Visibility fell to less than one kilometre (barely half a mile) in central and southern cities as the storm cloaked the region in an eerie orange haze, AFP photographers reported. Basra and Najaf airports both closed for the duration of the storm, which began to dissipate on Tuesday morning. Health ministry spokesperson Saif al-Badr said […]
Japan, a long-time U.S. ally, has been hit with 24% levies on its exports to the United States although these tariffs have, like most of Trump’s sweeping “reciprocal” tariffs, been paused for 90 days. But a 10% universal rate remains in place as does a 25% duty for cars, which is set to be particularly […]
“National security and defence and military power are among the red lines of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which cannot be discussed or negotiated under any circumstances,” Guards spokesman Ali Mohammad Naini said, quoted by state broadcaster IRIB. Iran and the United States will hold another round of talks on Saturday, a week after top […]
In a statement, Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said this attack, part of a pattern of targeting medical facilities, constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law. He said the attack, which occurred on Palm Sunday, a sacred occasion for Christians, underscores Israel’s blatant disregard for religious sanctity and civilian lives. Shafqat Ali Khan […]
Japan’s birth rate is among the lowest in the world, a trend which has meant having a shrinking workforce, fewer consumers and businesses fighting to recruit workers. It was the largest fall on record for Japanese nationals since the government began collecting comparable data in 1950, according to the internal affairs ministry. The government has […]
The measures come in response to calls on the government to expand support at a time of growing policy uncertainty under the current U.S. administration and rising competition from Chinese rivals, the government said in a statement. Seoul will also ramp up a financial assistance programme for the chips industry to 20 trillion won, versus […]
“The first meeting was positive, constructive, compelling,” Steve Witkoff, who led the US delegation to talks last week in Oman, said in a televised Fox News interview. Witkoff appeared to stop short of calling for a complete dismantling of Iran’s nuclear program, saying “this is going to be much about verification on the enrichment program.” […]
Citing sources, Al Qahera said mediators awaited Hamas’s response. Hamas said in a statement later in the day that it was studying the proposal and that it will submit its response “as soon as possible”. The militant group reiterated its core demand that a ceasefire deal must end the war in Gaza and achieve a […]
Within hours of Harvard taking its stand, the administration of President Donald Trump announced it was freezing $2.3 billion in federal funding to the school. The funding freeze comes after the Trump administration said last month it was reviewing $9 billion in federal contracts and grants to Harvard as part of a crackdown on what […]
Spot gold fell 0.4% to $3,223.12 an ounce, as of 1123 GMT. Bullion hit a record high of $3,245.42 earlier in the day. “Market sentiment has improved a bit this morning after President Trump excluded electronics and smartphones from US tariffs. This has partly caused a dip in gold prices, likely due to profit-taking,” said […]
