International Desk
Trump Organization fined $1.6 million for tax fraud
A New York judge on Friday fined Donald Trump's family business the maximum penalty possible of $1.6 million for committing tax fraud, reports AFP.
Germany defence minister to resign
Germany's Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht has decided to step down from her post, several major national media reported on Friday, after she came under fire over a series of gaffes, reports AFP.
US Republicans probe chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal
Republicans launched an investigation Friday into the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan that sparked a lightning takeover of the war-ravaged country by the Taliban and the death of 13 American troops in a militant attack, reports AFP.
Former Bolsonaro minister arrested over January 8 assault
A former minister in the government of defeated Brazilian ex-president Jair Bolsonaro was arrested early Saturday, local media reported, in connection with the sacking of government buildings, reports AFP.
Russia claims control of Soledar, Ukraine says fighting ongoing
Russia said Friday its forces had wrested control of the war-scarred town of Soledar in east Ukraine, its first claim of victory in months of battlefield setbacks, but Ukraine said fierce fighting was still under way, reports AFP.
At least 6 killed as tornado strikes southern US state
At least six people were killed on Thursday when a tornado and powerful storms ravaged the southern US state of Alabama, rescue officials confirmed, reports AFP.
Zelensky promises 'everything necesary' to defend Soledar from Russia
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday that Ukrainian forces defending Bakhmut and Soledar in the east would be armed with everything they need to keep Russian troops at bay in some of the bloodiest battles of the war, reports AFP.
Classified docs discovery leaves White House squirming
The White House faced aggressive questioning Wednesday over the discovery of classified documents apparently mislaid by President Joe Biden, a case complicating the authorities' probe into a far bigger scandal involving Donald Trump
Rioters in Brazil plotted openly online, pitched huge ‘party’
The map was called “Beach Trip” and was blasted out to more than 18,000 members of a public Telegram channel called, in Portuguese, “Hunting and Fishing.”
Death toll in riot at football match rises to 174
At least 174 people were killed and 180 injured in a stampede and riot at a soccer match in Indonesia, officials said on Sunday, in one of the world’s worst stadium disasters.
Japan’s ex-PM Shinzo Abe dies after being shot
Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Japan's longest-serving leader, died on Friday hours after he was shot while campaigning for a parliamentary election, shocking a country in which political violence is rare and guns are tightly controlled.
US ‘confident’ in Nordic NATO bids
The United States said Wednesday it is confident Finland and Sweden will become part of NATO, despite vocal Turkish protests--an expansion that would dramatically realign European security in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Putin preparing for long haul, says US intelligence
Vladimir Putin is preparing for a long war in Ukraine, with even victory in the east potentially not ending the conflict, US intelligence has warned.
Indian rupee hits all-time low
The Indian rupee fell to a new all-time low early today (May 9, 2022), trading beyond 77.40 per US dollar, driven by investors' need for safety as China's lockdowns, war on the outskirts of Europe, and fears of increased interest rates sent a fearful jolt through markets, reports NDTV.
UN chief seeks to meet Putin and Zelenskyy
United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has written to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to receive him in Moscow and Kyiv “to discuss urgent steps to bring about peace in Ukraine.”