World News

Four killed as US military conducts another strike on suspected drug boat

There were four casualties in Thursday's strike, according to the social media post, bringing the death toll of the campaign to at least 87 people

US wants stable trade with China instead of conflict, says Jamieson Greer

Greer claimed that the US trade deficit with China was down "about 25 per cent" since President Donald Trump came to office, a move in the "right direction" for a team seeking to balance flow of goods

Japan rebuts China's 2nd letter to UN as spat over Taiwan keeps simmering

The letter follows on from China's second missive to the UN complaining about Japan after Takaichi said last month that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could mean a survival-threatening situation for Japan

Iraq retracts terror label for Hezbollah, Houthis, cites publication error

The November 17 gazette had listed both Iran-aligned groups among 24 organisations facing asset freezes, accusing them of involvement in terrorist acts

US Navy admiral denies 'kill all' order amid probe on Venezuela boat strike

Lawmakers want a full accounting of the strikes after The Washington Post reported that Bradley on September 2 ordered an attack on two survivors to comply with Hegseth's directive to kill everybody

Pakistan formally appoints Asim Munir as first Chief of Defence Forces

President Zardari approved the summary submitted by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formally asking him to appoint Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Munir as the first CDF of Pakistan

US Treasury fines NY firm $7.1 mn for managing properties for Putin ally

Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control said Gracetown Inc. had received 24 payments between April 2018 and May 2020 totaling $31,250 on behalf of a company owned by Deripaska

New York Times sues Pentagon over Defence Secy Pete Hegseth's media rules

The newspaper said the rules violate the Constitution's freedom of speech and due process provisions, since they give Hegseth the power to determine on his own whether a reporter should be banned

Takaichi's 'work, work, work' pledge named Japan's catchphrase of the year

In a country notorious for long working hours, especially for working women who are also burdened with homemaking and caregiving, overwork is a sensitive topic

Salman Rushdie warns US book bans threaten free expression globally

Rushdie's novel The Satanic Verses was banned in India in 1988 by then-Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, prompting the author to publish an open letter in the New York Times in response

German, French leaders wary of US push for Russia-Ukraine peace: Report

In the call that took place on Monday, Germany's Friedrich Merz warned Zelenskiy that U.S. negotiators are "playing games" and that he should be "very careful" over the next few days, Spiegel said

Putin calls US talks on Ukraine war 'useful' but also 'difficult work'

The high-stakes talks are part of Trump's renewed push to end the nearly four-year war

China's Xi, France's Macron pledge cooperation on global crises, trade

French President Emmanuel Macron met with China's Xi Jinping on Thursday morning as part of a three-day state visit focusing on trade and diplomacy

Meta to cut 30% of Metaverse budget as layoffs loom in 2026: Report

CEO Mark Zuckerberg has heavily bet on the augmented-reality unit, with the company changing its name to Meta from Facebook in 2021. The unit has burned more than $60 billion since 2020

Bangladesh tribunal issues arrest warrant against Hasina's son

The tribunal issued the arrest warrant in a case filed against him for (as well) committing crimes against humanity during the July Uprising

55% chance of weak La Nina impacting global weather in coming months: WMO

La Nina usually brings a temporary cooling effect on global average temperatures but many regions are still expected to record warmer-than-normal conditions

December's 'Cold Moon': When to watch 2025's final supermoon this week

This week, the final full moon of 2025, known as the 'Cold Moon', rises on December 5. Several livestreams will broadcast the event in real time if the weather or city skylines block your view

Toyota moves further into partnership for 2026 with Haas Formula 1 team

Taking over the title sponsorship means Toyota is now more involved in F1 than at any time since it pulled its team out after the 2009 season

Putin in Delhi: Body doubles, anti-drone tech and a five-layer cordon here

As Vladimir Putin visits New Delhi for the India-Russia summit, Indian and Russian agencies have rolled out a five-layer security grid with sanitised routes, drones, jammers and the Aurus Senat convoy

Venmo services restored after widespread outage disrupts payments

Many people posted on social media about experiencing problems with the service, including some who said they were unable to pay for medication or buy dinner