Last news

Pakistan bans new hotel construction around tourist lakes
Pakistan will ban for five years the construction of new hotels around picturesque lakes in the north that attract tens of thousands of tourists each year, a government agency said.

Trump's budget hacksaw leaves public broadcasting on precipice
Hundreds of television and radio stations across the United States risk seeing their resources evaporate, after President Donald Trump prevailed Friday in scrapping federal funding for public broadcasting.

New deep sea mining rules lack consensus despite US pressure
After two weeks of negotiations, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) is still far from finalizing rules for extracting coveted metals on the high seas despite heightened pressure triggered by US efforts to fast-track the controversial practice.

Stocks head for positive end to week, Tokyo struggles ahead of vote
Markets headed into the weekend on a broadly positive note Friday, as investors took up New York's latest record highs sparked by healthy US retail data and upbeat earnings from some of Wall Street's big names.

North Korea bars foreign tourists from new seaside resort
North Korea has barred foreigners from a newly opened beach resort, the country's tourism administration said this week, just days after Russia's top diplomat visited the area.

Lions ignoring the noise ahead of Wallabies Test
British and Irish Lions assistant coach Johnny Sexton said on Friday his team was taking no notice of bookmakers who have the visitors overwhelming favourites to win the opening Test against the Wallabies.

CBS says Stephen Colbert's 'The Late Show' to end in May 2026
Stephen Colbert's "The Late Show", long a staple of late-night television, will come to an end in 2026, the comedian and network CBS said on Thursday.

Lions block Wallabies flanker Samu from Pasifika team
The British and Irish Lions have blocked Wallabies backrower Pete Samu from appearing for a First Nations and Pasifika XV against them because he did not play Super Rugby this season, the visitors confirmed Friday.

Indian state blames cricket team for deadly stampede
State authorities blamed the management of India's Royal Challengers Bengaluru cricket team for last month's deadly stampede during celebrations for their first IPL title.

Trump threatens to sue WSJ, Murdoch over story on alleged 2003 letter to Epstein
US President Donald Trump threatened to sue The Wall Street Journal and owner Rupert Murdoch Thursday over a story about an alleged off-color letter he wrote to Jeffrey Epstein, amid lingering political fallout over his administration's handling of the late financier's sex trafficking case.

Serbian youth pumps up protest at last EXIT festival
Serbia's youthful anti-graft protesters have celebrated what may prove to be the country's last ever EXIT music festival, but hope the energy it generated will still boost their fight for change.

US Congress approves $9 bn in Trump cuts to foreign aid, public media
US Republicans early Friday approved President Donald Trump's plan to cancel $9 billion in funding for foreign aid and public broadcasting, vowing it was just the start of broader efforts by Congress to slash the federal budget.

Misbehaving monks: Sex scandal shakes Thai Buddhist faithful
Reverence for the saffron-robed Buddhist monkhood is deeply woven into Thai society, but a sex extortion scandal has besmirched the clergy and left the devout questioning their faith.

Injury rules All Blacks wing Ioane out of third France Test
The All Blacks were hit by an injury blow Friday on the eve of the third Test against France, losing experienced wing Rieko Ioane to a hamstring injury.

China mulls economy-boosting measures to counter 'severe situation'
China is prepared to take measures and has a "plentiful" toolbox to avoid an economic slump in the second half of the year, its commerce minister said Friday as he admitted it faced a "very severe and complex situation".

Wallabies skipper Wilson concedes losing Valetini a massive blow
Australian captain Harry Wilson conceded Friday that the loss of dynamic flanker Rob Valetini was a huge blow ahead of the opening Test against the British and Irish Lions in Brisbane.

Asian markets on course to end week on a positive note
Asian markets headed into the weekend on a broadly positive note Friday, as investors took up New York's latest record highs sparked by healthy US retail data and upbeat earnings from some of Wall Street's big names.

UK 'princes in the tower' murder probe clears Richard III
It is one of history's most intriguing "murders" -- the mysterious disappearance over five centuries ago of two young princes from the Tower of London.

From Antarctica to Brussels, hunting climate clues in old ice
In a small, refrigerated room at a Brussels university, parka-wearing scientists chop up Antarctic ice cores tens of thousands of years old in search of clues to our planet's changing climate.

Springboks pick dynamic half-backs for final Championship warm-up
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Grant Williams can form a dynamic half-back partnership for South Africa when they complete their Rugby Championship build-up by tackling Georgia in Mbombela on Saturday.

Jorge Martin returns to MotoGP racing at revamped Brno
Reigning world champion Jorge Martin of Spain will return to racing at the Czech MotoGP this weekend as the Brno circuit hosts its first grand prix since 2020.

Olympic champion Lyles to make 100m season debut at London Diamond League
Olympic champion Noah Lyles reignites competition with Letsile Tebogo over 100m at Saturday's Diamond League meet in London, a week after the American marked his return to action with victory in the 200m over the Botswanan in Monaco.

Japan's SMEs ready to adapt to Trump tariffs
Small and medium-sized firms like Mitsuwa Electric that form the backbone of Japan's economy have weathered many storms over the decades, and company president Yuji Miyazaki is hopeful they will also withstand Donald Trump.

South Korea to end private adoptions after landmark probe
South Korea is set to overhaul its adoption system on Saturday by ending the decades-old practice of outsourcing adoptions to private agencies, which has led to widespread allegations of abuse.
Syria troops quit Druze heartland after violence leaves nearly 600 dead
Syrian troops on Thursday pulled out of the Druze heartland of Sweida on the orders of the Islamist-led government, following days of deadly clashes that killed nearly 600 people, according to a war monitor.

California to sue Trump govt over axed high-speed rail funds
California will sue President Donald Trump's administration over its decision to cancel billions of dollars in federal funding for the construction of a long-delayed high-speed rail line, the state's governor said Thursday.

Brazil's Lula calls Trump's tariff threat 'unacceptable blackmail'
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Thursday slammed Donald Trump's threat to impose 50 percent tariffs on Latin America's largest economy as "unacceptable blackmail."

In rural Canadian town, new risk of measles deepens vaccine tensions
In the Canadian town of Aylmer, where Mennonites in traditional dress walk down the main street alongside secular locals, bitter divisions over vaccine skepticism that arose during Covid have intensified with the reemergence of measles.

What to know about Trump's effort to oust Fed Chair Powell
US President Donald Trump this week escalated attacks on central bank chair Jerome Powell, suggesting he could be dismissed for "fraud" over his handling of a renovation project at the Federal Reserve's headquarters.

Trump threatens to sue WSJ over story on alleged 2003 letter to Epstein
US President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to sue The Wall Street Journal after it published a story about an alleged off-color letter written by him to late disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein that featured a drawing of a naked woman.

Gulf Air orders 12 Boeing 787 Dreamliners
US aviation giant Boeing on Thursday signed a contract valued at $7 billion to sell 12 787 Dreamliners, with options for six more, to Gulf Air, as the Bahrain-based carrier looks to expand its global network.

Japan rice prices double, raising pressure on PM
Rice prices in Japan soared 99.2 percent in June year-on-year, official data showed Friday, piling further pressure on Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba ahead of elections this weekend.