Category: World

MEXICO CITY: Thirteen individuals face arrest for alleged involvement in the murders of two close aides to Mexico City’s mayor three months ago. Mayor Clara Brugada confirmed the arrests occurred on Wednesday. Brugada’s personal secretary Ximena Guzman and advisor Jose “Pepe” Munoz were shot dead during rush hour on a busy avenue on May 20.… Continue reading Thirteen arrested for Mexico City officials’ murders

SAN FRANCISCO: Sony on Wednesday said it is bumping up the price of PlayStation 5 video game consoles by $50 in the United States due to a “challenging economic environment.” Tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump hike the cost of goods brought into the US, leaving companies like Japan’s Sony to decide whether to pass… Continue reading PlayStation 5 price increase due to US tariffs explained

WASHINGTON: All-caps hyperbole, wild accusations and idiosyncratic spelling: not just an average Wednesday on Donald Trump’s Truth Social feed, but a new digital media strategy for California Governor Gavin Newsom that is delighting Democrats — and riling Republicans. Newsom — hotly-tipped for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination — has been parodying Trump with a series… Continue reading Gavin Newsom trolls Trump with memes, riles Republicans

HOUSTON: Texas Republicans were on course Wednesday to approve a contentious new electoral map pushed by President Donald Trump to eke out more seats and defend their razor-thin majority in the US House of Representatives, with the midterm elections looming. The vote had been delayed by two weeks after Democratic legislators fled the state to… Continue reading Texas redistricting map reignites US voting rights battle

COLOGNE: Games publisher Kepler Interactive has notched up two of the breakout titles of the year with “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33” and “Rematch”, reaping the rewards for developing independent projects on tight budgets. “It’s almost impossible to predict a success like ‘Expedition 33’,“ Kepler chief Alexis Garavaryan told AFP ahead of the Gamescom trade show… Continue reading Kepler Interactive success with Expedition 33 and Rematch games

JERUSALEM: Israel’s defence minister on Wednesday approved a military plan for the conquest of Gaza City, authorising the call-up of about 60,000 reservists, piling pressure on Hamas as mediators push for a ceasefire. The Palestinian militant group said in response that it showed Israel’s “blatant disregard” for efforts to broker a halt in fighting and… Continue reading Israel approves Gaza City conquest plan amid ceasefire talks

BUENOS AIRES: Argentine lawmakers have delivered a significant rebuke to President Javier Milei’s austerity agenda. The lower house of Congress voted to overturn the president’s veto of a law increasing disability allowances. The legislation, approved by Congress in July, enhances healthcare benefits for people with disabilities. It also guarantees pension payments for disabled individuals. Additionally,… Continue reading Argentine MPs reject Milei veto on disability spending increase

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump’s newfound and vague willingness to consider security guarantees for Ukraine represents a potential policy shift. His right-wing base is already warning him against moving too far from his previous isolationist stance. Trump spent much of last year’s campaign criticising predecessor Joe Biden over billions in aid to Ukraine. He publicly upbraided… Continue reading Trump Ukraine security shift faces base backlash over vague promises

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump is deploying three warships off the coast of Venezuela as part of efforts to curb drug trafficking, a source familiar with the move said Wednesday. The deployment comes as the Trump administration steps up pressure on Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, doubling its bounty to $50 million earlier this month on… Continue reading US deploys warships near Venezuela to combat drug trafficking

ATME: Syrian state media confirmed that US-led coalition forces killed a senior Islamic State group leader during an operation in northwest Syria on Wednesday. State television reported that coalition forces conducted an air drop targeting a house in the town of Atme within Idlib province. The operation specifically targeted Iraqi national Salah Numan, known as… Continue reading US-led coalition kills senior IS leader in Syria operation

GENEVA: The United States-European Union trade agreement has reduced global economic uncertainty without eliminating it entirely according to European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde. She stated that the deal maintains effective US tariff rates on EU goods within a 12% to 16% range during her World Economic Forum panel discussion in Geneva. Lagarde noted these… Continue reading EU-US trade deal reduces but does not eliminate global uncertainty

WARSAW: Polish authorities confirmed on Wednesday that an overnight explosion in the country’s eastern region may have involved a military drone of unknown origin. Police received reports of a blast occurring in a cornfield near the village of Osiny, located approximately 100 kilometres from the capital Warsaw. The incident site lies in close proximity to… Continue reading Military drone suspected in overnight blast near Warsaw

GENEVA: Nestle has developed a groundbreaking method to produce chocolate using up to 30% more of the cocoa fruit as climate change continues to diminish farmers’ yields worldwide. The Swiss food giant announced this innovative approach on Wednesday, addressing the growing challenges facing cocoa production. Traditional chocolate manufacturing uses only cocoa beans from inside the… Continue reading Nestle develops new cocoa method to boost yields amid climate change

ISTANBUL: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan informed Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that Turkey supports a peace process involving all parties for Ukraine during their Wednesday phone conversation. The Turkish presidency stated that Erdogan emphasised Ankara’s sincere efforts towards achieving a just peace since the conflict’s beginning. “Turkey has sincerely strived for a just peace since the… Continue reading Erdogan tells Putin Turkey supports Ukraine peace talks with all parties

NEW DELHI: India’s government has introduced legislation that would remove top politicians from ministerial positions if they face arrest and detention for 30 days on serious criminal charges. Opposition parties have condemned the proposed law as a chilling attempt to undermine constitutional protections and target political rivals. Several prominent opponents of Prime Minister Narendra Modi… Continue reading India proposes law to sack ministers facing serious criminal charges

MOSCOW: Jordan’s foreign minister declared on Wednesday that Israel’s military assault on Gaza has resulted in massacres and widespread starvation while systematically destroying any possibility for regional peace. His statement followed Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz authorising plans to capture Gaza City, a densely populated urban area housing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in the… Continue reading Jordan FM says Israel killing all prospects for regional peace

MOSCOW: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov declared on Wednesday that any Western discussions about security guarantees for Ukraine excluding Russian participation constitute a futile endeavour. NATO military chiefs planned to deliberate details of potential security assurances for Ukraine while seeking to mediate an end to Russia’s ongoing offensive. Lavrov emphasised that “seriously discussing security guarantees… Continue reading Russia warns Ukraine security talks without Moscow are futile

JERUSALEM: Israeli authorities have approved a major settlement construction project in the sensitive E1 area of the occupied West Bank. The international community has repeatedly warned that building in this territory threatens the viability of a future Palestinian state. Israel has long pursued ambitions to develop the approximately 12 square kilometres known as E1 located… Continue reading Israel approves E1 West Bank settlement threatening two-state solution

TEHRAN: Iran cannot completely sever cooperation with the United Nations nuclear watchdog despite recent tensions, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated on Wednesday. The minister clarified that the return of International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors now depends on approval from Iran’s security chiefs. These comments follow Iran’s suspension of cooperation nearly two months ago after its… Continue reading Iran maintains partial UN nuclear cooperation amid security review

STOCKHOLM: Europe has registered a record number of outbreaks of mosquito-borne illnesses such as chikungunya and West Nile virus this year, the EU health agency said Wednesday, saying climate change was contributing to a “new normal”. Europe is experiencing longer and more intense transmission seasons for mosquito-borne diseases, said the European Centre for Disease Prevention… Continue reading Europe faces record mosquito disease outbreaks due to climate change

BRUSSELS: NATO military chiefs will discuss details of eventual security guarantees for Ukraine during a virtual meeting on Wednesday. This meeting advances the intense global diplomatic efforts to broker an end to Russia’s war against its neighbour. Diplomatic efforts continued even as Russian forces claimed fresh territorial advances and Ukrainian officials reported additional civilian casualties… Continue reading NATO chiefs to discuss Ukraine security guarantees amid fresh Russian strikes

WASHINGTON: North Carolina’s coastal communities are preparing for life-threatening flooding as Hurricane Erin maintains its Category 2 strength offshore. The storm underwent historically rapid intensification and briefly peaked at Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale before swamping homes and roads in Puerto Rico. Meteorologists express concern over Erin’s large size despite its core remaining far… Continue reading North Carolina coasts prepare for flooding as Hurricane Erin churns offshore

OSLO: A former security guard at the United States embassy in Oslo has appeared in court facing charges of espionage for allegedly sharing classified information with Russian and Iranian intelligence services. The defendant, a Norwegian national in his late twenties, stands accused of providing detailed embassy information between March 2024 and his arrest on 20… Continue reading Former US embassy guard in Norway on trial for spying for Russia, Iran

LISBON: A man has died while assisting wildfire suppression efforts in Portugal, raising the death toll to three as multiple fires continue to rage across the country. The victim was working for a company contracted to help the northern municipality of Mirandela combat the flames when the fatal accident occurred. Commander Paulo Santos of the… Continue reading Portugal wildfires death toll rises to three as heatwave fuels blazes

MOSCOW: Russian forces have announced the capture of three Ukrainian villages in the eastern Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions. The defence ministry stated on Telegram that troops “continued to advance deep into the enemy defences” in the embattled Donetsk region, taking the villages of Sukhetske and Pankivka. These locations lie near a section of the front… Continue reading Russia captures three Ukrainian villages amid US peace efforts

COTONOU: Rescuers have recovered ten additional bodies from a Beninese river where a bus plunged during the weekend, raising the accident’s total death toll to thirty-seven. Civil protection authority director Abdel Aziz Bio Djibril confirmed six people remain missing after the bus fell from a bridge into the Oueme river between Saturday and Sunday night.… Continue reading Benin bus accident death toll rises to 37 after river search

JAKARTA: China’s assertiveness in the disputed South China Sea and tensions in the Taiwan Strait threaten international security and European interests, Germany’s foreign minister said on Wednesday. “What happens here in the Indo-Pacific has a direct impact on European security and vice versa,“ Johann Wadephul said in a speech in Jakarta, using an alternative description… Continue reading German minister warns China’s assertiveness threatens European interests

KIRUNA: One of Sweden’s most admired wooden churches, the red-painted Kiruna Kyrka, resumed its careful journey across the Arctic town on Wednesday. The 672-tonne structure is being transported to a new site to accommodate the expansion of Europe’s largest underground iron ore mine. Kiruna’s entire town centre is being shifted because of the vast LKAB… Continue reading Historic Swedish church relocated to make way for expanding mine

TEHRAN: Iran declared its readiness for any potential Israeli aggression while revealing the development of new missiles with superior capabilities compared to previous models. Defence Minister Aziz Nassirzadeh stated that missiles used during the recent 12-day conflict were manufactured several years ago through official news agency IRNA. “Today, we have manufactured and possess missiles with… Continue reading Iran warns of new missile deployment if Israel launches fresh attacks

KARACHI: More than 20 people have died on Wednesday in a torrential spell of monsoon rain in Pakistan, where downpours have swept away entire villages over the last week, killing more than 400. Eleven people died in the touristic northern region of Gilgit-Baltistan and 10 others in Karachi, the financial capital in the south, due… Continue reading Pakistan monsoon rains kill over 20 as death toll exceeds 400

TOKYO: A flashing fireball dashed across the skies of western Japan, shocking residents and dazzling stargazers, though experts said it was a natural phenomenon and not an alien invasion. Videos and photos emerged online of the extremely bright ball of light visible for hundreds of kilometres shortly after 11:00 pm (1400 GMT) local time on… Continue reading Fireball lights up Japanese skies in natural meteor event

TOKYO: Japanese technicians have deployed remote-controlled robots into one of the damaged reactor buildings at the Fukushima nuclear plant as part of preparations to remove radioactive debris. Dangerously high radiation levels mean that removing melted fuel and other debris from the plant hit by a huge tsunami in 2011 is seen as the most daunting… Continue reading Robots deployed for Fukushima radioactive debris removal in Japan

DAMASCUS: Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani met with an Israeli delegation in Paris to discuss de-escalation and the situation in Druze-majority Sweida province following last month’s deadly sectarian violence. State news agency SANA reported that Shaibani and Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer discussed “de-escalation and non-interference in Syria’s internal affairs”. Their talks also addressed… Continue reading Syrian and Israeli diplomats meet in Paris to discuss de-escalation

YANGON: Myanmar’s military junta announced its troops have captured the strategic eastern town of Demoso following intense combat operations. This territorial gain comes as the regime prepares to conduct controversial nationwide elections starting December 28 across areas under its control. Demoso lies 105 kilometres east of the capital Naypyidaw and has been a focal point… Continue reading Myanmar junta captures Demoso town ahead of disputed December election

YOKOHAMA: Japan hosted African leaders for a three-day development conference, offering itself as an alternative to China as the continent reels from a debt crisis exacerbated by Western aid cuts, conflict and climate change. Attendees at the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) included Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, William Ruto… Continue reading Japan hosts African leaders for development conference amid debt crisis

SEOUL: South Korean soldiers prevented a 95-year-old former North Korean spy from crossing the border on Wednesday after he pleaded for repatriation to the North. Ahn Hak-sop is one of six elderly former North Korean soldiers and spies who have recently intensified their demands for Seoul to send them back to their ideological homeland. These… Continue reading South Korea blocks elderly ex-North Korean spy from border crossing

GUZARA: A provincial official confirmed on Wednesday that the death toll from a devastating collision in western Afghanistan has risen to seventy-six. Mohammad Yousuf Saeedi, the Herat provincial government spokesman, provided the updated figures in an official statement. He stated, “Seventy-six citizens of the country… lost their lives in the incident, and three others were… Continue reading Afghanistan bus crash death toll rises to 76 in Herat

BRASÍLIA: The United States has accepted Brazil’s request for formal consultations at the World Trade Organization regarding steep new tariffs. Washington imposed a 50 percent tariff on more than a third of US-bound Brazilian exports in early August. The duties target key Brazilian products including coffee, beef, and sugar. The move was framed by former… Continue reading US Brazil WTO tariff talks after Trump 50 percent duties

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump has launched a fresh attack on American cultural institutions, criticising museums for their woke focus on subjects including how bad slavery was. He specifically targeted the Smithsonian Institution in a Truth Social post on Tuesday. The Smithsonian is out of control, where everything discussed is how horrible our Country is, how… Continue reading Trump criticises US museums for slavery focus as woke

SYDNEY: Australia has issued a sharp rebuke to Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu following his description of the Australian prime minister as weak. The diplomatic clash emerged after Canberra’s decision to recognise Palestinian statehood last week. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke responded directly to Netanyahu’s comments on Wednesday. Burke stated that strength is not measured by… Continue reading Australia rebukes Netanyahu over weak leader comments

BOGOTÁ: A Colombian court has ordered the immediate release of former president Alvaro Uribe while he appeals his witness tampering conviction. The court’s Tuesday decision reverses the 12-year house arrest sentence announced earlier this month. This conviction marked the first time in Colombia’s history that a former president has been found guilty of a crime.… Continue reading Colombia court frees ex-president Uribe during appeal process

JAKARTA: American demand for recreational vehicles is driving deforestation on Indonesia’s Borneo island, according to a new investigation by environmental groups. UK-based Earthsight and Indonesia’s Auriga Nusantara published their findings late Tuesday. The report identifies the RV industry as the largest consumer of tropical wood in the United States. Evidence indicates that tropical lauan plywood… Continue reading US RV brands linked to Borneo deforestation in NGO report

BEIJING: China and India have pledged to resume direct flights between the two nations in a significant diplomatic development. The announcement came as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi concluded his official visit to New Delhi on Wednesday. This breakthrough forms part of broader efforts to normalize relations between the world’s two most populous countries. Following… Continue reading China India resume flights as Wang Yi visit ends