Author: GlobalNewsAdmin

Bangkok, Thailand – A court is poised to decide whether Thailand’s most consequential and controversial political figure of the past 25 years, Thaksin Shinawatra, insulted the country’s revered monarchy, a crime that can land a culprit in jail for up to 15 years.The charge, under Thailand’s strict “lese-majeste” royal defamation law, stems from an interview the 76-year-old business tycoon and former prime minister gave to a South Korean newspaper in 2015 regarding a military coup that toppled his sister and then-Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in 2014.Though holding no official role in government, Thaksin remains a towering figure bearing over Thailand’s…

Union Minister for Coal and Mines, Kishan Reddy, launched the 13th round of commercial coal mine auctions in New Delhi on August 21, 2025. Photo: X/@kishanreddybjp Seeking wider stakeholder participation with the Government, Union Coal Minister G. Kishan Reddy said it is high time that coal production in India is increased.Launching the 13th round of auctions of commercial coal mines, the Union Minister sought that prospective bidders look to commence production at their blocks ahead of schedule. Mr. Reddy further urged the need for diversification and sought they invest generously in the realm.Launched the 13th Round of Commercial Coal Mine…

Dancers rehearse at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. ANNA-ROSE GASSOT/AFP via Getty Images/AFP hide caption toggle caption ANNA-ROSE GASSOT/AFP via Getty Images/AFP The Kennedy Center has fired its dance programming team. “Three individuals were terminated,” read a statement from Kennedy Center spokesperson Roma Daravi. “We will have an exciting announcement about the new direction for Dance programming soon.” Programming staff help curate and manage the performances planned for the season. The Kennedy Center did not identify the three people who were fired, but Jane Raleigh is listed as Director of Dance Programming on the Kennedy Center’s website. NPR has…

During a U.S. naval test off the California coast last month, which was designed to showcase the Pentagon’s top autonomous drone boats, one vessel stalled unexpectedly.As officials scrambled to fix a software glitch, another drone vessel smashed into the idling boat’s starboard side, vaulted over the deck, and crashed back into the water – an incident captured in videos obtained by Reuters.The previously unreported episode, which involved two vessels built by U.S. defense tech rivals Saronic and BlackSea Technologies, is one of a series of recent setbacks in the Pentagon’s push to build a fleet of autonomous vessels, according to…

USAID, the “soft power” arm of the federal government that awards grants for education, health care, and environmental conservation to developing countries, was one of the first casualties of Trump’s second term. Billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) spent a weekend in early February “feeding USAID into the woodchipper,” per his post on X, because of his unfounded belief that it’s a “scam.” The move has translated into the firing of nearly all staff and the cancellation of 83% of its programs. And while the agency was best known for its health initiatives–one study estimates that…

Hamas fighters patrol a street before they hand over three Israeli hostages to a Red Cross team in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza, on Feb. 8. Eyad Baba/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Eyad Baba/AFP via Getty Images TEL AVIV, Israel — Nearly two years after launching the surprise attack that sparked the war with Israel, Hamas finds itself up against a wall. Its fighting force has been pummeled by Israel, its charismatic leadership has been all but assassinated and its ceasefire negotiators face unprecedented pressure from Arab governments to give up its weapons and its rule. “Hamas is…

The Group of Ministers on Rate Rationalisation gave its in-principle support Thursday to the Centre’s proposal to overhaul the Goods and Services Tax (GST) design, even as member states raised concerns about potential revenue loss on account of the rate rationalisation.Six days ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day address, announced the next big phase of reforms under the GST regime by Diwali, a gift for the common man, small entrepreneurs and MSMEs, in terms of reduced tax burden. The Centre has suggested replacing multiple slabs – 5 per cent, 12 per cent, 18 per cent and 28…

SCOTUS decision impacts DEI programmes that include breast cancer research and HIV prevention.The highest court in the US has ruled that the Trump administration can slash hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of research funding on breast cancer, HIV prevention and suicide, among other issues, in its push to cut federal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts.In a 5-4 decision issued on Thursday, the Supreme Court lifted a judge’s order blocking $783m worth of cuts made by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to align with Republican President Donald Trump’s priorities.The justices granted the Justice Department’s request to lift Boston-based…

Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema. | Photo Credit: PTI Criticising the Goods and Services Tax (GST) rate rationalisation and terming it “irresponsible”, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema has asked the Central government to immediately release compensation of ₹50,000 crore to Punjab to cover losses after GST implementation.After participating in the two-day meeting of the GST ministerial group on health and insurance, rationalising rates, and compensation cess, Mr. Cheema said that since the implementation of GST in 2017, Punjab has suffered a total financial loss of ₹1,11,045 crore.Also read: ​Required reforms: On reforms to the GST systemHe said that despite…

R Praggnanandhaa. Photo: X@rpraggnachess World champion D Gukesh was held to a draw by the lone wild card Samuel Sevian of United States, while fellow Indian R Praggnanandhaa also split the point with Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan in the third round of the Sinquefield Cup here.With his second draw in as many days, Praggnanadhaa remained in the leading group of three players that now include Fabiano Caruana of United States besides the overnight co-leader Armenian-turned-American Levon Aronian.Caruana handed Alireza Firouzja of France his first loss in the tournament in the lone decisive game of the day. Aronian was held to…