Heavy rains and floods battered parts of southern India over the weekend, killing at least 11 and displacing thousands in the state of Kerala, and setting off a landslide that killed at least three in neighbouring Karnataka, authorities and news reports said. The death toll in rain-related incidents rose to 11 by Sunday and nearly 7,700 people were evacuated to around 275 relief camps across Kerala, a state government minister said. Kerala’s Chief Minister V D Satheesan said on Monday he would be meeting district officials to review relief camp arrangements. On Sunday, he said clean-up operations had begun in…
Author: Web Desk
India’s Gen-Z Cockroach Janta Party, whose recent protest against exam paper leaks claimed a rare ministerial scalp, has no immediate plans to enter electoral politics, its founder told Reuters on Tuesday. Abhijeet Dipke spearheaded demonstrations that spread nationwide from Delhi, forcing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s education minister to resign, and spotlighting young people’s worries about high jobless rates despite rapid economic growth. “We want to consult Gen Z on the issues they want us to focus on,” Dipke said in an interview at his home in the western state of Maharashtra, adding that supporters would meet for two days from…
Hopes for easing tensions in the Middle East strengthened on Tuesday after US President Donald Trump said his administration held “very good discussions” with Iran during day-long negotiations, raising expectations that a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz could be reached soon. The diplomatic optimism lifted global financial markets, with oil prices falling and Asian stocks rising after Wall Street reached record highs on expectations that maritime traffic through the strategically important waterway could soon resume. Speaking to Fox News’ “@ Night” program, President Donald Trump said US and Iranian officials had engaged in all-day negotiations and described the…
A projectile struck an Indian-flagged vessel near Yemen, causing it to capsize and sink, but all 14 seafarers on board were rescued, India’s shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal said on Tuesday in a post on X. The crew members, including 13 Indians, were rescued by the Yemeni Coast Guard and taken to the Port of Mokha, Sonowal said after the commercial vessel, MSV Faize Noore Oliya, sank in the Red Sea. Yemen’s transportation ministry, part of the Saudi-backed, internationally recognised government, accused Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis of carrying out the attack by using an explosive-laden boat. There was no comment from the group.…
Qatar said on Tuesday mediators were making progress in efforts to end the US-Iran war, driving oil prices lower, although Tehran has denied President Donald Trump’s assertion that talks are already under way. Benchmark Brent crude fell more than 5% after the comments from Qatar, extending Monday’s steep losses on hopes that an arrangement could soon be reached to restore traffic through the blockaded Strait of Hormuz. But for now, the strait remained virtually shut, with another ship coming under attack while trying to cross it. Trump and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani discussed efforts to narrow…
At least 17 people were killed and more than 40 injured after Russia launched a large-scale missile attack on Kyiv and the surrounding region overnight, Ukrainian officials said on Wednesday. According to Ukraine’s Air Force, Russia fired 24 ballistic missiles, four Zircon cruise missiles and 115 drones during the assault. Air defences intercepted nearly 90% of the drones but failed to shoot down any of the ballistic or Zircon missiles. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the strikes destroyed warehouses, civilian logistics centres, railway infrastructure and industrial facilities, including a brewing company and construction materials warehouses. “The main targets were warehouses, infrastructure…
A surprise device may be revealed at the Made by Google event on August 12. In addition to the Pixel 11 lineup and Pixel Watch 5, Google is expected to introduce a new item tracker called the Google Pixel Tag. Leaked listings and photos show the Pixel Tag will come in a color called Fog Light and have the model number GA12506. A European retail leak lists the price at €30, or about $34, which suggests Google wants to keep it affordable. At first, most rumors focused on the tracker’s hardware. However, Google’s Gemini AI assistant accidentally shared important details…
With a new version of the lower-priced “iPhone e” series coming out every year, Apple often changes features and specs as component prices decline. Apple plans to release the iPhone 18e next March, and one of its expected upgrades is surprising, given the cost and availability of the component involved. According to two top analysts, Ming-Chi Kuo of Taiwan’s TF International Securities and Jeff Pu of GF Securities, Apple will increase the RAM on the iPhone 18e from 8GB to 9GB. Apple requires iPhones to have at least 8GB of memory to support Apple Intelligence, while 12GB is required for…
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has claimed that an alleged extortionist manipulated Apple into briefly removing the messaging platform from the App Store by planting AI-modified child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in a public group. The app was removed from Apple’s App Store for about 40 minutes on Monday before being reinstated after Telegram removed the offending content and banned the user responsible. According to Durov, the attacker was part of a “takedown extortion” scheme in which criminals allegedly demand payments from Telegram group administrators in exchange for not targeting their communities. ‘Invisible’ content used to evade moderation Durov said the…
Apple on Monday asked a U.S. judge for a preliminary injunction barring two former employees and OpenAI from accessing, acquiring, using or disclosing alleged confidential information as it moves ahead with its trade secrets case. Apple last month sued OpenAI and the two former employees, both now working for OpenAI, alleging misappropriation of its trade secrets to benefit the ChatGPT-owner’s foray into consumer hardware, a dramatic escalation of already simmering tension between the two companies. The iPhone maker also filed a concurrent motion on Monday seeking expedited discovery, including production of documents relating to the defendants’ alleged access of Apple’s…
