WhatsApp says it removed 6.8m accounts linked to scams

WhatsApp says it has taken down 6.8 million accounts linked to scammers targeting people around the world in the first half of this year.

Vietnam facing worsening African swine fever outbreaks

Vietnam has been hit by an increasing number of outbreaks of African swine fever, with the number of infected pigs more than tripling in just two weeks, state media said on Tuesday.

Japan sets record high temperatures, worries mount over rice crops

Japan recorded its highest-ever temperature of 41.8 degrees Celsius (107.2 degrees Fahrenheit) on Tuesday, prompting the government to advise residents to stay indoors and promise steps to ease weather-related damage to rice crops.

India emerges as world’s 5th biggest aviation market; Mumbai-Delhi among busiest airport pairs in 2024: IATA

India emerged as the world’s fifth biggest aviation market, handling 241 million passengers, while Mumbai-Delhi was one of the busiest airport pairs in 2024, according to data released by global airlines’ grouping IATA.

Myanmar military courts sentence 12 to life for human trafficking, including Chinese nationals

Myanmar military courts have sentenced a dozen individuals, including five Chinese nationals, to life imprisonment for their involvement in multiple human trafficking cases, state-run media reported on Saturday (Aug 2).

India calls Trump’s tariff threat over Russian oil ’unjustified’

India has called Donald Trump’s threat of ’’substantially’’ higher tariffs over its purchase of oil from Russia ’’unjustified and unreasonable’’.

FBI opens first office in New Zealand, sparking backlash in China

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said in June that China posed an imminent threat and urged Indo-Pacific countries to increase military spending to 5% of GDP.

Philippines President to visit India from Aug 4-8, to meet PM Modi, Murmu

Philippines President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr is set to visit India from August 4-8, and hold talks with President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other officials.

Pakistan’s July inflation rises to 4.1 pc amid fuel, food price hikes

Pakistan’s inflation surged to 4.1 per cent in July, driven primarily by rising costs of non-perishable food items and the Pakistani government-administered increases in energy tariffs, The Express Tribune reported.

More than 60 migrants die off Yemen in boat capsize

More than 60 migrants died when a boat carrying around 150 people sank off the coast of Yemen in bad weather on Sunday.

Is the Recent US-Japan Trade Deal Another Plaza Accord?

In a moment steeped in déjà vu, US President Donald Trump on July 22 unveiled a sweeping new trade pact with Japan.

Nepal: Second phase of South Asia’s first petroleum pipeline construction under Indian assistance advances

The second phase of the petroleum pipeline project, being carried out with assistance from the Indian Government and extending from Nepal’s Amlekhgunj in Bara to Lothar in Chitwan, has officially commenced.

Couple welcome ‘world’s oldest baby’ born from embryo frozen 31 years ago

A newborn has been named the world’s oldest baby after being born from an embryo frozen in 1994.

Top Senate Democrat presses Pentagon over Microsoft’s use of China-based engineers

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) pressed the Pentagon on Monday for answers about its guardrails on contractors following revelations that Microsoft was using China-based engineers to maintain the agency’s computer systems.

Buddhist gem collection returns to India after 127 years

A collection of hundreds of jewels linked to Buddha’s remains has returned to India after 127 years following an auction planned for earlier this year that drew threats of legal action from the government in Delhi.

President Trump lowers U.S. tariffs on Sri Lankan goods to 20%

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order reducing import taxes on goods from Sri Lanka to 20%. This is a big drop from the 44% rate he announced in April, the White House said late Thursday.

Australia, India, Japan, US declare economic war on China’s rare earth empire

Foreign ministers from the Quad nations- Australia, India, Japan, and the United States- convened in Washington earlier this month and unveiled a robust strategy designed to counteract China’s coercive influence in the Indo-Pacific, as reported by The Japan Times earlier this month.

Where is the last straw of the US debt crisis?

On July 4, US President Donald Trump signed the highly controversial One Big Beautiful Bill Act, raising the US federal debt ceiling by $5 trillion to $41.1 trillion. The bill will increase the fiscal deficit by $3.4 trillion over the next 10 years and add $4.1 trillion to the US national debt.

Sri Lanka under pressure: The impact of Trump’s tariffs on a fragile economy

As the world grapples with a new wave of economic nationalism, Sri Lanka stands at a precarious crossroads. In April 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump announced sweeping new tariffs, reviving an aggressive ’’America First’’ trade doctrine.

AI and machine learning jobs rise by 42 per cent YoY in June: Dept of Economic Affairs

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning roles recorded a significant 42 per cent year-on-year (YoY) growth in June 2025, highlighted the Monthly Economic Review released by the Department of Economic Affairs.

India develops first ‘dual stealth drone’ wrapped in nanotech cloak

Two Hyderabad-based firms have teamed up to build India’s first “dual stealth drone,” combining autonomous flight with a new material that hides platforms from both radar and infrared (IR) sensors.

Pakistan’s growing drug trade thrives amid police corruption and policy failure

In the shadowy margins of Pakistan’s crowded cities and neglected rural belts, a flourishing narcotics trade is exacting a deadly toll. Once seen primarily as a transit route for Afghan heroin, Pakistan now faces a drug epidemic of its own, sustained by systemic corruption, institutional apathy, and a deeply compromised law enforcement system.

Australia to ban under-16s from YouTube

Australia will use landmark social media laws to ban children under 16 from video-streaming site YouTube, a top minister said Wednesday stressing the need to shield them from ’’predatory algorithms’’.

Japan and US issue tsunami warnings after magnitude 8.8 quake

Japan and the US have issued tsunami warnings after a powerful magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck Russia on Wednesday.

Reset & rebuild: Modi’s visit marks revival in India–Maldives ties

rime Minister Narendra Modi concluded a highly successful two-day state visit to the Maldives (July 25–26, 2025), coinciding with the island nation’s 60th Independence Day and the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties with India.

Imran Khan moves SC against Lahore HC’s rejection of bail in May 9 riot cases

The founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, has approached the Supreme Court of Pakistan to challenge the Lahore High Court (LHC) decision rejecting his bail in multiple cases linked to the May 9 riots, Geo News reported.

Taiwan foreign minister Lin Chia-Lung makes rare visit to Japan; China lodges protest

Taiwan Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung made a rare trip to Japan, where his stops include a visit to the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo, Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported Friday.

EU and US agree trade deal, with 15% tariffs for European exports to America

The United States and European Union have reached a trade deal framework, ending a months-long standoff between two of the world’s biggest economic partners.

Passengers exit plane via emergency slide after aborted takeoff

Passengers on an American Airlines flight evacuated onto the runway via emergency slides after the plane aborted its takeoff on the runway in Denver on Saturday. One person was taken to the hospital with minor injuries, officials said.

Lead poisoning investigation in China alleges cover up by kindergarten

An investigation into the lead poisoning of hundreds of children in western China has revealed an alleged cover-up by the management of the kindergarten at the centre of the scandal.