Category: World

ALASKA: Vladimir Putin made his first appearance on Western soil since ordering the invasion of Ukraine, greeted by a carefully staged reception from Donald Trump. The Russian leader arrived at Elmendorf Air Base, a key US military installation historically used to monitor Soviet activities. Trump waited aboard Air Force One until Putin’s plane landed, then… Continue reading Trump hosts Putin in Alaska amid Ukraine tensions and global scrutiny

ANCHORAGE: Russian President Vladimir Putin stated he reached an “understanding” with US counterpart Donald Trump during their Alaska summit, potentially advancing peace efforts in Ukraine. The leaders met to discuss Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, though no concrete breakthrough was announced. “We hope that the understanding we have reached will… pave the way for peace in… Continue reading Putin and Trump reach Ukraine understanding in Alaska summit

ANCHORAGE: Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin held a summit in Alaska but announced no breakthrough on ending the Ukraine war. The two leaders met for three hours at an air base, their first face-to-face talks since 2019. Trump described the meeting as “extremely productive” but admitted key issues remain unresolved. “We have a very good… Continue reading Trump and Putin discuss Ukraine but reach no deal in Alaska summit

SAN FRANCISCO: A US senator has launched an investigation into Meta over concerns that its AI chatbots engaged in harmful exchanges with children. Republican Senator Josh Hawley sent a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg demanding all related documents. The letter follows reports that Meta’s AI chatbots were permitted to have “romantic” and “sensual” conversations… Continue reading US senator probes Meta over AI chatbot interactions with children

WASHINGTON: The District of Columbia has filed a lawsuit against former President Donald Trump over his attempt to take control of the city’s police department. The legal action marks a sharp escalation in the power struggle between Trump and Washington’s local leadership. District Attorney General Brian Schwalb initiated the lawsuit hours after the Trump administration… Continue reading Washington sues Trump over federal police takeover bid

NEW YORK: A US appeals court has temporarily halted an order requiring Argentina to surrender its 51% stake in YPF to satisfy a $16.1 billion judgment. The 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan paused the June 30 turnover ruling while Argentina contests the decision. The stay offers relief to President Javier Milei’s government,… Continue reading US court halts YPF share turnover in Argentina’s $16.1bn dispute

SILICON VALLEY: Meta is reportedly planning its fourth major restructuring of artificial intelligence efforts in just six months. The Information reported the move on Friday, citing three sources familiar with the matter. The company will split its AI unit, Superintelligence Labs, into four distinct groups. A new “TBD Lab,“ short for to be determined, will… Continue reading Meta plans fourth AI restructuring amid Silicon Valley race

ANCHORAGE: US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held direct talks for nearly three hours on Friday to address the ongoing war in Ukraine. The Kremlin confirmed the meeting but did not disclose any immediate progress toward a ceasefire. Both leaders were expected to address reporters jointly following the discussions. The talks took… Continue reading Trump and Putin hold direct talks on Ukraine ceasefire in Alaska summit

BELGRADE: Serbian police used teargas and crowd control vehicles on Friday evening to disperse anti-government protesters in Belgrade. Protesters threw firecrackers and flares at officers, escalating tensions in the nine-month-long demonstrations. The crowd gathered near the army headquarters building, which was bombed by NATO in 1999, before clashes erupted. Trash containers were overturned and set… Continue reading Serbia police use teargas as anti-government protests escalate

SAN FRANCISCO: Current and former OpenAI employees are in talks to sell nearly $6 billion worth of shares to investors including SoftBank Group and Thrive Capital. The deal could value the ChatGPT maker at $500 billion, a significant jump from its current $300 billion valuation. This reflects OpenAI’s rapid growth in users and revenue, as… Continue reading OpenAI staff seek $6 billion share sale to SoftBank, Thrive Capital

ANCHORAGE: Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Moscow has developed strong and direct ties with U.S. President Donald Trump. The statement followed high-level discussions between the two leaders in Alaska. Putin emphasised that relations had improved after a challenging phase between the two nations. He expressed Russia’s genuine commitment to ending the ongoing conflict in… Continue reading Putin confirms strong Russia-US ties under Trump after Alaska talks

JAKARTA: Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto highlighted the country’s resilient economy and ambitious welfare programmes during his first state address to parliament. The former military leader, who took office in October, has focused on rapid state-driven growth to position Indonesia as a global economic force. His administration faces scrutiny over costly initiatives like the free school… Continue reading Indonesia’s president highlights economic growth and welfare reforms

ISLAMABAD: Heavy monsoon rains have triggered landslides and flash floods across northern Pakistan, leaving at least 169 people dead in the last 24 hours, national and local officials said Friday. The majority of the deaths, 150, were recorded in mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to the National Disaster Management Authority. Nine more people were killed… Continue reading Heavy monsoon rains kill 169 in Pakistan, trigger landslides

STOCKHOLM: Two people were wounded Friday in a shooting near a mosque in the Swedish town of Orebro, police said, with local media reporting one person was shot as he left the mosque. Police provided no details about the circumstances of the shooting, but urged the public to stay away from the scene as they… Continue reading Two wounded in shooting near mosque in Sweden

SRINAGAR: Rescuers in Indian Kashmir used shovels and earthmovers to search for survivors under boulders and debris on Friday, a day after sudden floods triggered by heavy rains killed at least 60 people and left 200 others missing. Gushing mudslides and floodwaters inundated the village of Chasoti on Thursday, washing away pilgrims who had gathered… Continue reading Floods and landslides in Indian Kashmir kill 60, over 200 missing

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE: U.S. President Donald Trump said he would not negotiate on behalf of Ukraine in his Friday meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and would let Kyiv decide whether to engage in territorial swaps with Russia. Trump said his goal was to get the two sides to start a negotiation, with any… Continue reading Trump says it will be up to Ukraine to decide on territorial swaps

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE: U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said he would set tariffs on imports of steel next week and on semiconductor chips the following week. “I’ll be setting tariffs next week and the week after on steel and on, I would say, chips,“ Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he… Continue reading Trump says will set tariffs on steel and semiconductor chips next week

TOKYO: Tens of thousands of people braved blazing heat to pay their respects at a controversial Japanese shrine on Friday, as Emperor Naruhito spoke of his “deep remorse” on the 80th anniversary of the nation’s World War II surrender. Two cabinet ministers were among the visitors to the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, which honours 2.5… Continue reading Japan’s emperor expresses ‘deep remorse’ 80 years after WWII

KYIV: As President Donald Trump prepared to meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, Ukrainians were watching warily, fearful the U.S. leader could sell Kyiv out in his bid for a quick deal with Moscow. The American leader, who has set his sights on securing a truce in Russia’s 3-1/2-year-old war in… Continue reading In Kyiv, disheartened Ukrainians wary ahead of Trump-Putin summit

LONDON: Oil prices fell on Friday as traders awaited talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, which some expect could lead to an easing of the sanctions imposed on Moscow over the Ukraine war. Brent crude futures fell 50 cents, or 0.8%, to $66.34 a barrel by 0923 GMT. U.S. West… Continue reading Oil falls ahead of Trump-Putin summit in Alaska

WASHINGTON: U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration is discussing a refugee admissions cap of around 40,000 for the coming year with a majority allocated to white South Africans, according to two U.S. officials briefed on the matter and an internal refugee program email, reflecting a major shift in the U.S. approach to refugees. Angie Salazar, the… Continue reading Trump administration weighing refugee cap of 40,000 with focus on white South Africans

MONTREAL: Air Canada and its unionized flight attendants remained at odds on Friday, despite government pleas for both sides to return to bargaining to avert a strike that would upend travel for tens of thousands of passengers. Canada’s largest carrier has said it expects to cancel 500 flights by the end of the day, ahead… Continue reading Air Canada, union deadlocked despite government plea for deal to avert Saturday strike

PARIS: French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou on Friday condemned an act of “anti-Semitic hatred” after a memorial tree planted in tribute to a young French Jewish man tortured to death in 2006 had been cut down outside Paris. On January 20, 2006, 23-year-old Ilan Halimi, was kidnapped by a gang of youths and tortured in… Continue reading French PM decries ‘anti-Semitic hatred’ after memorial tree cut down

BAMAKO: Mali’s military-led government has arrested two generals and a French national, accusing them of participating in an alleged plot to destabilise the West African nation, according to a government statement and state-owned media. Mali has endured over a decade of turmoil marked by Islamist insurgencies in its arid north along with political instability that… Continue reading Mali arrests generals, French national accused in alleged destabilisation plot

SEOUL: The South Korean government expressed “deep disappointment and regret” over Japanese officials visiting a Tokyo war shrine on Friday and said future relations must be built on Japan showing remorse for past wrongs, its foreign ministry said. Japan marked the 80th anniversary of its World War Two defeat on Friday, with at least one… Continue reading South Korea criticises Japanese officials’ visit to Tokyo war shrine

SINGAPORE: Property tycoon Ong Beng Seng was fined S$30,000 ($23,000) by a Singapore court on Friday as part of a landmark case that led to the jailing of former Transport Minister S. Iswaran last year. Ong, the 79-year-old founder of Hotel Properties Ltd (HPPS.SI) and rights holder to the Singapore Grand Prix, was accused of… Continue reading Singapore property tycoon linked to jailed minister fined S$30,000

JAKARTA: Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto on Friday said his budget for 2026 would be designed to make sure the Southeast Asian country is strong, independent and prosperous, as he delivered his first speech on fiscal policy to parliament. The 2026 budget proposal is the first developed by Prabowo’s administration after he took office last October.… Continue reading Indonesia’s 2026 budget designed to make the country strong, president says

TAIPEI: Taiwan’s people should spurn China’s events to commemorate the end of World War Two, including a military parade in Beijing, given Chinese “distortion” of history and threats against the island, Taipei’s top China-policy maker said on Friday. China, which views democratic Taiwan as its own territory, has invited Taiwanese veterans who fought against Japan… Continue reading Taiwan tells its people to spurn China’s ‘distorted’ war anniversary events

KYIV: Ukrainian drones hit a Russian oil refinery and an apartment block in an overnight attack just hours before US President Donald Trump hosts his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for a high-stakes summit in Alaska. Kyiv has targeted Russia’s oil depots and refineries in long-range drone attacks in what it calls retaliatory strikes for Moscow’s… Continue reading Ukraine targets Russian oil refinery, apartment block

TOKYO: Tens of thousands of people braved blazing heat to pay their respects at a controversial Japanese shrine Friday, as Emperor Naruhito spoke of his “deep remorse” on the 80th anniversary of the nation’s World War II surrender. A cabinet minister was among the visitors to Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, which honours 2.5 million mostly… Continue reading Japan emperor expresses ‘deep remorse’ 80 years after WWII

HONG KONG: The high-profile national security trial of media mogul Jimmy Lai faced another delay on Friday due to the 77-year-old’s health concerns. Lai, founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily, requires a heart monitoring device before proceedings can resume. This marks the second postponement this week after bad weather earlier suspended court sessions. Defence lawyer… Continue reading Jimmy Lai’s Hong Kong security trial delayed again over health issues

LONDON: Posing as a fortune teller on his YouTube channel, former teacher Waqar Malik tells thousands of followers that he can predict this year’s exam questions. He is among online study influencers gaining popularity among stressed British teenagers in search of exam success. But educators and examiners are concerned some pupils are relying too much… Continue reading Stressed UK teens seek influencers’ help for exams success

BANGKOK: The Thai king’s eldest daughter, who has been gravely ill in hospital for more than two years, has suffered a “severe” blood infection, the palace said on Friday. Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol has been unconscious in hospital since falling ill with a heart condition in December 2022 during a military dog training session at Nakhon… Continue reading Sick Thai princess suffers ‘severe’ blood infection

SEOUL: Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed North Korean troops sent to fight in Ukraine as “heroic” in a letter to Kim Jong Un, North Korean state media reported Friday. In a letter marking the anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japanese rule, Putin recalled how Soviet Red Army units and North Korean forces fought together to… Continue reading Putin hails North Korean troops as ‘heroic’ in letter to Kim

SEOUL: South Korea will suspend certain military activities along its border with North Korea, President Lee Jae Myung announced on Friday. The move is part of efforts to improve relations between the two nations, which remain technically at war. Speaking on the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japanese rule, Lee pledged to reinstate the… Continue reading South Korea to halt border military activities amid North Korea tensions

SYDNEY: Accenture announced its acquisition of Australian cybersecurity firm CyberCX, marking its largest deal in the sector. The Australian Financial Review reported the transaction value at over A$1 billion ($650 million). Australia has faced severe cyberattacks, including the 2022 Optus breach exposing 10 million users’ data. Health insurer Medibank also suffered a hack affecting nearly… Continue reading Accenture acquires CyberCX for $650m amid rising cyber threats

NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for greater self-reliance in manufacturing and vowed to protect farmers amid rising trade tensions with the US. Modi made the remarks during his Independence Day speech at the Red Fort, addressing concerns over US tariffs on Indian exports. “Farmers, fishermen, cattle rearers are our top priorities,“ Modi… Continue reading Indian PM Modi pledges farmer protection and self-reliance amid US trade tensions