Less than two weeks before Venezuela’s presidential election, the head of security for key opposition figure María Corina Machado has been arrested, intensifying concerns about the fairness of the election on July 28, when Nicolás Maduro seeks a third term. Machado, who was barred from running due to alleged fraud violations she denies, revealed on X that her security chief, Milciades Ávila, was detained on … Continue reading Venezuela: fears of unfair election grow as opposition security chief arrested

Search teams rescued nine crew members, mostly Indians, and recovered one body after an oil tanker, the MT Prestige Falcon, capsized in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Oman, Omani state media reported Wednesday. The tanker capsized late Monday about 25 nautical miles southeast of Ras Madrakah, according to Oman’s Maritime Security Agency. The cause of the incident and the condition of the tanker … Continue reading Nine crewmembers rescued after oil tanker capsizes in Arabian Sea off Oman

Paraguayan authorities seized over 4 tons of cocaine, valued at approximately $240 million, hidden in a sugar shipment destined for Belgium, according to the country’s anti-drug agency, Senad. The operation, dubbed “Operation Sweetness,” is the largest drug bust in Paraguay’s history and took place at the seaport in the capital, Asuncion. Following the detection of a suspicious shipment, Senad coordinated with other government agencies to … Continue reading Paraguay carries out largest cocaine bust in its history as 4 tons are found in sugar shipment headed to Europe

Initial autopsy results revealed traces of cyanide in the blood of six Vietnamese and American guests at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok, with one guest suspected of poisoning the others over a bad investment, Thai authorities said Wednesday. The bodies were discovered Tuesday in the luxury hotel, located at a busy central intersection in the capital. The six guests were last seen alive Monday afternoon … Continue reading Traces of cyanide are found in the blood of Vietnamese and Americans found dead in a Bangkok hotel

Germany plans to halve its military aid to Ukraine next year, reducing it from around 8 billion euros in 2024 to 4 billion euros in 2025, according to a draft of the 2025 budget seen by Reuters. This reduction comes amid concerns that U.S. support for Kyiv could diminish if Donald Trump returns to the White House. German Finance Minister Christian Lindner stated that Ukraine’s … Continue reading Germany slashes Ukraine funding in savings push

Romania’s government has more than doubled the number of bears that park rangers can legally kill, approving the culling of nearly 500 bears this year after a deadly attack on a hiker caused a nationwide outcry. The new law, passed in an emergency parliamentary session on Monday, authorizes the culling of 481 bears to control “overpopulation,” more than twice the 220 bears culled last year. … Continue reading Romania to kill 500 bears to curb overpopulation after deadly attack

At least five people were killed and many injured across Bangladesh on Tuesday during clashes between young government supporters, police, and students protesting a government job quota system. Tens of thousands of students participated in the nationwide protests, which marked the first significant opposition to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government since her fourth term began in January. The protesters are demanding changes to the public … Continue reading Five killed in violent protests over public sector jobs quota in Bangladesh

U.S. Central Command has recommended the permanent dismantling of the Gaza pier, which has faced weather and mechanical issues since its installation in May. Despite being operational for only about 20 days, the pier delivered nearly 20 million pounds of aid. Currently located in Ashdod, Israel, the Pentagon has announced it will soon cease operations, though it might be used one final time to deliver … Continue reading U.S. military recommends permanently dismantling pier that’s helping deliver aid into Gaza

In November, a senior North Korean diplomat stationed in Cuba defected to South Korea, marking the highest-ranking defection since 2016. South Korea’s National Intelligence Service confirmed the defection, initially reported by the Chosun Ilbo newspaper, which identified the diplomat as Ri Il-kyu, a counsellor responsible for political affairs at the North Korean embassy in Cuba. Ri’s role included preventing diplomatic ties between South Korea and … Continue reading North Korea diplomat flees to South in highest ranking envoy defection since 2016

Rights groups have accused France of “discriminatory hypocrisy” for refusing to allow its athletes to wear the hijab during the Paris Olympics, starting in ten days. Amnesty International and ten other organizations stated that the ban prevents athletes from exercising their right to play sports without discrimination. They had appealed to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to reverse the ban, but the IOC responded that … Continue reading France faces backlash over hijab ban for athletes at Olympics