Today Update

Plans to ban new petrol cars in the EU have been abandoned in hasty u-turn from European lawmakers

Ed Miliband is facing pressure to ditch the UK’s 2035 ban on petrol and diesel car sales today after the EU dramatically abandoned its rules. The Net Zero Secretary has…

Saudi Arabia may have uranium enrichment under proposed deal with US, arms control experts warn

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Saudi Arabia could have some form of uranium enrichment within the kingdom under a proposed nuclear deal with the United States, congressional documents and an…

Japan’s traditional kimonos are being repurposed in creative and sustainable ways

TOKYO — The kimono, that elaborate, delicate wrap-around garment worn by geisha and samurai from centuries back, is getting a vibrant remake, appreciated these days for a virtue that’s more…

Asian shares are mixed, US futures edge higher as AI fears drag Wall Street lower

BANGKOK — Shares were mixed Friday in Asia as worries over risks linked to massive investments in artificial intelligence and a potential U.S.-Iran conflict weighed on major benchmarks. U.S. futures…

A traditional sausage in the shape of a horseshoe is ‘ironed’ for dryness in southeastern Serbia

PIROT, Serbia — During long winter months, a traditionally crafted spicy sausage in the town of Pirot in southeastern Serbia is said to lift both a person’s energy and spirits.…

Modi pitches India as an artificial intelligence hub at the AI summit

NEW DELHI — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday pitched his country as a central player in the global artificial intelligence ecosystem, saying it aims to build technology at…

Indonesia’s president reaches a trade deal with US while in Washington for Trump’s Board of Peace

WASHINGTON — The White House announced a reciprocal trade agreement with Indonesia on Thursday while President Prabowo Subianto was in Washington to attend the first meeting of President Donald Trump’s…

Met Opera’s 2026-27 season has 17 productions, its fewest in at least 60 years

NEW YORK — Despite encouraging box office figures for the season’s first half, the financially strapped Metropolitan Opera scaled back its 2026-27 schedule with its fewest productions in at least…

Average US long-term mortgage rate dips to 6.01%, lowest level in more than 3 years

The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate slipped this week to its lowest level in more than three years, but remains around 6% in the same narrow range it has been…

Family say grandmother’s death after catching Legionnaires’ disease from ‘smelly and off-colour’ hot tub in rented holiday cottage was ‘entirely preventable’

The family of a grandmother who died from Legionnaires’ disease after bathing in hot tub for her 70th birthday have said her ‘devastating and unexpected’ death was ‘entirely preventable’. Paulette…