18-01-2025 WASHINGTON: Outgoing US President Joe Biden warned of the dangers of an oligarchy gaining power as he delivered his farewell address and brought a decades-long career in politics to an end. “Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that really threatens our …
Read More »Rocket launch challenges Elon Musk’s space dominance
18-01-2025 TALLAHASSEE: Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’s Space Company has blasted its first rocket into orbit in a bid to challenge the dominance of Elon Musk’s SpaceX. The New Glenn rocket launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 02:02 local time (07:02 GMT). It firmly pits the world’s …
Read More »Israel delays vote to approve Gaza ceasefire deal
18-01-2025 JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has delayed a cabinet vote to approve the Gaza ceasefire deal, due on Thursday, accusing Hamas of seeking last-minute changes to the agreement. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said a “loose end” was being tied up and that he was confident the …
Read More »UK pledges support for Ukraine with 100-year pact
18-01-2025 LONDON/ KYIV: Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to put Ukraine in the “strongest possible position” on a trip to Kyiv where he signed a “landmark” 100-year pact with the war-stricken country. The prime minister’s visit on Thursday was at one point marked by loud blasts and air raid sirens …
Read More »44 Pakistani migrants among dozens feared dead in Spain
17-01-2025 MADRID/ ISLAMABAD: As many as 50 migrants, many of them Pakistanis, may have drowned in the latest deadly wreck involving people trying to make the crossing from West Africa to Spain’s Canary Islands, migrant rights group Walking Borders said on Thursday. Aaj News reported that 44 Pakistanis were among …
Read More »Dozens killed as Israeli strikes continue ahead of Gaza ceasefire
17-01-2025 GAZA STRIP: Israeli air strikes are continuing in Gaza ahead of the ceasefire agreement and hostage deal with Hamas, which comes into effect on Sunday, subject to the Israeli cabinet’s approval. The strikes killed 73 people overnight, following the announcement of the deal, Gaza’s Hamas-run civil defence agency reported. …
Read More »Cuba begins releasing prisoners following Biden announcements
17-01-2025 LA GUINERA, CUBA: Cuba on Wednesday began releasing prisoners jailed following anti-government protests in 2021, making good on a deal agreed with the Biden administration this week. Outgoing US President Joe Biden on Tuesday removed Cuba from a blacklist of nations that sponsor terrorism and rolled back a raft …
Read More »Meta warns India antitrust ruling could force roll back of features
17-01-2025 NEW DELHI: Meta may have to “roll back or pause” some features in India due to an antitrust directive which banned its WhatsApp messaging service from sharing user data with Meta for advertising purposes, according to a court filing by the US company seen by Reuters. Meta is seeking …
Read More »Sweden may strip citizenship of people seen as a threat
17-01-2025 STOCKHOLM: Sweden’s political parties have agreed that dual citizens who commit crimes that threaten national security should lose their citizenship. A cross-party committee recommended that the change could be applied to anyone who had used bribes or false information to obtain their citizenship; and also if they committed crimes …
Read More »Former Georgian prime minister hospitalized after beating
17-01-2025 TBILIS: Giorgi Gakharia, a former prime minister of Georgia who now leads one of the country’s main opposition groups, was hospitalized after being severely beaten late on Tuesday, a spokeswoman for his party told media. Ana Buchukuri said Gakharia had sustained injuries on his face and head during an …
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