World News

Pakistan must meet 64 conditions over 18 months, including anti-corruption measures, tax reforms, and power sector restructuring, to continue receiving IMF support.

China to impose VAT on contraceptives from Jan 1, raising concerns over public health and fertility

For the first time in over 30 years, China will tax contraceptives at 13%, prompting worries about higher costs, reduced access, and potential rise in unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.

Indiana Republicans break with Trump and why the pressure campaign failed

Personal lines were crossed, threats backfired and a deeply conservative state drew limits on loyalty politics.

Can OpenAI pull ahead again now that Google has caught up on AI?

A new GPT-5.2 release shows the race has tightened, and OpenAI’s bigger challenge may be financial, not technical.

Hollywood braces for a defining reckoning as Warner Bros sale hangs in the balance

Two rival bids promise very different futures, but both leave the film industry anxious about jobs, politics and the survival of the studio system.

Venezuela’s oil lifeline is under pressure; why one seized tanker matters

A single intercepted cargo exposes how dependent Caracas still is on crude exports, and how vulnerable that lifeline is to pressure from Washington.

How Jan Marsalek’s Libyan money trail reveals a deeper Russian influence game

Behind shell companies, cement plants and boardroom deals lies a quiet struggle over stolen money and strategic assets.

Told he had three hours to live, he went on to build a $10 million gaming empire

Seventeen years after doctors told him he had only three hours to live, Zhenghua “Z” Yang runs Serenity Forge, a fast-growing indie games publisher. His near-death crisis shaped a mission to build emotionally resonant titles that also became a multimillion-dollar business.

Trump’s memecoin tries a reset with a “Billionaires Club” mobile game

A Trump-branded play-to-earn title, due on December 30, is being positioned as a utility boost for the $TRUMP token after a steep slide. The project promises up to $1 million in token rewards, but faces regulatory and credibility questions.

The quiet reason opposite sides of a dice always total 7

A mix of history, standardisation and probability explains one of the most familiar quirks of the humble cube.

Flipperachi: The Bahraini rapper whose FA9LA became Dhurandhar’s surprise anthem

Known offstage as Hussam Aseem, Flipperachi has spent years building a Gulf hip-hop following. After Dhurandhar used his 2024 track FA9LA for a key scene, the song surged across social media and streaming worldwide.

Canada committee votes to strip sacred swastika from hate-symbol language in anti-hate bill

A parliamentary committee unanimously agreed to remove references that link the ancient religious swastika with the Nazi emblem in federal hate-crime legislation.

Trump warns Russia-Ukraine war risks triggering ‘third world war’ as US pushes revised peace plan

Trump urges an immediate end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, warning rising casualties and stalled negotiations could spark a global crisis.

6.7-magnitude earthquake strikes Japan's Hokkaido and Tohoku; tsunami advisory issued

A tsunami advisory was issued as the Pacific coast of Hokkaido, Aomori, Iwate and Miyagi prefectures could see a tsunami of up to 1 meter (3.2 feet).

Pakistan warns social media firms of possible ban over ‘lack of cooperation’; says X not cooperating

The Pakistan government says social media platforms risk bans for not cooperating, with X singled out as the least responsive.

Trump again claims he ‘settled eight wars,’ credits trade and tariffs

Trump claims his tariff strategy “settled eight wars,” but analysts and foreign governments say the ceasefires are fragile and his assertions lack credibility.

‘Felt humiliated by Yunus govt’: Bangladesh President Shahabuddin plans to resign after February 2026 polls

President Mohammed Shahabuddin, feeling sidelined by the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government, says he will step down after the country’s parliamentary elections on February 12, 2026.

Over 600 priceless artefacts, including Indian items, stolen from Bristol Museum: Here’s what was taken

Bristol police released CCTV footage of four suspects after more than 600 culturally significant artefacts, including items from India’s colonial era, were stolen from the British Empire and Commonwealth collection.

Hasina's Bangladesh Awami League rejects February 12 poll schedule, calls Yunus-led govt ‘illegal and biased’

The Awami League has rejected Bangladesh’s February 12 election schedule, accusing the Yunus-led interim government of bias and demanding a neutral caretaker administration for free polls.

US pollster Mark Mitchell vows to ‘de-Indianise’ American firms: ‘Every single H-1B equals 10 illegal aliens’

Rasmussen Reports chief Mark Mitchell has intensified his attacks on Indian tech professionals, urging mass H-1B deportations and announcing plans for a consultancy to “de-Indianise” major US firms.

No visas for birth-tourism plans, US embassy warns Indian travellers: ‘This is not permitted’

The US Embassy has tightened visitor-visa scrutiny and broadened online vetting for H-1B and H-4 applicants, warning that tourist visas will be denied if officers believe the traveller intends to give birth in America to secure citizenship for a child.

Salvadoran man wrongly deported from US released from ICE custody: lawyer

In her ruling Thursday, Judge Paula Xinis concluded that Abrego Garcia has been held in ICE detention "absent a lawful removal order."

Trump "extremely frustrated" over delays in Russia-Ukraine peace deal, says White House

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the US is advocating for Ukraine to pull back its forces from the Donetsk region to create a "free economic zone" in Kyiv-controlled areas of eastern Ukraine, which Moscow seeks to dominate, as reported by Al Jazeera.

Amid Trump's attacks, Ilhan Omar's ex-husband pops back to spotlight after years, report says

The New York Post cites Somali community figure Abdihakim Osman, who told the Daily Mail in 2020 that Omar once referred to Elmi as her brother who needed “papers.”

Trump claims US is leading world in AI energy production, disputes reports of Chinese dominance

He emphasised that every AI facility being constructed in the US is simultaneously building its own electricity-generating capabilities.

US issues fresh sanctions targeting Maduro's family, Venezuela-linked oil tankers

The targeted vessels are supertankers that recently loaded crude in Venezuela, according to state oil company PDVSA's internal shipping documents.

Suspect in Charlie Kirk killing makes first in-court appearance

Kirk's death ‌sparked denunciations of political violence across the ideological spectrum.

US bringing seized tanker to port, as Venezuela war threats build

Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Thursday expressed support during a phone call with his ally Maduro, but with Moscow's forces tied down in a grinding war in Ukraine, its capacity to provide aid is limited.

Trump can maintain good relations with both Japan and China, White House says

"Japan is a great ally of the United States as evidenced by their personal relationship and our continued trade relations with Japan," said ⁠White House spokeswoman Karoline ​Leavitt at a ‍press briefing.

Mysterious blue flashes seen moments before Japan’s 7.6 quake stun Aomori residents

The US Geological Survey describes these lights as “sheet lightning, balls of light, streamers, or a steady glow” that have been documented during seismic events.

Venezuelan Nobel laureate credits Trump for pressuring Maduro with ‘decisive' actions

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump said the US had seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela. On Thursday, Machado called on governments to expand their support for Venezuela's opposition beyond words.

Zelenskiy floats referendum over territory as US pressure mounts

Zelenskiy has engaged in talks over the latest peace proposal from President Donald Trump’s administration, but has maintained his position that Ukraine won’t consider surrendering territory to the Kremlin.

Nighttime airstrike on hospital by rebel armed force leaves 34 dead, 80 injured in Myanmar

About 80 other people were injured in the attack Wednesday night on the general hospital in Mrauk-U township

Ivory Coast wants US spy planes as Trump reopens West Africa front against al Qaeda and ISIS

One of the Ivorian sources, a senior counterterrorism official, said Abidjan and Washington agreed on regional security needs, and timing was the only issue that remained to be determined.

EU nears Russian asset freeze deal to ease Ukraine loan

Moscow would retain a legal claim on the assets, however, which has left Belgium anxious that it could face repercussions.

China’s big AI power play: How the world’s largest grid is giving Beijing a massive edge | Explained

A report in The Wall Street Journal notes that between 2010 and 2024, China expanded its power generation more than the rest of the world combined.

US trade deficit unexpectedly shrinks to smallest since 2020

The value of US exports rose 3% to the second-highest level on record, fueled by non-monetary gold and pharmaceutical preparations.

PM Modi speaks with Trump, discusses defence, tech and Indo-Pacific security

PM Modi and Trump also exchanged views on regional security challenges, with the prime minister reaffirming India’s commitment to a stable and rules-based Indo-Pacific.

Trump plans to sideline the G7 with a ‘Core 5’ of giants including China and Russia, but is India in the room?

Talk of a US–China–Russia–India–Japan 'Core 5' has rattled Washington, with Trump-era aides calling it plausible and experts warning it would sideline Europe.

Bangladesh to vote on Feb 12: What India must prepare for after a year of strained ties under Yunus | Explained

Relations between India and Bangladesh have deteriorated sharply under Muhammad Yunus. His administration has leaned closer to China and Pakistan while distancing itself from New Delhi.

Bangladesh to hold national elections on Feb 12 next year, first since Hasina’s exit and months of turmoil

This will be the country’s first national vote since last year’s student-led uprising that forced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee to India.

New front in the Pacific: US B-52s join Japan in sky drills a day after China–Russia bomber patrol

US B-52 bombers joined Japan’s fighter jets for joint drills a day after China–Russia bomber flights and recent radar-lock incidents raised security tensions.

Indian-origin man arrested in Canada for faking illnesses and flashing women doctors: Here's what we know

The accused allegedly visited clinics under a fake identity and pretended to suffer from various medical conditions to deceive female physicians into touching him inappropriately.

Following Fed rate cut, attention moves to how the new Fed chair will navigate monetary policy

The new chair’s policy leanings, communication style and appetite for risk management will shape expectations for years to come.

‘No visitor, no exception’: Imran Khan’s jail isolation deepens as Punjab shuts door on KP CM’s 10th visit attempt

Imran Khan’s solitary confinement at Adiala Jail has escalated into a constitutional face-off as Punjab blocks KP CM Sohail Afridi’s 10th bid to meet him.

India issues advisory for travellers as Thailand-Cambodia border tensions escalate

According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand Newsroom, travel across the country continues normally and restrictions are limited to selected border areas.

Companies are just now tallying up the impact of the US shutdown

Markets also had to wait for the end of the impasse. UBS Group AG flagged the shutdown as a “potential headwind” for initial public offerings.

FDA approves first home-use headset to treat depression in US

Called FL-100, it weighs less than a pair of over-the-ear headphones and the company said thursday it will be available in the second half of 2026.