World News

US Court rules Trump must get Congress' approval for ballroom construction

A US appeals court ordered Donald Trump to halt construction of his proposed White House ballroom, ruling that he must first secure approval from Congress

US employers unexpectedly shed 23k jobs in July; Unemployment rate falls

US employers unexpectedly cut 23,000 jobs in July as hiring in prior months was revised lower, raising concerns over labour-market weakness and the Fed's rate outlook

Saudi, Turkey and Pakistan sign joint defence deal amid regional turmoil

Iran and its allies have been firing on Saudi and other Gulf states, and blockading their energy shipments, since US and Israel attacked it on Feb 28 in major escalation of years of regional tumult

6 killed, several injured after shooting at high school in Thailand

The shooting happened at the Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Nonthaburi province northwest of the national capital

China's exports slow in July despite robust demand for high-tech products

Customs data released Friday showed China's trade surplus narrowed to $112.5 billion from $125.6 billion in June

Airport closes in Okinawa as Typhoon Dolphin approaches southern Japan

The typhoon was near Yoron Island and heading west toward the main island of Okinawa with maximum winds of 144 kph as of late morning Friday

Inside $1.46 trn AI spending spree reshaping the world's biggest tech firms

Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet and Meta have built $1.46 trillion in physical assets through AI investments, overtaking several global oil majors

SpaceX to build $16.8 billion chip plant in Texas, create over 3,000 jobs

The first phase of the vertically integrated, 100-million-square-foot facility in Grimes County, Texas, will create at least 3,000 high-paying jobs for engineers, technicians, and plant operators

A deal with Iran over Strait of Hormuz may require a compromise from Trump

Negotiations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz continue as differences remain over shipping access and transit terms

Iran wants to bar US, Israeli ships from Strait of Hormuz in peace accord

In any event, Trump would be unlikely to agree to such a concession after months of insisting that American armed forces had essentially defeated Iran

South Korean satellite captures first images of SpaceX rocket crash on moon

The Korea Aerospace Research Institute's Danuri spacecraft flew over the impact site soon after the Falcon 9 upper stage inadvertently plowed into the moon

Nasa astronauts Anil Menon, Jessica Meir complete spacewalk to upgrade ISS

Anil Menon and Jessica Meir completed a 6.5-hr spacewalk to install hardware and cabling that will support new roll-out solar arrays and help power the International Space Station's future operations

Australia grants citizenship to 2 Iranian women footballers seeking asylum

Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh, who sought asylum during the Women's Asia Cup, have become Australian citizens after being sworn in at a ceremony in Brisbane

US court orders Meta to pay $567 mn over harms to children's mental health

A New Mexico court directed Meta to spend $567 million on youth treatment, prevention and awareness programmes after finding its platforms harmed children and concealed child safety risks

'It will end pretty soon': Trump signals Iran conflict nearing end

When asked about the status ‌of munitions ​stockpiles, Trump said the ‌country had an almost unlimited supply of ‌certain weapons but acknowledged inventories of others ​were limited

Trump signs new orders targeting birthright citizenship despite SC setback

The executive orders target commercial birth tourism and expand categories deemed ineligible for birthright citizenship, weeks after the US Supreme Court struck down Trump's earlier directive

Iran threatens Gulf states of retaliation if US launches new strikes

Iran warned Gulf states of retaliation if US strikes resume, as Israel-Lebanon clashes flared and shipping firms rejected a proposed Hormuz transit arrangement

Warner Bros' misses revenue targets on soft ad sales, weak box-office

Warner Bros Discovery missed Q2 revenue estimates as weak box office and the loss of NBA broadcasts hit studio and advertising sales despite optimism over its Paramount deal

Facelift: South Korean beauty firm targets 'Ozempic face' using human fat

South Korea's L&C Bio plans an injectable skin booster from donated human fat to restore facial volume, targeting cosmetic concerns linked to GLP-1 weight-loss drugs

Congo bans copper and cobalt concentrates exports, official order says

DRC has banned exports of copper and cobalt concentrates to boost domestic processing, a move that pushed London copper prices to a six-month high