World

The United States military said it killed four men in a strike on a suspected drug-trafficking boat in international waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Thursday, part of a campaign that has killed at least 87 people. "Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was carrying illicit narcotics and transiting along a known narco-trafficking route in the eastern Pacific," the US Southern Command said in a statement. In a video posted by the US military, a small boat moving across the water is struck by a large explosion. The camera then zooms out to show the vessel engulfed in flames and smoke. The military said the strike was "at the direction of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth," using the new title for the defense secretary. Lawmakers briefed on September 2 strikes The latest strike occu...

While negotiations regarding the US' plan to end the war in Ukraine are underway, Russia has announced the capture of the cities of Pokrovsk and Vovchansk in the region of Donetsk. The Ukrainian government denies this and accuses Russia of propaganda. Who is in control of Pokrovsk? On December 1, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, citing a report by Russia's General Staff chief Valery Gerasimov to Russian President Vladimir Putin, declared that "Krasnoarmeysk," the old Soviet name of the city which is still used by Russia, had been captured. Ukraine renamed the "City of the Red Army" to Pokrovsk in 2016. But on December 2, the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said that it had not found evidence for the "complete Russian seizure of Pokrovsk." On the same day, a senior NATO off...

Key points San Francisco is suing companies including Kellogg, Nestle and Coca-Cola City claims companies caused public health crisis with ultraprocessed foods Trade group says there is no agreed-upon definition of ultraprocessed foods San Francisco is suing the makers of ultraprocessed foods, including Kraft Heinz, Coca-Cola, Nestle, Kellogg and Mondelez. "These companies created a public health crisis with the engineering and marketing of ultraprocessed foods," San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu said. "They took food and made it unrecognizable and harmful to the human body." What we know about San Francisco's lawsuit The lawsuit, lodged in San Francisco Superior Court on Tuesday, accuses 10 corporations of violating California laws on public nuisance and deceptive marketin...

On the first anniversary of South Korea's shock declaration of martial law, President Lee Jae Myung vowed to address the fallout from last year's failed insurrection and to ensure those responsible are held accountable. On December 3, 2024, former president Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law prompted massive protests and a showdown in parliament. "The recklessness of those who tried to destroy the constitutional order and even plan a war all for their personal ambition must be brought to justice," Lee said on Wednesday. Lee said in an address marking the anniversary that the bid had threatened to inflict "irreparable" damage on South Korea's democracy if not for public resistance. Rally to mark the anniversary of martial law declaration The president said he would propose desi...

The search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 will recommence at the end of December, Malaysia's transport ministry said on Wednesday, The Boeing 777 plane disappeared on March 8, 2014. It was carrying 239 passengers, mostly Chinese nationals, and crew when it vanished from air radar during a flight from Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. The plane wreckage has never been found despite numerous search attempts, and its fate is one the world's biggest aviation mysteries. Ocean Infinity to search seabed The ministry said in a statement that it "wishes to update that the deep-sea search for missing wreckage of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 will be resuming on 30 December 2025." The ocean exploration and survey company Ocean Infinity will conduct the search operation...

Within the first week of the current United Nations (UN) campaign in Libya, "16 Days of Activism against Violence Against Women and Girls," the murders of three Libyan women have made headlines. Social media influencer Khansa Al-Mujahid was shot while driving her car near Tripoli. Gynaecologist Amani Hajja was killed by members of her family in the city of Misrata, and the body of a woman who was found in a basin southeast of Tripoli is yet to be identified. Al-Sediq al-Sour, attorney general in Libya's western political capital Tripoli has called for an urgent and transparent investigation into the crimes. However, Asma Khalifa, co-founder of the feminist, Libya-based think tank Tamazight Women's Movement, and research fellow at the German GIGA Institute of Middle East Studies, says sh...

Nigeria's defense minister Mohammed Badaru Abubakar has resigned, the presidency said on Monday, with immediate effect. Presidential spokesperson Mayo Onanuga said in a statement that Abubakar was quitting on health grounds. "His resignation comes amid President [Bola] Tinubu's declaration of a national security emergency, with plans to elaborate on its scope in due course," the spokesperson said. Nigeria's armed banditry is a security crisis Nigeria has long been plagued by mass kidnappings, but the past weeks have seen a surge in attacks and abductions by armed bandits. Most recently, gunmen attacked a church in Kogi state in central Nigeria, abducting the pastor along with nearly a dozen worshipers during a Sunday morning service. On Saturday, some 30 women, including a bride and ...

Key points Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of the capital, Sofia, as well as at least a dozen other cities on Monday evening in the biggest protests the Balkan country has seen for years. In central Sofia, demonstrators packed the giant square in front of the National Assembly building. One of the rally organizers put the attendance at 50,000, according to the Bulgarian News Agency, BTA. They chanted "Resignation!" and sang and danced as they waved Bulgarian and European Union flags The protesters projected the words "Resign" and "Mafia" onto the government buildings around the square and held two large banners saying: "Generation Z is coming" and "Young Bulgaria without the mafia."  ​​Monday's protests are the biggest Bulgaria has seen in yearsImage: Nikolay Doychino...

Key points The head of Apple's AI team, John Giannandrea, is to retire in early 2026 Apple faces criticism for lagging behind competitors in AI technology The tech company has brought in a veteran engineer from Google and Microsoft Apple announced on Monday that its head of artificial intelligence, John Giannandrea, is stepping down. Giannandrea, who led Machine Learning and AI Strategy for seven years, will retire in spring 2026, Apple said in a statement. Giannandrea will serve as an advisor during his remaining time with the technology company. He will be replaced by Amar Subramanya, who has joined Apple as a vice president of AI, the company said. Subramanya was most recently a corporate vice president of AI at Microsoft for a short stint. Before that, he spent 16 years at G...