International

29-01-2025 BEIJING/ HONG KONG: China is aiming to beef up physical education in schools, making it core to the curriculum rather than a secondary subject, authorities said as they push for a more “holistic education” amid growing concerns about the rise in childhood obesity. Primary and secondary schools must ensure …

29-01-2025 GOMA: Rwandan-backed rebels marched into eastern Congo’s largest city Goma on Monday, and the UN said they were supported by at least some regular Rwandan troops, in the worst escalation of a long-running conflict for more than a decade. A rebel alliance spearheaded by the ethnic Tutsi-led M23 militia …

29-01-2025 WASHINGTON/ NEW DELHI: US President Donald Trump stressed the importance of India buying more American-made security equipment and moving toward a fair bilateral trading relationship in a phone call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, the White House said. In what the White House called a “productive call,” …

29-01-2025 KINSHASHA: Fierce fighting rages on in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo city of Goma, as rebels and the army exchange fire. “All we can hear (are) gunshots around the city,” one Goma resident, who has been trapped in his house since the weekend, told media. Residents shared videos …

29-01-2025 JERUSALEM: Israel says eight of the remaining 26 hostages due to be released by Hamas during the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal are dead. Government spokesman David Mencer told reporters that Israel had received a list from the Palestinian armed group overnight that provided information on the …

29-01-2025 COPENHAGEN: Denmark has said it will spend 14.6 billion kroner (£1.6bn; $2.05bn) to boost security in the Arctic region, in partnership with its autonomous territories Greenland and the Faroe Islands. The deal includes three new Arctic ships, more long-range drones with advanced image acquisition capacity and stronger satellite capacity. …

28-01-2025 BEIJING: Shares in major US technology firms have plunged after the rapid rise of a low-cost chatbot built by a Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) firm. The DeepSeek app, which was launched last week, has overtaken rivals including OpenAI’s ChatGPT to become the most downloaded free app in the US. …

28-01-2025 Bureau Report + Agencies NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is pouring billions into ailing state-run firms after slowing ambitious divestment plans that were intended to reduce the role of the state in business, according to government sources and a document reviewed by Reuters. Less than a month …

28-01-2025 UNITED NATIONS: United Nations human rights experts and activists have condemned the arrest of a prominent Palestinian journalist in the Swiss city of Zurich, saying it raised concerns about freedom of speech. Ali Abunimah, the executive director of online publication Electronic Intifada which calls itself “Palestine’s weapon of mass …

28-01-2025 WELLINGTON: New Zealand has relaxed its visa requirements to allow tourists to work remotely while visiting the country in an effort to boost its tourism sector. Under the new rules, visitors can now carry out remote working for a foreign employer while holidaying in the country for up to …