Thursday, 23 Oct, 2025

International

Iceland finds mosquitoes for the first time in history

Iceland’s frozen, inhospitable winters have long protected it from mosquitoes, but that may be changing. This week, scientists announced the discovery of three mosquitoes — marking the country’s first confirmed finding of these insects in the wild. Mosquitoes are

Uganda bus crash kills 46 after head-on collision, say police

Ugandan police say 46 people have been confirmed dead after a multi-vehicle collision on the Kampala–Gulu Highway shortly after midnight. The crash happened at about 00:15 local time (21:15 GMT) when two buses travelling in opposite directions “met head on” while

North Korea fires ballistic missile eastward: Seoul

North Korea fired a ballistic missile in an eastward direction on Wednesday, South Korea’s military said, the North’s first weapons testing activity in about five months. A brief statement from South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff gave no further details such as how

US steps up diplomacy as Gaza truce frays amid fresh Israeli fire

Israel carried out fresh strikes and opened fire in parts of Gaza on Monday, stoking fears for a fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire with Hamas as Washington dispatched senior envoys to steady the deal. Gaza’s Civil Defence said four people were killed in two incidents in the

US, Australia seal critical-minerals pact to curb China’s dominance

The United States and Australia have signed a critical-minerals pact aimed at easing China’s grip on supplies of rare earths and other strategic inputs, with each country committing at least $1 billion to projects over the next six months and U.S. export credit backing lined up for

Takaichi on brink of becoming Japan’s first female PM

Japan’s parliament began voting on Tuesday to confirm Sanae Takaichi as the country’s first female prime minister, a watershed moment in national politics after months of turmoil inside the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).  A coalition deal with the right-wing

US appeals court says Trump can deploy soldiers in Portland

A US appeals court said Monday that President Donald Trump can send National Guard troops to Portland, despite objections from Oregon’s governor. The ruling is the latest step in a battle pitting the White House against liberal states who have pushed back against what they

Trump urges Russia-Ukraine war freeze along current front lines

United States President Donald Trump has urged Russia and Ukraine to halt fighting along their current front lines, proposing a freeze that would leave Moscow in control of large swaths of Ukrainian territory. Speaking to reporters late on Sunday, Trump said both sides should

Gaza truce under strain as Israel’s strikes kill dozens, toll mounts

Israel has killed at least 97 Palestinians and wounded 230 in Gaza since the start of the current ceasefire, the Gaza Government Media Office said, accusing Israel of breaching the truce 80 times.  The Israeli military carried out a wave of air raids on Sunday that it said were a

Cargo jet plunges into sea at Hong Kong; 2 ground staff killed

Two airport security workers were killed when a Boeing 747 cargo jet skidded off the north runway at Hong Kong International Airport before dawn on Monday, broke through perimeter fencing and plunged into the sea.  The four crew members on Emirates flight EK9788, operated on a wet

Rodrigo Paz wins Bolivia runoff, ending long MAS dominance

Centrist senator Rodrigo Paz won Bolivia’s presidential runoff on Sunday, defeating conservative rival Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga as an acute economic crisis fueled voter demand for change after nearly two decades of leftist rule.  With 54.5% of the vote to

US warns of ‘imminent’ Hamas attack breaching Gaza ceasefire

The United States has warned that it has “credible reports” of an “imminent” plan by Hamas to attack Palestinian civilians in Gaza—an act Washington says would be a direct breach of the ceasefire agreement.  In a statement, the State Department said

Pakistan airstrikes kill 10 in Afghanistan 

Pakistan carried out airstrikes inside Afghanistan hours after a 48-hour truce, killing at least 10 people and wounding 12 in Paktika province, local officials said on Friday (October 17).  Two children were among the dead, according to authorities in the southeastern province. A

Strike kills 11 in Gaza family as truce frays and aid falls short

Israel has killed 11 members of a single Palestinian family in Gaza City, in what local authorities described as the deadliest breach of a fragile truce now in its eighth day. Gaza’s Civil Defense said an Israeli tank round struck a civilian vehicle carrying members of the Abu

Zelensky leaves White House without Tomahawk pledge from Trump

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky left the White House without a commitment on Tomahawk cruise missiles, after President Donald Trump signalled he was not ready to supply the long-range weapons sought by Kyiv. Speaking after their cordial bilateral, Zelensky said the two

Israel demands all captives’ bodies, truce at risk

Israel’s demand that Hamas return the remains of all deceased captives has stoked fresh doubts over the Gaza ceasefire, with Defence Minister Israel Katz instructing the military to prepare a “comprehensive plan” to defeat Hamas if the truce collapses.  Officials

Trump confirms CIA covert ops in Venezuela, hints at land action

United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday confirmed he has authorized the Central Intelligence Agency to conduct covert operations in Venezuela and said his administration is considering land-based military action, amid spiralling tensions with Caracas following recent lethal U.S.

Three more hostages identified as Trump warns Hamas to disarm

The bodies of three Israeli hostages returned by Hamas overnight have been formally identified as Tamir Nimrodi, Etian Levi, and Uriel Baruch, according to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.  A fourth body was also handed over, but its identity has not yet been released.

Hamas kills 32 ‘gang’ members in Gaza City

Hamas has sought to reassert itself in Gaza since a ceasefire took hold, killing dozens of people in a crackdown on groups that have tested its grip and appearing to get a US nod to police the shattered enclave temporarily. Pummelled by Israel during the war ignited by the Oct. 7,

Mokyr, Aghion and Howitt win Nobel Prize in economics  

Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt have won the 2025 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for “explaining innovation-driven economic growth,” including the dynamics of creative destruction, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced Monday (Oct 13).