World News

Harvard tightens grading norms making it harder for undergrads to earn A's

They said the reform would ensure that 'a Harvard A grade will now tell students, as well as employers and graduate schools, something real about what a student has achieved'

US aircraft carrier USS Nimitz enters Caribbean amid tensions with Cuba

US Southern Command (Southcom), which oversees American military operations in the Caribbean and Latin America, announced the deployment on Wednesday

If Iran doesn't make a deal, US will do some 'nasty' things: Trump

Trump further noted that the US was involved in various wars earlier, but the war on Iran has been on for only three months

Standard Chartered CEO reassures staff after 'lower-value human' backlash

Bill Winters' remarks on using artificial intelligence to replace 'lower-value human capital' triggered a sharp backlash on social media

Meta begins 8,000 global job cuts in Asian hub of Singapore amid AI push

This latest round of cuts is expected to hit Meta's engineering and product teams in particular and additional layoffs could come later in the year

Indonesia unveils plan to centralise control of commodity exports

Prabowo Subianto plans tighter state control over commodity exports to boost revenues and influence global pricing

Early war goal was to install hard line former President as Iran's leader

An Israeli strike designed to free Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from house arrest in Tehran, US officials said, was part of an effort to bring about regime change and put him in power

Xi, Putin oppose US-Israel war on Iran, call it a threat to global trade

Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin oppose US-Israeli strikes on Iran amid escalating Strait of Hormuz tensions

Iran threatens war 'beyond the region' as Trump hints at new strikes

Six weeks since Trump paused Operation Epic Fury for a ceasefire, talks to end the war have largely stalled

'In no hurry' to end Iran war, achieving mission's goals matter more: Trump

The US President claimed it had "essentially taken over" Iran, while Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said it had used the ceasefire to rebuild its military strength

Trump flexes grip over GOP with Massie's defeat in Kentucky primary

A former Navy SEAL and farmer, Gallrein, 68, is a relative newcomer to politics. He ran a low-key campaign by refusing to debate Massie and generally avoiding the press

Barclays to name Nikhil Jha India diaspora banking head in Singapore

Jha, serving gardening leave at Bank of Singapore Ltd., will start at the British bank in July in the city-state, said the people, who asked not to be named because the information is private

Xi Jinping, Putin praise ties but see no energy headway at Beijing talks

President Xi Jinping welcomed President Vladimir Putin with an honour guard and a gun salute at the Great Hall of the People, as children waved Chinese and Russian flags

Two supertankers exit Strait of Hormuz with 6 million barrels of crude oil

The ships are among a handful of supertankers exiting the Gulf this month via a transit route that Iran has ordered ships to use

Xi calls for immediate end to West Asia hostilities during talks with Putin

Welcoming Putin at the Great Hall of the People, Xi said renewed fighting in the Gulf and the wider West Asia must be avoided and stressed that negotiations should continue

Asian countries tighten precautions against Ebola after WHO declaration

Several govts have expanded screening and reporting requirements for travelers arriving from affected countries, though officials say no cases have been publicly confirmed in Asia

Samsung faces major strike after wage talks with union fall apart

After the latest round of talks ended without a breakthrough on Wednesday, union leader Choi Seung-ho told reporters that unionized workers will begin an 18-day strike from Thursday

WHO-Imperial College analysis suggests Congo Ebola outbreak undercounted

The analysis, based on case data collected through Saturday, found the outbreak was likely substantially larger than officially detected

Xi Jinping, Putin hold bilateral talks in Beijing days after Trump's visit

Ahead of the talks at the Great Hall of the People, Putin was accorded a ceremonial welcome by Xi

US lost 42 aircraft, including fighter jets, Reaper drones in Iran: CRS rpt

The number of aircraft damaged or destroyed may remain subject to revision due to multiple factors, including classification, ongoing combat activity, and attribution, said report