Category: World

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

THREE people were shot and wounded in New York’s Times Square, the New York Police Department said on Saturday. The people – an 18 year-old female, 19-year old male, and a 65-year old male – are in a stable condition in hospital, an NYPD spokesperson said. A 17 year-old male is in custody, the NYPD… Continue reading Three wounded in New York Times Square shooting

BANGKOK: A landmine blast on Saturday wounded three Thai soldiers on patrol near the border with Cambodia, days after the two sides agreed a ceasefire to end their deadliest military clashes in decades. The blast occurred in Sisaket province at around 10:00 am (0300 GMT), the Royal Thai Military said in a statement. One soldier… Continue reading Landmine blast wounds Thai soldiers on tense Cambodia border

LONDON: UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Saturday congratulated Armenia and Azerbaijan “on the bold steps taken in Washington”, after they signed a peace deal following decades of conflict. “I commend @POTUS’s vital role in securing this breakthrough,“ Lammy said, referring to US President Donald Trump, and noted “the UK stands ready to support peace… Continue reading UK praises ‘bold steps’ in Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal

UKRAINE won’t give up land to Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky warned early on Saturday, hours after Washington and Moscow agreed to hold a summit in a bid to end the war. Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump will meet in the far-north US state of Alaska, near Russia, on August 15, to try to resolve… Continue reading Kyiv won’t give up land, says Zelensky as US-Russia summit confirmed

ATHENS: Hundreds of firefighters on Saturday battled for a second day a large wildfire near Athens that left one dead, with strong winds raising fears it could spread. A fire department spokesman said over 260 firefighters with nearly 80 fire engines and 12 aircraft were deployed in Keratea, a rural area some 43 kilometres (27… Continue reading Firefighters battle blaze near Athens for second day

ATHENS: A wildfire on the outskirts of Athens was contained on Saturday morning, but evacuations continued as strong winds were forecast for the weekend. At least one person died and homes and farmlands were destroyed on Friday as wildfires, fueled by gale-force winds, spread across Greece. The worst blaze occurred in Keratea, southwest of Athens,… Continue reading Greece wildfire contained but evacuations continue amid strong winds

BOGOTÁ: Colombian President Gustavo Petro has announced fresh negotiations with Clan del Golfo, the country’s most powerful drug-trafficking organisation. The group, which calls itself the Gaitanista Army of Colombia, has roots in right-wing paramilitary forces and remains a major security threat. Petro revealed the talks during a public event in Córdoba, located roughly 289 kilometres… Continue reading Colombian president begins talks with top cocaine cartel Clan del Golfo

KOTA BHARU: Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim hari ini meninjau projek penanaman padi di Kawasan Lembaga Kemajuan Pertanian Kemubu (KADA) di Desa Gemalai Baruh Padi Alami, Mulong. Beliau tiba pada 11.15 pagi diiringi Menteri Besar Kelantan Datuk Mohd Nassuruddin Daud dan Pengerusi KADA Khalid Abdul Samad sebelum mendengar taklimat mengenai pelaksanaan projek berkenaan. Perdana… Continue reading PM Anwar tinjau projek padi organik Desa Gemalai

KHARTOUM: In Sudan’s war-torn capital, Red Crescent volunteers are undertaking the grim task of exhuming bodies from makeshift graves. Teams clad in white hazmat suits search vacant lots where families hastily buried their dead during intense fighting. Hisham Zein al-Abdeen, head of Khartoum’s forensic medicine department, oversees the operation with mechanical diggers. “We’re finding graves… Continue reading Volunteers assist families in Khartoum with war dead reburials

MEXICO CITY: Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum dismissed concerns of a US military invasion following reports of an executive order by former President Donald Trump targeting drug cartels. “There will be no invasion of Mexico,“ Sheinbaum stated after The New York Times revealed Trump’s secret directive authorising military force against cartels. The Mexican foreign ministry later… Continue reading Mexico denies invasion risk after Trump’s cartel military order

WASHINGTON: Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev on Friday suggested sending a joint nomination alongside Armenia for Trump to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize after the rivals signed an accord aimed at ending decades of conflict. “So maybe we agree with Prime Minister (Nikol) Pashinyan to send a joint appeal to the Nobel committee to award… Continue reading Azerbaijan proposes joint nom with Armenia for Trump Nobel Peace Prize

PORT-AU-PRINCE: Haiti’s transitional government appointed Vladimir Paraison, former head of palace security, as the new national police chief on Friday. The move aims to strengthen efforts against armed gangs controlling much of the capital. Paraison vowed to restore security nationwide during his inauguration ceremony. “We the police will not sleep,“ he said. “We will provide… Continue reading Haiti appoints new police chief to tackle gang violence

U.S. President Donald Trump is considering reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. At a $1 million-a-plate fundraiser at his New Jersey golf club earlier this month, Trump told attendees he was interested in making such a change, the people, who declined… Continue reading Trump weighs reclassifying marijuana as less dangerous drug, WSJ reports

LOS ANGELES: LA28 Chairman Casey Wasserman has defended former President Donald Trump’s decision to lead a White House task force for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Wasserman stated that Trump’s involvement highlights the federal government’s dedication to the Games. “The president naming himself the chair is unique, but I think it shows the importance of… Continue reading LA28’s Wasserman says Trump-led task force shows government commitment

MADRID: A fire broke out in the historic mosque-turned-cathedral in Cordoba on Friday but the monument was saved as firefighters quickly contained and then extinguished it, the Spanish city’s mayor said. Widely shared videos had shown flames and smoke billowing from inside the major tourist attraction, visited by two million people per year. “The monument… Continue reading Fire extinguished, historic mosque-cathedral in southern Spain ‘saved’

BRASÍLIA: Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Friday vetoed some provisions of a bill that would have made it easier for companies to secure environmental permits, bowing to pressure from activist groups. Dubbed the “devastation bill” by its detractors, the text recently adopted by lawmakers would have loosened environmental licensing laws for projects… Continue reading Brazil’s Lula vetoes parts of environmental ‘devastation bill’

NEW YORK: New York is waging a war on multiple fronts to combat the near ubiquitous rats that plague city streets and the subways, leaving some residents afraid to let their children walk on sidewalks. Faced with an overwhelming and ever-growing problem, officials have moved beyond gassing burrows to suffocate rodents and are now using… Continue reading New York declares total war on prolific rat population

Los Angeles, United States: President Donald Trump demanded a massive $1 billion fine from the prestigious University of California system on Friday as the administration pushed its claims of antisemitism in UCLA’s response to 2024 student protests related to Gaza. The figure, which is five times the sum Columbia University agreed to pay to settle… Continue reading Trump demands $1bn from University of California over UCLA protests

NAGASAKI, JAPAN: Twin cathedral bells rang in unison Saturday in Japan’s Nagasaki for the first time since the atomic bombing of the city 80 years ago, commemorating the moment the atrocity took place. On August 9, 1945, at 11:02 am, three days after a nuclear attack on Hiroshima, the United States dropped an atomic bomb… Continue reading Restored Nagasaki bell rings in 80 years since A-bomb

JERUSALEM: Israel’s military will “take control” of Gaza City under a new plan approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet, touching off a wave of criticism Friday from both inside and outside the country. Nearly two years into the war in Gaza, Netanyahu faces mounting pressure to secure a truce to pull the territory’s… Continue reading Israel plans to ‘take control’ of Gaza City, sparking wave of criticism

WASHINGTON: The US commerce department has begun issuing licenses to Nvidia for exporting its H20 artificial intelligence chips to China. This development follows a meeting between Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and former President Donald Trump at the White House, as reported by the Financial Times. The Financial Times cited a US official confirming that the… Continue reading US grants Nvidia export licenses for China chips after Trump meeting

WASHINGTON: The Trump administration plans to reduce security funding for Washington DC by $20 million, according to a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) notice. President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed crime in the US capital is “totally out of control.” FEMA’s urban security grant for DC and surrounding areas will drop to $25.2 million, a… Continue reading Trump administration cuts $20 million from Washington DC security funding

MEXICO CITY: Mexico is pressing footwear giant Adidas for compensation after a Mexican-American designer collaborated on a shoe inspired by traditional Indigenous sandals. Authorities confirmed the move on Friday following the launch of the “Oaxaca Slip On” by Willy Chavarria. The sneaker features a woven huarache-style upper, drawing from Mexico’s iconic leather sandals. Critics argue… Continue reading Mexico demands Adidas compensation for Indigenous-inspired shoe design

U.S. President Donald Trump is removing Billy Long as the commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will temporarily serve as acting commissioner, a White House official and a source familiar with the matter said on Friday. The New York Times, which first reported the news, said Long, a former congressman… Continue reading Trump fires IRS commissioner, Bessent named acting head

LONDON: The White House plans to clarify what its official called misinformation about import tariffs for gold bars amid uncertainty, which saw some industry players pausing deliveries of bullion to the United States. According to a ruling on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) service’s website on Friday, Washington may place the most widely… Continue reading White House to clarify tariffs for gold bars as industry stops flying bullion to US

WASHINGTON: Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a U.S.-brokered peace agreement on Friday during a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump that would boost bilateral economic ties after decades of conflict. The deal between the South Caucasus rivals – assuming it holds – would be a significant accomplishment for the Trump administration that is sure to rattle… Continue reading Trump announces peace deal between Azerbaijan and Armenia

The Trump administration on Friday ordered a comprehensive review of Harvard University’s federally funded research programs, and threatened to take title to or grant licenses from the school’s lucrative portfolio of patents. In a letter to University President Alan Garber and obtained by Reuters, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick accused Harvard of breaching its legal and… Continue reading Harvard patents targeted by Trump administration