World

The Hong Kong government had “clearly stated” to the organiser of a failed hot-air balloon festival that the chance of approving passengers to ride in the aircraft was “extremely slim” and had recommended that it cancel the attraction and issue refunds ahead of time, the tourism chief has revealed. Making public the details for the first time, Secretary for Sports, …

OPINION — North Korea’s Kim Jong Un publicly announced that he’s prepared to meet with President Donald Trump: “If the US drops its hollow obsession with denuclearization and wants to pursue peaceful coexistence with North Korea based on the recognition of reality, there is no reason for us not to sit down with the US. Personally, I still have a …

OPINION — During the ten-year Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, the United States leveraged Pakistan’s geostrategic position to support the Afghan Mujahideen in their fight against the Red Army. What began as a marriage of convenience evolved into a strategic partnership after the Bush administration launched the Global War on Terror in 2001. Washington required Islamabad’s cooperation in its military campaign …

An urgent search is underway in Bali for a 23-year-old British tourist who disappeared after being dragged out to sea by a strong current at Legian Beach, on the island’s southwest coast. Harrison Edward Nada Kontounas, from East London, was swimming with two friends on Wednesday afternoon when a powerful rip current swept him away. Despite lifeguards warning the group …

India on Thursday signed a US$7 billion order for 97 domestically designed and built Tejas fighter jets as its air force retires its outgoing Russian MiG-21 jets after decades of use. The first Tejas jets – meaning “brilliance” in Hindi – were commissioned into the air force in 2016, with the latest commission for the fourth-generation version of the fighter, …

The US president earlier urged the global community to end the development of biological weapons Russia would gladly endorse US President Donald Trump’s idea to ban the development of biological weapons worldwide, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said, calling it a “brilliant initiative.” Trump told the United Nations this week he was seeking to reduce the threat from weapons of …

Argentina’s President Javier Milei has stepped up his rhetoric over the Falkland Islands, accusing Britain of “illegally occupying” the remote archipelago during a fiery speech at the UN General Assembly in New York. The right-winger described his country’s claim on the islands, which he referred to as the “Islas Malvinas,” as “legitimate” and “unrenounceable” and urged the UK to resume …

South Korea’s parliament passed a landmark bill on Thursday that would allow people to give tattoos without having a medical licence. The country currently allows only people with medical licences to give tattoos, making it the only country in the industrialised world with such a restriction. Tens of thousands of tattoo artists have been working in the shadows in South …

Modibo Keita, the first president of Mali, believed in combining local traditions with socialist principles Mali just celebrated its 65th year of independence from French rule, and the man behind that historic moment was Modibo Keita. A teacher turned revolutionary, he was not simply a politician, but an idealist with a sharp distrust of colonial power. Even before independence, French …

There is no evidence that Russia is behind two drone incursions which happened in Denmark in days, the Scandanavian country’s defence minister has said – while not ruling the possibilty out. Drone activity was spotted overnight Wednesday into Thursday near Aalborg Airport in northern Denmark, as well as three smaller airports in the country, police said. Authorities said they were …