Panama earthquake today: President declares ‘major disaster’ as buildings collapse and aftershocks rattle country

Microsoft is being suspended from program to apply for green cards for H-1B visa workers, Vance says

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is suspending tech giant Microsoft from a program to apply for green cards for workers who come to the U.S. to live and work using an H-1B visa as it accuses the company of fraud. “If you do the math, for every worker that Microsoft laid off, they replaced that worker with one and a half foreign indentured servants,” said Vice President JD Vance in a White House news conference announcing the decision. The H-1B program has long been a target of Trump supporters who say that the program undercuts American workers and is rife with abuse. H-1B visas are meant for high-skilled jobs that are difficult to find American workers to fill. Technology companies are the biggest users, with nearly three-quarters of approvals going to workers from India. Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Vance announcement came one day after Trump's Republican administration launched another broadside against international students and their ability to work in the U.S. The Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday propos

Saudi authorities say 3 killed in Houthi-claimed attacks on Riyadh airport

BEIRUT — An airline pilot was among three Saudi citizens killed in attacks targeting Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport and a Saudia airlines plane, the kingdom’s civil aviation authority said Friday. Several people “of different nationalities” were wounded. Thursday’s attacks were the deadliest in Saudi Arabia since the kingdom and allied forces in neighboring Yemen launched a major military offensive against Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels last weekend. The attacks also marked a significant escalation on the latest front in the Iran war, which has kept oil prices and financial markets volatile . U.N. special envoy Hans Grundberg told the U.N. Security Council that the situation in Yemen remained “highly fluid,” with civilians bearing the brunt of escalating violence in a country already facing dire humanitarian conditions and food insecurity. Airlines cancel flights to Saudi Arabia By Friday afternoon, at least 124 flights to and from Riyadh had been canceled after hundreds more were canceled a day earlier, according to flight-tracking site FlightAware. Air In

9/11 attacks inspired Flydubai hijacker to become a pilot: UAE probe

Panama earthquake today: President declares ‘major disaster’ as buildings collapse and aftershocks rattle country

A 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Panama, prompting President Jose Raul Mulino to declare a major disaster. Roads and buildings collapsed, flights were diverted and more than 80 aftershocks were recorded, although shipping through the Panama Canal continued normally.

EU prepares for possible China trade war with €21bn minerals push

EU prepares for possible China trade war with €21bn minerals pushThe European Union has announced support for 46 critical minerals projects worth €21bn as it prepares for possible trade tensions with China.The projects aim to increase European supplies of lithium, gallium and rare earths...

Life-threatening Hurricane Isaias makes landfall in Florida

The storm took direct aim at Florida and is expected to impact Alabama, Georgia, and Louisiana.

Singapore ‘stands ready’ to assist Indonesia on forest fires amid haze, says Grace Fu

"We are concerned about the well-being of our people. We are on top of the situation," said Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu.

South African-born jurist Navi Pillay wins Nobel Peace Prize for her work in international justice

OSLO, Norway (AP) — Navi Pillay, a South African-born jurist and former U.N. human rights chief whose career has spanned from defending the rights of an imprisoned Nelson Mandela to leading a panel that found that Israel committed genocide in Gaza, won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for efforts that the award committee said...

Delhi sealed off ahead of youth ‘Cockroach’ protest

The protest, called by the “Cockroach” youth movement, hopes to draw thousands of demonstrators.

Russian war blogger Mikhail Zvinchuk detained in Montenegro amid security fears

Russian war blogger Mikhail Zvinchuk detained in Montenegro amid security fearsA prominent pro-Kremlin Russian military blogger has been arrested in Montenegro amid concerns about alleged Russian attempts to destabilise the Balkan country.Mikhail Zvinchuk, founder of the influential Rybar Telegram...

Hurricane Isaias Snaps Power Lines as It Nears Florida Coast

Hurricane Isaias triggered blackouts as it barreled closer to the US Gulf Coast Friday evening, bringing extreme wind gusts and a dangerous storm surge to the region.

In A U-Turn, Trump Signs Oil Deal With Putin, Zelensky Calls Move "Unworthy"

US President Donald Trump said Friday that he had secured Russian leader Vladimir Putin's agreement to release diesel into US and global markets, vowing this will help cool surging energy costs amid war with Iran.