Page 654 - World News

Musk's X in talks to raise money at $44 billion valuation: Report

Musk bought X for the same price in 2022, but some investors including Fidelity Investments have sharply written down the value of their stake as the platform struggled to retain advertisements

US' Rubio to skip G20 meet after calling host South Africa anti-American

Top European diplomats, as well as Lavrov and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi are all expected at the Group of 20 meeting in Johannesburg while the US will be represented by a lower-level delegation

Ukraine won't be shut out but US-Russia trust key to peace deal, says Putin

Putin, speaking a day after Russia and the United States held their first talks on how to end the three-year conflict, also said it would take time to set up a summit with US President Donald Trump

Oil edges higher on supply concerns while market seeks peace talks clarity

US West Texas Intermediate crude futures for March rose 75 cents, or 1 per cent, to $72.60, up 2.6 per cent from the previous close before Monday's US public holiday

DOGE says it saved $55 billion, itemised data show only $16.6 bn of that

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent echoed claims that DOGE had found an estimated $50 billion savings so far

Nepal's US-backed infra plan in jeopardy as Trump freezes foreign aid

The $500 million grant was earmarked for critical infra projects, including a 320 km electricity transmission line to facilitate energy exports to India and improvements to Nepal's road network

Musk claims Biden left Williams, Wilmore in space for 'political reasons'

Donald Trump and his advisor Musk claimed that the previous Joe Biden administration was going to leave NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore in space

US Prez Trump living in Russia's 'disinformation space,' says Zelenskyy

Zelenskyy made the comments shortly before he was expected to meet with Keith Kellogg, the US special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, who arrived in Kyiv on Wednesday

Google agrees to pay Italy $340 million to settle tax evasion investigation

Italian prosecutors on Wednesday said they are seeking to have a tax evasion investigation against Google dropped after the tech giant agreed to pay a 326 million Euro (USD 340 million) settlement.

Vietnam greenlights $8 billion rail project to strengthen China trade ties

Vietnam approves a massive $8 billion railway linking Haiphong to China, aiming to enhance trade, ease transport bottlenecks, and strengthen economic ties with Beijing

EU envoys okay more sanctions on Russia on 3rd anniversary of Ukraine war

The measures are still not entirely finalised until EU foreign ministers endorse them on Monday, allowing them to enter force

Musk's Tesla may face licensing delays in China amid Trump tariff threats

Chinese authorities may be considering leveraging Tesla's approval process as a strategic tool in ongoing trade negotiations with the US government

Netanyahu taps Trump-linked adviser Ron Dermer to lead ceasefire talks

An Israeli official said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has appointed a close confidant to lead negotiations for the second stage of the ceasefire with Hamas

US envoy Keith Kellogg arrives in Ukraine for talks with Zelenskyy

Kellogg's trip came a day after US President Donald Trump suggested that Kyiv was to blame for the war, which enters its fourth year next week

Dollar steady, yen strengthens as traders mull Ukraine peace talks

Trump's administration said on Tuesday it had agreed to hold more talks with Russia on ending the war in Ukraine after an initial meeting that excluded Kyiv

Musk takes on Fort Knox: Who can confirm the US still holds $425 bn in gold

Elon Musk questions whether $425 billion-worth gold reserves are safe in Fort Knox, challenging the strict security measures and lack of transparency

Swiss politician Meret Schneider threatened for urging social media ban

Green Party politician has spoken about the need to regulate social media and argued that Switzerland is lagging behind in doing so

Ex-Brazilian president Bolsonaro charged with coup plot to overthrow govt

The charges against the former Brazilian President come after a two-year police investigation into the election-denying movement that led to riots by Bolsonaro supporters in the capital in early 2023

Sheikh Hasina vows to return to Bangladesh, calls Muhammad Yunus 'mobster'

Sheikh Hasina has vowed to return to Bangladesh, accusing Muhammad Yunus of encouraging lawlessness, while Dhaka prioritises her extradition amid rising tensions

UK inflation unexpectedly jumps to 3%, reaching a 10-month high in Jan

Services inflation - a key gauge of price pressures for the central bank - stood at 5.0 per cent in January compared with 4.4 per cent in December, the ONS said