TikTok owner signs agreements to avoid US ban

TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance has signed binding agreements with US and global investors for the majority of its business in America, TikTok’s boss told employees on Thursday.

Ex-Nascar driver and his family among seven killed in US plane crash

A former Nascar driver and his family were among the seven people killed in a plane crash at a regional airport in North Carolina, the car-racing organisation has said.

Violence breaks out in Bangladesh after death of youth protest leader

Violence has erupted in Bangladesh following the death of a prominent leader of the youth movement that ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

French ’Doctor Death’ who poisoned patients jailed for life

A former anaesthetist has been jailed for life for intentionally poisoning 30 patients, including 12 who died.

China is building the world’s most powerful hydropower system deep in the Himalayas

Hundreds of miles from China’s populous coastline, a sharp bend in a remote Himalayan river is set to become the centerpiece of one of the country’s most ambitious – and controversial – infrastructure projects to date.

US announces $11bn weapons sale to Taiwan

The Trump administration has announced a huge arms sale worth around $11bn (£8.2bn) to Taiwan, which includes advanced rocket launchers, self-propelled howitzers and a variety of missiles.

Myanmar regime claims Aung San Suu Kyi ‘in good health’ despite son’s fears

Military-ruled Myanmar has said the country’s jailed Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi is “in good health” amid concerns about the health of the pro-democracy leader who was removed from power by a coup in 2021.

India accelerates free trade agreements to counter US tariffs and expand exports

India has accelerated a push to finalize several free trade agreements over the next few months to offset the impact of steep U.S. import tariffs and widen export destinations during growing global trade uncertainties.

Dan Bongino stepping down as FBI deputy director

Dan Bongino has said he will leave his role as the FBI’s deputy director in January.

Vladimir Putin predicts European ‘swine’ backing Ukraine will lose power

Vladimir Putin has said Russia will not back down from its mission to “liberate its historic lands” and predicted the European “swine” backing Kyiv would ultimately lose power, in a speech that showed no readiness to compromise on the goals for his invasion of Ukraine.

Heavy rains worsen conditions for displaced Gazans, UN warns

Heavy rains over the past week have compounded the already dire living conditions of the hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, UN agencies say.

Australian PM announces crackdown on hate speech after Bondi shooting

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says his government will crack down on hate speech following Sunday’s deadly shooting at Bondi Beach that targeted a Jewish festival.

Billionaire Jared Isaacman, an Elon Musk ally, confirmed as Nasa chief

The US Senate has approved the appointment of billionaire investor Jared Isaacman to lead Nasa, capping an unusual nomination process where President Donald Trump put his name forward, withdrew it, and then renominated him for the post.

Indian scientists predict how bird flu could spread to humans

For years, scientists have warned that bird flu - better known as H5N1 - could one day make the dangerous leap from birds to humans and trigger a global health crisis.

Warner Bros favours Netflix offer over $108bn Paramount bid

Warner Bros Discovery has told its shareholders to reject Paramount Skydance’s $108.4bn (£80.75bn) takeover bid.

Hackers access Pornhub’s premium users’ viewing habits and search history

Hackers have accessed the search history and viewing habits of premium users of Pornhub, one of the world’s most popular pornography websites.

China, Quad and the rare earths mineral competition in Myanmar

As the US-China rivalry spirals, it is spilling over into new domains, particularly those involving rare earth minerals, regional supply chains, and emerging technologies. Countries with fragile political systems but high geoeconomic value are increasingly turning into theaters of this strategic competition.

AI romance blooms as Japanese woman weds virtual partner of her dream

Music played in a wedding hall in western Japan as Yurina Noguchi, wearing a white gown and tiara, dabbed away her tears, taking in the words of her husband-to-be: an AI-generated persona gazing out from a smartphone screen.

Shock as popular South African DJ shot dead in Johannesburg

A popular South African radio and club DJ has been shot dead in the country’s largest city, Johannesburg, sending shockwaves across the nation grappling with entrenched crime.

Elon Musk is now worth over $600 billion

Elon Musk has become the first person in history to reach a net worth of $600 billion, according to Forbes estimated published on Monday.

TikTok monitored Grindr activity through third-party tracker, privacy group alleges

A privacy advocacy group, noyb, filed complaints to Austria’s data protection authority on Wednesday against TikTok, Grindr (GRND.N), opens new tab and AppsFlyer, alleging these companies breached regional privacy laws, risking exposure of sensitive data.

Alleged Bondi gunman charged with 15 counts of murder

Naveed Akram, the surviving alleged suspect in Sunday’s mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney, has been charged with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder and one of committing a terrorist act, according to the New South Wales Police.

PM Modi conferred country’s highest civilian award in Addis Ababa

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on Tuesday conferred with Ethiopia’s highest civilian honour, The Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia, during his first bilateral visit to the country.

Fifa brings in new £45 ticket for 2026 World Cup

Fifa has introduced a small number of ’’more affordable’’ $60 (£45) tickets for all 104 matches at the 2026 World Cup following criticism of its pricing structure for the tournament.

Trump expands US travel ban to five more countries

President Donald Trump has expanded a US travel ban, barring nationals of five additional countries and people travelling on Palestinian Authority-issued documents from entering the US.

'No abrupt conditions': Pakistan Finance ministry clarifies 'new IMF terms'

Denying rumours about new International Monetary Fund (IMF) conditions, the Ministry of Finance on Sunday said that the lender’s structural benchmarks under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programme aligned with its own reform agenda.

IMF tightens noose on Pakistan’s $7 Billion bailout, imposes new conditions

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has placed 11 new conditions on Pakistan under the second review of its $7 billion bailout programme, bringing the total to 64 within just 18 months. The newly released staff-level report outlines a series of governance, anti-corruption, fiscal and structural reforms aimed at addressing what the IMF calls “deep-rooted distortions” in Pakistan’s economy.

PSG ordered to pay Mbappe 60m euros

Paris St-Germain have been ordered to pay former striker Kylian Mbappe 60m euros (£52.5m) in unpaid salary and bonuses by a French court.

IMF flags systemic corruption and institutional decay in Pakistan

Pakistan’s latest encounter with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has laid bare uncomfortable truths the country has long chosen to sidestep.

Trump under fire for ‘loathsome’ post about death of Rob Reiner and wife

President Donald Trump is under fire over his comments on the deaths of legendary Hollywood director and actor Rob Reiner, 78, and his wife Michele Singer Reiner, 68, who were found fatally stabbed at their Los Angeles home Sunday.