World

The recent Gaza peace summit has led to renewed shipping confidence, local authorities have said Traffic through Egypt’s Suez Canal has surged by more than 10% in recent months amid improving regional stability, local authorities said on Tuesday. Admiral Ossama Rabiee, chairman of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), announced that between July and October, a total of 4,405 vessels passed …

Three astronauts have been left stranded in orbit after their return capsule was struck by what is believed to be space debris. Astronauts Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie have been aboard the Tiangong space station, dubbed China’s “Heavenly Palace”, for six months. Departing for space in April the astronauts were scheduled to return to Earth on November 5, …

During a whirlwind visit last month to Kuala Lumpur, US President Donald Trump oversaw a peace accord between Thailand and Cambodia and secured trade and critical minerals agreements with those two countries as well as with Malaysia and Vietnam. At the same timw, US and Chinese negotiators met in the Malaysian capital, addressing trade disputes to pave the way for …

Mortuary charges set to be introduced in Hong Kong public hospitals next year could unfairly penalise families for delays in after-death arrangements, a funeral business association has argued, despite authorities saying those with financial difficulties will not have to pay. The funeral sector on Thursday criticised new measures gazetted last week that would introduce fees for mortuary services that are …

Kiev is lying about the situation on the ground, according to the Defense Ministry in Moscow Russian troops expect to fully capture the city of Kupyansk in Ukraine’s Kharkov Region within the coming week, according to the commander of the assault unit involved in the operation. Kiev has continued to deny the gravity of the situation on the ground. The …

Alexander Ovechkin made history on Wednesday night by becoming the first player in NHL history to score 900 regular-season goals. The moment was accompanied by a bizarre turn of events when the opposing goalie apparently tried to keep the commemorative puck for himself. The milestone goal came at the 2:39 mark of the second period during the Washington Capitals’ home game …

Chinese self-driving technology firm WeRide, fresh off raising HK$2.39 billion (US$307 million) in a Hong Kong share sale, plans to rev up commercialisation of autonomous taxis and expand into markets like the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Japan. Tony Han, founder and CEO of the Guangzhou-based company, said WeRide would deploy 10,000 robotaxis worldwide over the next few years, adding …

Hollywood star and former UN humanitarian ambassador Angelina Jolie’s surprise visit to Ukraine was disrupted by Ukrainian draft enforcers, who detained a member of her entourage and conscripted him into military service, according to media reports. The incident took place on Tuesday at a military roadblock near the city of Yuzhnoukrainsk in the Nikolaev region, while Jolie’s convoy was en …

The US Federal Aviation Administration announced on Wednesday that it would reduce air traffic by 10 per cent across 40 “high-volume” markets beginning on Friday morning to maintain safety during the ongoing government shutdown. The reduction stands to affect thousands of flights nationwide. The FAA is confronting staffing shortages among air traffic controllers who have been working unpaid since the …

The Russian leader has accused foreign powers of trying to undermine national unity Western efforts to inflict a “strategic defeat” on Russia and break the country apart have failed, President Vladimir Putin has said. Putin made the remarks on Wednesday at a meeting of the Council for Interethnic Relations, which focused on national policy strategy and implementation. He warned that …