Category: World

PARIS: French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot has called on Israel to permit foreign journalists to enter Gaza, where famine warnings persist after 21 months of conflict. Speaking from eastern Ukraine, Barrot told France Inter radio, “I ask that the free and independent press be allowed to access Gaza to show what is happening there and… Continue reading France urges Israel to allow foreign press access to Gaza

KHAPLU: A deadly landslide triggered by heavy monsoon rains swept away vehicles in northern Pakistan, killing at least three people and leaving 15 missing, officials confirmed Tuesday. The disaster struck Diamer district in the Gilgit-Baltistan region, burying multiple cars under debris. District police officer Abdul Hameed stated, “Three dead bodies have been recovered and more… Continue reading Pakistan landslide kills three, 15 missing after heavy monsoon rains

JINAN: Flash floods in eastern China’s Shandong province have killed two people and left 10 missing after heavy rainfall lashed the region. State broadcaster CCTV reported that up to 364 millimetres of rain fell in parts of Jinan between midnight and 5 am on Tuesday. The downpours caused flash floods in two villages in Dawangzhuang… Continue reading Flash floods in China’s Shandong kill two, leave 10 missing

Argentina said on Monday that Chinese citizens with valid U.S. entry visas would not need Argentine visas to enter the country for tourism or business, a loosening of requirements that comes amid warming ties between Beijing and Buenos Aires. Argentina is a key supplier of products including beef, soy and lithium to the Chinese market… Continue reading Argentina loosens visa requirement for Chinese citizens

DHAKA: Families and teachers gathered in grief at a Bangladeshi school where a fighter jet crashed, killing 25 children and two others in the country’s deadliest aviation disaster in years. The Chinese-made F-7 BJI aircraft struck Milestone School and College on Monday, just as pupils were leaving class. “So far, 27 people have died. Among… Continue reading Bangladesh mourns 27 dead in school jet crash tragedy

LONDON: The AFP journalists’ association has issued a dire warning that journalists working with the agency in Gaza are facing extreme food shortages and risk starvation under Israel’s ongoing blockade. The SDJ, representing AFP staff, stated they refuse to let their colleagues die from hunger. “Since AFP was founded in August 1944, we have lost… Continue reading AFP journalists in Gaza face starvation amid Israeli blockade

SEOUL: The death toll from last week’s heavy rains and landslides in South Korea has risen to 19, with nine others still missing, according to government data released Tuesday. The Interior Ministry confirmed the latest fatality, bringing the total number of casualties and missing persons to 28. The worst-hit areas include Sancheong in the south,… Continue reading South Korea heavy rains and landslides death toll rises to 19

WELLINGTON: Sky New Zealand has announced the acquisition of television network Three for a symbolic NZ$1, marking a major shift in the country’s media landscape. The deal, set to finalise on August 1, comes as the industry faces ongoing financial pressures. Three, New Zealand’s first privately owned free-to-air channel, is currently owned by Warner Bros.… Continue reading Sky New Zealand acquires TV channel Three for NZ$1 in media shakeup

CANBERRA: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese officially opened the 48th session of Australia’s federal parliament, marking a new chapter after Labor’s landslide election victory in May. The ceremony, held in Parliament House’s Great Hall, included a traditional Aboriginal acknowledgement before Albanese called for unity among lawmakers. “Every day in this new parliament is an opportunity to… Continue reading PM Albanese opens 48th session of Australia’s federal parliament

LOS ANGELES: Over 280 current and former NASA employees have sent a formal open letter to NASA’s interim administrator Sean Duffy, strongly opposing proposed budget cuts, staffing reductions, and policy changes under the Trump administration. The letter, titled “The Voyager Declaration,“ warns that recent changes “have or threaten to waste public resources, compromise human safety,… Continue reading NASA employees protest budget cuts and policy changes in open letter

BRASÍLIA: A Brazilian Supreme Court judge has warned former president Jair Bolsonaro of possible imprisonment after his speech was widely shared on social media, violating a court-imposed ban. The far-right leader, accused of plotting a coup against successor Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, delivered the address, which was later posted by his allies and family.… Continue reading Brazilian judge warns Bolsonaro over viral speech on social media

SEOUL: North Korea has announced plans to build another 5,000-ton destroyer, state media reported Tuesday, marking the third such vessel in its expanding naval fleet. The move comes after the launch of two similar warships earlier this year, signaling Pyongyang’s continued focus on military modernization. Leader Kim Jong Un has prioritized strengthening the country’s naval… Continue reading North Korea to build new 5,000-ton destroyer amid naval expansion

MOSCOW: Telegram founder Pavel Durov has raised concerns that French authorities could arbitrarily classify any technology company as a “criminal gang” due to political motivations. His remarks followed accusations by Elon Musk’s X platform, which claimed it was facing a politically driven criminal probe in France. X stated that the investigation jeopardizes user freedom of… Continue reading Telegram founder warns France may label tech firms as criminal gangs

PARIS: Elon Musk’s social media platform X has dismissed a French investigation into alleged foreign interference as politically motivated, refusing to comply with authorities’ demands. The probe, launched on July 11, examines suspected manipulation of automated systems, including X’s recommendation algorithm. “X believes that this investigation is distorting French law in order to serve a… Continue reading X calls French probe politically motivated over algorithm claims

PARIS: Donald Trump has turned his Truth Social platform into a powerful megaphone during his second presidential term, using it to bypass traditional media and communicate directly with his supporters. The app, which he owns, allows him to post without moderation, censorship, or fact-checking. On Sunday, marking his first six months back in office, Trump… Continue reading How Trump uses Truth Social as his White House megaphone

NEW YORK: A federal judge scrutinized the Trump administration’s decision to cut billions in federal funding to Harvard University, prompting a sharp response from the former president. Judge Allison Burroughs questioned the administration’s lawyer on how reducing research grants would address alleged campus anti-Semitism, according to US media reports. Trump swiftly criticized Burroughs on Truth… Continue reading Federal judge questions Trump admin’s Harvard funding cuts

WASHINGTON: Hunter Biden has launched a scathing attack on actor George Clooney, marking the one-year anniversary of his father Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race. In interviews published on Monday, the president’s son used strong language to condemn Clooney’s role in urging Joe Biden to step aside. “F*** him. And everybody around him,“… Continue reading Hunter Biden criticises George Clooney over father’s campaign exit

WASHINGTON: US defense and diplomatic leaders assured Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos of increased military deterrence against China during high-level talks on Monday. The meetings set the stage for Marcos’ Tuesday discussion with President Donald Trump, whose NATO spending demands have unsettled European allies. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio separately emphasized… Continue reading US vows stronger deterrence against China for Philippines

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump was reportedly “caught off guard” by recent Israeli airstrikes in Syria, according to White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt. The strikes targeted Damascus and the southern city of Sweida, with Israel citing pressure on Syria to withdraw troops from conflict zones. Leavitt stated, “The president was caught off guard by the… Continue reading Trump surprised by Israeli strikes in Syria, White House confirms

LOS ANGELES: A Chinese-born engineer has pleaded guilty to stealing sensitive US trade secrets, including advanced missile detection technology. Chenguang Gong, 59, admitted to transferring thousands of confidential files from a research firm to his personal devices, according to the US Justice Department. Gong, a naturalized US citizen since 2011, worked briefly at an unnamed… Continue reading Chinese engineer pleads guilty to stealing US missile tech secrets

WASHINGTON: The White House has blocked The Wall Street Journal from covering President Donald Trump’s upcoming trip to Scotland, escalating tensions over the newspaper’s recent report linking Trump to Jeffrey Epstein. The decision follows Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the WSJ and its owner, Rupert Murdoch, over claims he denies. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated,… Continue reading White House bars WSJ from Trump trip over Epstein report

KYIV: Russia and Ukraine will hold another round of peace talks on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed Monday. The negotiations, set to take place in Istanbul, follow two previous rounds in May and June that failed to yield progress. Turkish officials confirmed the venue, though Moscow has yet to formally acknowledge the talks. Zelensky’s… Continue reading New Russia-Ukraine peace talks set for Wednesday in Istanbul

LOS ANGELES/SAN JOSE: American actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner, best known for his role as Theo Huxtable on the iconic 1980s sitcom *The Cosby Show*, has died at the age of 54. Authorities confirmed his death was due to drowning after being caught in a rip current while vacationing in Costa Rica. According to Costa Rica’s judicial… Continue reading Malcolm-Jamal Warner of ‘The Cosby Show’ dies at 54 in drowning accident

WASHINGTON: US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called Monday for the Federal Reserve to conduct an “exhaustive internal review of its non-monetary policy operations,“ accusing the central bank of “significant mission creep.” In a lengthy post on X, Bessent sought to clarify remarks he made in a CNBC interview earlier in the day, in which he… Continue reading US Treasury chief calls for Fed ‘internal review’

WASHINGTON: The U.S. Justice Department on Monday released more than 240,000 pages of documents related to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., including records from the FBI, which had surveilled the civil rights leader as part of an effort to discredit the Nobel Peace Prize winner and his civil rights movement. Files were posted… Continue reading Trump releases Martin Luther King assassination files

WASHINGTON/LONDON: A large-scale cyber espionage campaign targeting Microsoft SharePoint servers has compromised around 100 organizations, according to cybersecurity researchers. The attack exploits a previously unknown vulnerability, allowing hackers to infiltrate systems and potentially install backdoors for persistent access. Microsoft issued an alert on Saturday warning of “active attacks” on self-hosted SharePoint servers, though cloud-based instances… Continue reading Microsoft server hack impacts 100 organizations globally

The World Health Organization said the Israeli military attacked its staff residence and main warehouse in the Gazan city of Deir al-Balah on Monday, compromising its operations in Gaza. The United Nations agency said the WHO staff residence was attacked three times, with airstrikes causing a fire and extensive damage, and endangering staff and their… Continue reading WHO reports Israeli military attack on Gaza staff residence

WASHINGTON: The new chief of the agency spearheading efforts to slash the federal workforce said on Monday he had no personal ties to tech billionaire and former Trump advisor Elon Musk, pledging to faithfully execute President Donald Trump’s agenda. “I have zero personal relationship with Elon Musk. I have talked to Elon Musk once on… Continue reading New Trump HR chief denies Elon Musk ties amid administration rift

LOUISVILLE: Former Louisville police officer Brett Hankison was sentenced on Monday to 33 months in prison for violating Breonna Taylor’s rights during the raid in which she was shot and killed, after President Donald Trump’s Justice Department asked the judge to imprison him for a single day. Taylor, a Black woman, was shot and killed… Continue reading Ex-cop gets 33 months for Breonna Taylor rights violation in US

WASHINGTON: The U.S. State Department said on Monday that the Chinese government had blocked a U.S. Patent and Trademark Office employee visiting the Asian country in a personal capacity from leaving. “We are tracking this case very closely and are engaged with Chinese officials to resolve the situation as quickly as possible,“ a State Department… Continue reading US government employee blocked from leaving China amid tensions

PHNOM PENH: Laos, the Philippines, and Vietnam remain on high alert as Typhoon Wipha continues its destructive path across Southeast Asia. The storm has caused widespread damage to homes and infrastructure while displacing thousands of people. The Philippines’ National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported that approximately 800,000 people have been affected by the… Continue reading Typhoon Wipha devastates Philippines, Vietnam, Laos

SWEIDA: Syrian authorities evacuated Bedouin families from the Druze-dominated city of Sweida on Monday following a ceasefire that halted a week of sectarian violence. The clashes, which began on July 13, left more than 1,100 dead, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. An AFP correspondent witnessed buses and vehicles transporting civilians, including women… Continue reading Syria evacuates Bedouin from Sweida as ceasefire holds

MUMBAI: An Indian court acquitted 12 men on Monday who were previously convicted for the 2006 Mumbai train bombings that killed 187 people and injured over 800. The Bombay High Court overturned the 2015 verdict, citing insufficient evidence. Justices Anil Kilor and Shyam Chandak stated, “The prosecution utterly failed to establish the offence beyond reasonable… Continue reading Mumbai court acquits 12 in 2006 train blasts case

TEHRAN:** Iran has accused Britain, France, and Germany of failing to respect the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal, following threats from the European nations to reimpose sanctions over Tehran’s atomic programme. The agreement, signed between Iran and the UN Security Council’s permanent members—Britain, China, France, Russia, and the US—plus Germany, imposed restrictions on Iran’s… Continue reading Iran accuses Europe of violating 2015 nuclear deal terms

BEIJING: China has confirmed an exit ban on a US bank employee involved in an ongoing criminal investigation. Wells Fargo managing director Chenyue Mao, a Shanghai-born executive based in Atlanta, is restricted from leaving the country while authorities probe the case. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun stated Mao is “involved in a criminal case… Continue reading US bank employee barred from leaving China in criminal case

BRUSSELS: The European Union is preparing to expand its retaliation options against the United States as hopes for a favourable trade agreement dwindle, according to EU diplomats. With negotiations faltering, Germany and other member states are pushing for the use of the bloc’s “anti-coercion” instrument, which could target US services, procurement, and financial markets. The… Continue reading EU considers wider retaliation as US tariff deal hopes fade

PARIS: Elon Musk’s social media platform X has accused French prosecutors of launching a politically motivated criminal investigation, claiming it threatens users’ free speech. The company denied all allegations and stated it would not comply with the probe. Earlier this month, Paris prosecutors escalated a preliminary investigation into X over suspected algorithmic bias and fraudulent… Continue reading X accuses French prosecutors of politically motivated free speech probe