flowers at a Tokyo-funded monument in… Continue reading Japan Emperor honours WWII dead in Mongolia state visit

WASHINGTON DC: US President Donald Trump will host five African leaders for a White House lunch, with discussions expected to focus on trade, investment, and regional security. The presidents of Senegal, Liberia, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, and Gabon will attend the meeting, representing nations along Africa’s Atlantic coast. Officials from the visiting countries indicated that economic partnerships… Continue reading African leaders meet Trump at White House for trade and security talks

DHAKA: Audio recordings analysed by the BBC appear to confirm Bangladesh’s former prime minister Sheikh Hasina ordered security forces to use lethal weapons during last year’s deadly crackdown on protests. The recordings, dated July 18, 2024, form a key part of the prosecution’s case in her ongoing trial for crimes against humanity. The United Nations… Continue reading Bangladesh ex-PM audio reveals orders for deadly crackdown

JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that his discussions with US President Donald Trump centred on securing the release of hostages held in Gaza and continuing military operations against Hamas. The talks, held at the White House, marked their second meeting within 24 hours as Trump urged progress toward ending the conflict. Netanyahu stated… Continue reading Netanyahu reaffirms hostage release and Hamas defeat in Trump talks

JOHANNESBURG: South Africa will push for a trade agreement with the United States following the announcement of a 30% tariff on its citrus exports by former President Donald Trump. The new duty, set to take effect on August 1, could severely impact the country’s agricultural sector, which relies heavily on citrus exports. President Cyril Ramaphosa… Continue reading South Africa seeks US trade deal after Trump’s 30% citrus tariff

WASHINGTON: The United States government has announced new restrictions preventing Chinese nationals and other foreign entities deemed as security threats from purchasing American farmland. The policy shift comes amid growing concerns over foreign ownership of agricultural land near sensitive military installations. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins described the move as necessary to counter what she termed… Continue reading US restricts Chinese farmland purchases over security concerns

MOSCOW: Russia has officially designated Yale University as an “undesirable organisation,“ according to authorities. The decision, announced on Tuesday, is part of the Kremlin’s ongoing crackdown on perceived critics, which has intensified since Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine. The “undesirable” label effectively prohibits the university from operating within Russia and exposes individuals collaborating with it… Continue reading Russia bans Yale University as undesirable organisation amid crackdown

SEOUL: South Korea has repatriated six North Koreans who were rescued earlier this year after drifting into southern waters. The individuals, found on separate wooden boats in the East Sea and Yellow Sea, expressed their desire to return home, according to Seoul’s unification ministry. Four of the North Koreans were discovered in May in the… Continue reading Seoul repatriates six North Koreans rescued at sea in humanitarian move

CANBERRA: The Australian government has raised serious concerns over potential US tariffs targeting pharmaceutical and copper imports, as flagged by former President Donald Trump. Treasurer Jim Chalmers confirmed urgent discussions with US officials to clarify the implications of the proposed trade measures. Trump recently announced plans to impose a 200 per cent tariff on pharmaceuticals… Continue reading Australia deeply concerned over US pharmaceutical tariff threats

TOKYO: The Japanese government has started advising travellers to keep portable chargers within easy reach during flights following multiple reports of power banks catching fire mid-air. The new safety measure aims to prevent potential hazards caused by overheating or damaged lithium-ion batteries. Airport staff nationwide have begun requesting passenger cooperation, with All Nippon Airways employees… Continue reading Japan urges travellers to keep power banks accessible on flights