- Wednesday, 20 August 2025
Reuters
Trump: Nothing Canada, Mexico or China can do to delay Feb 1 tariffs
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he would impose hefty new tariffs of 25% on goods from Mexico and Canada and 10% on imports from China, and nothing could be done by the three countries to forestall them.
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'Most, if not all on board killed', 30 bodies recovered in Washington jet-helicopter collision
NBC's Washington affiliate News4 reported that more than 30 bodies had been recovered from the river. U.S. Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas, from where the flight was travelling, suggested most if not all those on board had been killed."It's really hard when you lose probably over 60 Kansans simultaneously," he told a press conference at Reagan Airport in the U.S. capital early on Thursday.
Alibaba releases AI model, says surpasses DeepSeek
Chinese tech company Alibaba (9988.HK), on Wednesday released a new version of its Qwen 2.5 artificial intelligence model that it claimed surpassed the highly-acclaimed DeepSeek-V3. The unusual timing of the Qwen 2.5-Max's release, on the first day of the Lunar New Year when most Chinese people are off work and with their families, points to the pressure Chinese AI startup DeepSeek's meteoric rise in the past three weeks has placed on not just overseas rivals, but also its domestic competition.
Nepal increases Mount Everest climbing fee to $15,000
Nepal will increase the permit fees for climbing Mount Everest by more than 35%, making the world’s tallest peak more expensive for mountaineers for the first time in nearly a decade, officials said on Wednesday.
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Triumphant Trump returns to White House, launching new era of upheaval
The ceremony will take place at noon (1700 GMT) inside the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol, four years after a mob of Trump supporters breached the symbol of American democracy in an unsuccessful effort to forestall the Republican Trump's 2020 defeat to Democrat Joe Biden. The swearing-in was moved indoors for the first time in 40 years due to the extreme cold.
Israeli PM says ceasefire will not start until Hamas releases hostage list
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Gaza's ceasefire, due to start at 0630 GMT on Sunday, will not begin until the Palestinian militant group Hamas provides a list of hostages to be released. Netanyahu's announcement comes one hour before the ceasefire deadline. Hostages were expected to be released within hours of the start of the ceasefire, opening the way to a possible end to a 15-month war that has upended the Middle East.
Passenger plane crashes in Kazakhstan
A passenger plane crashed near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan on Wednesday and initial reports suggested there were survivors, the Central Asian country's Emergencies Ministry said in a statement. The ministry said emergency services were trying to put out a fire at the crash site.
Trump aims to deport all immigrants in the US illegally
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump aims to deport all immigrants in the U.S. illegally over his four-year term but wants a deal to protect so-called "Dreamer" immigrants, he said in an interview that aired on Sunday on NBC News's “Meet the Press with Kristen Welker.”
South Korea President Yoon banned from foreign travel as leadership crisis deepens
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been banned from leaving the country over a failed attempt at imposing martial law, a justice ministry official said on Monday, amid growing calls for him to step down and a deepening leadership crisis.
Syrian rebels topple President Assad, prime minister calls for free elections
Syrian rebels announced on state television on Sunday that they have ousted President Bashar al-Assad, eliminating a 50-year family dynasty in a lightning offensive that raised fears of a new wave of instability in the Middle East gripped by war. Syria's army command notified officers on Sunday that Assad's regime had ended, a Syrian officer who was informed of the move told Reuters.
South Korea's Yoon apologises for martial law but does not resign ahead of impeachment vote
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol apologised on Saturday for his attempt to impose martial law this week but did not resign, defying intense pressure to step down even from some in his ruling party and only hours ahead of a planned impeachment vote.
Australia's under-16 social media ban sparks anger and relief
Australians reacted on Friday with a mixture of anger and relief to a social media ban on children under 16 that the government says is world-leading, but which tech giants like TikTok argue could push young people to "darker corners of the internet".
Landslides in Indonesia's Sumatra kill at least 27, rescuers search for missing
Indonesian rescuers are searching for passengers trapped in a minibus buried in mud after flash floods and landslides hit several locations in North Sumatra province, killing at least 27, an official said on Thursday. Torrential rain in the province since last week had caused flash floods and landslides in four different districts, Indonesia's disaster agency has said.
Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire takes effect, civilians head back to south Lebanon
A ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed group Hezbollah came into effect on Wednesday after both sides accepted an agreement brokered by the U.S. and France, a rare victory for diplomacy in a region traumatised by two devastating wars for over a year.
Relaxed Bumrah enjoying responsibility of India captaincy
India's Jasprit Bumrah has always enjoyed being thrust into difficult situations so after being handed the captaincy for the opener of a five-test series against Australia the pace spearhead has seized the opportunity with both hands.
