Category: World

JOHANNESBURG: Nelson Mandela’s grandson has said Palestinians’ lives under Israeli occupation are worse than anything Black South Africans experienced under apartheid, and urged the global community to come to their aid. Mandla Mandela, 51, spoke to Reuters on Wednesday evening at Johannesburg Airport, where he was boarding a flight to Tunisia to join a flotilla… Continue reading Mandela’s grandson says Palestinians’ plight is worse than apartheid

TOKYO: Japan’s tariff envoy headed to Washington on Thursday to press US President Donald Trump to sign an executive order implementing a tariffs deal announced six weeks ago. Ryosei Akazawa abruptly cancelled his previous planned visit last week, saying further working-level discussions were still needed between the two sides. “It’s necessary that the US issues… Continue reading Japan tariff envoy heads to US after cancellation

LISBON: Portugal observed a national day of mourning on Thursday following a catastrophic funicular train derailment that killed at least 15 people in one of Lisbon’s most visited tourist locations. The tragic accident occurred on Wednesday when the distinctive yellow Gloria funicular veered off its steep tracks near Liberty Avenue and smashed into a building… Continue reading Portugal mourns 15 killed in Lisbon funicular derailment tragedy

PARIS: Stargazers will witness a “Blood Moon” during Sunday night’s total lunar eclipse visible across Asia and significant portions of Europe and Africa. The phenomenon occurs when the Sun, Earth, and Moon align perfectly, casting Earth’s shadow onto the lunar surface and creating an eerie deep red colour that has fascinated humans for thousands of… Continue reading Blood Moon total lunar eclipse visible across Asia and Europe Sunday

KUALA LUMPUR/JAKARTA: Indonesian delivery driver Rizky Azhar received an unexpected food order from Malaysia accompanied by a note stating the smoked beef with rice was for him. This order represented part of a regional surge in food purchases for motorcycle taxi and delivery drivers across Indonesia. The movement emerged as a show of solidarity with… Continue reading Southeast Asia shows solidarity with Indonesian drivers via food orders

BEIJING: China will impose tariffs of up to 78.2% on certain United States optical fibre imports starting September 4. The commerce ministry announced the decision just before midnight on Wednesday, accusing American producers of evading anti-dumping measures. The levies specifically target cut-off shifted single-mode optical fibre, with Corning facing a 37.9% duty and OFS-Felite receiving… Continue reading China imposes up to 78.2% tariffs on US optical fibre imports

NEW DELHI: Parts of Delhi and Indian Kashmir experienced severe flooding on Thursday after two major rivers breached their danger marks following intense monsoon rains across northern regions. Weather officials have forecast some respite from the downpours after a fierce monsoon season caused immense destruction throughout the region this year. Torrential rainfall in the hilly… Continue reading Yamuna river crosses danger mark as heavy rains flood parts of Delhi

SYDNEY: The Australian government has agreed to pay a further 475 million Australian dollars ($308.66 million) in compensation to victims of an illegal welfare debt recovery programme. This settlement would become the largest class action payout in Australian history if approved by the courts. The programme known as Robodebt pursued hundreds of thousands of welfare… Continue reading Australia agrees record $309 million payout for Robodebt victims

WASHINGTON: Donald Trump’s administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday to swiftly hear a bid to preserve his sweeping tariffs pursued under a 1977 law meant for emergencies after a lower court invalidated most of the levies that have been central to the Republican president’s economic and trade agenda. The Justice Department appealed an… Continue reading Trump administration appeals tariffs ruling to US Supreme Court

VLADIVOSTOK (Russia): Russia has no plans to discuss any potential foreign military deployment in Ukraine in any format, calling it “unacceptable”, foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters on Thursday. She was commenting on remarks by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on plans to send European troops to Ukraine, a move, which was… Continue reading Russia rejects potential foreign military deployment in Ukraine

LIMA: A top Peruvian court has ordered the release of former President Martin Vizcarra while he awaits trial for allegedly taking bribes during his tenure as governor more than a decade ago. Vizcarra had been jailed last month ahead of his trial, where prosecutors have requested a 15-year sentence for the former leader. The court’s… Continue reading Peru court orders release of jailed ex-President Vizcarra

SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his country would “fully support” Russia’s army as a “fraternal duty”, and Russian President Vladimir Putin called the two countries’ ties “special”, state media KCNA reported on Thursday. Kim and Putin held a meeting on Wednesday on the sidelines of China’s celebrations to mark the formal surrender… Continue reading Kim Jong Un pledges full military support to Russia in Ukraine war

LIMA: A Peruvian court on Wednesday sentenced former President Alejandro Toledo to 13 years and four months in prison for money laundering, his second conviction in connection with widespread corruption. Toledo, 79, who was president from 2001 to 2006, was found guilty of using bribe money from the Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht, now known as… Continue reading Former Peruvian president Toledo gets second corruption sentence

WASHINGTON: The United States Department of Homeland Security has moved to end the Biden-era designation of Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelan migrants. A department spokesperson stated that Venezuela no longer meets the requirements for this protected immigration status. Temporary Protected Status provides work authorisation and deportation protection to migrants from countries experiencing disasters or conflicts.… Continue reading Trump administration ends Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans

MOSCOW: Russia’s defence ministry announced on Wednesday that its troops had captured approximately half of the Ukrainian city of Kupiansk in the northeastern Kharkiv region. Ukraine’s military immediately denied any such Russian advance in the strategically important city. Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield reports from either side regarding the situation in Kupiansk. The… Continue reading Russia claims capture of half of Kupiansk as Ukraine denies advance

CAIRO: Hamas reiterated on Wednesday that it is ready for a comprehensive Gaza deal through which all Israeli hostages are released in exchange for the release of an agreed upon number of Palestinian prisoners. The group’s remarks came shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump called on Hamas to release all 20 hostages. Israeli Prime Minister… Continue reading Hamas reaffirms readiness for Gaza deal following Trump remarks

SANA: Yemen’s Houthi-run Foreign Ministry declared that United Nations officials’ legal immunities must not protect espionage activities. This statement follows the detention of at least 18 United Nations personnel in the capital city by Houthi forces. The United Nations confirmed on Sunday that Houthi rebels raided its premises in Sanaa and detained staff members. United… Continue reading Yemen Houthis say UN immunities should not shield espionage activities

QUITO: An Ecuadorian judge has ordered pre-trial detention for two men accused of masterminding the 2023 assassination of anti-corruption presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio. The same ruling also requires a former government minister and another suspect, both currently in the United States, to report periodically to an Ecuadorian consulate. Villavicencio was the most prominent victim of… Continue reading Ecuador judge orders pre-trial detention in candidate murder plot

MEXICO CITY: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that security cooperation with Mexico was closer than it had ever been, during a visit to the country as the Trump administration pursues a sweeping crackdown on illegal immigration and drug cartels. The two countries vowed to work together against organized crime groups, several… Continue reading US and Mexico pledge closer security ties amid sovereignty concerns

BOSTON: A federal judge on Wednesday ruled that U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration unlawfully terminated about $2.2 billion in grants awarded to Harvard University and can no longer cut off research funding to the prestigious Ivy League school. The decision by U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston marked a major legal victory for Harvard… Continue reading US judge rules Trump unlawfully cancelled Harvard research grants

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that China’s “beautiful ceremony” marking the end of World War Two should have highlighted the role that the U.S. played in Japan’s defeat. “I thought it was a beautiful ceremony. I thought it was very, very impressive,“ Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, hours after he suggested… Continue reading Trump criticises China for WWII speech, praises parade

BUENOS AIRES: Argentina officials on Wednesday announced they had recovered a painting stolen decades ago by the Nazis following days of international intrigue and raids to track down the work of art after it was spotted in a real estate photo. The portrait of Contessa Colleoni by Italian artist Giuseppe Ghislandi was displayed in a… Continue reading Argentina recovers Nazi-stolen painting after 80 years in major art find

PFIZER and Moderna on Wednesday defended their Covid-19 vaccines as having saved millions of lives worldwide, in separate responses to U.S. President Donald Trump’s demand that pharmaceutical companies should justify the success of their pandemic drugs. In a post on Truth Social, Trump asserted that he has seen “extraordinary” data from companies such as Pfizer,… Continue reading Pfizer and Moderna defend Covid vaccine effectiveness after Trump remarks

INSTAGRAM launched a dedicated iPad application on Wednesday, placing its short-form video feature Reels at the center of the redesigned interface as parent company Meta intensifies competition with TikTok. The app addresses longstanding complaints about Instagram’s iPad experience, which previously required using a scaled-up iPhone version with blurry visuals and missing features. The new app,… Continue reading Instagram launches dedicated iPad app with Reels focus to rival TikTok

LISBON: At least 15 people died and 18 were injured on Wednesday when Lisbon’s Gloria funicular railway car, which is popular with tourists and is one of the city’s symbols, derailed and crashed, an emergency medical service spokesperson told reporters. Authorities did not identify the victims or disclose their nationalities, but said some foreign nationals… Continue reading 15 dead in Lisbon’s Gloria funicular crash, 18 injured

WASHINGTON: Victims of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein demanded on Wednesday that the U.S. Congress pass legislation forcing the release of all unclassified records related to the disgraced financier held by President Donald Trump’s administration. “This is about ending secrecy wherever abuse of power takes root,“ said Anouska De Georgiou, a former model and actress… Continue reading Epstein victims urge US Congress to pass transparency bill for documents

CHICAGO: A group of more than 100 survivors and families of victims killed in the 2023 mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, sued the U.S. government over claims it failed to respond to repeated warning signs that the shooter, an Army reservist, could become violent. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Portland, Maine, on Wednesday,… Continue reading Maine mass shooting survivors sue US Army over negligence claims

JAKARTA: Indonesian authorities seeking to quell nationwide anti-government protests on Wednesday fired a police officer involved in the death of a bystander during unrest in Jakarta last week. Led by students, workers and rights groups, protests since last week over police violence and state spending priorities have spread round the world’s third-largest democracy after a… Continue reading Indonesia fires officer over bystander death amid widespread protests

ROME: An Italian appeals court reviewed Germany’s extradition request for a Ukrainian man suspected of coordinating attacks on three Nord Stream gas pipelines but postponed the hearing until September 9. The 49-year-old suspect identified only as Serhii K under German privacy laws was arrested last month near the Italian coastal town of Rimini on a… Continue reading Italian court delays Nord Stream suspect extradition hearing to September 9

WASHINGTON: U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday that military operations against cartels would continue, setting the stage for a sustained military campaign in Latin America even as basic questions about a deadly strike against a vessel from Venezuela remained unanswered. The U.S. military killed 11 people on Tuesday in a strike on a… Continue reading US defence chief vows more military strikes against cartels after Venezuela hit

LONDON: The United States has instructed countries to reject a United Nations marine fuel emissions-cutting agreement or face tariffs, visa restrictions, and port levies. American and European officials confirmed that the Trump administration aims to boost US economic influence by expanding its role in global shipping. Washington withdrew from UN International Maritime Organization talks in… Continue reading US threatens tariffs on countries backing UN ship fuel emissions deal

LOS ANGELES: The Los Angeles drug dealer known as the “Ketamine Queen” pleaded guilty on Wednesday to charges that she supplied the dose of the powerful prescription anesthetic that killed “Friends” star Matthew Perry. Jasveen Sangha, 42, who admitted operating her North Hollywood home as a “stash house” for illegal narcotics, pleaded guilty in U.S.… Continue reading Ketamine Queen pleads guilty in Matthew Perry’s drug death case

FLORIDA plans to end all state vaccine mandates, including for children to attend schools, the state’s surgeon general, Joseph Ladapo, announced on Wednesday, likening the requirements to “slavery.” The announcement was quickly condemned by public health experts, who warned the move could trigger severe outbreaks among children, tourists and those with compromised immune systems. Ladapo,… Continue reading Florida to end all state vaccine mandates including for school children

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said on Wednesday the United States might have to “unwind” trade deals it has clinched with the European Union, Japan and South Korea, among others, if it loses a Supreme Court case on the legality of tariffs. Trump, speaking to reporters at the start of a meeting with Polish President Karol… Continue reading Trump warns US may unwind trade deals if tariff case lost

PRAGUE: Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala warned supporters that his main election opponent Andrej Babiš would threaten the country’s democracy and European position by cooperating with extremist parties. Fiala’s SPOLU centre-right coalition faces a difficult battle against Babiš’s ANO party in the October 3-4 parliamentary election. Opinion polls show ANO leading with over 30% support,… Continue reading Czech PM warns rival Babiš would cooperate with extremists in election

JERUSALEM: The Israeli military confirmed on Wednesday that it successfully intercepted a missile launched from Yemen which triggered warning sirens across multiple Israeli regions. Houthi forces controlling most of Yemen have consistently targeted Israel and Red Sea shipping routes since Israel’s Gaza war began in October 2023, significantly disrupting global trade patterns. Most of the… Continue reading Israel intercepts missile fired from Yemen amid ongoing Houthi attacks

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump announced plans to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the coming days regarding the ongoing war in Ukraine. Trump stated he intends to discuss potential measures to halt the conflict during their upcoming conversation. The president revealed these plans after his highly publicised meeting with Putin in Alaska last… Continue reading Trump plans to speak with Putin in coming days about Ukraine war