Category: World

SEOUL: South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump will hold their first summit meeting on August 25 in Washington to discuss strengthening the bilateral alliance and economic security partnership, Lee’s office said on Tuesday. Lee, who was elected president in a snap election in June, has made it a top priority… Continue reading Lee and Trump to discuss security, economy in August 25 summit

SYDNEY: Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu was “in denial” about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, a day after announcing Australia would recognise a Palestinian state for the first time. Australia will recognise a Palestinian state at next month’s United Nations General Assembly, Albanese said on Monday, a… Continue reading Albanese criticises Netanyahu over Gaza humanitarian crisis

BILLIONAIRE Elon Musk said on Monday his artificial intelligence startup xAI would take legal action against Apple , accusing the iPhone maker of breaching antitrust regulations in managing the App Store rankings. “Apple is behaving in a manner that makes it impossible for any AI company besides OpenAI to reach #1 in the App Store,… Continue reading Elon Musk’s xAI to sue Apple over App Store antitrust claims

LONDON: Wikipedia has lost a High Court challenge against the UK government over verification requirements in the Online Safety Act, reported PA Media/dpa. The non-profit Wikimedia Foundation (WMF), along with an anonymous editor known as BLN, wanted the website to be exempt from certain regulations that came into force earlier this year. They argued that… Continue reading Wikipedia loses UK High Court challenge over Online Safety Act

THE U.S. CDC has tightened security following an attack Friday on its Atlanta headquarters that left a police officer and the gunman dead, including having most employees work from home this week and removing vehicle decals showing where they work. The union representing workers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the violence… Continue reading US CDC boosts security after deadly Atlanta HQ shooting

MOSCOW hopes the upcoming meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump will give momentum to the normalization of relations between the two countries, TASS agency reported on Tuesday. “We hope that the upcoming high-level meeting will give an impulse to the normalization of bilateral relations,“ TASS cited Russian Deputy Foreign Minister… Continue reading Putin-Trump meeting may boost US-Russia relations, says Moscow

BEIJING: China on Tuesday said it will suspend additional tariffs on U.S. goods for 90 more days, its commerce ministry said in a statement, after President Donald Trump signed an executive order extending the tariff truce. China will maintain its tariffs on U.S. goods at 10%, the statement said, and take action to address non-tariff… Continue reading China extends tariff suspension on US goods for 90 days

U.S. President Donald Trump said he met with Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan on Monday, days after seeking his resignation, praising Tan and calling the meeting “a very interesting one.” Shares of the chipmaker rose 3% in extended trading. Last week, Trump had demanded the immediate resignation of Tan, calling him “highly conflicted” over his ties… Continue reading Trump meets Intel CEO after resignation demand amid China ties scrutiny

WASHINGTON: Texas Republicans tried on Monday to pressure Democrats to return to the state legislature after their absence again prevented a vote on a redistricting plan favored by President Donald Trump that seeks to add Republican seats in Congress. After House Speaker Dustin Burrows declared there were too few members to conduct business, he said… Continue reading Texas Republicans pressure Democrats to return for flood-recovery vote

NEW YORK: Do Kwon, the South Korean cryptocurrency entrepreneur facing U.S. fraud charges over two digital currencies that lost an estimated $40 billion in 2022, is expected to enter a guilty plea, court records showed on Monday. In a brief scheduling order, U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer said he had been advised that Kwon may… Continue reading Crypto exec Do Kwon to plead guilty in $40b fraud case

ANDRIY YERMAK, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s chief of staff, said on Monday he discussed diplomatic efforts to end the Ukraine-Russia war with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “For Ukraine, the priority is a just and lasting peace, which requires an unconditional ceasefire as a prerequisite for substantive negotiations,“ Yermak said in a post on… Continue reading Ukraine peace talks discussed by Zelenskiy aide with US official

LONDON: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney agreed that peace in Ukraine must be built with Kyiv and not imposed upon it, a Downing Street spokesperson said on Monday. The two leaders welcomed continued international diplomacy, led by U.S. President Donald Trump, “to bring peace and agreed that this must… Continue reading UK and Canada stress Ukraine peace must involve Kyiv

WASHINGTON: U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he would ask Congress to tighten U.S. crime laws as part of a crackdown on violent crime in the District of Columbia and other U.S. cities. Trump said Congress should end reforms in Chicago, New York and some other cities that allow some accused criminals to get… Continue reading Trump pushes for end to no-cash bail in US crime crackdown

WASHINGTON: U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he was deploying 800 National Guard troops to Washington and temporarily taking over the city’s police department, an extraordinary assertion of presidential power in the nation’s capital. Trump’s move, which bypassed the city’s elected leaders, was emblematic of his second-term approach, which has seen him wield executive… Continue reading Trump deploys National Guard in Washington DC amid crime concerns

MULTIPLE explosions at a U.S. Steel plant near Pittsburgh killed at least one person and injured 10 others, authorities said on Monday, and emergency crews were searching through the rubble for an employee believed to be missing. The blasts at the Clairton Coke Works – part of a sprawling industrial complex along the Monongahela River… Continue reading Explosion at U.S. Steel plant kills one, leaves two missing

WASHINGTON/KYIV/BRUSSELS: U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that Kyiv and Moscow will both have to cede land to end the war in Ukraine and talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week will instantly show whether the Kremlin leader is willing to make a deal. European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy plan to… Continue reading Trump says Ukraine and Russia must cede land to end war

ISTANBUL: Firefighters in Turkey are battling wildfires in the centre of the northwestern province of Canakkale, fanned by strong winds, and hundreds of residents have evacuated in precaution, local authorities and media said on Monday. Airplanes, helicopters, vehicles and around 700 personnel are fighting the blazes, city Governor Omer Toraman said in a post on… Continue reading Wildfires in Turkey force evacuations as authorities battle blazes

WASHINGTON: U.S. President Donald Trump extended a tariff truce with China by another 90 days on Monday, a White House official said, staving off triple-digit duties on Chinese goods as U.S. retailers prepared for the critical end-of-year holiday season. Trump signed an executive order delaying the start of higher tariffs until mid-November shortly after giving… Continue reading Trump extends China tariff truce by 90 days amid trade talks

KYIV: President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia was preparing its troops for new offensives instead of getting ready to stop the war in Ukraine, after he spoke to the leaders of India and Saudi Arabia on Monday as part of efforts to mobilise support for Kyiv beyond Europe. Zelenskiy won diplomatic backing from Europe and the… Continue reading Zelenskiy warns Russia preparing new offensives, seeks global support

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday suggested he might allow Nvidia to sell a scaled-down version of its next-generation advanced GPU chip in China, despite deep-seated fears in Washington that China could harness American artificial intelligence capabilities to supercharge its military. Trump also confirmed and defended an agreement calling for U.S. AI chip giant Nvidia,… Continue reading Trump considers allowing Nvidia to sell AI chips in China with revenue share

BRUSSELS: European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Monday that the EU will work on a 19th package of sanctions against Russia and warned against concessions to Moscow. “As far as Russia has not agreed to full and unconditional ceasefire, we should not even discuss any concessions,“ Kallas said in a statement. “The… Continue reading EU to impose 19th Russia sanctions package amid ongoing conflict

WASHINGTON: U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday said gold would not be subject to tariffs, but gave no other details. “Gold will not be Tariffed!” Trump said in a statement posted on his social media account and attributed to the president. – Reuters

WASHINGTON: The United States is designating the Pakistani separatist Baloch Liberation Army as a foreign terrorist organization, the U.S. Department of State said on Monday. The BLA is the strongest of a number of insurgent groups long operating in the area bordering Afghanistan and Iran, a mineral-rich region that is home to Beijing’s investment in… Continue reading US labels Baloch Liberation Army as foreign terrorist group

BOGOTÁ: Colombian presidential candidate Miguel Uribe has died two months after being shot at a campaign rally. The 39-year-old conservative senator was attacked on June 7 in Bogotá, suffering gunshot wounds to the head and leg. His family confirmed his death on Monday, reigniting fears of political violence in Colombia. Uribe was the grandson of… Continue reading Colombian presidential candidate Miguel Uribe dies after rally shooting

PARIS: A jellyfish invasion forced the shutdown of four reactors at France’s Gravelines nuclear power plant late Sunday. Operator EDF confirmed the incident on Monday, citing clogged filter drums in the cooling water system. The plant, located in northern France, draws cooling water from a canal connected to the North Sea. With six units generating… Continue reading Jellyfish swarm forces shutdown at French nuclear plant

KATHMANDU: Nepal has announced a two-year waiver on climbing fees for nearly 100 peaks in the northwestern Himalayas. The move targets less-visited regions bordering China to encourage mountaineers to explore new areas. Currently, climbers focus on just 25 peaks, including Mount Everest, while hundreds of others remain underutilised. Himal Gautam from Nepal’s Tourism Department confirmed… Continue reading Nepal waives climbing fees for 100 peaks to boost tourism

TAIPEI: Taiwan remains engaged in negotiations with the US to secure improved tariff terms following a 20% levy imposed by former President Donald Trump. Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun confirmed the discussions during a press briefing on Monday. “Taiwan’s goal is to seek a better and more reasonable tariff rate from the U.S.,“ Cheng stated. She… Continue reading Taiwan seeks better tariff rates in ongoing US negotiations

CHICAGO: US President Donald Trump called on China to quadruple its soybean purchases from the US in a late-night social media post. His statement sent Chicago soybean prices up by 2.38% to $10.11 a bushel in early trading on Monday. China, the world’s top soybean importer, bought about 105 million metric tons last year, with… Continue reading Trump pushes China to quadruple US soybean purchases ahead of trade deadline

NEW DELHI: Calls to boycott American brands are growing in India after former US President Donald Trump imposed a 50% tariff on Indian goods. Multinationals like McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Amazon, and Apple face backlash as anti-American sentiment rises. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s supporters and business leaders are pushing for local alternatives to US products. India is… Continue reading India boycott calls target US brands after Trump tariffs

NEW DELHI: India’s Supreme Court has ordered the immediate removal of tens of thousands of stray dogs from the capital due to rising public safety concerns. The decision follows a sharp increase in dog bite incidents, particularly affecting children and elderly residents. Official data from 2012 estimates at least 60,000 strays roam Delhi’s streets, though… Continue reading Supreme Court orders stray dog removal in Delhi for public safety

SEOUL: South Korea will pardon former justice minister Cho Kuk this week after he served less than half of his two-year sentence for academic fraud. The scandal involved forged documents to secure college admissions advantages for his children. Cho, once a rising political star, had been considered a potential presidential candidate before the 2019 scandal.… Continue reading South Korea pardons ex-justice minister Cho Kuk in academic fraud case

TEHRAN: The head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, will visit Iraq and Lebanon in a three-day diplomatic trip. State television confirmed Larijani’s departure on Monday, marking his first foreign visit since assuming office last week. In Iraq, he is expected to sign a bilateral security agreement before proceeding to Lebanon for high-level… Continue reading Iran security chief visits Iraq, Lebanon amid Hezbollah tensions

SEOUL: North Korea has issued a stern warning against planned joint military drills between South Korea and the United States, threatening “resolute counteraction” if provoked. Defence chief No Kwang Chol stated Pyongyang would respond at “the level of the right to self-defence” to the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises scheduled from 18 to 21 August. The… Continue reading North Korea threatens response over US-South Korea military drills

CANBERRA: Australia will formally recognise a Palestinian state during the United Nations General Assembly session in September, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed. The announcement marks a significant shift in Australia’s Middle East policy amid ongoing regional conflicts. Albanese emphasised that a two-state solution remains the only viable path to lasting peace in the region. He… Continue reading Australia to recognise Palestinian state at UN General Assembly