World

Washington requested watering down rules targeting its tech giants in exchange for tariff relief A senior EU official has accused the US of “blackmail” after Washington demanded that Brussels soften its digital rules in exchange for easing tariffs on steel and aluminum. In an interview with Politico published on Thursday, European Commission Vice President Teresa Ribera criticized the US for …

A daughter of South Africa’s ex-president Jacob Zuma has resigned from parliament after claims she was involved in recruiting men to join Russian mercenaries in the Ukraine war, her party said on Friday. Police last week said they were investigating allegations that Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, an MP in her father’s Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party, had lured 17 South African men …

Pentagon officials reportedly deny the comparison despite admitting they don’t always know who they kill in the Caribbean US airstrikes on suspected drug smugglers in the Caribbean ordered by President Donald Trump bear similarities to the controversial ‘signature strikes’ on purported terrorists under former President Barack Obama, the New York Times has argued. The Obama-era operations conducted primarily in Pakistan …

One of France’s most famous tourist attractions is set to introduce a higher entry fee for millions of visitors from outside the European Union. The Louvre Museum in Paris will raise ticket prices for these tourists early next year, meaning people travelling from countries including the UK, US and China will soon have to pay €32 (£28) to get inside. …

Volodymyr Zelensky’s influential chief of staff has had his home and offices raided by anti-graft investigators in the latest bombshell corruption probe to rock Ukraine. In a post on Telegram Chief Ukrainian negotiator Andriy Yermak confirmed the authorities were given “full access” to his apartment, and that he is cooperating with the officers, with his lawyers present. Yemak wrote that …

High-rise living in South Korea has skyrocketed in the past decade. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the number of buildings with 25 or more floors climbed from 8,268 in 2013 to 21,033 in 2023. Of South Korea’s 11.67 million households living in flats in 2023, roughly three out of four – 8.96 million – live on …

Andrey Yermak’s office in Kiev has been targeted by Western-backed investigators Ukrainian anti-corruption officers have searched the office of Andrey Yermak, Vladimir Zelensky’s powerful chief of staff, amid a widening graft scandal that has shaken the government. Ukrainskaya Pravda was the first to publish a photo on Friday that it said shows the operation in Kiev’s government district. According to …

Hong Kong dollar bond issuance is poised to expand, following a record run of offerings, as easing local interest rates attract more issuers while a global diversification trend persists, according to analysts. Total issuance in the city’s currency reached a record HK$331 billion (US$42.6 billion) so far this year, nearly 37 per cent higher than 2024’s full-year total of HK$242 …

The enigmatic giant heads that have captivated visitors to Easter Island may finally have their true creators unmasked, and the revelations are set to stun the archaeological world. In a groundbreaking new study, scientists have uncovered compelling evidence suggesting that the island’s iconic moai statues were not the work of a single chiefdom, but rather the product of fierce competition …

Rahmanullah Lakanwal reportedly helped guard US troops at Kabul airport after the Taliban takeover Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the suspect in the fatal shooting of National Guard troops in Washington, DC, had worked with the CIA during the US occupation of Afghanistan. On Wednesday, the Afghan national allegedly fired at close range on two West Virginia National Guard members while they were …