Wad Madani Sudanese army representatives have returned to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia for talks with their paramilitary foes, a government source said Saturday as the war between rival generals entered its fourth month.

A delegation of the armed forces has returned to Jeddah to resume negotiations with Rapid Support Forces (RSF) rebels, the source told AFP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to media.

The RSF has made no comment on returning to the talks in Jeddah, which Saudi and US mediators adjourned last month after a series of repeatedly violated ceasefires.

On April 15, a power struggle between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy, RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, burst into all-out war, claiming at least 3,000 lives and displacing more than three million people.

The delegation in Saudi Arabia signals a return to diplomatic efforts by the army, after it boycotted talks last week in Ethiopia hosted by east African regional bloc IGAD.

Khartoums foreign ministry had objected to Kenyan President William Rutos leadership of the IGAD quartet, accusing Nairobi of siding with the RSF.

Before the Jeddah talks were suspended, US mediators had grown increasingly frustrated with both sides reluctance to work towards a sustained truce.

Experts believe that both Burhan and Daglo have opted for a war of attrition instead, hoping to extract more concessions at the negotiating table later.

No respite

For three months, barely a day has passed for residents of the capital Khartoum without their homes shaking from constant air strikes, artillery blasts and gun battles.

To escape the brutal urban warfare and rampant looting, 1.7 million people have fled the capital, according to the United Nations. Millions remain in the city, however, sheltering at home as the violence shows no signs of abating.

Witnesses in the citys northwest reported clashes using various types of weapons on Saturday, after a day of heavy fighting Friday left plumes of black smoke over several parts of the capital.

Others said RSF drones had targeted Khartoums largest military hospital.

The UN has said that most hospitals in combat zones are out of service.

The worst fighting has taken place in Khartoum and in the western region of Darfur, where a quarter of Sudans 48 million people live.

Entire villages and neighbourhoods there have been destroyed, civilians buried in mass graves and officials assassinated for their ethnic background by the RSF and allied Arab militias.

Reports of atrocities including sexual violence and civilians being targeted for their ethnicity have prompted the International Criminal Court to launch a war crimes investigation.

Though most of the fighting has been concentrated in Khartoum and...

New Delhi Top Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi appealed to the countrys highest court on Saturday over his conviction for defamation, days after a lower court refused to intervene, media reports said.

Gandhi was sentenced to two years jail for comments he made in 2019 which a court ruled were insulting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and those sharing his last name. 

That made him ineligible to remain a member of parliament, or to stand in next years election.

Modis government has been widely accused of using the defamation law to silence critics. 

Gandhi filed an appeal asking the Supreme Court to stay his conviction, multiple Indian media reports said, a week after the Gujarat High Court refused to do so.

Officials of Gandhis Congress party did not immediately respond to requests by AFP for comment.

But earlier this month, party spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi told reporters: We have no doubt that this intersection of arrogance and infallibility shown by this government of the day and ruling party of the day will be dealt with properly in the Supreme Court.

The case one of several lodged against Gandhi in recent years has so far only been heard by courts in Gujarat, Modis home state.

Gandhi is the scion of Indias premier political dynasty and the son, grandson and great-grandson of former prime ministers, beginning with independence leader Jawaharlal Nehru. 

He is the leading face of the Congress party, once the dominant force in Indian politics but now a shadow of its former self.

His conviction stemmed from a remark made during the 2019 election campaign when he asked why all thieves have Modi as (their) common surname.

Members of Modis government said the remark was a slur against all Indians with the surname Modi, which is associated with the lower rungs of Indias traditional caste hierarchy.

The post Rahul Gandhi appeals to Indias top court over conviction appeared first on Iraqi News.

Tunis At a sporting club in Tunis, young girls enthusiastically hit yellow tennis balls across the court in the hope of one day making it to Wimbledon, like their idol Ons Jabeur. 

As the tennis star bids to become the first African or Arab woman to win a Grand Slam singles title on Saturday, a tournament was underway earlier in the day on at the Tennis Club of Tunis in the Alain Savary neighbourhood, near the Tunisian capitals downtown. 

On the dozen sunny courts, surrounded by large trees, Tunisian boys and girls vigorously compete in several matches surrounded by their families. 

Ibtissem Treimech, the mother of one player says, when they see Ons Jabeur succeeding as a finalist, the children and parents are inspired, and the parents encourage their children to play tennis. 

In a country where football reigns supreme, Jabeur has become a national icon and sparked a new found enthusiasm for tennis over the past three years, especially among young girls. Like Jabeur, many of them come from working-class backgrounds. 

I am capable of becoming like Ons Jabeur and participating in Grand Slam tournaments like Wimbledon and Roland Garros, Lina Chedli, a nine-year-old tennis player and Ibtissems daughter, told AFP. 

Yasmine Ben Mabrouk, also nine, has no doubts over her own talent. 

I think I will become a great tennis player like Ons Jabeur, and I will participate in very big matches, she said. 

Not far away, 10-year-old Emna Bartagisse says she will become better than Ons Jabeur. 

Jabeur defines herself as a 100 percent product of Tunisia, and her fans praise her for her dynamic game, which includes drop shots and approaches to the net, and her sense of camaraderie. 

The star continues to push the limits, despite a sometimes difficult period following a series of recent injuries to her wrist and calf. 

Before Saturdays final at the All England Club, in plush south-west London, Jabeur said she had learned to be very patient and to accept everything that has happened to her regarding injuries. 

From the suburbs of Sousse, a seaside resort town in Tunisia, Jabeur is adored by fans and spends time after each match signing autographs and taking selfies. 

Since she came into the spotlight in January 2020 at the Australian Open, becoming the first Arab woman to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final, the soon-to-be 29-year-old has become a source of national pride for Tunisia. 

More recently, she was nicknamed the Minister of Happiness for her ability to uplift the country grappling with serious economic and political crises since the power grab by President Kais Saied in the summer of 2021. 

The post Young Tunisian girls dr...

London Declan Rice capped a remarkable rise from the crushing disappointment of being released by boyhood heroes Chelsea as a teenager as he joined Arsenal from West Ham on Saturday for a fee that could rise to 105 million (.

Rice admits to being reduced to tears when the Blues let him go as a promising 14-year-old.

But a decade on, the brave decision to up sticks and move across London to join West Ham has been the making of the England international.

Fresh from leading the Hammers to their first trophy in 43 years by lifting the Europa Conference League in his final game for the club, the 100 million initial fee for Rice matches international colleague Jack Grealishs move from Aston Villa to Manchester City two years ago as the most ever for an English player and the highest between two British clubs.

But it could be surpassed by Jude Bellinghams 88 million move from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid should an extra 25 million worth of add-ons be activated.

Rice has been targeted by the Gunners as the final piece to turn Mikel Artetas men into Premier League champions again.

Arsenal launched an unexpected challenge for the title last season before falling away in the final months of the campaign.

Instead Manchester City stormed towards the finish line to retain their title and secure a treble.

But Arsenal have won the first battle of the new season by winning the race for Rice as City refused to match West Hams 100 million asking price, even if former manager David Moyes wanted more.

He is arguably the best holding midfield player in the country and the best thing about Declan is he will get better, said Moyes previously. I dont agree with the owners that he is a 100m footballer. Far, far more than 100m. Far, far more.

The 24-year-olds statistics for winning back possession and making interceptions were the highest of any midfielder in the Premier League last season.

But Rice is far more than a destroyer. His dynamic surges from the middle of the park and intelligent use of the ball have also made him a vital player for England manager Gareth Southgate.

England turnaround

Rices international career also illustrates his somewhat unexpected rise to stardom.

He made three appearances for the Republic of Ireland in 2018, qualifying due to his grandparents.

However, as he began to catch the eye at West Ham, Southgate convinced Rice to switch his allegiance back to the land of his birth.

Rice was an ever-present as England reached their first major tournament final for 55 years at Euro 2020 and in a quarter-final run at last years World Cup.

By 20 he was already regularly named West Ham captain and took the armband on a permanent basis once Mark Noble retired last year.

Rices impact helped the Hammers enj...

Rome Strikes by airport and airline staff grounded hundreds of flights and left thousands of travellers stranded in Europe on Saturday at the height of the busy summer tourism season. 

In Italy, some 1,000 flights, both domestic and international, were cancelled as a result of the strike by ground crew, according to airport and airline authorities.

Another 120 flights due to depart and arrive from Belgiums Charleroi airport were cancelled Saturday and Sunday, triggered by a walkout of budget carrier Ryanair pilots over working conditions. 

Italys strike alone left some 250,000 travellers stranded in one of the worlds top tourist spots.

It comes amid a record heatwave, billed by the national weather service as one of the most intense of all time, that would bring temperatures of at least 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) to Rome and 48C to the islands of Sicily and Sardinia.

The strike by ground crew, who are demanding a new collective contract six years after the previous one expired, was due to last from 10:00 am (0800 GMT) to 6:00 pm (1600 GMT).

The airport in Rome saw some 200 flights cancelled, authorities said.

Flights by Malta Air, which handles transfers for popular budget carriers Ryanair, Vueling and Ita Airways, were also affected after pilots joined the walkout. 

Milans airports saw some 150 flight cancellations, while dozens of others were grounded in Turin and Palermo.

Transport Minister Matteo Salvini called the strikers to exercise common sense so as not to harm millions of other workers and tourists.

The post Strikes strand thousands of tourists in Italy, Belgium appeared first on Iraqi News.

Bangkok The liberal frontrunner to become Thailands next prime minister said Saturday he would withdraw his candidacy if parliament did not endorse him next week, after military-appointed lawmakers foiled his first attempt.

Pita Limjaroenrats Move Forward Party (MFP) won the most seats in May elections, buoyed by young Thais eager for progressive reforms after nine years of army-backed rule in the kingdom.

But the Harvard-educated millionaires campaign to lead the next government was knocked back Thursday by senators in parliament who consider his pledge to reform strict royal defamation laws a red line.

The legislature holds its second ballot for a new prime minister on Wednesday, and Pita said he would support a candidate from coalition partner Pheu Thai if he again failed to win the needed votes.

Id like to apologise that we havent succeeded, he said in a video address posted to social media. 

Im ready to give a chance to Thailand by letting the party that has the second most votes be the one to form the coalition.

Pita was 51 votes short of the 375 lawmakers he needed to support his candidacy during the first ballot.

Just 13 senators voted for him, with many voicing their opposition to MFPs pledge to soften the kingdoms royal defamation laws.

After the first ballot, the party ruled out compromising on its proposed revisions to the laws, which currently allow convicted critics of the monarchy to be jailed for up to 15 years.  

Help with this mission

All 250 senators were appointed under the junta-drafted constitution, which political analyst Thitinan Pongsudhirak said was a reliable impediment to MFPs reformist platform.

It is a way for the authority and the regime to stay in power in the long term and to prevent a pro-democracy government that can stand against them, he told AFP on Friday.

Pita urged his supporters on Saturday to get creative in urging senators to throw their support behind him in the next round.

I alone cant change the senators mind. Therefore, I ask everybody to help with this mission, he said. 

Send a message to the senators in every way possible, every way you can think of.

The MFPs largest coalition partner Pheu Thai is seen as a vehicle for the Shinawatra political family, whose members include two former prime ministers displaced by military coups in 2006 and 2014.

Property tycoon Srettha Thavisin, 60, is widely tipped to be Pheu Thais candidate for prime minister if Pitas bid fails again.

Liked by business leaders among Thailands influential elite, he has been touted as a potential compromise candidate.

Wave of support

Pita rode a wave of...

Seoul At least 22 people have died and 14 more are missing after heavy rain caused flooding and landslides in South Korea, officials said Saturday, with thousands more ordered to evacuate their homes.

South Korea is at the peak of its summer monsoon season and there has been heavy rainfall for the last three days, triggering widespread flooding and landslides, and causing a major dam to overflow.

The interior ministry reported that 22 people had been killed and another 14 were missing in the heavy downpours, mostly buried by landslides or after falling into a flooded reservoir.

The majority of the casualties including 16 dead and nine missing come from North Gyeongsang province, largely due to massive landslides in the mountainous area that engulfed houses with people inside.

South Koreas Yonhap News Agency had earlier reported 24 deaths, citing local disaster relief officials.

In the most severely affected areas, entire houses were swept away whole, one emergency responder told Yonhap.

More than 6,400 residents in the central county of Goesan were ordered to evacuate early Saturday as the Goesan Dam began overflowing and submerging low-lying villages nearby, the interior ministry said.

Some of the people who have been reported missing were swept away when a river overflowed in North Gyeongsang province, the ministry said.

Rescue workers were battling to reach some 19 cars which were trapped in an underground tunnel in Cheongju, North Chungcheong province, where one person was found dead, according to Yonhap.

Flash flooding swept through the area too quickly for people to escape, but water levels remain high and it is unclear how many people were trapped inside their vehicles, Yonhap reported.

The number of deaths is expected to rise as local government agencies assess the damage nationwide, the news agency said.

All regular train services nationwide were suspended as of 2 pm (0500 GMT), although KTX high-speed trains remained operational with potential schedule adjustments, according to the Korea Railroad Corporation.

Roads were closed and trails in national parks shut due to the rain and flooding.

The Korea Meteorological Administration issued heavy rain warnings, saying more rain was forecast through to Wednesday next week, saying the weather conditions pose a grave danger.

South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo urged officials to preempt river overflows and landslides, and requested support for rescue operations from the defence ministry.

The post Heavy rains, flooding leave 22 dead in South Korea appeared first on Iraqi News.

Basra (IraqiNews.com) The Iraqi governorate of Basra has began dismantling and removing the nearly 300-year-old Al-Siraji Mosque in order to extend the Abi Al-Khasib road in the governorates south. Many Iraqis have used to social media to express their displeasure and criticism.

According to the governor of Basra, Asaad Al-Eidani: The goal of demolishing the Al-Saraji Mosque is to complete the expansion of the street, in response to the demands of citizens and vehicle owners, due to the severe crowds being in the middle of the street.

Al-Eidani stated that the local government will renovate the mosque and extend the mosque in a way befitting its heritage and compatible with the governorates urbanization, implying that the land will be leveled and the mosque reconstructed.

The occurrence of demolishing the lighthouse was condemned by Iraqs Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Antiquities in a statement, stating its determination to take legal steps to preserve the significant cultural treasure from any administrative or personal misuse.

We reject any building that bears a heritage or archaeological feature, whether religious or civil, as it is not considered the property of an endowment office, ministry, authority, or governorate, but rather the property of history, said Ahmed Al-Badrani, Minister of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities.

The mosque, which has a footprint of around 1,900 square meters, is situated in the Abu Al-Khasib districts Al-Siraji neighborhood. Over the course of the 1980s, donations assisted in restoring it.

The post Built in 1727, Basras Al-Siraji Mosque gets demolished appeared first on Iraqi News.

Baghdad With scorching temperatures and power cuts, Wissam Abed cools off from Baghdads brutal summer by swimming in the Tigris river, but as Iraqi rivers dry up, so does the age-old pastime.

Near a bridge linking the east of the city to the west, Abed stood in the middle of the river, but the water only came up to his waist.

I live here in Adhamiya, like my grandfather did before me. Year after year, the water situation gets worse, said the 37-year-old, referring to his neighbourhood nestled along the Tigris in northern Baghdad.

Abed waded through the water to the middle of the ancient river, as temperatures reached near 50 degrees celsius (122 Farenheit) and wind whipped through the city like a hair dryer one July afternoon.

He told AFP he comes to the Tigris to have fun and feel refreshed.

Summer in Iraq is a prime example of the convergences of multiple crises weighing down the lives of the 43-strong population: a dilapidated electricity sector, rising temperatures and severe water shortages.

The United Nations says Iraq is one of the five countries in the world most touched by some effects of climate change.

In parts Baghdad, home to around nine million people, the water is still deep enough for youths to enjoy diving into the water from mounds of bricks. But elsewhere, new islets of earth stick out from the middle of the river.

In the evening when we return to our homes, there is no water or electricity, said Abed, a public employee at the ministry of electricity.

Last night, I came to swim in the river at one oclock in the morning before returning home.

Cyclical electricity shortages

In addition to the declining levels of rainfall, Iraqi authorities say upstream dam construction by Turkey and Iran has impacted the volume of the water that runs in rivers through Iraq.

Ravaged by decades of conflict and international sanctions, oil-rich Iraq relies on Iranian gas imports for a third of its energy needs.

It is also beset by rampant corruption, and suffers from dilapidated infrastructure.

Generally power cuts can last up to 10 hours a day. But every summer when the thermometer climbs, the supply of public electricity worsens.

Families who can afford it hook up their house to neighbourhood generators to make up for the poor supply.

But to do away with power cuts, Iraqi power plants would need to produce more than 32,000 megawatts (MW) daily, according to authorities.

This year, for the first time, Iraq produced 26,000 MW per day on average until the onset of July when production fell due to Iran shutting off the gas taps over 11 billion euros of unpaid bills.

An agreement has been reached and electricity production has improved to exceed 24,000 MW, the ministry of electricity said on Friday.

No waterR...

United Nations The United Nations is concerned about unacceptable conditions set by Damascus for allowing aid to flow through its Bab al-Hawa crossing to rebel-held areas in northwest Syria, according to a document reviewed Friday by AFP.

The delivery of humanitarian aid through the crossing has been stalled since Monday, when a 2014 UN deal expired.

A letter this week from Syrian authorities allowing use of the border crossing between Turkey and Syria contains two unacceptable conditions, according to a document sent to the UN Security Council from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

OCHA said it was concerned that the Syrian government had stressed that the United Nations should not communicate with entities designated as terrorist.'

The second condition it bridled at was that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) should supervise and facilitate the distribution of humanitarian aid in northwest Syria.

The UN says more than four million people in northwest Syria are in need of food, water, medicine and other essentials. 

Through an arrangement that began in 2014, the UN largely delivers relief to northwest Syria via neighboring Turkey through the Bab al-Hawa crossing.

Syria announced on Thursday that it would authorize the UN to use Bab al-Hawa to deliver vital humanitarian aid to millions of people in rebel-held areas for six months.

Syrias ambassador to the UN Bassam Sabbagh told reporters on Thursday that his country had taken a sovereign decision on allowing the aid to continue.

Comprehensive and unrestricted  

That announcement followed the expiration on Monday of a mechanism that has allowed UN convoys to use the crossing to rebel areas without authorization from Damascus. 

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterress spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Friday that theres been no crossings in Bab al-Hawa with United Nations humanitarian aid, adding that authorities were reviewing Syrias authorization. 

Were taking a look at what exactly was expressed in the letter, he said.

These things need to be studied carefully, he added, reiterating the UNs commitment to delivering humanitarian assistance guided by humanitarian principles of non-interference, of impartiality.

The OCHA document seen by AFP also called for the need to review and clarify parts of Damascus letter, saying the deliveries must not infringe on the impartiality neutrality, and independence of the United Nations humanitarian operations.

Damascus regularly denounces the UN aid deliveries as a violation of its sovereignty,...

Stockholm Interest rate hikes are forcing mobile operators to scale back investment in 5G networks, with equipment manufacturer Ericsson reporting Friday a rare net quarterly loss and Nokia lowering its outlook.

Network equipment makers feel the pain when mobile phone operators scale back investment in 5G networks, with Ericsson reporting Friday a rare quarterly net loss and Nokia lowering its outlook.

The news sent the shares of both companies down as much as nine percent on the Helsinki and Stockholm exchanges before trimming their losses.

Swedens Ericsson posted a net loss of 600 million kronor ($59 million) in the April through June quarter, compared to a profit of 4.7 billion kronor the same period last year.

The dip into the red was mostly due to a restructuring charge of 3.1 billion kronor related to its announcement of 8,500 job cuts globally in February as part of a cost cutting plan, the company said. 

But it also posted an unexpected operational loss tied to a slowdown in purchases of its 5G mobile network equipment by operators in several countries, including the United States.

We are confident that the market will recover as three-quarters of base stations outside China have yet to updated to 5G and Ericsson is well positioned to benefit from increased investments, said chief executive Borje Ekholm in a statement.

The exact timing of these increased network investments is, of course, in the hands of our customers, but we expect that the market will see a gradual recovery in late 2023 and improve in 2024. he added. 

However Ericssons Finnish rival Nokia wasnt as confident about a rebound in the second half of this year, as it lowered its outlook.

Customer spending plans are increasingly impacted by high inflation and rising interest rates along with some projects now slipping to 2024 - notably in North America, Nokia said in a statement Friday.

The company said it now expected 2023 net sales to come in between -4.0 percent and +2.0 percent, compared to its previous forecast of growth of between 2.0 and 8.0 percent.

The weaker demand outlook in the second half is due to both the macro-economic environment and customers inventory digestion, it added.

Nokia is due to publish its second quarter results on July 20, but said preliminary figures show flat net sales of 5.7 billion euros.

Ericsson and Nokia, who along with Chinese giant Huawei are competing to provide the infrastructure for the global 5G market, have warned in recent months of a slowdown in investment by mobile network operations due to the global economic downturn.

The post Ericsson and Nokia feel squeeze of interest rates hikes appeared first on...

Sriharikota India launched a rocket on Friday carrying an unmanned spacecraft to land on the Moon, its second attempt to do so as its cut-price space programme seeks to reach new heights.

The heavyweight LVM3-M4 rocket lifted off from Sriharikota in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh carrying the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft, as thousands of enthusiasts clapped and cheered.

The worlds most populous nation has a comparatively low-budget aerospace programme that is rapidly closing in on the milestones set by global space powers.

Only Russia, the United States and China have previously achieved a controlled landing on the lunar surface.

But Indias last attempt to do so ended in failure four years ago, when ground control lost contact moments before landing.

Chandrayaan-3 scripts a new chapter in Indias space odyssey, tweeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is currently visiting France.

It soars high, elevating the dreams and ambitions of  every Indian. 

If the rest of the current mission goes to plan, the Chandrayaan-3, which means Mooncraft in Sanskrit, will safely touch down near the moons little-explored south pole between August 23-24.

Developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft includes a lander named Vikram, which means valour in Sanskrit, and a rover named Pragyan, the Sanskrit word for wisdom.

The mission comes with a price tag of $74.6 million far smaller than those of other countries, and a testament to Indias frugal space engineering.

Experts say India can keep costs low by copying and adapting existing space technology, and thanks to an abundance of highly skilled engineers who earn a fraction of their foreign counterparts wages.

A moment of glory

Upon touchdown, the rover will roll off Vikram and explore the nearby area, gathering images to be sent back to Earth for analysis. 

The rover has a mission life of one lunar day or 14 Earth days.

It is indeed a moment of glory for India. Thank you team ISRO for making India proud, Jitendra Singh, the junior minister for science and technology, told reporters after the launch.

ISRO chief S. Somanath has said his engineers carefully studied data from the last failed mission and tried their best to fix the glitches.

Indias space programme has grown considerably in size and momentum since it first sent a probe to orbit the moon in 2008. 

In 2014, it became the first Asian nation to put a satellite into orbit around Mars, and three years later, the ISRO launched 104 satellites in a single mission.

The ISROs Gaganyaan (Skycraft) programme is slated to launch a three-day manned mission into Earths orbit by next year.

India is...

Singapore Singapores powerful anti-graft body issued an arrest notice for one of the city-states richest people, his company said Friday, widening a probe into rare high-level corruption.

Hotel tycoon Ong Beng Seng was given a notice of arrest and has posted bail, Hotel Properties Limited said in a filing with the Singapore Exchange.

The billionaire was asked by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) to provide information in relation to his interactions with Transport Minister S. Iswaran, the company said.

Iswaran was ordered to go on leave earlier in the week by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong after the CBIB said the minister was currently assisting an ongoing investigation.

Lee said the anti-graft body had sought his approval for a formal investigation that would involve interviewing Iswaran, among other people.

The CPIB said it could not disclose details as the investigation was still underway.

Hotel Properties Limited, of which Ong is the managing director, said in its filing that the tycoon had posted bail of Sg$100,000($76,000).

The company owns the Four Seasons and Hilton hotels and also has properties in Australia, Canada, Britain and the United States, according to local media.

Ong, a Malaysian who is a Singapore permanent resident, is credited with helping bring the Formula One Grand Prix to Singapore in 2008.

His private company Singapore GP and the Singapore Tourism Board last year renewed the contract to host the F1 race until 2028.

Mr Ong is cooperating fully with CPIB and has provided the information requested, the company said.

It added that no charges have been filed against Ong, who was listed by Forbes along with his wife as the 24th richest people in Singapore last year.

Ong, in his late 70s, was allowed to travel overseas from Friday and will surrender his passport to the anti-graft body upon his return, the company said.

Corruption probes involving cabinet ministers are rare in Singapore, which has ranked consistently in international surveys as among the least corrupt countries in the world.

The post Singapore issues arrest notice for billionaire in rare graft probe appeared first on Iraqi News.

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) In a groundbreaking move, Apples latest television series, Hijack, takes viewers on a thrilling journey that not only explores the intense dynamics of a hijacking incident but also showcases a rare quick glimpse into the positive side of Baghdad and the Iraqi military.

Episode 2 of the American series challenges preconceived notions by shedding light on the delayed response of the planes Air Traffic Control (ATC) and highlights the interaction between key characters Robin Allen, the captain of the plane, (played by English actor Ben Miles) and Sam Nelson, an experienced negotiator (portrayed by Idris Elba).

Baghdad, the capital city of Iraq, often receives media attention for its challenging circumstances and the complexities associated with the region. However, Hijack diverges from this narrative by presenting a different facet of Baghdad rarely seen on-screen and provides a light yet refreshing perspective that challenges stereotypes.

One of the focal points of Episode 2 is the delayed response from the pilots to the Baghdad ATC.

A scene takes place in Baghdads ATC trying to reach contact with the airplane. Nowras Tharb, an Iraqi-British actor, and Dana Haqjoo, an Iranian-British actor, play the roles of an Iraqi operator and supervisor who question the planes pilots late reply.

Allen mentions to Nelson that if he does not respond to the requests by the Iraqi Air Traffic Control in the cockpit, they will call the Iraqi military.

When the hijackers hear the requests on radio, Nelson gets up and asks the hijackers to let Allen answer. Otherwise, the ground control will think the worse. The hijackers listens to Allen but asks the co-pilot, Anna, to answer their call. The Iraqi operator gets suspicious when the pilot calls herself the captain.

Thus, the hijackers force Allen into assuring Baghdad ATC that everything is under control. Allens decision to comply with the hijackers demands adds a layer of complexity to the plot, leading viewers to question the true intentions and capabilities of the Iraqi military.

The post Apple TV+ series Hijack features a scene of Baghdads Air Traffic Control appeared first on Iraqi News.

Dhanbad Deadly fires have raged for a century in mines in Indias Jharkhand state, where Savitri Mahto is one of 100,000 people risking their lives shovelling coal to supply insatiable demand.

The land is charred because of the fires, said Mahto, 22, illegally scavenging amid the flames on the edge of a vast commercial opencast mine for the dirty fossil fuel. We live in fear every day.

Underground fires, which scientists believe started in a mine accident in 1916, create sinkholes that swallow people and homes. Coal pickers and activists report hundreds of people have died over the decades.

Accidents have happened before, and they keep on happening because the land is sinking, Mahto told AFP, as she tended a stack of burning rocks to produce coking coal, a more stable fuel sold for cooking and firing brick kilns.

It is dangerous to live here, said Mahto, who dreams of being a nurse. The houses can collapse anytime.

Coal consumption in India the worlds most populous nation and fifth-biggest economy has doubled in the last decade, powering nearly 70 percent of the electricity grid.

Half of Indias greenhouse gas emissions come from burning coal, and only China burns more.

The fires, raging in pockets across opencast mines spread over nearly 300 square kilometres (116 square miles), have burned millions of tonnes of CO2-belching coal, experts say.

Ghostly glowing fires and sulphurous clouds create an apocalyptic feel.

Coal is the lifeline

We have a responsibility towards the society as far as this environment is concerned, said Samiran Dutta, head of the commercial mine operator Bharat Coking Coal Ltd (BCCL), a subsidiary of state-owned Coal India.

Dutta, saying BCCL was not responsible for those entering the mines illegally, added that the company was procuring various gadgets including mist sprinklers hoping to dampen air pollution.

But efforts to extinguish the fires, including using liquid nitrogen and cutting trenches as firebreaks, have largely failed.

The air is heavily polluted, Mahto said, tightening a scarf over her soot-blackened face, saying the constant exposure to poisonous gases burns her eyes and chokes her lungs.

The coal pickers work in brutal conditions, but Indias appetite for the fuel is huge.

Coal is the lifeline of Jharkhand, said A. K. Jha, a local trade union leader, claiming at current production that the mines could last for 200 years, with much of the coal used in the steel industry. There will never be an end to coal.

Power demands are growing in India the worlds third-largest greenhouse gas emitter behind China and the United States with a growing middle class buying e...

Beijing Beijings top diplomat Wang Yi has urged Washington to work with China to improve ties during a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Friday.

The discussion on the sidelines of Southeast Asian talks in Jakarta on Thursday was the latest in a series of high-level interactions as the two sides try to ease trade and geopolitical tensions.

In their second meeting in less than a month, Blinken raised concerns about alleged Chinese cybersecurity threats after Microsoft said Chinese state-backed hackers had breached email accounts of US government agencies.

Washington needs to take a rational and pragmatic approach, work with China in the same direction, Wang told Blinken according to a statement on Friday by the foreign ministry in Beijing.

He urged the United States to stop interfering in Chinas affairs.

Wang outlined Chinas stern position on the Taiwan question and urged the US to avoid wantonly interfering in Chinas internal affairs, the ministry said.

He also urged the United States to stop suppressing China in the economy, trade, science and technology, and lift illegal and unwarranted sanctions against China.

Tensions between the United States and China have soared in recent years over a range of issues, including trade, US military support for Taiwan, Beijings growing assertiveness in the South China Sea and its cosy relationship with Russia.

China sees self-ruled Taiwan as a part of its territory.

Washington has choked advanced semiconductor exports to China and Beijing recently retaliated by restricting exports of gallium and germanium, two metals widely used to make semiconductors and electric vehicles. 

The discussion between the top diplomats did not lead to any breakthroughs, but it was candid, pragmatic and constructive, the Chinese foreign ministry said, adding that the two sides agreed to maintain communication.

Blinken met Wang last month on the first visit to China by a US secretary of state in five years.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen then went to China earlier this month, and climate envoy John Kerry is to visit next week.

The post Wang tells Blinken to work with China on improving US ties appeared first on Iraqi News.

Hong Kong Asian traders on Friday welcomed more data showing falling US inflation, giving the Federal Reserve room to bring the curtain down on more than a year of interest rate hikes.

Global markets have been bubbling this week on hopes for an end to monetary tightening aimed at taming inflation, which was fuelled by post-Covid reopening, supply chain snarls and Russias invasion of Ukraine.

That has come just as China pledges to introduce measures to kickstart its stuttering economy and bring an end to a painful crackdown on the huge tech sector.

Wall Street cheered news Thursday that wholesale prices rose less than expected in June. That followed Wednesdays report showing the consumer price index below forecasts.

While the CPI remains above the Feds target, analysts said there is growing confidence that officials were winning their battle and the economy could avoid a feared recession.

US traders pushed the S&P 500 up almost one percent to its highest finish since April last year, while the Nasdaq surged more than one percent as tech firms benefit from a lower rate environment.

The back-to-back softer inflation prints have further convinced traders that the Fed is topping out this month as thoughts of a September hike get blotted out, said Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management.

As a result, after numerous fits and starts, the door appears wide open for global investors to strap on those peak Fed trades.

The upbeat mood on Wall Street filtered through to Asia, where Hong Kong rose for a fifth successive day thanks to a bounce in Chinese tech giants, while Sydney, Seoul, Singapore, Taipei and Jakarta also gained.

However, Tokyo struggled owing to a pick-up in the yen against the dollar, which has come under pressure against its peers owing to lower expectations about US rates.

The Japanese currency was holding below 138 per dollar, its strongest level since May, while the euro was at a 17-month high above $1.12. Sterling was also hovering above $1.31.

However, Marvin Loh, a strategist at State Street, warned the Fed still had a battle to get inflation down to its target.

Getting towards two percent is still going to take a lot of work, he told Bloomberg News.

Higher for longer is still going to be a message that comes out of the Fed and ultimately might be appropriate.

And Fed Bank of San Francisco boss Mary Daly said that while the latest CPI report was very positive, she remained in a wait-and-see mode on that, because I remain resolute to bring inflation down to two percent.

Focus now turns to corporate earnings season, with traders keen to hear firms outlooks in light of higher rates and signs economies were slowing.

Key figures around 0230 GMT

Tokyo Nikkei 225: UP 0.2 percent...

Los Angeles Hollywood actors were duped into extending negotiations for two weeks by studios who wanted more time to promote their summer blockbuster movies, union president Fran Drescher told AFP on Thursday.

The Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) last month postponed their initial strike deadline, in the hope of thrashing out a deal with the likes of Netflix and Disney over demands for better pay and more protection against artificial intelligence.

That extension failed to yield any progress in talks, which collapsed on Wednesday night, with the union representing some 160,000 performers calling a strike for midnight Thursday (0700 GMT Friday.)

We, in good faith, gave them an extension, with the hope that they would make deep inroads, and we would really have something to discuss, Drescher, the star and co-creator of 1990s sitcom The Nanny, told AFP.

But we were duped. They stayed behind closed doors, they kept canceling our meetings, wasting time.

It was probably all to have more time to promote their summer movies. Because nothing came out of it that was significant.

During that two-week period, major premieres have been held around the world for summer blockbuster movies including Warners Barbie, Universals Oppenheimer and Paramounts Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One. 

SAG-AFTRA rules prevent actors from promoting their movies and shows during a strike.

Had the strike begun earlier, stars such as Tom Cruise, Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling would have had to skip glitzy red carpet events a key tool used by studios to drum up publicity and, hopefully, box office receipts.

Red-carpet premieres set for the next few weeks are now being canceled, such as Paramounts Special Ops: Lioness, or scaled back, like Disneys Haunted Mansion.

I actually was surprised. But I think that I may have been naive, because this was my first big negotiation, said Drescher, elected SAG-AFTRA president in 2021.

I really thought that we could come to a meeting of the minds. That they could see how dramatically this new business model has been foisted upon the entire industry, she said, referring to the changes wrought by streaming.

One of actors primary grievances concerns the drop-off in payments known as residuals. 

The substantial sums that performers used to receive when successful shows or films they had starred in were rerun on television have all-but disappeared, because streamers today refuse to disclose their audience figures.

Instead, streamers pay the same flat rate for all programs available on their platforms, which can mean a tiny return for a global smash hit.

Its just crazy to me, that they wouldn&#...

United Nations Syria will let humanitarian aid flow through its main border crossing into rebel-held areas, reopening a conduit that had closed after a Security Council stalemate, the countrys UN ambassador said Thursday.

Damascus has made a sovereign decision to let aid move overland from Turkey through the Bab al-Hawa crossing in northwest Syria for six months starting Thursday, ambassador Bassam Sabbagh told reporters.

He said he sent a letter to this effect to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the UN Security Council.

Through an arrangement that began in 2014, the UN largely delivers relief to northwest Syria via neighboring Turkey through the Bab al-Hawa crossing.

But a UN deal allowing for this mechanism to work without the authorization of Damascus expired on Monday.

The UN says more than four million people in northwest Syria are in need of food, water, medicine and other essentials.

Russia on Tuesday vetoed a nine-month extension of the agreement, and then failed to muster enough votes to adopt a six-month extension, during a vote at UN headquarters in New York.

Guterres spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the UN was studying Sabbaghs letter.

Even as the Bab al-Hawa crossing closed, two other crossings remained operational. 

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad opened them after an earthquake in February that killed tens of thousands of people in Turkey and northwest Syria.

But 85 percent of the aid reaching rebel-held areas went through Bab al-Hawa.

Gold standard monitoring

Damascus regularly denounces the aid deliveries as a violation of its sovereignty, and Russia has been chipping away at the deal for years.

The cross-border aid accord originally allowed for four entry points into rebel-held Syria before being reduced to one Bab al-Hawa after years of pressure from China and Russia at the Security Council.

Moscow is a major ally of Damascus, and its intervention in Syria since 2015 helped to turn the tide in the regimes favor.

Syrias conflict has killed more than 500,000 people, displaced millions and battered the countrys infrastructure and industry.

The 15 Security Council members had been trying for days to find a compromise to extend the cross-border aid deal.

The priority needs to be getting aid flowing again, fast, to the people who need it - and then getting certainty over its future, ambassador Barbara Woodward of Britain, which is chairing the Security Council for the month of July, said after the announcement by Syrias ambassador.

But without UN monitoring, control of this critical lifeline has been handed to the man responsible for the Syrian peoples suffering, she added. 

Woodward said that under the old UN arrangement, aid going t...

Montreal A strike which had shut down ports along Canadas west coast, including the countrys largest in Vancouver, has ended after 13 days of nationwide economic repercussions, negotiators announced Thursday.

More than 7,000 terminal cargo loaders and 49 waterfront employers in 30 ports went on strike July 1, after months of failed negotiations.

Port automation, the rising cost of living and outsourcing were the key issues behind the collective action led by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) of Canada.

Parties have reached a tentative agreement on a new 4-year deal, the ILWU and British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) said in a joint press release.

The tentative agreement is subject to ratification by both Parties, and subsequently, details of the agreement will not be released at this time, the statement added.

As the strike went on and its repercussions began to be felt across the economy, some industries, such as the automobile sector, called for federal intervention to resolve the crisis.

The strike disrupted an estimated Can$9.7 (US$7.4 billion) in trade, the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade estimated.

The west coast ports combined handled 16 percent of Canadas total traded goods in the year 2020, the BCMEA had said earlier.

The Port of Vancouver alone handles some Can$305 billion (US$342 billion) worth of goods annually, and contributes Can$11.9 billion to the nations annual output.

The strike is over, hailed Labour Minister Seamus OReagan on Twitter.

The scale of the disruption has been significant, he said in a joint statement with Transport Minister Omar Alghabra.

Bridgitte Anderson, head of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, said it will take some time for normal cargo operations to restore and for the economy to recover fully.

Looking forward, we need to rebuild our reputation as a stable trading partner and ensure the future resiliency and stability of our supply chain, she said.

The announcement of the agreement was also welcomed by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, whose president Perrin Beatty noted that the Canadian economy was seriously damaged during these 13 days.

This strike demonstrates that government must increase the tools available to ensure labor stability for our critical infrastructure and our supply chains, she added.

The post Strikes end at western Canada ports after deal reached appeared first on Iraqi News.

Paris The IEA trimmed its forecast for 2023 oil demand for the first time this year as macroeconomic headwinds including higher interest rates bite, but still sees it reaching a record level thanks to Chinas thirst for fuel.

The International Energy Agency now sees oil demand rising by 2.2 million barrels per days (mbd) this year, down from its previous forecast of an increase of 2.4 mbd.

Nevertheless, the Paris-based organisation which unites energy consuming nations, expects global demand to hit a record 102.1 mbd this year.

China will account for 70 percent of the global demand increase even though the rebound in its economy has appeared to falter.

Chinas oil demand remained robust despite rising unemployment, renewed property market stress and a general slump in business and consumer sentiment, said the IEA in its regular monthly report on oil markets.

But it warned overall world oil demand is coming under pressure from the challenging economic environment, not least because of the dramatic tightening of monetary policy in many advanced and developing countries over the past twelve months.

Central banks in leading industrial nations have jacked up interest rates in an effort to bring down inflation, but the higher borrowing costs suppress economic activity and risk provoking recessions that would lead to a drop in oil demand.

Such concerns have kept crude prices in check even though Saudi Arabia and fellow OPEC cartel nations along with their allies have limited or even cut output for the past year.

Their cuts have been largely offset by higher output from other producers, with oil supply still outpacing demand.

But the IEA warned the oil market may soon see renewed volatility as demand outpaces supply.

It noted global supply could tumble by more than 1 mbd this month as Saudi Arabia implements steeper cuts.

An IEA graph forecasts the oil market shifting from balance in the second quarter to demand outstripping supply for the rest of the year, with the draw on stocks hitting roughly two million barrels per day in the coming months.

The post IEA trims demand forecast as interest rates weigh on growth appeared first on Iraqi News.

London Hospital doctors in England on Thursday staged the biggest walkout in the history of the UKs state-funded National Health Service, prompting fears for patient safety.

The unprecedented five-day stoppage over pay and staff retention is the latest in eight months of industrial action across the NHS, which is already reeling from a vast pandemic backlog.

The NHS has been running on goodwill and now this is the last chance to change that, said 27-year-old junior doctor Arjan Singh, on a picket line outside Londons University College Hospital.

Colleagues were planning to leave for countries that care about their doctors, he said.

Nearly 7,000 doctors requested documents for an overseas job application last year, according to the British Medical Association (BMA) union, a record high.

Doctors have realised they work in a global market, said Singh. Theyre not restricted to this country.

Nurses, ambulance staff and other medical workers have all joined picket lines in recent months, adding to pressures on patient appointments.

The industrial action by junior doctors those below consultant level is scheduled to run until 7:00 am (0600 GMT) on Tuesday. 

It comes against a wider backdrop of walk-outs across the economy from train drivers to lawyers over the past year as the UK battles a crippling cost-of-living crisis.

Senior hospital doctors, known as consultants, in England will begin a 48-hour strike on July 20, with radiographers following suit from July 25.

Destructive

The BMAs Junior Doctors Committee says medics have effectively had a 26-percent pay cut in real terms in the last 15 years, as salaries have failed to keep pace with soaring inflation. 

The government claims that backdating their pay to reflect increases in the cost of living since 2008 is too costly and has instead offered an extra five percent, as it battles to reduce inflation.

Today marks the start of the longest single walkout by doctors in the NHSs history, but this is still not a record that needs to go into the history books, BMA leaders Robert Laurenson and Vivek Trivedi said.

We can call this strike off today if the UK government will simply follow the example of the government in Scotland and drop their nonsensical precondition of not talking whilst strikes are announced and produce an offer which is credible to the doctors they are speaking with.

Similar stoppages in June and April resulted in massive disruption with hundreds of thousands of hospital appointments and operations rescheduled.

The complete inflexibility we see from the UK government today is baffling, frustrating, and ultimately destructive for everyone who wants waiting lists to go down and NHS staffing numbers to...

Dubai As much of the world swelters in record temperatures, spare a thought for Issam Genedi, who ekes out a living washing cars in one of the planets hottest regions, the Gulf.

Pausing from his work at an outdoor carpark in Dubai, the Egyptian migrant says the United Arab Emirates furnace-like summer feels even hotter this year. 

This summer is a little more difficult than other years, says Genedi, who shines cars for about 25 dirhams ($6.80) a time in temperatures that pass 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) each day. 

Between noon and 3pm or 3:30pm, we simply cannot work.

The oil-rich UAE host of this years COP28 United Nations climate talks, where the world will try to sharpen its response to global warming is no stranger to unbearable summers.

In the blistering summer months, those who can decamp to cooler climes, or stay cocooned inside air-conditioned homes, offices and shopping malls.

The streets are largely deserted, apart from labourers hired cheaply from abroad. Many manual workers have a compulsory rest period in the hottest hours of the day.

Its a similar story all around the energy-rich desert region. In Bahrain, an island nation off Saudi Arabia, July average temperatures threaten to beat the record of 42.1C (107.8F) set in 2017.

Two weeks ago, more than 1.8 million Muslims battled through a days-long hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia in temperatures up to 48C (118F), with thousands treated for heat stress.

And in Kuwait, which regularly records some of the worlds highest temperatures, experts warn the mercury could pass a formidable 50C (122F) in the coming weeks.

Where real feel is 60C

Genedi is right that this summer seems unusually hot. Apart from last week being identified as the hottest ever recorded worldwide, a wave of humidity has been suffocating the Gulf.

People have been left wondering if the temperatures are even higher than usual, Ahmed Habib of the UAEs National Centre of Meteorology told AFP. 

An increase in relative humidity combined with already high temperatures, makes the temperature seem higher than it really is, he said, adding that real-feel temperatures have ranged between 55-60C (131-140 F) in some areas.

The Gulfs extreme heat and high humidity are a dangerous mix as in such conditions the human body struggles to cool itself by evaporating sweat on the skin.

The combination is measured by a thermometer wrapped in a wet cloth to calculate the wet bulb temperature the lowest possible through evaporative cooling.

The Gulf is one of the few places to have repeatedly measured wet bulb temperatures above 35C (95F), the threshold of human survivability beyond which heat stress can...

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) Economist Nabil Al-Marsoumi expected on Thursday that Iraqs exports of black oil would be more than 10 million tons in 2023, according to Alsumaria News.

Iraq exported more than 7.627 million tons of black oil in 2022, with a total value of $4 billion, Al-Marsoumi said via Twitter.

The Iraqi economist added that black oil exports from Iraq are expected to exceed 10 million tons in 2023 after the operation of the Karbala and Qayyarah refineries, which will facilitate the Iraqi-Iranian agreement to barter Iraqi oil for Iranian gas.

Iraq and Iran signed a new agreement on Tuesday related to Tehrans gas exports to Baghdad to avoid the US sanctions imposed on Iran and to provide gas to solve the electricity crisis Iraq has been facing for years.

Black oil is a traditional crude oil containing alkane liquids. Black oils consist of a wide variety of chemical species, including large, heavy and nonvolatile molecules.

The Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, announced on Tuesday that Iraq had reached an agreement with Iran regarding gas imports, which Iraq needs to operate power plants.

During a meeting with Iraqi officials in the energy sector, Al-Sudani noted that the US sanctions and non-compliance with the gas dues payment mechanism agreed upon in 2018 caused a 50 percent reduction in gas supplies from Iran, which negatively affected electricity production in Iraq.

Iraq imports electricity and gas from Iran, which together constitute between 33 and 40 percent of the countrys energy supplies, especially in the scorching summer months, when temperatures reach 50 degrees Celsius and energy consumption reaches its peak.

The post Iraq expected to increase black oil exports appeared first on Iraqi News.

Donetsk Region From their boltholes in the trenches in the frontlines of Ukraines battle to resist the Russian forces, Kyivs troops expressed frustration that they could not join NATO immediately.

Who else is going to fight here? No one! said one. 

They argue that they are all that stands between the Russian aggressors and the rest of Europe.

In a room of a small house in the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, a soldier monitored half a dozen screens showing images relayed by drones.

Major Vladislav, deputy commander of an infantry battalion, searched the landscapes flickering on the screens for the slightest hint of Russian troop movement.

Through an audio link, he liaised with the drone operators hiding out in shelters just a few kilometres away.

Even on the frontline, the officer followed the latest developments from Tuesday and Wednesdays NATO summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius. It was crucial, important for Ukraine and for Europe that the alliance admit his country, he said.

For the moment, they deliver us NATO weapons, said the soldier, who goes by the nom-de-guerre Oscar.

On the other hand, we are already acting as NATOs shield, so NATO membership would simply be official acknowledgment of that role, he argued.

The more of our Ukrainian soil we lose, the more the Russians get closer to the borders of Europe.

At the end of the NATO summit Ukraine came away with a pledge of long-term military support but without a fast-track to membership of the alliance.

NATO disappoints me

From a deep covered trench, part of a network of trenches near the front line, several drone pilots concentrated as they operated the aerial vehicles above.

One of them, trainee pilot Gummi, 28, was bitter about the outcome of the summit.

Ukraine will be accepted into NATO but not now. It will only be after the end of the war, he said.

If a NATO country is attacked, it is considered as an attack against another country, he added, referring to Article 5 of the NATO treaty stating an attack against one member is an attack against them all.

Who will come and fight here? Nobody. We are doing it all with our own hands, he said.

We expect our allies to express their sympathy and their concern, and they say: We will help you and will do everything we can to ensure Ukraine wins but you have to do it yourself, he said.

Iaroslav, 23, sitting beside him, was just as frustrated.

NATO really disappoints me, he said. I expected more more weapons to be supplied: tanks, aviation, long-range systems, missiles.

Ukraines forces may be counter-attacking he argued, but if they ha...

Paris Google launched its AI chatbot Bard in the European Union, Brazil and a dozen other countries on Thursday and unveiled new features as it expands access to its answer to Microsoft-backed ChatGPT.

The US tech giant unveiled Bard in February but delayed its release in the European Union as the bloc plans to regulate artificial intelligence amid concerns about risks associated with the rapidly growing technology.

Google has raced to catch up with rival Microsoft, which has rushed to integrate ChatGPT-like powers in a wide array of its products, including the Bing search engine.

Bard is now available in most of the world, and in the most widely spoken languages, Bards product lead Jack Krawczyk and vice president Amarnag Subramanya wrote in a blog.

As part of our bold and responsible approach to AI, weve proactively engaged with experts, policymakers and privacy regulators on this expansion, they said.

The company said it would incorporate user feedback and take steps to protect peoples privacy and data as it broadens access to Bard.

The AI tool can now be used in over 40 languages including Arabic, Chinese, German, Hindi and Spanish. It was previously available in three languages English, Japanese and Korean.

Google also announced new features, including receiving audio responses from Bard or answers in five different styles: simple, long, short, professional or casual. 

Another new feature allows users to upload photos that Bard can analyse for information.

The rise of AI has raised both excitement and concerns about its potential to improve or replace tasks done by humans.

AI tools have shown in recent months the ability to generate essays, create realistic images, mimic voices of famous singers and even pass medical exams, among a slew of uses.

Common worries include the possibility that chatbots could flood the web with disinformation, that biased algorithms will churn out racist material, or that AI-powered automation could lay waste to entire industries.

Extinction fears

Experts even the founder of ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, Sam Altman have warned about the potential existential risks that the technology poses to humanity.

Altman and dozens of other specialists signed a statement in May urging global leaders to reduce the risk of extinction from AI.

But the warnings have not stopped the rapid development of AI.

Tesla and Twitter owner Elon Musk, who has issued his own warnings about the risks, launched an AI company named xAI on Wednesday.

The xAI website said Musk would run the company separately from his other companies but that the technology developed would benefit those businesses, including Twitter.

Last month, the European Parliament backed a draft law that will be the basis for the wor...

Helsinki US President Joe Biden will meet the leader of newest NATO member Finland on Thursday, after G7 powers vowed to back Ukraine for as long as it takes to defeat Russia.

Biden will meet with Sauli Niinisto, the president of the Nordic country, which shares a 1,300 kilometres (800-mile) border with Russia and which ended its historic military non-alignment following Russias invasion of Ukraine.

The trip comes after NATO leaders dashed Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskys hopes for a clear timeline to join the military alliance, saying they would offer an invite only when conditions are met. 

G7 nations later offered Ukraine a package of long-term security commitments and vowed to stand with Kyiv for as long as it takes to defeat Russia.

Besides Niinisto and the Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, Biden will meet Swedens Ulf Kristersson, Norways Jonas Gahr Store, Denmarks Mette Frederiksen and Icelands Katrin Jakobsdottir.

The topic of the discussions is cooperation between the Nordic countries and the United States on security, environmental and technology issues.

Biden will be the first US president to visit Helsinki since Donald Trumps summit five years ago with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Ukraine said early Thursday it had destroyed 20 Russian attack drones and two cruise missiles in the latest aerial assault on the country. 

Most of the drones were destroyed around Kyiv, whose mayor said one person was found dead and at least four people were wounded.

Russia has launched waves of drone and missile strikes across Ukraine since the February 2022 invasion. 

Ukraine has bolstered its air defence systems with Western-supplied weapons and the number of Russian missiles and drones breaking through has diminished.

But the spokesman for Ukraines air forces, Yuriy Ignat, recently said that newly supplied systems were still insufficient to cover the whole country.

We do not have means to destroy ballistic missiles, Ignat told national television on Thursday morning.

Ukraines air force said it still seeking information on the consequences of an Iskander-M ballistic missile launch by Russia from occupied Crimea.

Subhead

In their statement Wednesday, G7 powers embraced the strategic objective of a free, independent, democratic, and sovereign Ukraine, within its internationally recognised borders.

The G7 plan provides a framework under which individual nations will agree bilateral deals with Kyiv detailing the weapons they will give and their response if Russia ups the ante.

We will not waver, Biden said in a speech in Vilnius aimed at showing resolve after meeting Zelensky at the NATO summit. 

Putin still doubts our staying power. Hes s...

Beijing Chinese exports tumbled more than expected in June, official data showed Thursday, putting fresh pressure on Beijing to unveil more stimulus measures to kickstart the flagging recovery.

Overseas shipments are a key pillar of growth in the worlds second-largest economy but apart from a brief rebound in March and April, they have declined since October owing to weak demand in key markets.

The 12.4 percent drop released by the General Administration of Customs was an acceleration from Mays 7.5 percent and worse than the 10 percent fall predicted in a survey of economists by Bloomberg.

Imports also fell 6.8 percent over the same period, reinforcing concerns about softening domestic demand, which has seen inflation plateau and force the central bank to ease monetary policy, putting pressure on the yuan.

Customs spokesman Lyu Daliang also pointed to outside forces having a direct impact on Chinese trade, with Beijing engaged in a long-running stand-off with the United States on a number of issues including trade and technology.

The risks linked to unilateralism, protectionism, and geopolitics are on the rise, he said in a statement with the figures.

The threat of recession in the United States and Europe has led to lukewarm demand for Chinese products.

And weak economic data in developed countries will put more pressure on Chinese exports in the coming months, warned economist Zhiwei Zhang of Pinpoint Asset Management.

Chinas trade surplus reached $70.2 billion last month, against $65.81 billion a month earlier.

Thursdays figures are the latest in a series of grim indicators reflecting a loss of steam in Chinas post-Covid recovery, with factory activity contracting and growth in the services industry slowing, while industrial production remains tepid.

That comes as the countrys crucial property sector, which accounts for a vast proportion of the economy, struggles under the weight of mammoth debts.

The country is due to release growth figures for the second quarter on Monday.

Premier Li Qiang has admitted that the countrys five percent growth target for the year will not be easy to achieve.

He has suggested possible policy measures to boost demand and support the private sector, but few concrete measures have been announced.

While the Peoples Bank of China has cut borrowing costs, officials have been reluctant to launch a vast recovery plan, which would deepen debt, despite growing calls for more ambitious stimulus.

The big question in the next few months is whether domestic demand can rebound without much stimulus from the government, Pinpoint Asset Managements Zhang said.

The post China export...

Chibayish Mohammed Hamid Nour is only 23, but he is already nostalgic for how Iraqs Mesopotamian marshes once were before drought dried them up, decimating his herd of water buffaloes.

Even at their centre in Chibayish, only a few expanses of the ancient waterways home to a Marsh Arab culture that goes back millennia survive, linked by channels that snake through the reeds.

Pull back further and the water gives way to a parched landscape of bald and cracked earth.

Mohammed has lost three-quarters of his herd to the drought that is now ravaging the marshes for a fourth-consecutive year. It is the worst in 40 years, the United Nations said this week, describing the situation as alarming, with 70 percent of the marshes devoid of water.

I beg you Allah, have mercy! Mohammed implored, keffiyah on his head as he contemplated the disaster under the unforgiving blue of a cloudless sky.

The buffaloes of the marshes produce the milk for the thick clotted geymar cream Iraqis love to have with honey for breakfast.

As the marshes dry out, the water gets salty until it starts killing the buffaloes. Many of Mohammeds herd died like this, others he was forced to sell before they too perished.

If the drought continues and the government doesnt help us, the others will also die, said the young herder, who has no other income.

Both the Mesopotamian marshes, and the culture of the Marsh Arabs or Maadan like Mohammed who live in them, have UNESCO world heritage status. The Maadan have hunted and fished there for 5,000 years, building houses from woven reeds on floating reed islands where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers come together before pouring into the Gulf.

Even their beautifully intricate mosques were made of reeds.

But the marshlands have shrunk from 20,000 square kilometres (7,700 square miles) in the early 1990s to 4,000 (1,500 square miles) by latest estimates choked by dams on the great rivers upstream in Turkey and Syria and the soaring temperatures of climate change. Only a few thousand of the quarter million Maadan who lived in the marshes in the early 1990s remain.

Experts say that Iraqs management of the waters has not helped.

Los Angeles NBA star LeBron James ended speculation over his future on Wednesday, saying that he is not yet ready to retire and maintains his love for basketball.

James responded to his team, the Los Angeles Lakers, losing the Western Conference final to eventual champions Denver in May, by saying he had a lot to think about amid reports he was considering walking away from the sport.

But in a speech at the ESPY awards ceremony on Wednesday, James settled any fears he may be ready to quit.

I dont care how many more points I score, or what I can or cannot do on the floor, James said after receiving the award for Best Record-Breaking Performance for passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the leagues all-time leading scorer.

The real question for me is: Can I play without cheating this game? The day I cant give everything on the floor is the day Ill be done. Lucky for you guys, that day is not today, he said.

In my 20 years playing this game and all the years before, Ive never, ever cheated the game and I will never take it for granted, he added.

James, who will be 39 in December, dismissed suggestions that he wanted to continue playing in the NBA with one or both of his sons his eldest son Bronny James, who will play college basketball next season at the University of Southern California, and could conceivably enter the NBA in time for the 2024-2025 campaign.

But he said that coaching his sons has helped to maintain his enthusiasm.

You know what brings me back every year? Its watching and coaching my boys and their teammates, he said.

I see those kids and it brings me right back to why I play. Those kids get me back to where I need to be, just the pure love of this beautiful game.

So, yeah, I still got something left. A lot left, he added.

James explained his reflection after the loss to the Nuggets saying he had often had such questions for himself.

When the season ended, I said I wasnt sure if I was going to keep playing and I know a lot of experts told you guys what I said but Im here now speaking for myself.

In that moment, Im asking myself if I can still play without cheating the game can I give everything to the game still? The truth is, Ive been asking myself this question at the end of the season for a couple years now. I just never openly talked about it, he said.

James signed a two-year contract extension with the Lakers last August that would keep him at the club through the 2024-2025 season.

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