Page 689 - World News

Trump ramps up immigration raids; VP Vance, Border Czar back tough stance

The Trump administration has intensified immigration raids, with VP Vance and Border Czar Homan defending the inclusion of schools and churches in targeted operations despite criticism

Trump pauses all US foreign aid for 90 days; orders review; NGOs decry move

Donald Trump's directive, which halts all non-military foreign assistance for 90 days pending a review, has sparked widespread concern among humanitarian organisations

China Jan manufacturing activity shrinks unexpectedly, hits five-month low

China's $18 trillion economy hit the government's growth target of "around 5 per cent" over 2024 but in a lopsided fashion, with exports and industrial output far outpacing retail sales

New wealth in making: Trump's billionaires take the great leap forward

Trump said Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman can "round out" the $600 billion he had promised in additional investments and trade with the US in the coming four years to- $1 trillion

Ice-sheets to fresh water: Greenland's icebergs can't quench Earth's thirst

Polar Research and Policy Initiative said that US might have a future as an exporter of fresh water, thanks to an ice sheet that contains about 8 per cent of the total global reserves

Trump's second week tests his hold over Congress for agenda, cabinet picks

Facing him this week are talks to shape his tax and immigration bills and getting more cabinet nominees confirmed in the Senate

Asia equities slide with US futures on China's AI push; dollar firms

US Nasdaq Composite futures tumbled 1.8 per cent as of 0158 GMT and S&P 500 futures sank 0.9 per cent

Taiwan sees increase in Chinese incursions around its territory: MND

On Sunday, Taiwan reported six Chinese aircraft and seven naval vessels near its territory

Israel blocks thousands from returning to north Gaza over ceasefire dispute

Israeli forces also opened fire in Lebanon on protesters demanding their withdrawal by Sunday's deadline under a separate ceasefire with the Hezbollah militant group

Palestinian president condemns Trump's suggestion to 'clean out' Gaza Strip

Our people will not leave, the statement said. We warn of the repercussions of such a dangerous Israeli policy that contributes to severing the ties of the Gaza Strip

UNRWA warns of far-reaching consequences if Israel goes ahead with closure

The agency, known as UNRWA, runs 12 facilities that provide critical public services across east Jerusalem, including schools enrolling at least 1,200 children and free clinics serving over 70,000

Israel, Lebanon extend deadline for troop withdrawal to Feb 18: White House

Israel has said that it needs to stay longer because the Lebanese army has not deployed to all areas of southern Lebanon to ensure that Hezbollah does not reestablish its presence in the area

Trump's Gaza refugee idea falls flat with Jordan and confounds Senate ally

Jordan already is home to more than 2 mn Palestinian refugees. Egypt has warned of the security implications of transferring large numbers of Palestinians to Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, bordering Gaza

Russian troops capture strategic town in east Ukraine in bid to weaken Kyiv

Russia's Defence Ministry announced the fall of Velyka Novosilka, which had around 5,000 residents before the war, following a months-long battle

Trump should rethink revoking ex-officials' security details: Tom Cotton

Tom Cotton, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said a president needs to keep qualified individuals interested in serving White House and that may sometimes require enhanced security

US halts sanctions on Colombia after it agrees to 'all terms' of Trump

Trump had imposed a 25 per cent import tariff on Colombia after the country refused to accept two deportation flights from the United States seeking 'dignified treatment' of its nationals

Perplexity AI's new bid for TikTok parent firm could give US govt 50% stake

The proposal, submitted last week, is a revision of a prior plan the artificial intelligence startup had presented to TikTok's parent ByteDance on Jan 18

Google pushes agenda to educate workers on AI, plans $120 mn investment

A key priority, one executive told Reuters, comes in building out educational programs to train the workforce on AI

Tech tools may drive record deportations under Trump's crackdown

The contracts, which ranged in size, were for mundane tech like phone services as well as advanced tools from big and small companies

China boosts index investments in latest measure to revive market

The government aims to achieve a significant increase in the scale and proportion of index investment in the capital market through efforts over a period of time