World News

US and 18 WTO members reach consensus on not imposing ecom duties

The US and 17 WTO members launched a separate pact to avoid e-commerce duties after talks failed to extend the WTO's long-standing digital trade moratorium

EU countries, lawmakers agree to dilute AI rules, delay implementation

EU nations and lawmakers agreed to dilute and delay key AI Act provisions, easing compliance burdens amid concerns Europe is yielding to Big Tech pressure

The 'perfect storm' hanging over Britain's rising public debt

Britain's soaring bond yields and rising inflation are deepening economic anxiety, adding political pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer ahead of local elections

US Judge orders release of Jeffrey Epstein's purported suicide note

A newly unsealed note linked to Jeffrey Epstein's first suspected jail suicide attempt has resurfaced years after being locked in a New York courthouse vault

India seeks Bangladesh's cooperation to repatriate illegal migrants

India urged Bangladesh to expedite nationality verification of its citizens living illegally in India to facilitate smoother repatriation under bilateral arrangements

Dozens of passengers left hantavirus-stricken cruise ship post 1st fatality

Dozens of passengers left a cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak without contact tracing, raising concerns as travellers dispersed across multiple countries

Bangladesh seeks China's support in Teesta river restoration project

Bangladesh has formally sought China's support for the Teesta River restoration project, a move that could add strain to already sensitive India-Bangladesh ties

Marco Rubio discusses West Asia with Pope after Trump dispute

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican amid tensions sparked by Donald Trump's criticism of the pontiff over the Iran conflict

EU fails to finalise trade deal with US, risking new tariffs on cars

Negotiators from the European Parliament and EU countries met to discuss potential amendments to the transatlantic deal, which was initially struck in July. But they didn't make conclusive decisions

US waits on Iran's peace deal response as Israel strikes Lebanon

The US awaits Iran's response to a proposed peace deal as tensions persist in the West Asia, with Israel resuming strikes near Beirut despite a Lebanon ceasefire

Iran reviewing US proposals as Trump pressures Tehran for deal to end war

Trump posted on social media that the two-month war could soon end and that oil and natural gas shipments disrupted by the conflict could restart

Two former Chinese defence ministers sentenced to death for corruption

Former Chinese defence ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu were handed suspended death sentences over graft charges amid Xi Jinping's sweeping anti-corruption campaign

US jobless claims rise slightly, remain less than expected amid low layoffs

US jobless claims rose slightly last week but remained below expectations, signalling continued resilience in the labour market despite AI-driven layoffs and global risks

War, energy shortages boost China's influence in regional energy security

As the Iran war disrupts global energy flows, China is using fuel supplies and renewable technology to deepen its strategic influence across Asia

Ties with US stable despite disruptions, says China ahead of Trump visit

Ahead of Trump's visit to China, scheduled for May 14-15, the US government has been pressing Beijing to use its influence with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz

Iran 'categorically' denies role in damage to South Korean vessel in Hormuz

The statement came as US President Donald Trump claimed on his Truth Social platform that Iran had fired on a South Korean cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz

'Operation Fauxios': Iran Parliament Speaker mocks US media reports on deal

Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf rejected reports of a possible arrangement between Iran and the United States, accusing American media outlets of repeatedly spreading misinformation

US DOJ targets slow immigration judges as Trump pushes faster deportations

The second Trump administration has made mass deportations a central priority and has launched an all of government effort to reach its lofty goals

Iran likely to submit response to US proposal on West Asia crisis on May 7

The diplomacy is being spearheaded by US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who are reportedly communicating with Tehran both through direct channels and third-party intermediaries

AirAsia signs major deal, orders 150 Canada-made Airbus A220 jets

The deal is potentially worth about $6.8 billion, based on Ishka data that values new A220-300s jets at $45 million apiece