Top World News
Jan 22, 2025
Cat becomes accidental frequent flyer after being left on a plane by mistake
Mittens made three trips in 24 hours between New Zealand and Australia after she was not spotted in cargo holdA Maine Coon cat named Mittens became an accidental jetsetter this month when her cage was overlooked in a plane cargo hold and she made three trips in 24 hours between New Zealand and Australia.Mittens, eight, was booked for one-way travel with her family from Christchurch, New Zealand to their new home in Melbourne, Australia on 13 January. Her owner, Margo Neas, said on Wednesday that she waited for Mittens to be unloaded from the plane’s freight area, but three hours passed with no sign of the cat. Continue reading...
Jan 22, 2025
Nepal increases permit fee for Mount Everest climbers by 36%
Cost of scaling world’s tallest peak rises for first time in nearly a decade to $15,000Nepal will increase the permit fees for climbing Mount Everest by 36%, making the world’s tallest peak more expensive for mountaineers for the first time in nearly a decade, officials have said.Income from permit fees and other spending by foreign climbers is a key source of revenue and employment for the poor country, which is home to eight of the world’s 14 highest mountains. Continue reading...
Jan 22, 2025
Schools closed on eastern Greek island of Lesbos after overnight earthquake
Authorities on the eastern Greek island of Lesbos have ordered schools in part of the island to remain shut to allow for inspection for potential structural damage after an overnight earthquake rattled the island
Jan 22, 2025
16 suffer burns, injuries in methane fire at a coal mine in Poland
Doctors say 16 coal miners have suffered burns and injuries from a methane gas fire at a coal mine in southern Poland
Jan 22, 2025
Davos 2025: Trade, tariffs, AI and U.N. chief Guterres dominate World Economic Forum agenda
The U.N. chief ratcheted up his warning about climate change and said the world's thirst for fossil fuels is a "Frankenstein monster" that spares no one, while calling for greater attention to risks posed by artificial intelligence if its ascent goes ungoverned.
Jan 22, 2025
Why is Israel launching a crackdown in the West Bank after the Gaza ceasefire?
In the days since a fragile ceasefire took hold in the Gaza Strip, Israel has launched a major military operation in the occupied West Bank and suspected Jewish settlers have rampaged through two Palestinian towns
Jan 22, 2025
The Taliban say a Chinese national has been killed in northeastern Afghanistan
An Afghan police official says a Chinese citizen has been killed in the country's northeast
Jan 22, 2025
Lloyd’s Register apologises for its role in trafficking enslaved people from Africa
The maritime group, founded in 1760 by merchants and underwriters, issued the apology after commissioning research into its links to slaveryLloyd’s Register, the maritime and industrial group owned by one of Britain’s biggest charities, has apologised for its role in the trafficking of enslaved African people but has been criticised for not going far enough.Founded in 1760 as the Society for the Registry of Shipping by merchants and underwriters who met at Edward Lloyd’s coffee house in Lombard Street in London, the company provided classification for ships. Continue reading...
Jan 22, 2025
Brazil fires consumed wilderness area larger than Italy in 2024 – report
New report says more than 30m hectares burned, 79% more than in 2023, after country saw worst drought on recordAfter enduring its worst drought on record in 2024, Brazil closed the year with another alarming milestone: between January and December, 30.86m hectares of wilderness burned – an area larger than Italy.The figure published in a new report is 79% higher than in 2023 and the largest recorded by Fire Monitor since its launch in 2019 by MapBiomas, an initiative by NGOs, universities and technology companies that monitors Brazil’s biomes. Continue reading...
Jan 21, 2025
Panama president hits back at Trump and 'rejects' inaugural speech 'in its entirety'
The president of Panama has formally complained to the United Nations about President Donald Trump's "threats" to acquire the Panama Canal.The New York Times reviewed the letter sent by José Raúl Mulino to U.N. Secretary General António Guterres and the U.N. Security Council on Monday. In it, Mulino wrote that on behalf of his country and people, “I must reject in its entirety the words expressed by President Donald Trump regarding Panama and its Canal in his inaugural address.”Mulino continued, “The canal is and will continue to be Panama’s.”The U.S. built the canal in the early 20th century. The late President Jimmy Carter negotiated the Torrijos–Carter Treaties in 1977, which gave full control to Panama in 1999.During his address on Monday, Trump declared that the Canal had "foolishly" been given to Panama.ALSO READ: Inside the parade of right-wing world leaders flocking to D.C. for Trump's inauguration"We have been treated very badly from this foolish gift that should have never been made and Panama’s promise to us has been broken. The purpose of our deal and the spirit of our treaty has been totally violated. American ships are being severely overcharged, charged and not treated fairly in any way, shape or form. And that includes the United States Navy and above all, China is operating the Panama Canal and we didn’t give it to China, we gave it to Panama and we’re taking it back."Trump has repeatedly claimed that China controls the canal, which Mulino has repeatedly refuted, saying, "Every square meter of the Panama Canal and its adjacent zones is part of Panama, and it will continue to be.”At a speech Trump gave at Mar-a-Lago this month, the now-U.S. president refused to rule out using military force to retake the canal, saying somewhat ambiguously, “It might be that you’ll have to do something."According to The New York Times, Mulino's letter "cited two articles of the U.N. charter that prohibit member states from using threats and force against 'the territorial integrity or political independence,' calling such actions inconsistent with the purpose of the United Nations, and suggesting that Mr. Trump’s statements violated the U.N. charter."The Times reported that it was possible the UN Security Council would schedule a meeting to discuss the issue "if tensions between the United States and Panama persist."Read The New York Times article here.
Jan 21, 2025
Trump’s blitz of new policies gives anti-immigration beliefs a troubling platform
Trump’s agenda is clear: keep people out or make them pay. The US’s fabric as a nation of immigrants is tearing apartImmigrants, refugees and asylum seekers hoping for a safe haven to build a life in the United States awoke to a blistering reality on Tuesday, after Donald Trump’s barrage of policy changes shortly after taking office effectively slammed the door shut on many would-be newcomers – and cast a spectre over many already living stateside.First came the news that, as Trump was being sworn in as the 47th president, the federal government had disabled its CBP One phone app’s appointment system, where prospective migrants and asylum seekers could schedule an appointment with the US authorities and legally enter the country. Continue reading...
Jan 21, 2025
Qatari, US and Egyptian negotiators set up Cairo hub to shore up Gaza ceasefire
Communication lines open 24 hours intended to avoid breakdown over reported violations and other issuesQatari, US and Egyptian negotiators are running a communications hub in Cairo to protect the ceasefire in Gaza, as Donald Trump said he was not confident the break in fighting would hold.Violations have already been reported. Medics in Gaza said on Monday that eight people had been hit by Israeli fire. The start of the ceasefire was also delayed when Hamas did not provide the names of hostages to be released. Continue reading...