PayPal has confirmed a global outage impacting its services, citing a “system issue” affecting multiple products, including account withdrawals and express checkout. In a statement on its service status page, the payment giant assured users that its technical teams are “actively working to resolve the issue.” The outage has left thousands of customers worldwide unable … Read more
Judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) have issued arrest warrants for Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif. In a statement, the pre-trial chamber rejected Israel’s objections to the court’s jurisdiction and cited “reasonable grounds” to believe the three men bear “criminal responsibility” for alleged … Read more
Australian teenager Bianca Jones has become the fourth tourist to die in a suspected mass poisoning incident in Laos. The 19-year-old’s family confirmed her death to the media on Thursday. Earlier, the US State Department reported the death of an American man in the popular tourist destination of Vang Vieng. Two Danish women, aged 19 … Read more
Texas officials have announced that they are prepared to offer President-elect Donald Trump a 1,400-acre (567-hectare) plot of land along the US-Mexico border to construct detention facilities for undocumented migrants. In a letter to Trump, the Texas General Land Office proposed the land be used to build canters for “processing, detention, and coordination of the … Read more
Indian billionaire Gautam Adani has been charged with fraud in the United States, accused of orchestrating a $250 million (£198 million) bribery scheme and concealing it to raise funds in the US. The criminal charges, filed on Wednesday in New York, represent the latest setback for the 62-year-old Adani, one of India’s wealthiest individuals, whose … Read more
The Biden administration has approved sending anti-personnel mines to Ukraine, marking a significant policy shift, according to two U.S. officials. This decision comes shortly after the U.S. authorized Ukraine to use long-range missiles against Russian targets, a move that followed months of lobbying by Kyiv. The anti-personnel mines are intended to reinforce Ukraine’s defensive lines … Read more
Jimmy Lai, a towering figure in Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement, is testifying in court for the first time on Wednesday in a landmark national security trial that could result in a life sentence. The 76-year-old founder of the now-shuttered Apple Daily, a once-prominent pro-democracy tabloid, is accused of colluding with foreign forces through his media … Read more
Donald Trump has announced Linda McMahon, co-founder of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and a long-time ally, as his nominee for education secretary. McMahon, who served as the Small Business Administration chief during Trump’s first presidency, has been a prominent supporter of Trump, contributing millions of dollars to his campaigns. In a statement on Truth Social, … Read more
Ukraine has reportedly launched U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles into Russia’s Bryansk region, according to the Russian Defence Ministry. The strike, which occurred on the 1,000th day of the war, represents a significant escalation just two days after the Biden administration authorized Kyiv to use the long-range missiles on Russian territory. EDITOR’S PICKS Electricity Meter Costs Rise … Read more
Vladimir Putin has approved updates to Russia’s nuclear doctrine, outlining expanded conditions for the potential use of its nuclear arsenal. The revised policy now states that an attack from a non-nuclear state, if supported by a nuclear-armed power, will be treated as a collective assault on Russia. This marks a significant shift in Russia’s military … Read more
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Europe to “push Russia harder” during a speech marking 1,000 days since Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. “The more time he [Putin] has, the worse the conditions become,” Zelensky told a special session of the European Parliament on Tuesday, urging continued pressure to force Russia toward a “just … Read more
The leader of Abkhazia, Georgia’s breakaway region, has announced his resignation following days of mass protests against a contentious pro-Russia bill. Aslan Bzhania’s press office stated he was stepping down to “maintain stability and constitutional order” and emphasized that protesters who stormed the parliament in Sukhumi must disperse by Tuesday. The controversial bill, which proposed … Read more
A Hong Kong court has sentenced prominent pro-democracy leaders to prison for subversion in a high-profile case under the contentious national security law (NSL). Benny Tai, a former law professor, received a 10-year sentence, while activist Joshua Wong was handed more than four years. They were part of the “Hong Kong 47,” a group of … Read more
Brazil’s First Lady, Janja Lula da Silva, made headlines over the weekend after directing a profanity-laced remark at billionaire Elon Musk during a G20 event where she advocated for stronger social media regulation to combat misinformation. As she spoke on Saturday, a ship’s horn blared in the background, prompting her to joke, “I think it’s … Read more
Sir Keir Starmer met Chinese President Xi Jinping during the G20 summit in Brazil, highlighting the significance of a “strong UK-China relationship” for both nations. This marks the first face-to-face meeting between a UK prime minister and the Chinese president since 2018. Ahead of the discussions, Sir Keir stressed the importance of engaging with China … Read more
During a meeting with House Republicans on Wednesday, President-elect Donald Trump made a remark that seemed to hint at the possibility of him serving a third term in 2028. According to audio shared with newsmen, Trump jokingly suggested, “I suspect I won’t be running again, unless you do something,” adding, “Unless you say, ‘He’s so … Read more
Sir Keir Starmer is set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping during the G20 summit in Brazil, marking the first in-person meeting between a UK prime minister and the Chinese leader since 2018. The UK government has emphasized a commitment to maintaining “stable and pragmatic engagement” with China. Sir Keir plans to highlight areas of … Read more
Hezbollah’s media chief, Mohammed Afif, has been confirmed dead following an Israeli airstrike in central Beirut, according to the Lebanese militant group. The attack targeted the headquarters of the Lebanese Baath Party in the densely populated Ras al-Naba neighborhood on Sunday, as reported by Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency. The country’s health ministry stated that … Read more
Australian lawmakers have voted to censure Aboriginal senator Lidia Thorpe for heckling King Charles during his visit to Canberra last month, marking their “profound disapproval” of her protest. The motion, passed by a 46-12 majority in the Senate, described Thorpe’s actions as “disrespectful and disruptive,” deeming them incompatible with her role in representing the chamber … Read more
President Joe Biden has authorized Ukraine to use advanced long-range American weapons inside Russia, a senior U.S. official confirmed, as North Korean troops bolster Moscow’s forces on the battlefield. The approval allows Ukraine to deploy the Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), a decision that had been debated within the U.S. government for months. EDITOR’S PICKS … Read more