News & Current Events

[ad_1] BERLIN: The leaders of Germany, France and Poland on Monday criticised actions by the Georgian government which they said had undermined democratic institutions.In a joint statement marking Georgia's Independence Day, the trio said they "condemn all activities of the Georgian authorities resulting in the democratic backsliding and the attacks against civil society, media and government critics".German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said they supported "the democratic and European aspirations of the Georgian people".Georgia has been mired in political crisis marked by mass anti-government protests since an October election.Opposition parties have meanwhile boycotted the current parliament, accusing the ruling Georgian Dream party of rigging the vote.They say the government is copying Russia's authoritarian practices -- an allegation it denies -- and steering Tbilisi away from its EU aspirations.The three leaders on Monday […]

[ad_1] BUCHAREST: Pro-EU centrist Nicusor Dan on Monday will take the oath of office to become Romania's president, having pledged to stand against "isolationism and Russian influence".A week ago, Dan won a tense election rerun seen as key for the direction of the Nato and EU member country of 19 million people that borders war-torn Ukraine.The vote came five months after Romania's constitutional court, in a shock move, scrapped a presidential ballot over allegations of Russian interference and the massive social media promotion of the far-right frontrunner, who was not allowed to stand again.Although EU critic and nationalist George Simion easily topped the first round of voting, Dan took victory in the second round run-off.Dan, 55, is scheduled to take the oath of office in parliament at noon (0900 GMT).The former mayor of Bucharest will then meet interim president Ilie […]

[ad_1] US President Donald Trump (Pic credit: AP) US President Donald Trump defended his hardline tariff strategy on Sunday, emphasising that his goal is to bolster American production of military and high-tech goods, not revive the country's textile industry."We're not looking to make sneakers and T-shirts," Trump told reporters before boarding Air Force One in New Jersey. "We want to make military equipment. We want to make big things. We want to make, do the AI thing."The comments came in support of treasury secretary Scott Bessent's April 29 remarks, in which he downplayed the need for a "booming textile industry." That sentiment was swiftly criticised by the National Council of Textile Organisations, but Trump doubled down, saying his focus is on manufacturing critical products such as computer chips, tanks, and ships."I'm not looking to make socks," Trump added. "We can […]

[ad_1] Kitty caught smuggling crack cocaine and weed into Costa Rican prison (Video credit: @nexta_tv) In a bizarre incident (what can be a crime movie), prison guards in Costa Rica recently apprehended an unexpected drug mule, a black-and-white cat strapped with crack cocaine and marijuana, attempting to smuggle the stash into a jail.The kitty was intercepted at the Pococí prison, with authorities discovering over 230 grams of marijuana and 67 grams of crack cocaine taped to its sides in tightly wrapped plastic packages. According to the justice ministry, the drugs were bound for inmates inside the prison walls."Thanks to the quick actions of acting officers, the cat was able to be caught, thus preventing them from reaching their final destination," read a statement posted on the ministry's official Facebook page.Video footage showed guards scaling fences to detain the whiskered trafficker, […]

[ad_1] NEW DELHI: Scenes of panic ensued a private Pakistani plane after the Karachi-Lahore flight was hit by turbulence as it encountered a violent sandstorm on Saturday. Fly Jinnah's flight FL-842 was compelled to abort landing and execute a go-around maneuver due to the severe turbulence and unstable landing conditions.Footage of the incident that went viral on social media show passengers screaming in panic. Recalling the moment, a passenger said, "The landing seemed routine at first. But as soon as the wheels touched the ground, a powerful sandstorm engulfed the plane. Within seconds, we were airborne again. The next 10 to 12 minutes were some of the scariest of my life. The plane was being thrown around violently, visibility was zero, and it felt like we were caught in a cyclone," Gulf News reported.According to Pakistani media reports, the aircraft […]

[ad_1] When Kamala Harris fumed over Joe Biden donning a Trump Hat A new book has exposed tensions within the 2024 Democratic campaign, revealing former Vice President Kamala Harris's anger over ex-President Joe Biden's controversial decision to don a Donald Trump 2024 hat during a public event.The incident, which occurred at the Shanksville Fire Station in Pennsylvania in September 2024, quickly went viral after Biden was seen placing a Trump supporter's "Trump 2024" campaign hat on top of his own. The White House initially described the act as a friendly gesture of unity. But according to Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson's book, named "Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again", Harris was stunned by the stunt."What is he doing?" Harris reportedly asked her team upon seeing the video. "This is completely unhelpful. And […]

[ad_1] US President Donald Trump on Sunday indicated there was progress with Iran on Tehran's nuclear programme, and hinted an announcement could come in the "next two days." "We've had some very, very good talks with Iran. And I don't know if I'll be telling you anything good or bad over the next two days, but I have a feeling I might be telling you something good," news agency AFP quoted Trump as saying in northern New Jersey, where he spent most of the weekend."We've had some real progress, serious progress. Let's see what happens, but I think we could have some good news on the Iran front," he said.Trump's Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff and Michael Anton, the US State Department's policy planning director, represented the United States at the latest fifth round of talks with Iran, held on Saturday […]

[ad_1] 'They're 31% foreign and won't tell us who they are': Donald Trump on Harvard University row US President Donald Trumpon Sunday defended his administration's controversial move to block foreign students from enrolling at Harvard University, doubling down after a federal judge suspended the action that the university called "unlawful and unconstitutional."Speaking to reporters, Trump criticised the institution’s demographics and funding practices, arguing that American taxpayers should not be subsidising what he called an excessive number of foreign nationals."Part of the problem with Harvard is they're about 31% foreigners coming to Harvard. We give them billions of dollars, which is ridiculous," Trump said. "We do grants, which we're probably not going to be doing many grants anymore to Harvard."While claiming he has no problem with foreign students in principle, Trump suggested the proportion was too high and unfair to American […]

[ad_1] US President Donald Trump (Pic credit: AP) US President Donald Trumpon Sunday signalled optimism over the ongoing nuclear negotiations with Iran, describing the latest round of talks as "very, very good" and hinting that a breakthrough could be announced "over the next two days."Speaking to reporters on the tarmac at Morristown Airport before boarding Air Force One, Trump said the fifth round of discussions, held in Rome and mediated by Oman, had produced "real progress, serious progress" toward a potential new deal aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.The high-level talks, which began in April, mark the most substantial engagement between Washington and Tehran since the US unilaterally withdrew from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) during Trump's first term. That landmark deal had sought to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, offering […]

[ad_1] US President Donald Trump (Pic credit: AP) US President Donald Trump on Sunday announced a delay in implementing a proposed 50 per cent tariff on goods from the European Union, pushing the deadline from June 1 to July 9 in a bid to give trade negotiations with the bloc more time.The decision followed a phone conversation with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen earlier in the day. According to Trump, von der Leyen expressed a strong willingness to engage in "serious negotiations," prompting him to grant the extension."I told anybody that would listen, they have to do that," Trump told reporters in Morristown, New Jersey, before departing for Washington. Von der Leyen, he said, had promised to "rapidly get together and see if we can work something out."Tensions had escalated last week after Trump threatened steep tariffs in […]