Author: News Desk

Japan’s ruling party picks next PM Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has elected veteran politician Shigeru Ishiba as its new leader, positioning him to become the next prime minister. The leadership race was triggered after current Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced last month that he would not seek re-election. With the LDP holding a parliamentary majority, the party’s new leader automatically becomes prime minister. Ishiba’s victory comes during a challenging period for the LDP, which has been shaken by scandals and internal divisions that have weakened its once-dominant factions. Ishiba, 67, emerged as the frontrunner in public opinion polls.…

NYC Mayor Eric Adams charged with taking bribes and illegal campaign funds New York City Mayor Eric Adams is set to be arraigned in federal court on Friday, facing five criminal charges, including bribery, wire fraud, and soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations. The indictment, unveiled on Thursday, accuses Adams of accepting over $100,000 (£75,000) in luxury travel perks and illegal campaign contributions from Turkish businessmen and an official seeking to influence him. Adams, 64, a former police officer who was elected nearly three years ago on a tough-on-crime platform, has denied all allegations and pushed back against growing calls for…

At least 46 people in India drown during Hindu festival At least 46 people, including 37 children and seven women, drowned during the celebration of a Hindu religious festival in eastern India, according to local officials. The victims lost their lives while taking part in ritual bathing in rivers and ponds swollen by recent floods, with fatalities reported across 15 districts in the past 24 hours. The tragic incident occurred during the three-day Jivitputrika festival, which celebrates the well-being of children and is marked by mothers fasting in their honour. Despite warnings about dangerous water levels, many festival-goers in Bihar…

Israeli strike on Gaza school kills at least 11, health ministry says At least 11 people were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a school in northern Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The al-Faluja school, located in the Jabalia refugee camp, was being used as a shelter by displaced families. Among the dead were women and children, with local hospitals overwhelmed by the casualties. The Israeli military claimed the strike targeted a “command-and-control centre” used by Hamas fighters, which Hamas has denied in the past. Meanwhile, Gaza’s Civil Defence agency reported the death toll as 15, stating that…

Israel striking Lebanon with ‘full force’ despite ceasefire calls  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed the military to continue its offensive against Hezbollah with “full force,” despite growing international pressure for a ceasefire. Lebanon’s health ministry reported that at least 92 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes on Thursday, with hundreds more casualties since the conflict escalated on Monday. Hezbollah confirmed that an airstrike in southern Beirut killed Mohammad Surur, the head of its drone unit. The situation is raising fears of a full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah after a sharp increase in Israeli strikes on Lebanon. Initially, there…

Why is the Israeli invasion of Lebanon so dangerous Why is the Israeli invasion of Lebanon so dangerous a question on everyone’s lips at the UN general assembly. World leaders including Macron, Starmer and Biden are all urging Israel to back down, because they can see the complications. This isn’t Gaza anymore, this is an attack on sovereign state. Even the Financial Times referred to the attacks as “reckless acts that stoke the flames of conflict.” ‘Step back from the brink,’ says Starmer More than 600 civilians have been killed by Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon since Monday, according local authorities.…

Trump and Zelensky to meet amid Republican anger over key state visit Donald Trump has announced that he will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in New York on Friday. The meeting is scheduled to take place at around 09:45 ET (14:45 BST) at Trump Tower, despite earlier reports suggesting it had been cancelled due to tensions within the Republican Party. The controversy arose after Zelensky visited Pennsylvania, a key swing state, which angered some senior Republicans. On Thursday, Zelensky had also met with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House to discuss his “victory…

US offers $20m bounty for Iranian accused of plans to kill Trump aide The United States has announced a $20 million reward for information leading to the capture of Shahram Poursafi, an Iranian national accused of plotting to assassinate John Bolton, who served as National Security Advisor under former President Donald Trump. Poursafi is alleged to be a member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and is accused of trying to hire criminals in the U.S. to carry out the assassination in exchange for $300,000. This announcement comes shortly after Trump revealed that U.S. intelligence had briefed him about…

Woman arrested at Disneyland for failing to show ID: video A woman wearing Minnie Mouse ears screamed profanities as police arrested her at Disneyland on Tuesday after she failed to show her ID to officers at the theme park, police say. The unidentified woman, who was accompanied by two young children, was taken into custody and cited for obstructing a peace officer and refusing to provide identification at Disney California Adventure, according to the Anaheim Police Department. Police were called after the woman was uncooperative with Disneyland Resort security teams. Disneyland officials told local news station KTLA the woman allegedly…

Netanyahu says Israel ‘will not stop’ attacks on Hezbollah despite ceasefire calls Israeli airstrikes killed 92 people in Lebanon on Thursday; John Kirby says the White House had believed Israel was ‘on board’ with a ceasefire proposal. Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel “will not stop” its attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon despite calls from the US, France and other allies for an immediate three-week ceasefire aimed at containing the spread of a conflict that is beginning to engulf Lebanon. The calls for an immediate ceasefire were backed on Thursday night by Lebanon’s minister for foreign affairs, Abdallah Bouhabib, who told…