Thursday, 13 Mar, 2025

International

US School Shooter Faces Death Penalty At Sentencing Trial

A young man who gunned down 17 people at his former high school in Parkland, Florida goes on trial Monday, with jurors set to hand down either the death penalty or a life sentence. Nikolas Cruz took an AR-15 assault rifle into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Valentine's Day

Zelensky fires security chief and top prosecutor

President Volodymyr Zelensky has fired the head of Ukraine's security agency (SBU) and the prosecutor general, citing many cases of treason in the two powerful organisations. He said more than 60 former employees were now working against Ukraine in Russian-occupied areas. In his

India Presidential poll 2022: Murmu v Sinha race kicks off

Polling in the Presidential election is underway at the Parliament House and the state legislative assemblies.  Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh, chief ministers from across the country, and other MPs and MLAs cast their votes on Monday morning.

3 dead in US mall shooting; witness kills gunman

Three people were fatally shot and two were injured Sunday evening at an Indiana mall after a man with a rifle opened fire in a food court and an armed civilian shot and killed him, police said. The man entered the Greenwood Park Mall with a rifle and several magazines of ammunition

More evacuations as Mediterranean wildfires spread

France has evacuated more than 16,000 people threatened by wildfires in the south-west, as fires also spread in Spain, Croatia and Greece. Authorities in France's Gironde, a popular tourist region, have evacuated guards from campsites - the tourists left earlier. Fires have spread

Biden disputes Saudi minister’s account of meeting with MBS

President Joe Biden hints the foreign minister of Saudi Arabia was not being truthful in his account of the US leader’s meeting with the kingdom’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman (MBS). Biden was referring to comments made by Adel al-Jubeir, who told Fox News he did not

Bangladesh, not Jordan, was final stop of crashed Ukraine cargo in Greece

Jordan has denied claims it was the final destination of a Ukraine-owned Antonov-12 cargo plane that crashed near Kavala in northern Greece, reported state news agency Petra on Sunday. In a statement, the Jordanian Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission (CARC) said the flight was

Iran blacklists US officials for supporting ‘terrorist’ group MEK

The Iranian government has blacklisted United States officials over their backing of a group that Tehran considers to be a “terrorist” organisation. The Iranian foreign ministry on Saturday published a list of 61 current and former American officials who it said have

UN decries rising death toll, rights violations in Haiti

The United Nations human rights office has expressed concern about rising violence around Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, saying 99 people have been reported killed in recent fighting between rival gangs in the Cite Soleil district alone. The warning on Saturday came hours after

Myanmar leader shops for support, weapons in Moscow

With both regimes increasingly isolated on the world stage, Myanmar’s top general has been in Moscow to meet senior officials from Russia’s defence ministry, pledging deeper military ties and cooperation on nuclear energy. “They frankly exchanged views on further

Heatwave scorches Europe as hundreds evacuated from wildfires

Hundreds of people have been evacuated from their homes as wildfires blistered land in France, Spain and Portugal, with officials issuing health warnings for a new heatwave in the coming days. Temperatures were expected to top 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in parts of

Sri Lanka kicks off process to choose new president

The Sri Lankan parliament met on Saturday to begin choosing a new leader to serve the rest of the current term after the president fled abroad and resigned following mass protests over the country’s economic collapse. Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena promised a swift

UK declares first ever extreme heat warning 

A national emergency has been declared after a red extreme heat warning was issued for the first time, as temperatures could hit 40C (104F). The Met Office's highest warning covers an area including London, Manchester and York on Monday and Tuesday. It means there is a risk to

Mexican drugs lord Rafael Caro Quintero arrested

Mexican drugs lord Rafael Caro Quintero, who is on the US most wanted list, has been arrested in the western Sinaloa state, the Mexican Navy says. Mr Quintero, who is accused of kidnapping, torturing and murdering a US drug enforcement agent in 1985, was held in the town of Choix.

Jayland Walker: Autopsy shows black man 'shot or grazed' 46 times

A 25-year-old black man killed by Ohio police last month had 46 gunshot wounds or graze injuries on his body, an autopsy report has found. The medical examiner said it was impossible to know which bullet killed Jayland Walker, or how many shots were fired in total. The report comes

Biden raised Khashoggi murder with Saudi crown prince

US President Joe Biden says he raised the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi during a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Mr Biden is in Saudi Arabia to rebuild relations, having previously promised to make the country a "pariah" over its human rights

Biden arrives in Saudi Arabia seeking reset amid tensions

US President Joe Biden has arrived in Saudi Arabia, where he is expected to meet senior officials despite a previous promise to treat the kingdom as a “pariah” over the 2018 killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Biden departed directly from Israel for the Red Sea

Pakistan cuts fuel prices

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in his address to the nation on Thursday, announced that the price of petrol was being cut by Rs18.50 and diesel by Rs40.54. The price cut, which takes place after four rounds of massive hikes under the current government, will go into effect at midnight

Saudi Arabia opens airspace to all flights, including Israeli carriers

Saudi Arabia has opened its airspace to "all air carriers," signalling the end of its longstanding ban on Israeli flights overflying its territory, as US President Joe Biden visits the region. In a statement on Friday posted to Twitter hours before Biden is set to become the

Italian PM Mario Draghi offers resignation after coalition falls apart

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi has tendered his resignation after populist coalition partner Five Star withdrew its support in a confidence vote. The former head of the European Central Bank has led a unity government since February 2021. In a statement, he said the pact of