Category: World

China has formally removed Generals Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli from the state Central Military Commission, deepening an extraordinary leadership purge that has dismantled much of President Xi Jinping’s senior military command.The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress approved the removal on Friday, seven months after authorities placed both officers under investigation for suspected serious violations of discipline and law. Zhang had served as the commission’s senior vice-chairman and effectively ranked second only to Xi in China’s military hierarchy,

Norway’s King Harald V died on Friday aged 89, ending a 35-year reign during which he became one of the country’s most recognisable symbols of national unity. The Royal House said he died peacefully at Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet at 6.35 am on August 28.Harald had been admitted to hospital on August 17 while receiving treatment connected with haemolytic anaemia, a disorder in which red blood cells are destroyed faster than they can be replaced. His condition was complicated

The United States has disrupted a China-linked cyber operation blamed for intrusions into some of the country’s most sensitive government networks, including the Justice Department, NASA, the Federal Reserve and the US Senate.Federal authorities on Wednesday seized internet domains supporting two hacking platforms, QScan and QTRouter, which investigators say were used to penetrate government agencies, critical infrastructure and corporate networks. The action effectively disabled key parts of the platforms by cutting them off from domains hard-coded into the malicious software

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has awarded Elon Musk the Order of Freedom as Kyiv intensifies efforts to secure broader access to SpaceX's Starlink network for military operations against Russia.The honour, announced by presidential decree on Wednesday, recognises Musk for his contribution to protecting human life and freedom and for strengthening relations between Ukraine and the United States. Musk, the head of SpaceX and Tesla, has emerged as an unusually influential private-sector figure in Ukraine's defence since Russia launched its full-scale

SpaceX has unveiled plans to invest $100 billion in a vast Louisiana spaceport designed to become its largest launch complex and support thousands of Starship missions each year.The project, named Starbase Louisiana, will occupy about 125,000 acres in Vermilion Parish near Pecan Island on the Gulf Coast. Construction is expected to begin in 2027, while SpaceX is targeting its first Starship launch from the site in 2029. State planning documents indicate initial operations could extend into 2030 as infrastructure is

Iran’s rial plunged through the psychologically important barrier of two million to the US dollar on Monday, setting a record low as tighter sanctions, accelerating inflation and dwindling access to foreign currency intensified pressure on the economy. The currency traded at about 2.02 million rials per dollar on the open market, extending a sharp sell-off that has gathered pace during August.The fall marks another milestone in a prolonged erosion of purchasing power for households already struggling with steep increases

Security researchers have demonstrated a method for making some expired Visa contactless cards appear valid to payment terminals, exposing a weakness in how card expiry information is checked across the payment chain.The technique, dubbed the “Zombie Card” attack, allows an attacker positioned between an expired card and a point-of-sale terminal to alter the expiry date transmitted through near-field communication. The manipulation can enable a payment without defeating the cryptographic protections normally used to authenticate the card.Researchers Raja Hasnain Anwar, Gerard

Young Americans are becoming markedly more uneasy about artificial intelligence as fears over job losses, shrinking entry-level opportunities and an uncertain career ladder increasingly outweigh enthusiasm for the technology.A nationwide survey conducted in June found 55% of adults under 30 were more concerned than excited about the growing use of AI in daily life, a sharp change from 39% in 2024. Nearly three-quarters of younger adults now expect AI to result in fewer jobs in the United States over the

A former Meta safety specialist has told a federal jury that his 14-year-old daughter received unwanted sexual advances on Instagram, an experience he said exposed serious weaknesses in protections for young users and changed his understanding of risks on the platform.Arturo Béjar, a former Facebook engineering director who later returned to Meta as a consultant, gave the testimony in Oakland, California, as the company faces a landmark trial over allegations that Facebook and Instagram were designed in ways that harmed

The rupee weakened to around 95.76 against the US dollar on Wednesday as rising crude oil prices, persistent tensions in West Asia and losses in domestic equities renewed pressure on the currency.The currency touched a three-week low during the session and finished near 95.75 to the dollar, extending its decline from Tuesday’s close of 95.68. Dollar demand from importers remained firm, while the sharp increase in international oil prices added to concerns over the country’s import bill and inflation

The US Strategic Petroleum Reserve has fallen below 300 million barrels, deepening concerns over Washington’s emergency oil cushion as prolonged Middle East supply disruptions force further withdrawals from government stockpiles.Federal inventory data for the week ended August 7 put the reserve at about 298.7 million barrels after a weekly draw of roughly 6.1 million barrels. That was the lowest level since 1983 and extended a sharp depletion that has gathered pace since Washington joined a coordinated international effort to release

Sydney Airport is facing intensifying scrutiny over air traffic control staffing after a cluster of runway and taxiway incidents exposed pressure on a system already struggling with delays, overtime and shortages of experienced controllers.Three safety events within two weeks have prompted investigations by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau and raised questions about whether staffing resilience at the country’s busiest airport is keeping pace with traffic demand. Airservices Australia, which manages air traffic control, has acknowledged staffing difficulties and is moving

An explosion near the Zawiya power station has knocked several generating units offline, adding fresh pressure to Libya’s electricity network after a series of attacks on energy infrastructure in the strategic western city.The General Electricity Company of Libya said specialised teams were investigating the cause and technical circumstances of the blast, which occurred on Saturday, August 15. Engineers were also working to stabilise the national grid and gradually restore electricity to affected areas, with the utility expecting supplies to return

A powerful magnitude-7.7 earthquake struck Indonesia’s Flores region early on Saturday, killing at least 20 people, damaging buildings and triggering landslides as rescuers struggled to reach communities near the epicentre. Claims circulating that the toll had reached 38 could not be corroborated by the strongest available official and international reporting as casualty assessments continued.The shallow undersea earthquake struck off East Nusa Tenggara on 15 August, prompting authorities to issue a tsunami warning and order residents of vulnerable coastal areas

Russia’s second domestically built ice-class LNG carrier has begun its first Arctic voyage, strengthening Moscow’s capacity to move liquefied natural gas despite Western sanctions and a shortage of specialised vessels.The Konstantin Posiet departed Bolshoy Kamen Bay in Primorsky Krai and headed towards the Northern Sea Route, the Arctic shipping corridor running along Russia’s northern coastline. Shipping data indicated that the vessel was due to reach an unspecified destination on August 30.The voyage marks an important step for Russia’s efforts

By Vishnu RajaLeader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has stepped up pressure on the government over allegations that Chinese troops have prevented Army patrols from reaching traditional points in Arunachal Pradesh, turning a localised border dispute into a fresh political confrontation over the handling of China.Gandhi said on Friday that the Army had been stopped from patrolling at several locations and described the development as “extremely alarming”. He questioned the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and

Lionel Messi returned to action four days after the death of his father, but his comeback could not prevent Inter Miami from being eliminated from the Leagues Cup after a 3-2 defeat by Club León in Florida.Messi entered as a substitute at Nu Stadium on Wednesday, August 12, following several emotionally demanding days during which he travelled to Argentina for the funeral of his father, Jorge Messi. The 68-year-old died in Rosario after a prolonged illness, ending a relationship

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai A dispute over an alleged “lungi-wala” remark directed at CPI MP John Brittas triggered uproar in the Rajya Sabha, a privilege notice and a show of solidarity by Opposition MPs wearing traditional southern attire.Brittas told the House on Wednesday that a fellow member had repeatedly used the expression while he was speaking during proceedings on August 10. He later identified the member outside the House as BJP MP Sushmita Dev. The alleged exchange occurred during discussion

Iran has reshaped its military leadership around battle-tested hardliners and ordered stronger offensive capabilities as negotiations with the United States remain deadlocked, signalling that Tehran is preparing for a prolonged confrontation rather than an early settlement to the Gulf war.Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has appointed six senior commanders across the Armed Forces General Staff, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Basij, placing veterans with extensive operational, intelligence and asymmetric-warfare experience at the centre of the wartime command structure. The