World

The US vice president dismissed criticism of the decision to resume direct negotiations with Russia US Vice President J.D. Vance has defended US President Donald Trump’s decision to open direct negotiations with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, as an important step toward peace in Ukraine. Some EU officials have criticized Trump’s meeting with Putin in Alaska in August, with the …

Kiev’s European backers are seeking guarantees that their financial aid would not be embezzled The EU is seeking concrete commitments from Ukraine in the wake of the bombshell corruption scandal implicating Vladimir Zelensky’s close associate, Politico Europe reported on Friday, citing several people familiar with the matter. On Monday, Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies announced that they uncovered a $100 million kickback …

Hong Kong authorities have warned hikers to be mindful of people taking part in a high-profile trail running race on Lantau Island over the weekend, as the route passes through a popular sightseeing spot. The Agricultural, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) on Friday warned hikers that large crowds were expected on Sunset Peak and other routes during the biggest trail …

The raids were part of President Donald Trump’s crackdown on unlawful immigration The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said it has arrested around 150 immigrants convicted with sex crimes as part of a large-scale sweep in Florida. The action, codenamed Operation Dirtbag, led to the arrest of more than 230 “criminal illegal aliens,” the DHS said in a statement …

A bus has crashed into pedestrians in Stockholm, Sweden, with local media reporting that multiple people have been killed. Three people have died and two are seriously hurt, according to local media. In a statement, police said the incident had been classified as aggravated manslaughter. Police spokesperson Nadya Norton said the bus driver had been arrested. THIS LIVE BLOG IS …

The Syrian government has scrambled to squash rumours the new president has been ‘cooperating’ with the United States to fight ISIS for nearly a decade just days after he was welcomed to the White House. Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa and President Donald Trump enjoyed a very warm meeting on November 10 which led to the new Middle Eastern leader saying …

Menu planning, therapy, essay writing, highly sophisticated global cyberattacks: People just keep coming up with innovative new uses for the latest AI chatbots. An alarming new milestone was reached this week when the artificial intelligence company Anthropic announced that its flagship AI assistant Claude was used by Chinese hackers in what the company is calling the “first reported AI-orchestrated cyber …

A team of researchers has uncovered what they say is the first reported use of artificial intelligence to direct a hacking campaign in a largely automated fashion. The AI company Anthropic said this week that it disrupted a cyber operation that its researchers linked to the Chinese government. The operation involved the use of an artificial intelligence system to direct …

An armed gang killed at least 57 people after a brutal attack on villages following a dawn raid. The incident took place in South Sudan’s Upper Nile State, a local official said. The attackers struck just after 5.30am, and fired their weapons randomly at residents in the Adong Payam area. Baliet County Commissioner Joseph Deng said 65 people were wounded, …

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has called out Vitaly Klitschko’s hypocrisy after he suggested lowering the draft age Kiev mayor Vitaly Klitschko is calling for lowering the draft age in Ukraine, while his own two sons are avoiding service despite being in great physical shape, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said. Last year, Ukraine lowered the conscription age …