Top World News
Escalating US-Iran strikes threaten interim peace agreement
Tehran attacks Bahrain and Kuwait amid efforts to open strait of Hormuz without Iran’s direct oversightFresh hostilities in Gulf suggest US-Iran memorandum was too broadly wordedA new round of escalating strikes between Iran and the US has continued, further undermining the fragile interim peace agreement between the two countries, and prompting Donald Trump to threaten violence that would ensure Iran “will no longer exist”.On Sunday, Tehran launched drone and missile attacks against Bahrain and Kuwait after new US strikes on sites in southern Iran, and threatened a “complete halt” to negotiations to end the war. Trump said that a moment might come soon when he abandoned talks and the US would “militarily finish the job”. Continue reading...
Putin admits Ukrainian drone strikes are driving Russian fuel shortages
President says attacks on infrastructure are causing ‘obvious’ problems but that they are ‘not critical’Vladimir Putin has admitted Russia is facing fuel shortages as Ukraine steps up its long-range drone campaign, with repeated strikes setting oil refineries ablaze and forcing multiple regions to introduce unprecedented petrol rationing.Speaking to Russian state television late on Sunday, the Russian president acknowledged for the first time that Ukrainian attacks on energy infrastructure were affecting domestic fuel supplies. “Of course, they create problems, that’s obvious,” Putin said. “Right now we’re observing a certain shortage, but it’s not critical.” Continue reading...
BT and Verizon to create joint global business in $625m deal
UK telecoms group’s 50/50 venture ends more than 18-month search for a buyer of its international operationsBusiness live – latest updatesBT and the US mobile company Verizon are to combine their international businesses, ending the British telecom group’s more than 18-month search for a buyer.Verizon will pay a $625m (£473m) “equalisation” fee to BT to guarantee equal voting rights in the new 50/50 joint venture, the companies announced on Monday. The deal is expected to create a company with more than 3,000 customers across about 180 countries and $4bn in combined annual revenue. Continue reading...
British American Tobacco to slash 9,000 jobs as it turns to AI
Dunhill maker to cut about a fifth of workforce, aiming to reduce costs and become more ‘technology enabled’Business live – latest updatesBritish American Tobacco (BAT) will cut about a fifth of its 47,000-strong workforce this year, as the cigarette-maker looks for ways to push down costs and become more “technology enabled”.BAT, which is one of the biggest tobacco groups in the world, has announced it will cut 5,500 jobs by the end of the year and outsource a further 3,500, affecting a total of 9,000 employees. Continue reading...
Andy Burnham To Outline Vision For UK With Focus On Raising Living Standards
Andy Burnham will commit to a 10-year mission to raise living standards through reindustrialisation, housing, infrastructure and reform of utilities.
"Look Inwards": India Slams Pak Over "Baseless" Karachi Attack Claims
Pakistan has carried out airstrikes on eastern Afghanistan overnight, targeting terrorists in response to the deadly attack, the Pakistani information minister said.
'Certain Shortage': Putin Flags Fuel Crunch After Ukraine Strikes
Kyiv calls the attacks fair retribution for Russia's near-daily barrages on Ukrainian civilians and energy infrastructure since its February 2022 offensive.
Hope Fades In Venezuela As Death Count Nears 1,500 After Twin Earthquakes
Millions more people were feared to lack sanitation and other basic needs after one of Latin America's most devastating earthquake disasters.
Malaysia extends search for MH370 for another year, keeping families’ hopes alive
Malaysia has extended its contract with Ocean Infinity for another year to search for wreckage of Malaysia Airlines flight 370
Pakistani airstrikes kill 36 civilians in Afghanistan and wound 160, officials say
Afghan officials say overnight strikes by Pakistani forces have killed at least 36 civilians and injured more than 160
Thai airline employee arrested in Australia on suspicion of importing heroin
Australian police have arrested a Thai airline employee for allegedly importing over a kilogram of heroin into Melbourne
A Chinese dissident recounts his perilous dinghy escape to South Korea and how he got to Canada
Chinese dissident Dong Guangping has finally reached Canada after a perilous escape from China
