Category: World

PARIS: The River Seine was to reopen to swimmers on Saturday in Paris after a century-long ban on taking a dip in the waterway, offering locals in the French capital and tourists a welcome respite after a week of scorching temperatures. Parisians and visitors looking to cool off this summer can dive in — weather… Continue reading River Seine welcomes Paris swimmers after century-long ban

LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES: Mark Snow, a composer of music for television — including the distinctively eerie theme for “The X Files” — has died at age 78, his agent confirmed. A cause of death was not provided, but Hollywood trade publication Variety said Snow died Friday at his residence in the northeastern state of… Continue reading Mark Snow, composer of ‘X Files’ theme, dead at 78

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL: BRICS leaders meeting in Rio de Janeiro from Sunday are expected to decry Donald Trump’s hardline trade policies, but are struggling to bridge divides over crises roiling the Middle East. Emerging nations representing about half the world’s population and 40 percent of global economic output are set to unite over what… Continue reading BRICS nations to denounce Trump tariffs

PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met at the Elysee Palace to discuss strengthening multilateralism and addressing global challenges. Macron emphasised the shared responsibility of France and China as permanent UN Security Council members in fostering stability amid growing unpredictability. Macron expressed France’s commitment to deepening ties with China, particularly… Continue reading China and France pledge multilateralism to stabilise global uncertainty

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan – REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina/Pool ANKARA: Saudi Arabia has called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and stressed the need to end the suffering of Palestinian civilians amid Israel’s ongoing military campaign. The statement came during a joint press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow. Saudi Foreign… Continue reading Saudi Arabia demands Gaza ceasefire, Palestinian state on 1967 borders

LONDON: A new bill aimed at stopping animal smuggling and cruelty has passed the UK House of Commons with cross-party support. The legislation, introduced by Liberal Democrat MP Danny Chambers, seeks to reduce the number of animals entering the UK for non-commercial purposes while banning the import of puppies and kittens under six months old… Continue reading UK lawmakers pass bill to ban imports of young puppies and kittens

LONDON: Pro-Palestinian campaign group Palestine Action’s co-founder on Friday lost a bid to pause the British government’s decision to ban the group under anti-terrorism laws, with the group losing an urgent appeal meaning it will be banned from midnight. Huda Ammori, who helped found Palestine Action in 2020, asked London’s High Court to stop the… Continue reading UK’s Palestine Action loses bid to pause ban as terrorist group

CAIRO/TEL AVIV: Hamas said it had responded on Friday in “a positive spirit” to a U.S.-brokered Gaza ceasefire proposal and was prepared to enter into talks on implementing the deal, which envisages a release of hostages and negotiations on ending the conflict. U.S. President Donald Trump earlier announced a “final proposal” for a 60-day ceasefire… Continue reading Hamas says it responds to Gaza ceasefire proposal in ‘a positive spirit’

CARDIFF: British rock band Oasis reunited in Cardiff on Friday as the Gallagher brothers put more than 16 years of acrimony behind them to deliver a hit-paced set that took thousands of fans back to the optimism and swagger of the 1990s. The Manchester band defined the “Britpop” revival of guitar music, before tensions between… Continue reading British rock band Oasis reunite in Cardiff to thrill fans

WASHINGTON: U.S. President Donald Trump signed into law a massive package of tax and spending cuts at the White House on Friday, staging an outdoor ceremony on the Fourth of July holiday that took on the air of a Trump political rally. With military jets flying overhead and hundreds of supporters in attendance, Trump signed… Continue reading In July 4 ceremony, Trump signs tax and spending bill into law

Torrential rains unleashed deadly flash floods along the Guadalupe River in south-central Texas on Friday, killing at least 13 people and initially leaving nearly two-dozen girls missing from a riverfront summer camp, local authorities said. The U.S. National Weather Service declared a flash flood emergency for parts of Kerr County, located in south-central Texas Hill… Continue reading Texas flash flooding kills at least 13 people

BERLIN: The U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Friday it had pulled its last remaining inspectors from Iran as a standoff over their return to the country’s nuclear facilities bombed by the United States and Israel becomes further entrenched. Israel launched the first of its military strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites in a 12-day war with… Continue reading IAEA inspectors leave Iran safely after conflict, seek monitoring resumption

BERLIN: Germany’s economy ministry presented a draft law on Friday that would accelerate the expansion of geothermal energy projects, as Berlin aims to phase out the use of fossil fuels in heating systems by 2045. Germany possesses some of Europe’s largest geothermal reserves, which could cover more than a quarter of its annual heating demand,… Continue reading Germany proposes new law to boost geothermal energy expansion

BRUSSELS/PARIS: The European Union will cut imports of Ukrainian wheat and sugar by up to 80% to address the concerns of its farmers, according to quotas announced on Friday, that are likely to drive Ukraine growers to sell more to markets in Asia and Africa. In a show of solidarity following the start of the… Continue reading EU slashes Ukrainian wheat and sugar imports by 70-80% under new quotas

TEL AVIV/CAIRO: At least 15 Palestinians were killed overnight in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza, according to local health officials, as U.S. President Donald Trump said he expected Hamas to respond to his “final proposal” for a ceasefire in Gaza in the next 24 hours. Health officials at the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern… Continue reading Gaza ceasefire talks intensify as Trump awaits Hamas response

JAKARTA: Indonesia has offered to cut duties on key imports from the United States to “near zero” and to buy $500 million worth of U.S. wheat as part of its tariff talks with Washington, its lead negotiator and a wheat industry association said on Friday. Chief economics minister Airlangga Hartarto, who is Indonesia’s lead negotiator,… Continue reading Indonesia offers US tariff cuts, $500m wheat deal in trade talks

THE Czech Republic is facing an extraordinary situation due to a major power outage and everyone is working to restore electricity supplies, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on Friday on social media platform X. The Czech police has said earlier there was no evidence of cyber or terrorist attack so far. – Reuters

BRUSSELS: The European Union’s landmark rules on artificial intelligence will be rolled out according to the legal timeline in the legislation, the European Commission said on Friday, dismissing calls from some companies and countries for a pause. Google owner Alphabet, Facebook owner Meta and other U.S. companies as well as European businesses such as Mistral… Continue reading EU confirms no delay for AI Act rollout despite industry pushback

BANGKOK: Thailand has not yet reached a conclusion on trade talks with the United States and will work on a new proposal, the finance minister said on Friday. Speaking while travelling back from Washington from negotiations with the United States, Pichai Chunhavajira said the team emphasised the importance of achieving a sustainable, win-win agreement. Washington… Continue reading Thailand-US trade talks continue as deadline looms, says minister

PRAGUE: A major power outage that hit parts of the Czech Republic on Friday, briefly halting underground trains in the capital Prague, was probably the result of a technical outage, with no signs of a cyber or terrorist attack, authorities said. The incident is likely to add to concerns about the resilience of Europe’s power… Continue reading Major power outage hits Czech Republic

GENEVA: The U.N. human rights office said on Friday it had recorded at least 613 killings both at aid points run by the U.S.- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) and near humanitarian convoys run by other relief groups including the U.N. The GHF uses private U.S. security and logistics companies to get supplies into… Continue reading UN reports 613 killed at Gaza aid sites near humanitarian convoys

NEW DELHI: China gave Islamabad “live inputs” on key Indian positions during Pakistan’s deadly conflict with its neighbour in May, the deputy chief of India’s army said on Friday, calling for urgent upgrades to the country’s air defence systems. The nuclear-armed rivals used missiles, drones and artillery fire during the four-day fighting – their worst… Continue reading China aided Pakistan with live intel in India conflict, says army official

SHANGHAI/BEIJING: Sweltering heat enveloped China’s eastern seaboard on Friday, as a high-pressure system settled over the country’s most populous region, baking key agricultural and manufacturing hubs along the Yangtze River and raising fears of droughts and economic losses. Large swathes of China’s economic heartland are set to roast in temperatures of 37-39 degrees Celsius (99-102… Continue reading Eastern China heatwave threatens crops and industry with 40°C temperatures

SHANGHAI: China spared major cognac producers Pernod Ricard, LVMH and Remy Cointreau from new duties of up to 35% on EU brandy on Friday, easing trade tensions with Brussels as Beijing seeks to resolve a separate row over tariffs on Chinese-made EVs. China will levy duties of up to 34.9% for a period of five… Continue reading China spares major cognac makers from EU brandy dumping duties

ATHENS: Firefighters battled for a third day on Friday to put out a wildfire on the Greek island of Crete that has razed forests and olive groves and forced thousands of residents and tourists to leave the area. Around 130 firefighters, 48 vehicles and six helicopters were deployed in the effort, working with gale-force wind… Continue reading Greece fights Crete wildfire amid Europe heatwave, tourists evacuated

HELSINKI: Finnish police said on Friday a man held over a stabbing attack in the southwestern city of Tampere on Thursday in which four people were injured told them he had no racist or political motive for the deed and had attacked people randomly. Police said the suspect, who was arrested shortly after the deed… Continue reading Finnish police arrest 23-year-old in Tampere mall stabbing case

BUDAPEST: Unusually low water levels on the Danube river in Hungary are affecting shipping, agriculture, and local ecosystems along Europe’s second-longest river, which serves as a key transport route across the continent. Temperatures peaked at 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) in Budapest this week as much of Europe baked in an early summer heatwave… Continue reading Low Danube water levels disrupt shipping amid Hungary heatwave

NEW DELHI: India’s aviation watchdog reprimanded Air India’s budget carrier in March for not timely changing engine parts of an Airbus A320 as directed by European Union’s aviation safety agency, and falsifying records to show compliance, a government memo showed. In a statement, Air India Express told Reuters it acknowledged the error to the Indian… Continue reading Air India Express warned over Airbus engine fix delays and record falsification

DHARAMSHALA (India): A senior Indian minister has said that only the Dalai Lama and the organization he has set up have the authority to identify his successor as the spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhism, in a rare comment contradicting rival China’s long-held position. The Dalai Lama, who fled to India in 1959 after a failed… Continue reading India supports Dalai Lama’s successor choice, opposes China’s claim

NEW DELHI: India will launch a $234 million incentive programme for civil and military drone makers to reduce their reliance on imported components and counter rival Pakistan’s programme built on support from China and Turkey, three sources told Reuters. India’s push to build more home-grown drones stems from its assessment of the four-day clash with… Continue reading India launches $234M drone incentive amid Pakistan conflict

BERLIN: Russia has increased its use of chemical weapons in Ukraine, Germany’s BND foreign intelligence agency said on Friday, citing evidence it obtained alongside its Dutch counterparts. Russia uses not only tear gas, but also “the more dangerous chemical chloropicrin, which can be lethal in high concentrations in enclosed spaces” in Ukraine, the BND said… Continue reading Russia escalates chemical weapons use in Ukraine, German spies confirm

DUBAI: The Israeli military is preparing an enforcement plan to “ensure that Iran cannot return to threaten Israel“, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz told senior military officials. He said the military must be prepared, both in intelligence and operations, to ensure Israel has air superiority and to prevent Tehran from reestablishing its previous capabilities. He… Continue reading Israeli military readies plan to counter Iran threat, says defence minister

ROME: At least nine people, including eight police officers and a firefighter, were injured on Friday after an explosion at a petrol station in the east of Rome, Italian authorities said. The large blast at the distributor of petrol, diesel and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in the Prenestino neighbourhood was heard across the Italian capital.… Continue reading Rome gas station explosion injures several, causes major disruption

PARIS: Early one morning this week, a dinghy motored along a vast beach in northern France, stopping every few hundred metres to pick up migrants bound for Britain. Four French police gave chase, but failed to reach the migrants before they reached water’s edge. Soon, with 70-odd people onboard, the dinghy began chugging across the… Continue reading France and UK aim to curb Channel crossings with new migrant boat plan

PARIS: A strike by French air traffic controllers entered its second day on Friday, causing further flight delays and cancellations at the start of Europe’s peak travel season. Civil aviation agency DGAC told airlines to cancel 40% of flights at the three main Paris airports on Friday because of the strike, which the air traffic… Continue reading French air traffic strike disrupts flights for second day in Europe

THE HAGUE: Dutch and German intelligence agencies have gathered evidence of widespread Russian use of banned chemical weapons in Ukraine, including dropping a choking agent from drones to drive soldiers out of trenches so they can be shot, they said on Friday. Dutch Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans called for tougher sanctions against Moscow. “The main… Continue reading Russia’s widespread chemical weapons use in Ukraine exposed by Dutch intelligence

MYANMAR’S ruling junta said on Friday it had already discharged 93 minors from military service, countering a United Nations report last month that accused it and allies of recruiting more than 400 children, many in combat roles. In a rare admission published in its mouthpiece newspaper, the junta said it conducted a verification process last… Continue reading Myanmar junta releases 93 child soldiers amid UN scrutiny

CADBURY chocolate maker Mondelez is urging a one-year delay in the implementation of the European Union’s deforestation law, a senior company executive said. The company supports the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) in principle, Massimiliano Di Domenico, vice president of corporate and government affairs for Europe said, but urged policymakers to account for “on-the-ground realities.” Di… Continue reading Cadbury parent Mondelez seeks EU deforestation law delay

BEIJING: A Chinese national who went missing in Thailand after accepting a photoshoot job has been rescued, according to China’s embassy in Bangkok, which cautioned Chinese citizens against simply accepting job offers. The embassy said in a statement that the rescue of a person with the surname Zhong was a joint effort of various parties… Continue reading Chinese national rescued in Thailand after shady job offer, embassy warns

WASHINGTON: U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday it would probably be known in 24 hours whether the Palestinian militant group Hamas has agreed to accept what he has called a “final proposal” for an Israel-Hamas ceasefire in Gaza. The president also said he had spoken to Saudi Arabia about expanding the Abraham Accords, the… Continue reading Trump expects Hamas decision on Gaza ceasefire within 24 hours

NEW YORK: The killing of civilians trying to get food and in displacement sites in Gaza shocks United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, reported Xinhua. “The secretary-general is appalled by the deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza,“ said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric on Thursday. “Multiple attacks in recent days hitting sites hosting displaced people and people… Continue reading UN Chief appalled by attacks on civilians in Gaza

MOSCOW: Moscow has formally recognised the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, said the Russian Foreign Ministry, Russian News Agency (TASS) reported. According to a ministry representative, the Foreign Ministry confirmed this when asked to comment on reports about Russia’s decision to recognise the country. The Russian ambassador in Afghanistan, Dmitry Zhirnov, said Russian President Vladimir Putin… Continue reading Moscow formally recognises Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan