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American users opening TikTok on Sunday were greeted by a message saying they “can’t use” the Chinese-owned app “for now” after a law banning it came into effect. From Saturday: TikTok to be banned in the USTikTok has begun restoring service to the app in the US after Donald Trump said he would sign an executive order…

  HAMAS terrorists have come out of hiding to celebrate the new ceasefire agreed with Israel. Shock pictures show the shameless, gun-wielding fighters waving the green banner of the terror group and the crest of its armed militia. Pictures show men in balaclavas and camo fatigues waving their guns as they travelled through various towns in the…

It’s 1000 CE – the heart of the Middle Ages. Europe is in flux. The powerful nations we know today – like Norman-ruled England and the fragmented territories that will go on to become France – do not yet exist. Towering Gothic cathedrals have yet to rise. Aside from the distant and prosperous city of Constantinople, few…

Former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan has been sentenced to 14 years in prison over a corruption case, in the latest of a series of charges laid against him. It is the longest valid jail sentence the cricket star-turned-politician, who has been detained since August 2023, has received. He has faced charges in over 100 cases, ranging…

An investigation has been launched into Elon Musk’s explosive Starship test flight that forced dozens of planes to divert on Thursday. The Space X rocket blew up in space over the Bahamas about eight minutes after take-off in Texas. Blazing debris was sent miles across the sky over the Turks and Caicos, a British Overseas Territory. Glowing…

The World Health Organization launched its annual appeal for funding to respond to health emergencies on Thursday, days before the inauguration of Donald Trump as president of the United States – the agency’s biggest donor – puts a question mark over its long-term finances. The WHO is seeking $1.5 billion,  to help more than 300 million people…

At least 78 dead bodies have been pulled from an illegal gold mine in South Africa where police cut off food and water supplies for months, in what trade unions called a “horrific” crackdown on desperate people trying to eke out a living. A total of 246 survivors, some of them emaciated and disorientated, have been brought…

Police in Germany have launched a criminal investigation after around 30,000 fake “deportation” airplane tickets were distributed in the southwestern city of Karlsruhe by a local branch of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. The flyers, which are designed to resemble classic airplane boarding passes, advertise a one-way flight from “Germany” to a “safe country of…

Elon Musk is being sued for failing to disclose his purchase of more than 5% of Twitter stock in a timely fashion. The world’s richest man bought the stock in March 2022 and the complaint by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said the delay allowed him to continue buying Twitter stock at artificially low prices.…

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been arrested, six weeks after his short-lived attempt to impose martial law. A motorcade of black SUVs was seen leaving the gates of his hillside residence where he had been holed up for weeks behind barbed wire and a small army of personal security. Mr Yoon said the “rule of…

Spain is planning to impose a tax of up to 100% on properties bought by non-residents from countries outside the EU, such as the UK. Announcing the move, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the “unprecedented” measure was necessary to meet the country’s housing emergency. “The West faces a decisive challenge: To not become a society divided into…

At least 100 people who were trapped in a South African mine have died, a group representing them has said. They were illegally mining in an abandoned gold mine and have been engaged in a lengthy standoff with authorities who had cut off their food, water and supplies in an attempt to “smoke them out”. Sabelo Mnguni,…

The legal team of South Korea’s suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol on Sunday said their client would not be attending the opening of his impeachment trial because of security fears. Since his suspension and an impeachment vote over his ill-fated and short-lived declaration of martial law, Yoon has been isolated in the presidential residence and protected by…

Chinese and Indian refiners will source more oil from the Middle East, Africa and the Americas, boosting prices and freight costs, as new U.S. sanctions on Russian producers and ships curb supplies to Moscow’s top customers, traders and analysts said. The U.S. Treasury on Friday imposed sanctions on Russian oil producers Gazprom Neft (SIBN.MM), opens new tab…

What do NBA star LeBron James, iconic horror writer Stephen King and left-leaning British newspaper The Guardian have in common? They have all quit X, the social network previously known as Twitter, since Donald Trump’s election victory in November 2024. And they are far from the only ones. On Friday, more than 60 German-language universities announced that…

A flight operated by state-run Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) took off for Paris from Islamabad on Friday morning as the carrier resumed direct flights to Europe following the lifting of a European Union ban. The EU blocked PIA in 2020 after one of its Airbus A-320s crashed in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, killing 97 people.…

The man who killed 14 people in a deadly New Year’s attack in New Orleans fired at police from inside his truck before officers shot him dead, new bodycam footage reveals. US Army veteran Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove a rented truck into people celebrating on the city’s famous Bourbon Street. The FBI previously said Jabbar was “100% inspired”…

A surge in cases of the flu-like human metapneumovirus (HMPV) in China has raised fears of another Covid-style pandemic. Images of hospitals overrun with masked patients have circulated widely on social media, but health experts say HMPV is not like Covid, and point out it has been around for many years. They say China and other countries…

US aviation giant Boeing has told BBC News it is donating $1m (£812,600) to an inauguration fund for President-elect Donald Trump. Google has also confirmed that it has made a similar donation as the two firms join a growing list of major American companies contributing to the fund. The list also includes oil producer Chevron and technology…

The renewed interest by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in Greenland has been greeted enthusiastically by some Greenlanders, although others say the semi-autonomous territory of Denmark is not for sale. Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20, said on Monday that U.S. control of the strategically important Arctic island was an “absolute necessity” and at a press conference…

SpaceX to provide free Starlink terminals to LA Elon Musk said on Thursday that his company SpaceX will provide free Starlink terminals to affected areas in Los Angeles in the morning. California Governor Newsom says more than 7,500 firefighters battling fires California Governor Newsom says more than 7,500 firefighters battling fires More than 7,500 firefighting personnel are…

Bird feathers have been found in the engine of a South Korean passenger jet that crashed, killing 179 people. Jeju Air 7C2216, a Boeing 737-800 jet, was flying from the Thai capital of Bangkok to Muan, South Korea, on 29 December when it crash-landed, skidding off the runway into a wall and exploding into flames. Of the…

A rapidly growing wildfire raged across an upscale section of Los Angeles on Tuesday, destroying homes and creating traffic jams as 30,000 people evacuated beneath huge plumes of smoke that covered much of the metropolitan area. At least 2,921 acres (1,182 hectares) of the Pacific Palisades area between the coastal settlements of Santa Monica and Malibu had…

A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck the northern foothills of the Himalayas near one of Tibet’s Xigaze city on Tuesday. The quake resulted in at least 53 fatalities and injured 62 people causing buildings to shake across neighbouring countries, including Nepal, Bhutan, and India. According to regional disaster relief headquarters, the quake jolted Dingri County in Xigaze in…

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Japan on Tuesday for talks expected to address North Korean missile launches, but President Joe Biden’s blocking of a steel deal is straining the allies’ warm ties. Business groups say Biden’s decision could have a chilling effect on investment in the world’s largest economy, where leaders across the political…

US president-elect Donald Trump has had his victory certified by his defeated rival, Kamala Harris. Under the tightest national security level, Ms Harris, who lost to Mr Trump following November’s election, presided over the certification of the 78-year-old Republican’s victory in Congress. After Congress went through all the certificates for the 50 US states and Washington DC,…

The New Orleans terrorist attacker visited the city twice in the weeks before the attack and recorded video of the area using Meta smart glasses, the FBI revealed Sunday. Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, stayed at a rental home in New Orleans at the end of October and again in November, just weeks before his attack on Bourbon Street,…

Elon Musk has called for Nigel Farage to be replaced as leader of Reform UK, just weeks after reports the multi-billionaire was in talks to donate to the party. In a post on his social media site X, Musk said Farage “doesn’t have what it takes” to lead the party – but did not explain his reasoning.…

A fire that broke out at a shopping center in Dallas on Friday morning killed more than 500 animals, most of which were small birds, authorities said. The 579 animals in the pet shop at Plaza Latina in Northwest Dallas died from smoke inhalation, Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesperson Jason Evans said in a statement. The flames from the…

A highly decorated Army soldier who fatally shot himself in a Tesla Cybertruck just before it blew up outside the Trump hotel in Las Vegas left notes saying the New Year’s Day explosion was a stunt to serve as a “wake up call” for the country’s ills, investigators said Friday. Matthew Livelsberger, a 37-year-old Green Beret from…

U.S. President Joe Biden blocked Nippon Steel’s (5401.T), proposed $14.9 billion purchase of U.S. Steel (X.N), on Friday, citing national security concerns, dealing a potentially fatal blow to the contentious plan after a year of review. The deal was announced in December 2023 and almost immediately ran into opposition across the political spectrum ahead of the Nov.…

INCREDIBLE plans have been revealed for the world’s fastest “bullet” train that comes with a restaurant-style dining car and has a plush business-class section. China has successfully tested a prototype of its next-generation high-speed rail that can reach a top speed of 281mph – breaking its own record. The latest CR450 prototype has been hailed for high…

The names of around 425,000 people suspected of collaborating with the Nazis during the German occupation of the Netherlands have been published online for the first time. The names represent individuals who were investigated through a special legal system established towards the end of World War 2. Of them, more than 150,000 faced some form of punishment.…

The man who authorities believe died in the Tesla Cybertruck that exploded outside one of Donald Trump’s hotels was an active-duty army soldier who served in the special forces, US officials have said. Speaking at a news conference, Las Vegas sheriffs and FBI officials said the identity of the driver had not yet been officially confirmed through…

The FBI now believes that the suspect responsible for the terror attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans on New Year’s Day was a lone wolf terrorist with no other accomplices. The suspect, identified as a 42-year-old US Army veteran, Shamshud-Din Jabbar, drove the truck into revelers at around 3:15 a.m. in New Orleans’ French Quarter, at…

Forty years after the Bhopal gas tragedy, 377 tons of hazardous waste has been shifted from the defunct Union Carbide factory for its disposal, an official said. The toxic waste was transported on Wednesday night in 12 sealed container trucks from Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal to Pithampur industrial area in Dhar district, 250 km away from here.…

THIS is the dramatic moment a Tesla Cybertruck explodes outside one of Donald Trump’s hotels killing one – and leading tech tycoon Elon Musk to speak out about the blast himself. Cops are probing whether the deadly explosion was an “act of terror” after the truck pulled up to the hotel in Nevada and blew up –…

Russian gas supplies to EU states via Ukraine have ended after a five-year deal between Ukraine’s gas transit operator Naftogaz and Russia’s Gazprom expired. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier that his country would not allow Russia to “earn additional billions on our blood” and had given the EU a year to prepare. The European Commission said…

At least 71 people died in Ethiopia when a truck packed with passengers plunged into a river, according to the spokesperson for the southern Sidama regional government and a statement. The accident occurred in the Bona district, the regional communication bureau said in a statement issued late on Sunday. Wosenyeleh Simion, spokesperson for the Sidama regional government,…

No one can stop China’s “reunification” with Taiwan, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in his New Year’s speech on Dec 31, 2024, laying down a clear warning to what Beijing regards as pro-independence forces within and outside of the island of 23 million people. In the past year, Beijing has stepped up military pressure near Taiwan, sending…

Ukraine’s leading mobile operator Kyivstar has signed an agreement with Elon Musk’s Starlink to introduce direct-to-cell satellite connectivity, Kyivstar’s parent company VEON said on Monday. Direct-to-cell devices are connected to satellites equipped with modems that function like a cellphone tower, beaming phone signals from space directly to smartphones. Kyivstar expects direct-to-cell services with messaging functionality to be…

A South Korean court gave authorities approval on Tuesday to arrest President Yoon Suk Yeol after he was impeached and suspended from power for imposing martial law, marking the first time that a sitting president of the country has faced arrest. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) confirmed the Seoul Western District Court approved an…

On the table, unconscious and stretched out on a pillow, Joe Mangy looks deceptively peaceful. The koala’s watery, red-rimmed eyes are the only sign of the disease at war with his body. Tubes snarl out of a mask covering his face as a vet tech listens to his chest with a stethoscope. He is not healing as…

Jimmy Carter, the earnest Georgia peanut farmer who as U.S. president struggled with a bad economy and the Iran hostage crisis but brokered peace between Israel and Egypt and later received the Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian work, died at his home in Plains, Georgia, on Sunday. He was 100. U.S. President Joe Biden directed that…

Elon Musk has backed Germany’s right-wing Alternative for Germany party (AfD) in a guest opinion piece the Welt am Sonntag newspaper. The article, published online, prompted the commentary editor to resign in protest. In the article, Musk expanded on his post on his social media platform X last week claiming that “only the AfD can save Germany”.…

At least 96 people have been killed as a plane crash-landed at an airport in South Korea. Rescuers are attempting to pull people from the wreckage of the plane after it veered off a runway at Muan International Airport and crashed into a wall, bursting into flames. The plane, which was carrying 175 passengers and six crew…

“On Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu underwent an examination at Hadassah Hospital, where a urinary tract infection caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia was detected. Over the past few days, the prime minister has received antibiotic treatment, which successfully eradicated the infection,” the Prime Minister’s office announced on Saturday. “Consequently, the prime minister will undergo a procedure tomorrow…

At least 62 people were killed when an airliner veered off the runway and erupted into a fireball as it slammed into a wall at South Korea’s Muan International Airport on Sunday, the national fire agency said. Two people were rescued, the agency said. The crash occurred as Jeju Air flight 7C2216, carrying 175 passengers and six…

Azerbaijan says its initial findings are that an “external impact” caused the crash in Kazakhstan, with “the type of weapon used” being investigated further. Russian air defences may have shot down an Azerbaijan Airlines flight after misidentifying it, according to US military sources. Two unnamed officials who spoke to Sky News’ US partner NBC News said America…

Finland has seized an oil tanker on suspicion it carried out the sabotage of undersea cables. Two Finnish border guard officials stand on the deck of Eagle S after taking control of it. Pic: AP/Finnish Border GuardNATO has said it will enhance its military presence in the Baltic Sea after undersea power and internet cables were cut…

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday its analysis of samples from the first severe case of bird flu in the country last week showed mutations not seen in samples from an infected backyard flock on the patient’s property. The CDC said the patient’s sample showed mutations in the hemagglutinin (HA) gene, the…

Mark Zuckerberg dismissed reports that he is building a 5,000-square-foot “Doomsday bunker” underneath a $270 million compound in Hawaii — insisting instead that it’s just a “little shelter.” The 40-year-old tech tycoon was asked during a Dec. 19 interview with Bloomberg about rumors that he is constructing an underground facility beneath his 1,400-acre home on the island…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Russia made a “conscious choice” by launching a major overnight attack on his country’s energy infrastructure on Christmas Day. Ukraine’s air force said it had detected 184 missiles and drones, but many were shot down or missed their targets. It said there were casualties from the strikes but gave no figures. Moscow…

An international investigation has begun into how an Embraer 190 passenger jet with 67 people onboard crashed in Kazakhstan, killing 38 people but leaving 29 survivors Azerbaijan Airlines flight J28243, which had been flying from Baku to Grozny, the capital of Russia‘s Chechnya, crash-landed instead at Aktau airport. Unverified video footage of the crash showed the aircraft…

When the astronauts stranded at the International Space Station were pictured wearing Santa hats next to a tiny Christmas tree this week, internet commenters had questions. Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, after all, launched in June on what was supposed to be an eight-day mission to space — but they’ve been stranded ever since thanks to problems…

It’s a simple but brutal equation: The number of people going hungry or otherwise struggling around the world is rising, while the amount of money the world’s wealthiest nations are contributing toward helping them is dropping. The result: The United Nations says that, at best, it will be able to raise enough money to help about 60%…

South Korean researchers have developed a lightweight wearable robot that can walk up to paraplegic users and lock itself onto them, enabling them to walk, manoeuvre obstacles and climb staircases. The Exoskeleton Laboratory team at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) said their goal is to create a robot that seamlessly integrates into the…

FORMER President Bill Clinton has been rushed to the hospital, it has been confirmed. Clinton, 78, is undergoing medical tests at Georgetown University Medical Centre in Washington DC, his former deputy chief of staff has said. It is understood he has developed a fever, but the situation is “not an emergency”. A spokesperson for Clinton wrote on…

ANGRY mobs of protesters have clashed with cops in Germany in the wake of the Magdeburg Christmas market massacre. People stormed through the city following the arrest of a refugee Saudi doctor who is suspected of killing four women and a nine-year-old boy in the rampage. The protest groups quickly formed late last night with around 1,000…

Winter is hitting the Gaza Strip and many of the nearly 2 million Palestinians displaced by the devastating 14-month war with Israel are struggling to protect themselves from the wind, cold and rain. There is a shortage of blankets and warm clothing, little wood for fires, and the tents and patched-together tarps families are living in have…

It has been an extraordinary year for America’s richest billionaires. The US economy has grown by around 3 per cent in 2024, but their fortunes have shot up by far more than that. Here, in reverse order, is a rundown of who has made the most from a rally in public (and private) markets that may soon…

At least two people – including a young child – have been killed and dozens of others injured after a car was driven into a crowd at a Christmas market in Germany. Police said the suspected driver – a 50-year-old Saudi doctor – has been arrested following the incident in the eastern city of Magdeburg, while the…

President-elect Donald Trump’s team has dismissed criticism regarding the influence of billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk amid spending bill negotiations. Karoline Leavitt, Trump’s incoming White House press secretary, told Business Insider: “As soon as President Trump released his official stance on the CR [continuing resolution], Republicans on Capitol Hill echoed his point of view. President Trump is…

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that he was ready to compromise over Ukraine in possible talks with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on ending the war and had no conditions for starting talks with the Ukrainian authorities. Trump, a self-styled master of brokering agreements and author of the 1987 book “Trump: the Art of the Deal”,…

CHINA is vying to take on the ‘Son of Concorde’ with an even faster supersonic jet that could blast from London to New York City in less than two hours. Beijing-based Space Transportation – also known as Lingkong Tianxing Technology – has been carrying out test flights and recently reached a speed of 3,106 mph which is…

SYRIAN despot Bashar al-Assad traded his country’s military secrets with Israel in exchange for safe passage out of the country, it has been claimed. The murderous tyrant allegedly handed over coordinates for weapons depots which Israel is now using to drop bombs on Syrian targets in a cowardly last act. Abdulkadir Selvi, a well-established commentator from Turkish…

Judges in the French city of Avignon will hand down verdicts on 51 men on Thursday in a mass rape trial that has turned a 72-year-old woman into a feminist icon. For almost a decade, Gisèle Pelicot was drugged by her ex-husband Dominique, who then invited dozens of men he had recruited online to have sex with…