News & Current Events

[ad_1] South Korean former President Moon Jae-in (Image: AP) SEOUL: Former South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday called his indictment on bribery charges "unjust", accusing prosecutors of abusing their power in what he called a politically motivated investigation. Moon's comments came a day after prosecutors in the southern city of Jeonju announced his indictment over allegations that a budget airline gave his son-in-law a lucrative no-show job during his presidency. Meeting with National Assembly speaker Woo Won-shik, Moon said he feels that prosecutors are "pushing forward in a predetermined direction, no matter what" and that his case was an example of "how politicised the prosecution has become and how prosecutorial power is being abused". The former liberal leader was visiting the National Assembly for an event marking the seventh anniversary of his 2018 summit with North Korean leader Kim […]

[ad_1] Pope Francis meets with President Donald Trump, left, on the occasion of their private audience, at the Vatican, May 24, 2017 (Image: AP) US President Donald Trump, who has differences with Pope Francis over ideologies, will attend his funeral on Saturday. Pope Francis took his last breath on Easter Monday. Pope Francis and Trump have differences over ideology. For example, just a day before he died, in his final public address, on the occasion of Easter Sunday, Pope Francis expressed a message of unity and an appeal for the marginalized and migrants.He proclaimed, "All of us are children of God!" In contrast, President Donald Trump issued an insulting post wishing a happy Easter to his opponents, including "Radical Left Lunatics," "Weak and Ineffective Judges and Law Enforcement Officials," and former President Joe Biden, "our Worst and most Incompetent President."Some […]

[ad_1] US president Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he will sit down for an interview with Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, after the controversial Atlantic report that Goldberg was added to a private group chat involving top Trump officials and sensitive national security discussions. Goldberg was reportedly accidentally added to a Signal group chat in late March by national security adviser Mike Waltz. The chat also included other high-ranking Trump administration officials who were discussing classified information related to a US strike on Houthi targets in Yemen. Trump said on Truth Social, he was doing it “out of curiosity” and “as a competition” with himself. He questioned whether The Atlantic, which he has accused of bias, is capable of writing a fair profile on him. The interview will feature Goldberg alongside journalists Michael Scherer and Ashley Parker and […]

[ad_1] SYDNEY: Australia's prime minister condemned heckling and booing Friday at two solemn Anzac Day commemorations as "low cowardice", warning that those responsible would "face the full force of the law".Anzac Day originally marked the ill-fated World War I landing of Australia and New Zealand Army Corps troops at Gallipoli, in what is now Turkey, in 1915.Facing dug-in German-backed Ottoman forces, more than 10,000 Australian and New Zealand servicemen were killed in the Allied expedition.This year commemorates the 110th anniversary of the landing.Anzac Day now also honours Australians and New Zealanders who have served in all wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations.Large crowds gathered across cities and towns in both countries just before dawn to pay their respects."We, who are gathered here, think of those who went out to the battlefields of all wars but did not return," said Australian Prime […]

[ad_1] Nuns wait before a rosary prayer outside the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica, where the late Pope Francis will be buried in Rome (Image: AP) VATICAN CITY: Heads of state and royalty will start converging on Rome on Friday for the funeral of Pope Francis in the Vatican's St Peter's Square, but the group of poor people who will meet his casket in a small crosstown basilica are more in keeping with Francis' humble persona and disdain for pomp.US President Donald Trump and Argentine President Javier Milei are among the leaders arriving Friday, the last day Argentine pope will lie in state in St Peter's Basilica before his coffin is sealed in the evening in preparation for his funeral Saturday. The Vatican said 130 delegations are confirmed, including 50 heads of state and 10 reigning sovereigns. Paying respectsTens of thousands […]

[ad_1] Picture courtesy: US District Court for the District of New Mexico Former Dona Ana County magistrate Judge Joel Cano and his wife, Nancy, were arrested on Thursday following a raid by federal agents at their Las Cruces home after it was discovered that they had allegedly harboured Cristhian Ortega-Lopez, a suspected member of the Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua. Cano, who resigned in March, was also permanently barred from holding any judicial office in New Mexico by the state’s supreme court.According to Fox News, court documents reveal Ortega-Lopez unlawfully entered the US in December 2023, and was initially hired by Nancy Cano to carry out home repairs. He later moved into the Cano family’s guesthouse. Ex judge, wife arrested by ICE in Las CrucesDuring a subsequent investigation, authorities discovered gang-related clothing, tattoos, voicemails, and text messages linking Ortega-Lopez to […]

[ad_1] Joe Kasper (File photo; credit: LinkedIn) The US department of defense chief of staff under defense secretary Pete Hegseth will depart his role, according to a senior defence official's announcement on Thursday."Joe Kasper will continue to serve President Trump as a Special Government Employee (SGE) handling special projects at the Department of Defense," the official confirmed, as quoted by AFP, further adding, "Secretary Hegseth is thankful for his continued leadership and work to advance the America First agenda."This exit follows several notable departures from senior Pentagon positions, including three officials dismissed last week during a leak investigation after alleged conflicts with Kasper.Former advisors Darin Selnick, Dan Caldwell and Colin Carroll had responded on Sunday, stating that Pentagon officials had "slandered our character with baseless attacks." They released a joint social media statement expressing uncertainty about the investigation's specifics and […]

[ad_1] A dozen states, most of them led by Democrats, sued President Donald Trump over his tariffs on Wednesday, arguing that he has no power to "arbitrarily impose tariffs as he has done here".Contending that only Congress has the power to legislate tariffs, the states are asking the court to block the Trump administration from enforcing what they said were unlawful tariffs."These edicts reflect a national trade policy that now hinges on the president's whims rather than the sound exercise of his lawful authority," said the lawsuit. The states, including New York and Oregon, are the latest parties to take Trump govt to court over tariffs. It comes after California filed its own lawsuit last week, saying the escalated trade war has caused "immediate and irreparable harm" to that state's economy."When a president pushes an unlawful policy that drives up […]

[ad_1] The Trump administration is rolling back regulatory hurdles for self-driving cars to give US automakers, includint Tesla, a competitive edge in the global race for vehicle automation. The US department of transportation announced on Thursday that carmakers can now apply for exemptions from certain federal safety rules, provided the self-driving vehicles are used for research, demonstrations, or other non-commercial purposes. Transportation secretary Sean Duffy framed the decision as a strategic move. “We’re in a race with China to out-innovate, and the stakes couldn’t be higher,” he said in a statement. “Our new framework will slash red tape and move us closer to a single national standard.” At present, the self-driving industry in the US is navigating a patchwork of state-level regulations, which has long been a concern for manufacturers. The new rule also addresses crash reporting, a topic Tesla […]

[ad_1] The DHS said these people are receiving the mail because immigrants must have used their mail for administrative records. Several US citizens, legally staying in the country, received notices from the Department of Homeland Security asking them to leave the country or else be subjected to potential law enforcement actions. The DHS clarified that it was sent to many by mistake. “It is time for you to leave the United States,” read an email sent to Los Angeles immigration lawyer Harriet Steele, who was born in California. “Do not attempt to remain in the United States–the federal government will find you.”DHS clarified that Steele received the message because her address was linked to a group of more than 900,000 people who were allowed into the country on a two-year work visa which means these people provided her email though […]