Top World News
Publisher condemns ‘violent’ use of Franklin the Turtle after Hegseth’s boat strike post
US defense secretary posted meme depicting beloved children’s character aiming rocket launcher at set of boatsPete Hegseth told US soldiers in Iraq to ignore legal advice on rules of engagementA post on social media by US defense secretary Pete Hegseth, depicting a beloved children’s character aiming a rocket launcher at a cluster of boats, has elicited condemnation from the book’s Canadian publisher.Hegseth’s post of the mocked cover of a Franklin the Turtle book titled Franklin Targets Narco Terrorists prompted disbelief and outrage. The image shows a smiling anthropomorphic turtle in military helmet and vest, with a US flag on his arm and a drug-laden boat exploding in the background. “For your Christmas wish list,” Hegseth wrote as the caption. Continue reading...
Beijing 'out for blood,' aims to punish Japan for public comments on Taiwan, scholars say
Beijing is "out for blood" and wants to exact a toll on Japan for recent signals that Tokyo would view a Chinese attack on Taiwan as a threat to Japan's security, according to a leading scholar on China's foreign policy.
Indian order to preload state-owned app on smartphones sparks political outcry
Apple among big tech companies reportedly refusing to install Sanchar Saathi cybersecurity app on their devicesA political outcry has erupted in India after the government mandated large technology companies to install a state-owned app on smartphones that has led to surveillance fears among opposition MPs and activists.Manufacturers including Apple, Samsung and Xiomi have 90 days to comply with the order to preload the government’s Sanchar Saathi, or Communication Partner, on every phone in India. Continue reading...
Puerto Rico holds hearings on proposed power bill increases as customers fume and outages persist
Puerto Rico is holding key hearings on fee increase requests from private power companies that, if approved, could see the U.S. territory’s average residential bill rise by at least 40%
U.S. strikes on alleged drug boats will begin to include land locations in South America, Trump says
President Trump said Tuesday that the U.S. military would "very soon" carry out missile strikes on land against drug traffickers in some South American countries as he plans to expand operations that have so far focused on smugglers' boats in the Caribbean Sea.
Revealed: Mexico’s industrial boomtown is making goods for the US. Residents say they’re ‘breathing poison’
Polluting facilities in Monterrey, which has close ties to the US, are pumping toxic heavy metals into the city’s air and threatening residents’ healthLeer en español en Quinto Elemento LabAn industrial boom in a US manufacturing hub in Mexico is contributing to a massive air pollution crisis that is threatening residents’ health, according to new research by the Guardian and Quinto Elemento Lab.The polluting facilities in Monterrey include factories that are operated by companies from around the world – including the US, Europe, Asia and Mexico – but export largely to the US. Continue reading...
Measles vaccinations begin in rebel-held Congo almost a year after deadly outbreak
Measles vaccines have arrived in a rebel-held area of eastern Congo nearly a year after a deadly outbreak of the highly contagious disease began
More than 1,200 dead from floods in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand
Emergency crews are racing to reach survivors and recover bodies after catastrophic floods and landslides in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malaysia
Settler outposts spread among West Bank villages and fuel fear of more attacks
Palestinians in the West Bank are living in fear of more attacks by armed Israeli settlers
Pope prays at site of 2020 port explosion, consoles relatives of victims
Pope Leo XIV has prayed at the site of the 2020 Beirut port explosion, urging justice for the 218 victims
Germany sends a Libyan man suspected of war crimes to the ICC to face justice
Germany has sent a Libyan man accused of crimes against humanity to the International Criminal Court
Russia, US threatened to resume nuclear testing after decades. Here's why it matters
The U.S. and Russia have both recently threatened to resume nuclear testing, alarming the international community and jeopardizing a global norm against such tests
