Category: World

WINDHOEK: Government authorities have declared the massive fire that scorched through Namibia’s Etosha National Park is no longer active. The blaze at this top tourist destination and one of Africa’s largest game reserves began on September 22 and spread rapidly due to high winds and parched vegetation. It forced the deployment of 500 soldiers to… Continue reading Namibia’s Etosha National Park fire declared no longer active

WASHINGTON: The White House has warned of imminent public sector firings as efforts to swiftly end the US government shutdown collapsed on Wednesday. Democrats in Congress rejected proposals to resolve an acrimonious funding stand-off with President Donald Trump. Federal departments have been closing since midnight after Trump and lawmakers failed to agree on a deal… Continue reading White House warns imminent firings as US government shutdown deepens

LONDON: The UK government has renewed its demand for Apple to hand over data uploaded by its users to the cloud. This latest request only concerns British citizens who are customers of the US tech behemoth. The demand is nonetheless likely to create fresh friction in the transatlantic relationship. Washington has been highly critical of… Continue reading UK renews demand for Apple user data access for British citizens

ANTANANARIVO: Anti-government protesters in Madagascar held fresh demonstrations and called for a general strike on Wednesday as they intensified efforts to force President Andry Rajoelina from office. Police fired tear gas at protesters in central Antananarivo where approximately 10,000 people had clashed with officers the previous day. Several thousand demonstrators marched in the northern city… Continue reading Madagascar protesters call general strike as unrest enters second week

RABAT: More than 400 people were arrested and nearly 300 injured during protests in Morocco demanding reforms in the public health and education sectors. Unauthorised demonstrations were held for the fourth consecutive day at the call of the GenZ 212 group, a recently formed Discord-based collective whose organisers remain unknown. The latest protests on Tuesday… Continue reading Over 400 arrested and 300 injured in Morocco protests for reforms

BERLIN: German authorities have issued a warning about a growing drone threat following multiple incidents involving unmanned aerial vehicles. Officials confirmed that drones believed to be Russian flew over key military and industrial locations last week. Similar unmanned aerial vehicles have also appeared over airports and military sites in Denmark and Norway. Foreign Minister Johann… Continue reading Germany warns of growing drone threat amid multiple incidents

WASHINGTON: Hurricane Imelda is now a Category 2 storm churning towards Bermuda with sustained winds of 100 miles per hour. The storm threatens the archipelago with damaging waves and significant flooding risks. The US National Hurricane Center reported the storm was located about 340 miles southwest of Bermuda at 11:00 am Eastern Time. Its core… Continue reading Hurricane Imelda approaches Bermuda as a dangerous Category 2 storm

BRUSSELS: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will face two no-confidence votes next week following a parliamentary agreement on Wednesday. This marks the second challenge to her leadership in less than three months after she comfortably survived a similar vote in July. Both censure motions are expected to fail but highlight deepening tensions over… Continue reading EU chief von der Leyen faces twin no-confidence votes next week

WASHINGTON: The US Supreme Court has barred President Donald Trump from immediately firing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. This decision comes as the president mounts multiple challenges testing the central bank’s independence. The court deferred Trump’s request pending oral argument scheduled for January 2026. This ensures Cook will remain in her post until the case… Continue reading US Supreme Court blocks Trump from firing Fed Governor Cook

WASHINGTON: Efforts to quickly end the United States government shutdown failed when senators rejected a plan to resolve the funding standoff between President Donald Trump and Congressional Democrats. The government ran out of money after Trump and lawmakers failed to agree on a deal to maintain operations. Many federal departments and agencies have been closed… Continue reading US government shutdown continues as Senate rejects funding plan

PARIS: Nobel prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz has blamed the current US government shutdown on politicians prioritising the interests of the rich over poor Americans. The US government halted all but non-essential operations after Democrats and Republican lawmakers failed to agree on a funding deal for the new fiscal year. Government shutdowns are a periodic feature… Continue reading Stiglitz blames US oligarch government for shutdown over poor healthcare

LOS ANGELES: British primatologist Jane Goodall, who revolutionised the understanding of chimpanzees and became one of the world’s most respected wildlife advocates, has died at 91. The Jane Goodall Institute announced her peaceful passing in her sleep during a United States speaking tour. Her final video showed the iconic conservationist greeting an audience with a… Continue reading Renowned chimpanzee expert Jane Goodall dies at 91

WASHINGTON: US and allied forces are reducing their presence in Iraq as part of a planned wind-down of their mission against the Islamic State jihadist group. The Pentagon confirmed the drawdown on Wednesday, marking the end of a more than decade-long military operation against the extremist organisation. Washington and Baghdad had agreed last year that… Continue reading US and allies reduce forces in Iraq as anti-IS mission winds down

ISTANBUL: Israeli forces rammed a vessel belonging to the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla and deployed water cannons against the fleet. Anadolu Ajansi reported that activists aboard the flotilla were also mistreated by the Israeli forces. The International Committee for Breaking the Siege on Gaza stated on X that the Israeli occupation is using violence against… Continue reading Israeli forces ram Gaza flotilla vessel and deploy water cannons

JERUSALEM: Israeli naval forces intercepted a flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza on Wednesday, ending its latest attempt to break the Israeli blockade of the war-battered Palestinian territory. The military operation was confirmed by both the flotilla organizers and the Israeli foreign ministry. The Global Sumud Flotilla involved approximately 45 vessels carrying politicians and activists… Continue reading Israeli forces intercept Global Sumud Flotilla carrying Gaza aid

LIVERPOOL: The UK’s Labour government intends to implement a permanent ban on fracking due to its significant environmental impact. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband announced the plan at the Labour party conference in Liverpool on Wednesday. He stated that fracking would undermine Britain’s climate commitments and harm the natural environment. Miliband’s declaration followed a pledge by… Continue reading UK Labour government plans permanent fracking ban over environmental risks

KABUL: Mobile networks returned to several provinces across Afghanistan on Wednesday after a 48-hour shutdown by Taliban authorities. AFP journalists confirmed that signals were available in the capital Kabul and from multiple mobile operators in Kandahar, Khost, Ghazni, and Herat provinces. Confusion had gripped the country on Monday night when mobile phone service and internet… Continue reading Mobile and data networks return across Afghanistan after 48-hour shutdown

ADDIS ABABA: A makeshift scaffolding structure erected at a church in Ethiopia collapsed on Wednesday, killing at least 22 people and injuring 55 others. The tragic incident happened at approximately 7:45 am in the town of Arerti, located about 70 kilometres east of the capital Addis Ababa. A group of pilgrims was visiting the church… Continue reading Church scaffolding collapse kills 22 at Ethiopia Virgin Mary festival

WASHINGTON: The United States has pledged to treat any armed attack on Qatari territory as a direct threat to American interests. President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order on Monday establishing security guarantees for the Gulf Arab state. This agreement follows Israeli strikes on Qatar last month that targeted Hamas officials discussing Gaza peace proposals.… Continue reading US offers security guarantees to Qatar after Israeli strikes

NUSEIRAT: Israel’s defence minister issued a final warning for Gaza City residents to flee south on Wednesday as Hamas considered a US-backed ceasefire plan. Witnesses reported heavy bombardment in Gaza’s largest urban centre while Defence Minister Israel Katz announced the military was tightening its encirclement of the city. Katz declared this was the last opportunity… Continue reading Israel issues final warning for Gaza City residents to evacuate south

BRUSSELS: An independent appeals body has criticised digital platforms for insufficient cooperation in resolving European Union user content disputes. The Dublin-based Appeals Centre Europe specifically highlighted YouTube as the worst offender in failing to engage properly with the dispute settlement process. This out-of-court body was established under the EU’s landmark Digital Services Act to handle… Continue reading YouTube criticised for poor cooperation in EU content dispute cases

BOGO: Rescuers have been filmed pulling a trapped Philippine earthquake victim from rubble using only their bare hands in a desperate nighttime operation. Dramatic footage showed Dante Pianar with his face and upper body caked in cement, his lips bloodied and his tattooed right arm twisted and pinned beneath his collapsed house. The 28-year-old local… Continue reading Philippine quake victim rescued from rubble in dramatic nighttime video

COPENHAGEN: France is investigating an EU-sanctioned Russian-linked oil tanker for serious offences according to President Emmanuel Macron. Macron confirmed the judicial procedure during an EU leaders’ summit in Copenhagen without addressing drone flight allegations. French authorities have opened a probe into the Boracay which is anchored off France’s Atlantic Coast. The Benin-flagged vessel forms part… Continue reading France probes Russian-linked tanker Boracay for serious offences

BERLIN: A bomb threat forced the closure of Germany’s famous Oktoberfest festival on Wednesday while Munich police investigated a deadly incident involving a house rigged with explosives. Police swept the annual beer festival grounds in downtown Munich after earlier responding to a burning residential house in the city’s northern Lerchenau district. Munich police announced the… Continue reading Munich Oktoberfest closes over bomb threat amid deadly family dispute

NUSEIRAT: Witnesses reported heavy Israeli bombardment striking Gaza City on Wednesday as Hamas reviewed US President Donald Trump’s proposal to end nearly two years of devastating war in the Palestinian territory. Trump previously issued Hamas an ultimatum of “three or four days” to accept his plan, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu supports and includes… Continue reading Israel intensifies Gaza City strikes as Hamas reviews Trump peace proposal

PARIS: A French court has authorised New Caledonian independence leader Christian Tein to return to his home territory following his release from detention related to deadly 2024 riots. The Paris court made this decision on September 23, allowing Tein to leave mainland France where he had been required to remain under his release conditions. Tein… Continue reading New Caledonia independence leader allowed to return home by French court

THE HAGUE: The largest Dutch pension fund ABP has divested from US manufacturing firm Caterpillar following concerns about the alleged use of the company’s equipment by Israel in Gaza. ABP is a major investor in many countries around the world and held a stake in Caterpillar worth approximately 387 million euros as of late March.… Continue reading Dutch pension fund ABP divests from Caterpillar over Gaza concerns

MOSCOW: Russia’s military announced on Wednesday that it had captured another village in Ukraine’s eastern Dnipropetrovsk region. The defence ministry stated its troops had taken control of Verbove village approximately 13 kilometres into the region. Russian forces have advanced around 10 kilometres in the last 10 days according to battlefield maps from Ukrainian military analysts.… Continue reading Russia claims capture of Verbove village in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region

LONDON: Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pledged to review how UK courts interpret international human rights laws as part of efforts to reduce immigration and increase deportations. The UK leader is working to address both irregular Channel crossings by small boats and record numbers of migrants arriving through legal channels. These migration patterns have contributed… Continue reading UK to review court interpretation of migrants’ rights under Starmer

ATHENS: Thousands of Greek workers prompted large-scale disruption during a 24-hour general strike on Wednesday. They protested against the conservative government’s plans to introduce a 13-hour work day. The strike has disrupted transport in the capital Athens and the second-largest city Thessaloniki. Trains and ferry services were also affected by the industrial action. Teachers, hospital… Continue reading Thousands protest in Greece over 13-hour workday reform plans

DOHA: Hamas officials are seeking amendments to key clauses in US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan, particularly regarding disarmament requirements. A Palestinian source close to the group’s leadership confirmed the requested changes while speaking anonymously about the sensitive negotiations. Hamas negotiators held discussions on Tuesday with Turkish, Egyptian and Qatari officials in Doha regarding… Continue reading Hamas seeks disarmament clause changes in Trump Gaza peace plan

KYIV: Russia significantly escalated its long-range missile and drone assaults against Ukraine throughout September. An AFP analysis of Ukrainian air force data revealed this intensification occurred alongside alleged Russian airspace violations in Europe and stalled peace negotiations. NATO reinforced its eastern border defences during this period while accusing Moscow of testing alliance air defences. Russia… Continue reading Russia increased drone and missile strikes on Ukraine in September

PARIS: Scientists have discovered complex organic molecules within the hidden ocean beneath the icy shell of Saturn’s moon Enceladus. This finding provides further evidence that the small celestial body may possess all necessary ingredients to support extraterrestrial life. Enceladus measures just 500 kilometres wide and appears as a white, scar-covered moon invisible to the naked… Continue reading Complex organic molecules found in ocean on Saturn moon Enceladus

SIDOARJO: Rescue workers extracted a survivor from the wreckage of a collapsed Indonesian school on Wednesday while anxious parents demanded an accelerated search for dozens more believed trapped. Part of the multi-storey school on Java island suddenly gave way on Monday as students assembled for afternoon prayers. Rescuers confirmed retrieving one survivor and a fourth… Continue reading Survivor rescued from collapsed Indonesia school as parents demand faster search

TUNIS: A flotilla bound for Gaza with aid for the war-battered Palestinian territory said on Wednesday that it would continue its course despite what it called intimidation tactics by the Israeli military. The flotilla of 45 vessels carrying activists and politicians, including Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg and Nelson Mandela’s grandson Mandla Mandela, departed Spain last… Continue reading Gaza aid flotilla continues journey despite Israeli intimidation tactics

MADRID: A Spanish court has opened a trial concerning a 550 million euro lawsuit filed by over 80 Spanish media organisations against Meta. The media groups allege that Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, violated European Union data protection regulations. Spain’s primary media association AMI claims the US tech giant systematically broke the… Continue reading Spanish media sue Meta for 550 million euros over data protection

SIDOARJO: Desperate parents demanded Indonesian officials speed up efforts to find dozens of children missing in a school collapse on Wednesday. Rescuers detected signs of life under the rubble of the multi-storey school on Java island that gave way suddenly on Monday. An estimated 91 people are believed to be in the ruins where students… Continue reading Desperate parents await news after Indonesia school collapse kills three

TOKYO: Japan’s southern Okinawa region endured its hottest September since records began in 1946 according to the weather agency. The Japan Meteorological Agency confirmed this milestone after the entire country experienced its warmest recorded summer. Global temperatures have surged in recent years due to human-induced climate change creating increasingly erratic weather patterns. Japan’s average summer… Continue reading Okinawa records hottest September since 1946 as Japan swelters

VIENNA: The Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine currently faces no imminent danger despite being without external power for over a week. Europe’s largest atomic energy facility lost connection to the grid on September 23, marking its tenth and longest outage since Russia seized the station in February 2022. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the… Continue reading Ukraine nuclear plant faces no immediate danger despite power loss

MUNICH: The Munich Oktoberfest grounds will remain temporarily closed on Wednesday following a fire and explosions in another part of the southern German city. German police confirmed the closure hours after the incident rocked a residential building in northern Munich. The organisers of the famous beer festival announced on their website that they had received… Continue reading Munich Oktoberfest grounds closed after fire and explosions in city

SEOUL: South Korean airport workers have begun a strike starting Wednesday according to the state-run Korea Airports Corporation. The 2,300 unionised workers at the nation’s 15 airports are demanding better pay arrangements, more rest days and a safer working environment. A representative of the Korean Public Service and Transport Workers’ Union confirmed workers will continue… Continue reading South Korea airport workers strike for better pay and conditions

MANILA: The death toll from a 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck the central Philippines has risen to 69, according to a disaster official on Wednesday. More than 150 people were injured in the shallow quake that hit off the coast just before 10 p.m. on Tuesday. In Bogo city in northern Cebu province near the epicentre,… Continue reading Philippines earthquake death toll rises to 69, hospital overwhelmed

SEOUL: The United States has agreed to permit South Korean workers to install and service equipment at American investment sites using existing temporary visas. South Korea’s foreign ministry announced this development following a working group meeting addressing visa access concerns. American officials reaffirmed their commitment to advancing trade and investment partnerships with South Korea. The… Continue reading US allows South Korean workers at investment sites under temporary visas

MELBOURNE: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed concern on Wednesday about reports that China’s state iron ore buyer had paused purchases from mining giant BHP. Bloomberg News reported that state-owned China Mineral Resources Group asked Chinese steelmakers and traders to halt purchases of BHP’s dollar-denominated seaborne iron ore cargoes during annual price negotiations. “I am… Continue reading Australia PM concerned about China’s reported pause on BHP iron ore

LOS ANGELES: The Hollywood performers union SAG-AFTRA has condemned the debut of an AI-generated actress named Tilly Norwood. This synthetic performer made its world debut at a film industry conference in Zurich on Saturday. Dutch actor-producer Eline Van der Velden created Tilly Norwood through her London-based AI production studio Particle6. Van der Velden claimed during… Continue reading Hollywood union condemns AI actress Tilly Norwood debut in Zurich

GAZA: The international flotilla attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza has reported significantly increased drone activity overhead as it approaches its destination. Organisers confirmed the aid vessels have now entered what they describe as the high-risk zone where previous humanitarian missions faced interception or attack. The Global Sumud Flotilla issued a statement via Telegram… Continue reading Gaza aid flotilla reports increased drone activity near destination

WASHINGTON: The Pentagon recommitted itself on Tuesday to scaling back its military mission in Iraq as agreed last year. This transition of US-led coalition operations results from their success fighting Islamic State militants. The US government will continue close coordination with the government of Iraq and coalition members to ensure a responsible transition. The Pentagon… Continue reading Pentagon reaffirms plan to scale back Iraq mission as agreed