International – Page 1096

UN expert says Guatemalan prosecutor’s office using criminal law to pursue opponents | World News

GUATEMALA CITY: A United Nations expert warned Friday at the conclusion of her two-week visit that Guatemala’s prosecutor’s office is increasingly using criminal law against former prosecutors, judges, defence attorneys, journalists and others.Margaret Satterthwaite, the UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, travelled the country meeting with judges, lawyers, lawmakers and others, […]

Israeli use of human shields in Gaza was systemic, soldiers and former detainees tell the AP | World News

TEL AVIV: The only times the Palestinian man wasn’t bound or blindfolded, he said, was when he was used by Israeli soldiers as their human shield.Dressed in army fatigues with a camera fixed to his forehead, Ayman Abu Hamadan was forced into houses in the Gaza Strip to make sure they were clear of bombs […]

Why El Salvador President Bukele’s foreign agents law fuelling democratic concerns | World News

Nayib Bukele (Photo: Getty images) SAN SALVADOR: Human rights organisations, politicians and experts have sharply criticised a law approved by El Salvador’s Congress as a censorship tool designed to silence and criminalise dissent in the Central American nation by targeting nongovernmental organisations that have long been critical of President Nayib Bukele.The law proposed by Bukele […]

Hong Kong to open universities to more foreign students after US ban

Representative Image (AI-generated) Hong Kong has said it will open its universities to more international students, highlighting those affected by the US government’s move this week to block Harvard from enrolling foreign nationals.The sharp escalation in US President Donald Trump‘s longstanding feud with the prestigious university came as tensions simmer between Washington and Beijing over […]

Judge denies stay request, lets ruling stand blocking DOGE efforts to shut down peace institute

Institute of Peace (FIle Photo AP) WASHINGTON: A federal judge on Friday denied the Trump administration’s request that she stay her May 19 ruling that returned control of the US Institute of Peace back to its acting president and board.In a seven-page ruling, US district court Judge Beryl A Howell said the government did not […]

‘What was that bang?’: Footage shows moment Titan submersible imploded

The US coast guard on Thursday confirmed the moment the Titan submersible imploded in June 2023. It said the sound in the famous footage related to the incident was the sound of the submarines’ implosion.The cameras on the sub’s mother ship had captured the moment when Wendy Rush, wife of the founder of OceanGate, the […]

Thousands remain isolated as floods ease in eastern Australia

The flood has impacted more than 50,000 people (Image credit: AP) Tens of thousands of Australians remained isolated and thousands were without power on Saturday, authorities said as conditions in New South Wales eased after days of heavy rain that caused widespread flooding.Floodwaters were slowly subsiding but more than 20 emergency warnings remained in place, […]

Why Pete Hegseth is locking down Pentagon press access? Here’s what defence secretary said

US defence secretary Pete Hegseth Defence secretary Pete Hegseth implemented strict press restrictions at the Pentagon, requiring government escorts for journalists in previously accessible areas.In a significant policy shift announced late Friday, defense secretary Pete Hegseth implemented strict press restrictions at the Pentagon, requiring government escorts for journalists in previously accessible areas.The new measures affect […]

‘To advance reconstruction’: US moves to ease sanctions on Syria

US President Donald Trump (center) meets with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (right) and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa (left) in Riyadh Trump (middle) (AP) The Trump administration on Friday began rolling back longstanding sanctions on Syria, marking the first formal steps toward re-engagement with the war-torn nation. The move follows President Donald Trump’s […]

‘He listened to me’: Victims of an abusive Catholic group say Pope Leo XIV helped when others didn’t | World News

VATICAN CITY: Pope Leo XIV made plenty of enemies helping dismantle a powerful Catholic movement whose leaders physically, sexually, spiritually and psychologically abused members.As Leo’s past record of handling clergy sexual abuse cases comes under scrutiny, his biggest defenders are the victims of the group, known as the Sodalitium Christiane Vitae. These survivors say that […]