International

At least nine people were killed Sunday in western Ecuador after a pickup truck and an SUV collided head on, authorities said. Two others were injured in the accident, which occurred around 5:00 am (1000 GMT) on the highway connecting the coastal city of Manta and the nearby town of Montecristi, renowned for its Panama hat production. “We suspect a ...

Prince Alwaleed bin Khalid bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia passed away on Saturday, the Royal Court announced through the Saudi Press Agency. Known as the “Sleeping Prince”, he had been in a coma for nearly 20 years following a traffic accident in 2005 before his passing. The death was also confirmed by his father, Prince Khaled ...

At least 50 people have been killed in a massive fire at a hypermarket in Iraq’s Al-Kut city, multiple news agencies reported citing Wasit province governor, Mohammed al-Miyahi, on Thursday. Unconfirmed viral visuals online showed a big portion of a building on fire, with plumes of smoke coming out. “The number of victims has reached about 50 people, martyrs and ...

A rapidly growing wildfire at the Grand Canyon’s North Rim has destroyed at least 50 structures, including the iconic Grand Canyon Lodge, according to U.S. authorities on Monday. The fire, dubbed the Dragon Bravo blaze, has forced the evacuation of more than 500 tourists and park personnel since it ignited on July 4, likely from a lightning strike. Strong winds ...

US President Donald Trump on Monday told Russia to resolve its Ukraine war within 50 days or face massive new economic sanctions as he laid out plans for new infusions of weaponry for Kyiv. “We’re very, very unhappy” with Russia, Trump told reporters as he met with NATO chief Mark Rutte in the White House. “We’re going to be doing ...

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday called for “merciful compassion” for the world’s poor and victims of tyranny and war, as he celebrated Mass at St. Thomas of Villanova parish church in Castel Gandolfo, a site spiritually tied to his Augustinian roots. The pope, currently on summer vacation, has resumed the papal tradition of spending time at the estate south of ...

The latest version of Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok 4, has been observed to echo Musk’s personal views so closely that it sometimes searches online for Musk’s stance on a topic before giving its own opinion. This unusual behavior has surprised AI experts testing the tool. Developed by Musk’s company xAI and launched last Wednesday, Grok 4 was designed ...

Fuel control switches for the engines of an Air India flight that crashed last month were moved from the “run” to the “cutoff” position moments before impact, starving both engines of fuel, a preliminary investigation report said early Saturday, reports AP. The report, issued by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, also indicated that both pilots were confused over the change ...

Russian air defence systems intercepted 155 Ukrainian drones from late Thursday night into Friday morning, according to a statement from the country’s defence ministry. The ministry said the drones were of the fixed-wing type and were mostly brought down over the Kursk region, which borders Ukraine. The interceptions occurred between 11:00 pm Thursday (2000 GMT) and 7:00 am Friday. The ...

Nigerian soldiers killed at least 150 members of a criminal gang in an ambush in northwestern Kebbi state this week, a local official said Thursday, reports AFP. For years, heavily armed kidnapping gangs known as “bandits” have been intensifying attacks in the northwest and central areas of the west African country with impunity, killing thousands and abducting people for ransom. ...