Category: World

LONDON: The UK government has pledged to overhaul its asylum system following weekend protests at hotels housing migrants across the country. The government announced it will establish a new independent body to hear appeals by failed applicants more quickly as it attempts to end the costly use of so-called asylum hotels. The Labour government said… Continue reading UK pledges faster asylum claims amid nationwide hotel protests

QAMISHLI: Syria’s Kurdish administration has condemned the upcoming selection process for a transitional parliament as fundamentally undemocratic following its postponement in Kurdish-controlled northern regions. Authorities delayed the parliamentary selection in Kurdish-held Raqa and Hasakeh provinces along with Druze-majority Sweida province citing security challenges. An election committee official stated the process could only proceed in territories… Continue reading Syrian Kurds criticise transitional parliament selection as undemocratic

HAIKOU: Hainan province has upgraded its emergency response to the highest level as Typhoon Kajiki approaches with maximum sustained winds of 38 metres per second. The typhoon was located approximately 210 kilometres southeast of Sanya at 8am Sunday and continues to strengthen while moving toward the southern coast. Authorities have successfully evacuated 20,728 individuals from… Continue reading Hainan activates highest alert as Typhoon Kajiki nears with 38m/s winds

BERLIN: A central Berlin street was officially renamed on Saturday despite a last-minute legal challenge, bidding farewell at an unveiling ceremony to a name marked by racist overtones. Berlin’s Mitte district, along with several civil initiatives, has long sought to rename Mohrenstrasse, as the term “Mohr” was historically used to describe people of African descent,… Continue reading Berlin street renamed after African scholar despite legal challenge

WASHINGTON: The Pentagon is reportedly planning to deploy troops to Chicago, Illinois, to combat rising crime levels in the city. This potential mobilisation could involve at least several thousand National Guard members, according to officials cited in the report. The Washington Post newspaper report indicates that active duty troops might also be deployed as part… Continue reading Pentagon plans to send troops to Chicago to fight crime, reports say

KYIV: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrived in Kyiv on Sunday to mark Ukrainian independence day as world leaders push for an end to the war between Ukraine and Russia. “On this Ukrainian Independence Day, and at this critical moment in their nation’s history, Canada is stepping up our support and our efforts towards a… Continue reading Canadian PM visits Kyiv for Ukraine independence day amid war

PEKANBARU: An 11-year-old boy’s viral dance performance has dramatically increased international tourist attendance at Indonesia’s traditional Pacu Jalur boat race. Rayyan Arkan Dikha’s 20-second dance clip on social media attracted millions of views and celebrity imitations from sports stars including Formula One’s Alex Albon and MotoGP’s Marc Marquez. Australian tourist Duncan McNaught told AFP “I… Continue reading Indonesian boy’s viral dance boosts tourist numbers at traditional boat race

MEXICO CITY: Two people have died in central Mexico due to flooding triggered by heavy rainfall, according to local authorities. The victims were discovered in Queretaro city shortly before midnight on Friday, as confirmed by a civil protection report. “They were swept away by rainwater,“ the report said. Queretaro experienced significant rainfall on Saturday, resulting… Continue reading Two dead in central Mexico flooding as heavy rains continue

PARIS: Irish rap group Kneecap will perform at the Rock en Seine festival despite facing objections from French Jewish groups and government officials. One member faces a British terror charge for allegedly supporting Hezbollah during a London concert in November. Local authorities have withdrawn their 40,000 euro subsidy from the music festival following the controversial… Continue reading Irish band Kneecap to perform in Paris despite terror charge controversy

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s jailed former president Ranil Wickremesinghe was hospitalised on Saturday according to local media reports. The 76 year old former leader was arrested on Friday over allegations of misusing public funds during his presidency. Wickremesinghe led the South Asian island nation during a devastating economic crisis before losing the presidency last year. He… Continue reading Sri Lanka ex-president Wickremesinghe hospitalised after arrest on fund misuse

UST-LUGA: Debris from a destroyed Ukrainian drone sparked a fire at Novatek’s Ust-Luga terminal early on Sunday. Alexander Drozdenko, governor of Russia’s Leningrad region where the port is located, confirmed the incident via the Telegram messaging app. “Firefighters and emergency services are currently working to extinguish the blaze,“ Drozdenko said. “According to preliminary reports, there… Continue reading Ukrainian drone debris sparks fire at Russian Novatek terminal

LONDON: Spotify will increase prices while investing in new features as part of its strategy to reach one billion users worldwide. The Financial Times reported this development on Sunday, citing comments from Spotify’s Co-President and Chief Business Officer Alex Norstrom. These price adjustments will accompany planned new services and features according to the newspaper’s interview… Continue reading Spotify plans price rises for new services amid one billion user goal

BEIJING: The southern Chinese city of Sanya has closed tourist attractions, businesses and suspended public transport while bracing for intensifying Typhoon Kajiki. This tropical cyclone was approximately two hundred kilometres southeast of Sanya on Hainan island at nine o’clock this morning. It packed maximum sustained winds of thirty eight metres per second near its centre… Continue reading Sanya shuts down as Typhoon Kajiki approaches with 48 m/s winds

NEW DELHI: The Indian government is considering significant goods and services tax reductions to counter potential US trade tariffs and support middle-income households. Any final decision on these tax cuts ultimately rests with the GST Council, which includes representatives from state governments and has struggled to achieve broad consensus in the past. If approved, the… Continue reading India considers GST cuts to counter US tariffs and aid middle class

MALANG: Indonesian authorities have imposed restrictions on deafening loudspeaker towers following health concerns and a religious ruling declaring excessive noise forbidden under Islamic law. Residents in East Java villages have reported cracked walls, broken windows, and falling roof tiles caused by the intense vibrations from massive speaker systems mounted on trucks. The sound systems commonly… Continue reading Indonesia restricts loudspeaker towers after health and religious concerns

MOSCOW: A fire erupted at a Russian nuclear power plant after the country’s military intercepted a Ukrainian drone on Sunday. The Kursk Nuclear Power Plant in western Russia confirmed the incident occurred when the device detonated upon impact. Facility officials stated that “was extinguished by fire crews” following the explosion. No casualties resulted from the… Continue reading Fire breaks out at Russian nuclear plant after Ukrainian drone downed

LONDON: The United Kingdom has become the only European nation to deploy real-time facial recognition technology on a massive scale across public spaces and retail environments. Outside supermarkets and within festival crowds, millions of people are having their facial features scanned by AI-powered systems without their knowledge or consent. At London’s Notting Hill Carnival, facial… Continue reading UK facial recognition roll-out sparks rights group alarm over privacy

WASHINGTON: SpaceX prepares for a critical test of its Starship megarocket on Sunday following multiple failures that have raised questions about its viability. The world’s most powerful launch vehicle will lift off from the company’s Starbase in southern Texas at 6:30 pm local time for its tenth flight. This mission will subject the upper stage… Continue reading SpaceX Starship faces crucial test after recent failures raise doubts

CARACAS: Venezuelan citizens from all walks of life queued across the capital on Saturday to join the country’s civilian militia force amid rising tensions with the United States. Civil servants, housewives and retirees alike lined up in Venezuela’s capital Caracas on Saturday as thousands volunteered to join the country’s militia in case there is a… Continue reading Venezuela mobilises civilian militia volunteers amid US military threat

WASHINGTON: United States President Donald Trump may explore renewed diplomacy with North Korea during Monday’s White House meeting with South Korea’s new President Lee Jae Myung. Trump previously held three landmark summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his first term, famously claiming they “fell in love.” South Korea’s new leader advocates for… Continue reading Trump eyes North Korea talks with South Korea’s new President Lee

DAMASCUS: Syria has postponed parliamentary elections in three provinces due to security concerns following recent sectarian violence. The Higher Committee for People’s Assembly Elections announced that voting will not proceed in Sweida, Hasaka and Raqqa provinces as scheduled. This decision comes after hundreds were killed in July clashes within Sweida province involving Druze fighters, Sunni… Continue reading Syria delays parliamentary vote in Sweida over security concerns

SAO PAULO: Swedish fast-fashion retailer H&M opened its first physical store in Brazil on Saturday and launched online operations in the country. The company is already producing some items locally, including footwear and beachwear, according to an executive statement. Joaquim Pereira, H&M Brazil’s country manager, revealed the short-term goal involves opening four stores in São… Continue reading H&M opens first Brazil store with local manufacturing focus

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump has appointed Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia to lead a major overhaul of United States government digital services. Gebbia will spearhead the newly created National Design Studio with the goal of making federal websites as user-friendly as commercial platforms like the Apple App Store. “An experience that projects a level of excellence… Continue reading Trump names Airbnb co-founder to lead US government website redesign

WASHINGTON: The Pentagon has been quietly blocking Ukraine from using United States-made long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems to strike targets inside Russia. This restriction limits Kyiv’s ability to employ these weapons in its defence against Moscow’s invasion, according to the Wall Street Journal. United States officials cited in the report confirmed the policy, which Reuters… Continue reading Pentagon restricts Ukraine’s use of US missiles against Russia

ISTANBUL: Turkey’s First Lady Emine Erdogan has formally requested her American counterpart Melania Trump to demonstrate equal concern for Palestinian children in Gaza as she has shown for Ukrainian children. In a letter delivered on Saturday, Erdogan specifically asked the US First Lady to write directly to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appealing for mercy… Continue reading Turkish first lady urges Melania Trump to advocate for Gaza children

LAGOS: Nigeria’s air force confirmed it eliminated more than 35 jihadists during Saturday raids targeting militant fighters gathering near the Nigeria-Cameroon border. The operation followed an attempted attack on Nigerian ground troops by the militant fighters in the border region. This air strike represents the latest military action against a resurgence of attacks in Nigeria’s… Continue reading Nigerian air force kills over 35 jihadists near Cameroon border

TEL AVIV: Former Israeli defence minister Benny Gantz has urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to establish a unity government with opposition members to facilitate the release of hostages held in Gaza. Netanyahu’s current coalition relies on far-right partners who oppose ending the conflict and negotiating with Hamas following the group’s October 2023 attack on Israel.… Continue reading Israeli rival proposes unity government to secure Gaza hostage release deal

KYIV: Russian forces have captured two additional villages in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region, intensifying military pressure as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict falter. Moscow’s defence ministry announced the seizure of Sredneye and Kleban-Byk via Telegram on Saturday, marking further incremental gains in the grinding offensive. The capture of Kleban-Byk advances Russian troops closer to… Continue reading Russia captures two Donetsk villages as Ukraine summit hopes fade

GAZA CITY: Desperate Palestinians clutching pots and plastic buckets scrambled for rice at a charity kitchen in Gaza City on Saturday. AFP footage from Gaza’s largest city showed women and young children among the chaotic jostle of dozens clamouring and shouting for food. One young boy used his hands to scrape a few leftover grains… Continue reading UN declares famine in Gaza as Palestinians face catastrophic food crisis

SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has supervised the test-firing of two new air defence missiles according to state media reports on Sunday. The Korean Central News Agency stated that Saturday’s test demonstrated the missiles’ superior combat capability without providing technical details. KCNA reported the operation and reaction mode is based on unique and… Continue reading North Korea tests new air defence missiles amid border tensions with South

DUBAI: Iranian security forces shot dead six militants in a clash in southeastern Iran on Saturday, a day after five police officers were killed by armed rebels in the restive region, the official news agency IRNA reported. Iran’s southeast has been the scene of sporadic clashes between security forces and armed groups, including Sunni militants… Continue reading Iranian forces kill six militants in the southeast, state media says

MOSCOW: Russian forces have captured two additional villages in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, according to Moscow’s defence ministry. The ministry announced on Telegram that its troops seized control of Sredneye and Kleban-Byk on Saturday. This latest advance increases military pressure on Ukrainian defences as ground fighting continues in the embattled eastern region. Russian forces are… Continue reading Russia captures two villages in Ukraine’s Donetsk region amid ongoing conflict

KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday that countries of the Global South should push Russia toward making peace in its war with Ukraine, including by helping bring Russian leader Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table. “I reaffirmed my readiness for any format of meeting with the head of Russia. However, we see that… Continue reading Zelenskiy says Global South should push Russia toward peace