A prominent American academic has been detained in Thailand after being charged with insulting the monarchy, a rare case in which a foreign national has fallen foul of the country’s strict lese-majesty law. Paul Chambers, who specialises in civil-military relations and democratisation in south-east Asia, was denied bail on Tuesday and is being held at…
The number of state executions around the world has reached its highest level in ten years, a new report by Amnesty International has said. More than 1,500 recorded executions took place in 2024 with Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia accounting for a combined 1,380 and the United States for 25, the charity found. Despite this…
At least 50 hippos and other large animals have been killed by anthrax poisoning in Africa’s oldest national park, its director has said. Photos shared by the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo show the motionless animals floating along the Ishasha River. Park officials say they first started appearing last week. The…
A large majority of attempts to ban books in the US last year came from organised groups rather than parents. 72% of demands to censor books were initiated by pressure groups, government entities and elected officials, board members and administrators, reported the American Library Association (ALA). Just 16% of ban attempts were made by parents,…
Technology stocks bounced Tuesday after three rocky trading sessions, spurred by rising optimism that President Donald Trump could potentially negotiate tariff deals with world leaders. Nvidia led the Magnificent Seven group’s gains, rallying about 7%. Meta Platforms, Amazon, Tesla, Apple and Microsoft jumped at least 4% each. Alphabet rose about 3%. The sector is coming…
Samantha Granville BBC News, Los Angeles Watch: The murder case that divided America takes a new turn For the first time in decades, Lyle and Erik Menendez say they are beginning to feel hope they could get parole. It is a shift in mindset for the brothers, who have spent more than 30 years behind…
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese faced-off with his election rival Peter Dutton in their first debate before the 3 May federal election vote. Cost of living issues dominated Tuesday night’s debate, organised by Sky News and The Daily Telegraph, and the two leaders were also asked about US President Donald Trump’s tariffs. Opinion polls have…
The Trump administration-led justice department planned to send armed US marshals to deliver a letter warning a career pardon attorney about testifying to Congress after she says she was fired over a case involving the actor Mel Gibson, her lawyer said in a letter seen by Reuters on Monday. “This highly unusual step of directing…
Walgreens on Tuesday reported fiscal second-quarter earnings and revenue that topped expectations, as the retail drugstore giant benefits from cost cuts and prepares to go private. The company is in the process of being taken private by Sycamore Partners in a roughly $10 billion deal that is expected to close in the fourth quarter of…
The heads of six UN agencies have appealed to world leaders to act urgently to make sure food and supplies get to Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel has stopped letting in deliveries for more than a month. A joint statement said Palestinians were “trapped, bombed and starved again” with supplies “piling up” at crossing points….
