Category: World

UKRAINE’S President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday that Kyiv “values and fully supports” a joint statement by European leaders on achieving peace in Ukraine while protecting Ukrainian and European interests. French, Italian, German, Polish, British, Finnish and European Commission leaders on Saturday welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to try to end the war, but… Continue reading Zelenskiy says Ukraine ‘fully supports’ joint statement by European leaders

BEIJING: Nvidia’s H20 artificial intelligence chips have raised security concerns in China, according to a social media account linked to state broadcaster CCTV. The account, Yuyuan Tantian, claimed the chips are neither technologically advanced nor environmentally friendly. It urged consumers to avoid purchasing them, stating, “When a type of chip is neither environmentally friendly, nor… Continue reading Nvidia H20 chips face security concerns in China, says state media

MELBOURNE: One person was killed and multiple buildings were damaged in a Ukrainian drone attack on Russia’s Saratov region. Governor Roman Busargin confirmed the casualties on Telegram, stating debris from a downed drone struck residential and industrial sites. “Several residents required medical assistance,“ Busargin said. “Aid was provided onsite, and one person has been hospitalised.… Continue reading Ukrainian drone attack kills one in Russia’s Saratov region

BERLIN: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has driven sweeping changes in security, economic, and migration policy during his first 100 days in office. His ambitious agenda has faced widening cracks in his uneasy coalition with the Social Democratic Party (SPD). On election night in February, Merz promised a “rambo zambo” approach, signalling both energy and unpredictability.… Continue reading Germany’s Merz faces coalition discord after bold first 100 days

SANTIAGO: The world’s largest underground copper mine, El Teniente, is set to restart operations following a deadly cave-in that halted production for over a week. Chile’s Mining Ministry suspended activities at the mine on August 1 after a seismic event triggered a tunnel collapse, trapping five miners. Rescuers later recovered the bodies of all five… Continue reading Chile’s El Teniente copper mine to restart after fatal collapse

YEREVAN: The streets of Yerevan remained quiet under the summer heat as residents gathered in shaded parks to discuss the implications of the newly signed peace accord with Azerbaijan. The agreement, brokered by US President Donald Trump, aims to resolve decades of territorial disputes between the two Caucasian nations. Asatur Srapyan, an 81-year-old retiree, cautiously… Continue reading Armenians divided over peace accord with Azerbaijan in Yerevan

KYIV: European leaders called for more pressure on Russia ahead of a planned summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. The meeting, set for Alaska this Friday, aims to resolve the Ukraine war but has raised concerns over potential territorial concessions. Trump hinted at possible land swaps but provided no details, sparking unease among Kyiv… Continue reading European leaders push for pressure on Russia before Trump-Putin summit

TEL AVIV: Thousands of protesters flooded the streets of Tel Aviv on Saturday, demanding an end to Israel’s war in Gaza. The demonstration came a day after the Israeli government announced plans to expand military operations and capture Gaza City. Protesters carried signs and photos of hostages still held in Gaza, urging authorities to secure… Continue reading Thousands protest in Tel Aviv against Israel’s Gaza war expansion

BOGOTÁ: Colombian presidential candidate Miguel Uribe has suffered a setback in his recovery after a new cerebral haemorrhage left him in critical condition. The 39-year-old conservative senator was shot multiple times during a campaign event in Bogotá in June. Doctors at Santa Fe Foundation hospital confirmed Uribe now requires additional neurosurgical procedures. His condition has… Continue reading Colombian presidential candidate critical after new brain haemorrhage

KYIV: President Volodymyr Zelensky has firmly stated Ukraine will not surrender territory to Russia in exchange for peace. The declaration comes after the US and Russia confirmed a summit between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska next week. Zelensky warned that any peace deal excluding Ukraine would be meaningless and counterproductive. He stressed… Continue reading Zelensky rejects land surrender as US-Russia summit set for Alaska

GENEVA: Talks for a global treaty to tackle plastic pollution are struggling to gain momentum as nations remain deeply divided on the agreement’s scope. With four working days left, negotiators face mounting pressure to finalise a legally binding deal addressing the environmental crisis. Luis Vayas Valdivieso, the talks chair, warned delegates that progress has been… Continue reading UN plastic treaty talks face delays as nations clash on scope

RAMALLAH: The Palestinian Authority has strongly criticised Israel’s decision to escalate military operations in Gaza. President Mahmud Abbas described the move as a “new crime” and urged immediate intervention. The Israeli security cabinet approved plans for a major offensive targeting Gaza City on Friday. The decision has drawn widespread international condemnation. Abbas stressed the need… Continue reading Palestinian Authority condemns Israel’s Gaza escalation as new crime

BAGHDAD: The Iraqi government has taken a firmer stance against the pro-Iran Hezbollah Brigades following a deadly clash in Baghdad. Authorities announced that some members will face trial while others have been stripped of their military commands. The move comes after an attack on a government office in southern Baghdad last month left three dead,… Continue reading Iraq cracks down on pro-Iran faction after deadly Baghdad clash

N’DJAMENA: A Chadian court has sentenced former prime minister and opposition leader Succes Masra to 20 years in prison. The conviction relates to charges of hate speech, xenophobia, and inciting inter-communal violence that left 42 dead. The court imposed an additional fine of one billion CFA francs (1.5 million euros) on Masra, a vocal critic… Continue reading Chad court sentences ex-PM Masra to 20 years for inciting violence

BEIRUT: Lebanon has denounced Iran’s opposition to the disarmament of Hezbollah as “flagrant and unacceptable interference.” The Lebanese cabinet recently ordered the army to draft a plan for exclusive government control over weapons by year-end. Ali Akbar Velayati, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, stated Tehran opposes disarming Hezbollah, calling it part of Lebanon’s “resistance.”… Continue reading Lebanon rejects Iran’s opposition to Hezbollah disarmament as interference

MOSCOW: Russia cautiously welcomed a US-brokered draft peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The agreement, signed in Washington on Friday, aims to end decades of conflict between the two former Soviet republics. A key provision includes establishing a transit corridor through Armenia to link Azerbaijan with its exclave of Nakhchivan. The corridor, dubbed the “Trump… Continue reading Russia cautious on Armenia-Azerbaijan deal as Iran rejects border corridor

WASHINGTON: A senior US Federal Reserve official has warned that recent employment data confirms emerging weaknesses in the labour market. Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman advocated for three interest rate reductions this year during a summit in Colorado. She described the approach as necessary to prevent further deterioration in job market conditions.… Continue reading US Fed official warns of labour market fragility, backs rate cuts

ATHENS: Greece has participated in an EU-coordinated effort to deliver food aid to Gaza via air-drops. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis confirmed the operation on Facebook. “Two aircraft of the Hellenic Air Force dropped 8.5 tonnes of essential food supplies in areas of Gaza,“ he said. The initiative involved collaboration with EU and Middle Eastern nations… Continue reading Greece joins EU in Gaza food aid air-drops amid humanitarian crisis

WASHINGTON: An international crew of four astronauts has returned to Earth after nearly five months aboard the International Space Station. The SpaceX capsule carrying US astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan’s Takuya Onishi, and Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov splashed down off California’s coast. Their safe return concludes NASA’s 10th crew rotation mission under the… Continue reading International crew returns to Earth after 5 months on space station

SEYSSES: Inmates at a prison in southwestern France are struggling to cope as a heatwave grips the region. Fans hummed in every corner, and sheets hung from windows at an overcrowded prison near Toulouse. Temperatures pushed past 36 degrees Celsius, an AFP journalist observed on Thursday. Southern France is in the grip of a heatwave,… Continue reading Overcrowded French prison struggles in unbearable heatwave

LISBON: Portugal’s navy has intensified patrols along its southern coast after a migrant boat carrying 38 people landed near Vila do Bispo. The wooden vessel arrived in the Algarve region late Friday evening, according to the GNR police unit. Officials confirmed the migrants showed signs of dehydration and hypothermia upon arrival. Ten individuals required hospitalisation… Continue reading Portugal boosts navy patrols after rare migrant boat arrival

GAZA STRIP: Gaza’s civil defence agency reported at least 37 people were killed by Israeli fire on Saturday. Among the dead were 30 civilians waiting to collect aid near distribution points. Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal said 12 people died and nearly 200 were wounded when Israeli forces opened fire near a northern Gaza border… Continue reading Gaza civil defence reports 37 killed in Israeli strikes amid aid crisis

CÓRDOBA: A fire at the historic mosque-cathedral in Cordoba caused only minor damage, allowing the site to reopen quickly. The blaze broke out on Friday evening, sparking fears for the UNESCO-listed architectural gem. Videos showed flames and smoke rising from the building, a major tourist attraction drawing two million visitors yearly. Cordoba mayor Jose Maria… Continue reading Cordoba mosque-cathedral reopens after fire with minimal damage

RAMALLAH: The Palestinian Authority has strongly criticised Israel’s decision to intensify military operations in Gaza. Presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh described the move as a direct challenge to international peace efforts. He called on the UN Security Council to pressure Israel to halt aggression and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza. The Palestinian Authority governs parts… Continue reading Palestinian Authority condemns Israel’s Gaza escalation amid aid crisis

TEHRAN: Iran will not permit the establishment of a US-backed corridor connecting Azerbaijan to its Nakhichevan exclave, declared Ali Akbar Velayati, an adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The proposed route, part of a peace deal signed between Azerbaijan and Armenia, has drawn sharp criticism from Tehran. Velayati warned the corridor would threaten security… Continue reading Iran rejects Trump-backed corridor linking Azerbaijan to Nakhichevan

LONDON: Police arrested 466 people in London on Saturday for supporting the banned group Palestine Action during a major protest. The Metropolitan Police described the arrests as one of the highest numbers recorded at a single demonstration in the UK capital. Eight others were detained for offences including alleged assaults on officers, though no serious… Continue reading UK police arrest 466 at pro-Palestine protest in London

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s army said a blast at a weapons depot near the Israeli border on Saturday killed six soldiers as a military source said troops were removing munitions from a Hezbollah facility. Under a truce that ended a recent war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, the army has been deploying in south Lebanon and dismantling… Continue reading Blast at Hezbollah site in Lebanon kills 6 soldiers

ANKARA: Muslim nations must work in total unison and work to mobilise the international community against Israel’s plan to take control of Gaza City, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Saturday after talks in Egypt. Speaking at a joint press conference in El Alamein with his Egyptian counterpart after meeting Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah… Continue reading Turkey says Muslim countries must be united against Israel’s Gaza takeover plan

BEIJING: The death toll from flash floods and mudslides in northwest China has risen to 13, state media said on Saturday, after the bodies of three people were found. Torrents of mud and water began hitting mountainous areas of Gansu province on Thursday, with the death toll listed as 10 on Friday as rescuers searched… Continue reading Death toll from northwest China floods rises to 13

LONDON: British foreign minister David Lammy and U.S. Vice President JD Vance will meet Ukrainian and European allies in Britain on Saturday to discuss President Donald Trump’s push for peace in Ukraine, a spokesperson for Downing Street said. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ahead of the security meeting, the… Continue reading US, EU, and Ukrainian officials to meet in UK on Saturday ahead of Trump-Putin meeting

IRAN has arrested 20 people it alleges are operatives of Israel’s Mossad spy agency in recent months, the judiciary said on Saturday, warning that they will face no leniency and will be made an example of. On Wednesday, Iran executed a nuclear scientist named Rouzbeh Vadi, who was convicted of spying for Israel and passing… Continue reading Iran arrests 20 alleged spies of Israel

DURBAN-CORBIÈRES: French firefighters said Saturday that the country’s biggest wildfire in at least half a century was contained but would not be brought under control before Sunday evening. The fire near the Mediterranean coast has ravaged a vast area of the southern Aude department at the peak of the summer tourist season, killing one person… Continue reading Massive French wildfire contained but ‘not under control’

WASHINGTON: A gunman killed a police officer Friday near the headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control in the US city of Atlanta before being found dead at the scene, authorities said. No other people were killed or physically wounded in the shooting, during which multiple rounds were fired in the CDC campus, police said.… Continue reading Gunman kills police officer near Atlanta CDC headquarters

MOSCOW: Certain countries will make “titanic efforts” to disrupt the meeting U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin for August 15, Russia’s investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev said on Saturday. Trump had said earlier that Russia and Ukraine were close to a ceasefire deal that could resolve the three-and-a-half-year conflict. The… Continue reading Moscow warns of ‘titanic efforts’ to disrupt Putin-Trump meeting