World News

US sanctions 4 Venezuelan oil firms, 4 more tankers in Maduro crackdown

The latest sanctions from the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control target ships called Nord Star, Lunar Tide, Rosalind and Della, and their registered ownership companies

Trump admin terminates lease for Washington's 3 public golf courses

Officials for the National Links Trust said in a statement that they were devastated by the decision to terminate the lease and defended their management of the courses

Zohran Mamdani will be sworn in as mayor on a Quran, a first in NYC history

Most of Mamdani's predecessors were sworn in on a Bible, although the oath to uphold the federal, state and city constitutions does not require the use of any religious text

Department of Justice is reviewing over 5.2 mn documents related to Epstein

The Justice Department has more than 400 attorneys assigned to the review, but does not expect to release more documents until Jan 20 or 21

Khaleda Zia's vision to guide India-Bangladesh ties: Jaishankar to Rahman

The three-time Bangladesh prime minister and BNP matriarch died on Tuesday following a prolonged illness

US military strikes 3 suspected drug-smuggling boats, killing three at sea

The military said three people were killed when the first boat was struck, while people in the other two boats jumped overboard and distanced themselves from the vessels before they were attacked

AI startups mint new billionaires as investors chase next tech wave

It has also produced a crop of new billionaires - at least on paper - from smaller start-ups

Germany's Merz tells Europe to assert itself to safeguard peace, prosperity

In his New Year's speech, Merz pulled no punches, saying the "terrible" war raging on Europe's doorstep posed a direct threat to continental freedom and security

UN clears 7% reduced budget for 2026 as US arrears strain finances

The US usually contributes 22% of the UN's regular budget, but the Trump administration has not paid the $826 million bill for 2025 and it still owes some $660 million in arrears

Oil prices head for biggest annual fall since 2020 on oversupply fears

U.S. crude and fuel inventories rose last week, market sources said, citing American Petroleum Institute figures on Tuesday

Khaleda Zia's funeral prayer held in Bangladesh amid tight security

The funeral prayer (namaz-e-janaza) was held at the Manik Mia Avenue on Wednesday afternoon

Envoys of Quad nations hold rare public meeting at US Embassy in Beijing

The Indian Embassy here has not yet commented on the meeting. China, over the years, has been a strong critic of the Quad and has not yet reacted to the meeting

China to impose 55% tariff on beef imports above quota from 2026

The new annual quota levels are set below import levels for the first 11 months of 2025 for top supplier Brazil as well as for Australia

China's factory activity snaps record slump on festive stockpiling

Still, the data should give policymakers cause for optimism after choosing to see out 2025 without major additional stimulus to meet the full-year growth target of around 5 per cent

Xi vows more proactive macro policies for China's economy in 2026

Xi did not unveil any specific policies in his New Year's messages, but vowed to improve the quality of the economy while maintaining "reasonable growth", and reiterated his "common prosperity" pledge

As Warren Buffett retires, a look at the legacy of a pioneer investor

Warren Buffett will step down as chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway on December 31, ending a six-decade run both as an investor and philanthropist that reshaped global investing

Zuckerberg's $14 bn AI hire Alexandr Wang makes Forbes 40 Under 40 list

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg appointed Scale AI founder Alexandr Wang to head Meta Superintelligence Labs following a $14 billion investment, as the 28-year-old enters Forbes' 40 Under 40 list

Saudi vs UAE: How Yemen, oil and rivalry are straining a Gulf friendship

After Riyadh bombed an alleged Emirati arms shipment in Yemen in a rare public clash, long-simmering Saudi-UAE tensions over security, oil policy and economic competition have come into the open

Hong Kong rings in 2026 without fireworks after deadliest blaze in decades

The territory will ring in 2026 without spectacular and colourful explosions in the sky over its iconic Victoria Harbor after a massive fire in November that killed at least 161 people

X to pay creators more to compete with YouTube? Here's what Musk said

Elon Musk's comment, indicating a higher payout for creators, comes months after he acknowledged that the creators on the social media platform are paid less in comparison with other platforms