Category: World

PAHALGAM: Hindus began a vast month-long pilgrimage in contested Indian Kashmir on Thursday, with many of the faithful starting from near the site where a deadly April attack triggered conflict with Pakistan. Last year, half a million devotees took part in the Amarnath pilgrimage to a sacred ice pillar located in a cave in the… Continue reading India Hindu pilgrimage begins in contested Kashmir

LIMA: Peru’s highly unpopular President Dina Boluarte has doubled her salary with one year left in her term, the government announced Wednesday. The 63-year-old head of state, who faces protests against an explosion of gang violence in the country, will now receive the equivalent of $10,000 per month, according to an official decree. The statement… Continue reading Peru’s unpopular president gives herself a huge pay raise

BRUSSELS: China’s top diplomat warned his EU counterpart against “confrontation”, his foreign ministry said Thursday, after she urged Beijing to stop undermining Europe’s security. Meeting Kaja Kallas in Brussels on Wednesday, Wang Yi said China and the European Union “should not be regarded as opponents because of differences, nor should they seek confrontation because of… Continue reading China, EU should not ‘seek confrontation’: FM Wang

BANGKOK: Thailand’s former defence chief is set to be appointed acting prime minister on Thursday, capping a colourful career for the political heavyweight once nicknamed “Big Comrade”. Phumtham Wechayachai earned his moniker over links in his youth to a 1970s student movement that rallied against the architect of a military coup, before their protests were… Continue reading ‘Big Comrade’: Former defence chief takes reins as Thai PM

BANGKOK: Thailand’s king is scheduled Thursday to swear in a new cabinet in a reshuffle that will see a third person in a week take on the role as the country’s prime minister. The Southeast Asian nation’s top office was plunged into turmoil on Tuesday when the Constitutional Court suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra pending… Continue reading Thailand set for another acting PM after cabinet reshuffle

DOWNEY: Since immigration police raided his car wash near Los Angeles last month, Jose has been constantly watching the video feeds from his 11 surveillance cameras. The raid carried out by federal agents outraged the 25-year-old, who wishes to remain anonymous for fear that his business, which employs many undocumented Latin American migrants, will be… Continue reading In California, fear of racial profiling grips Latino communities

WASHINGTON: Brazilian coffee beans, French champagne and Chinese teas — drinks are a profit driver for US restaurants, but higher import costs have eaten into margins and fed into consumer prices in the three months since President Donald Trump unveiled sweeping global tariffs. A stone’s throw from the White House, a restaurant group that takes… Continue reading In US capital, Trump tariffs bite into restaurant profits

JAKARTA: At least four people have died and 23 have been rescued after a ferry carrying 65 people sank on its way to Indonesia’s Bali island, a local police chief said Thursday. “23 rescued, 4 dead,“ Rama Samtama Putra, police chief of the East Javan town of Banyuwangi, told AFP, saying that was the latest… Continue reading At least 4 dead, 23 rescued in Indonesia ferry sinking: local police

LONDON: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday said that finance minister Rachel Reeves would remain in her role for “a very long time to come” after she appeared visibly upset in parliament as rumours swirled around her future. Tears rolled down Reeves’ face after Starmer declined to guarantee that she would remain in place… Continue reading UK’s Starmer backs finance minister after tears in parliament

KYIV: US officials on Wednesday downplayed a White House announcement that Washington was pausing some weapons shipments to Ukraine, after the war-battered country was caught off-guard and appealed for clarity. Ukraine is contending with some of Russia’s largest missile and drone attacks of the three-year war, and a halt to the provision of munitions —… Continue reading Ukraine scrambling for clarity as US downplays halt to arms shipments

NEW YORK: His gaze to the ceiling in exultation and hands miming prayer, Sean Combs appeared overjoyed as the jury foreman declared the music mogul not guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking charges, thus taking a life sentence in prison off the table. Combs, 55, was still convicted on two lesser counts related to prostitution,… Continue reading Tears, prayers, exultation: Diddy radiates relief after partial acquittal

DENPASAR: At least 61 people were missing after a ferry sank off the popular Indonesian resort island of Bali, a local search and rescue agency said Thursday. The vessel sank around 11:20 pm (1520 GMT) on Wednesday in the Bali Strait as it sailed to the famous holiday destination from Indonesia’s main island Java, Surabaya… Continue reading 61 missing after boat sinks near Indonesia’s Bali: local rescue agency

TEHRAN: Iran on Wednesday officially suspended its cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, a move triggered by the unprecedented Israeli and US strikes on its nuclear facilities. The 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel, which erupted on June 13, has sharply escalated tensions between Tehran and the International Atomic Energy Agency. On June 25, a… Continue reading Iran ends cooperation with UN nuclear watchdog after Israel, US strikes

ISLAMABAD: Flash floods and heavy rain in Pakistan have killed 64 people and injured 117 in a week, a government agency said Wednesday. The highest toll was in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, with 23 dead including 10 children, the National Disaster Management Authority said. Fourteen of the victims were swept away in a flash flood… Continue reading Pakistan flash floods, heavy rain kill 64 in a week: govt

MOGADISHU: A Ugandan military helicopter deployed with the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia crashed at Mogadishu airport on Wednesday, a Ugandan military spokesperson told Reuters. Three of the helicopter’s eight occupants survived the incident, said the spokesperson, Felix Kulayigye, though he did not provide details on the fate of the other five people. There… Continue reading Ugandan military helicopter crashes at Somalia’s Mogadishu airport

JERUSALEM: Israel’s military said on Wednesday its had apprehended members of an Iranian-backed “terrorist cell” in southern Syria, where state TV reported three arrested by Israeli troops. Since the December overthrow of Syria’s longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad, Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes primarily on military sites and sent troops to carry out… Continue reading Israel says detained Iran-linked ‘terrorist cell’ in Syria

KYIV: Ukraine summoned a senior US diplomat on Wednesday, urging its key ally not to cut or delay critical military aid after the White House said it was halting some weapons shipments. Kyiv said it had not been told anything by the United States about the halt to aid, which could thwart its ability to… Continue reading Ukraine left scrambling after US says halting weapons shipments

LONDON: A fire that shut London’s Heathrow airport in March, stranding thousands of people, was caused by the UK power grid’s failure to maintain an electricity substation, an official report said on Wednesday, prompting the energy watchdog to open a probe. The closure of Heathrow, Europe’s busiest airport, cost airlines tens of millions of pounds.… Continue reading ‘Preventable’ National Grid failures led to Heathrow fire, findings say

AMSTERDAM: Ferrari on Wednesday scored a win at the EU’s second-highest court, which said the luxury sportscar maker had been wrongfully stripped off the rights to the Testarossa brand name. Ferrari’s rights on the mark were revoked in 2023 by the European Union’s Intellectual Property Office, which said the company had not put them to… Continue reading Ferrari wins back rights to Testarossa brand at EU court

NEW YORK: The jury in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ trial will continue deliberations on Wednesday, a day after reaching a verdict on four of the five counts the music mogul faces in his sex trafficking case but failing to agree on a racketeering conspiracy charge. U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian said on Tuesday the jury had… Continue reading Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs jury to resume deliberations after partial verdict

BOISE: A man pursuing a doctorate in criminal justice when he was charged with the stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students was due back in court on Wednesday, expected to plead guilty under a deal with prosecutors that avoids the threat of capital punishment. Bryan Kohberger, 30, previously pleaded not guilty to first-degree… Continue reading Ex-doctoral candidate expected to plead guilty to murders of four Idaho students

GAZA CITY: Gaza’s civil defence agency said that Israeli strikes killed at least 14 people on Wednesday, as US President Donald Trump urged Palestinian group Hamas to agree to a 60-day ceasefire. After nearly 21 months of war which has created dire humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip, home to more than two million people,… Continue reading Gaza rescuers say Israeli strikes kill 14 as Trump teases ceasefire push

WASHINGTON: Two Chinese nationals have been arrested for espionage and for allegedly seeking to recruit members of the US Navy to serve as intelligence assets, the Justice Department said Tuesday. Yuance Chen, 38, and Liren Lai, 39, face charges of acting as agents of the Chinese government and a maximum sentence of 10 years in… Continue reading Two Chinese nationals arrested in US for espionage

WASHINGTON: CBS parent Paramount has agreed to pay $16 million to settle US President Donald Trump’s lawsuit over the contents of an interview with then vice president Kamala Harris, media reports said. The settlement resolves Trump’s $20 billion lawsuit against the network over its “60 Minutes” interview with Harris during the 2024 presidential campaign. The… Continue reading Paramount settles Trump ‘60 Minutes’ lawsuit for $16 million

PARIS: Physical and sexual violence at a Catholic school in France persisted for years without any response from Prime Minister Francois Bayrou, who served as education minister between 1993 and 1997, a parliamentary inquiry said on Wednesday. The scathing report issued by several French lawmakers, who have investigated the widespread claims of abuse at the… Continue reading Inquiry accuses French PM of failing to act over school abuse

BEIJING: Chinese Premier Li Qiang will visit Brazil for a meeting of BRICS countries and then Egypt next week, Beijing’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday. “Li Qiang will attend the 17th BRICS Summit upon invitation in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 5 to 8,“ a foreign ministry spokesperson said in a statement. Beijing and… Continue reading China says Premier Li to visit Brazil for BRICS summit and Egypt

SYDNEY: Fiji’s prime minister said Wednesday that China should not be allowed to gain a permanent military foothold in the strategically contested South Pacific region. China has spent years cementing its influence in a string of Pacific island nations, challenging traditional security partners such as the United States and its ally Australia. Fiji Prime Minister… Continue reading Fiji says would not welcome China military presence in Pacific

AIX-EN-PROVENCE: At the foot of Sainte Victoire, the mountain in Provence immortalised by Impressionist painter Paul Cezanne, a palaeontologist brushes meticulously through a mound of red clay looking for fossils. These are not any old fossils, but 75-million-year-old dinosaur eggs. Little luck or skill is needed to find them: scientists believe that there are more… Continue reading Eggs en Provence: France’s unique dinosaur egg trove

RIO DE JANEIRO: Heavy rains spurred by global warming caused natural disasters in eight out of 10 Brazilian cities between 2020 and 2023, three times more than in the 1990s, according to a study published Tuesday. Rising temperatures lead to increased water vapour in the atmosphere — about 7 percent per additional degree — increasing… Continue reading Rain caused natural disasters in 83% of Brazil’s cities: report

BANGKOK: Thailand’s acting prime minister is set to helm the country for only one full day Wednesday, standing in for suspended premier Paetongtarn Shinawatra before being replaced himself in a cabinet reshuffle. Transport minister and deputy prime minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit began his engagements by attending a ceremony in Bangkok celebrating the longevity of the prime… Continue reading Thai veteran politician set for single day as acting PM

BRUSSELS: The EU will present its delayed 2040 emissions-reduction target Wednesday, sticking to its climate goals but with new flexibility to answer the concerns of member states that must greenlight the plans. Brussels is making the 2040 announcement as much of Europe roasts in an early summer heatwave — which scientists say are becoming more… Continue reading EU to unveil long-delayed 2040 climate target

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said Tuesday a trade deal with Japan was unlikely before the July 9 deadline, threatening to raise tariffs on Japanese imports to 30 or 35 percent. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump criticized Japan’s reluctance to accept imports of US rice, as well as the imbalance in auto… Continue reading Trump threatens Japan with up to 35% tariff ahead of deadline

NEW DELHI: There is no link between Covid-19 vaccination and unexplained sudden deaths in India, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday. Many sudden deaths have been reported among youth in India, with widespread speculation that these were due to Covid-19 vaccines. “The matter of sudden unexplained deaths has been investigated through several agencies in the… Continue reading No link between Covid-19 vaccines and sudden deaths in India

DUESSELDORF: The new German government has no plans currently to take a stake in Thyssenkrupp’s defence division TKMS, the business daily Handelsblatt reported on Wednesday, citing government sources. According to the report, the chancellery as well as the ministries involved have agreed not to push for state involvement at this time, something Thyssenkrupp’s labour leaders… Continue reading German government not planning to take stake in TKMS, reports Handelsblatt

WELLINGTON: A satellite backed by billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has been lost in space while carrying out an important climate change mission, New Zealand officials said Wednesday. Designed to measure greenhouse gas emissions with “unprecedented resolution”, the MethaneSAT space probe was also funded by Wellington and the US-based Environmental Defense Fund. Plagued with technical… Continue reading Bezos-backed methane satellite lost in space after climate mission

MCLEOD GANJ (India): Exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama said Wednesday that the 600-year-old institution will continue after his death, a decision that will have profound impact on his Buddhist followers. It is a landmark decision not only for Tibetans, but also for global supporters who see the Dalai Lama as a symbol of… Continue reading Dalai Lama confirms successor after death, impacts Tibetan future