Category: Global

Muhammad Abu Dakha, a 31-year-old Palestinian, risked everything to escape Gaza and reach Europe. His journey took more than a year, cost thousands of dollars and even involved a jet ski ride across the Mediterranean.

Abu Dakha shared videos, photos and audio recordings of his journey with a foreign media outlet, which also interviewed him and his relatives in Gaza. He said he fled the devastation of the nearly two-year-old Israeli genocide, which has killed over 64,000 Palestinians so far.

He first crossed the Rafah border into Egypt in April 2024, paying $5,000. From there, he went to China hoping to secure asylum, but returned to Egypt through Malaysia and Indonesia after his request was denied. He later moved to Libya where he faced the same dangers thousands of migrants encounter from traffickers and militias.

Abu Dakha said he attempted to cross the sea with smugglers 10 times, but failed. Finally, he bought a used Yamaha jet ski for $5,000 on a Libyan online marketplace and spent another $1,500 on a GPS, satellite phone and life jackets.

He set out with two other Palestinians, 27-year-old Diaa and 23-year-old Bassem. The three calculated their fuel needs with ChatGPT and rode for nearly 12 hours, chased by a Tunisian patrol boat, while towing a dinghy with extra supplies.

“We were adventurers. We had strong hope that we would arrive, and God gave us strength,” said Bassem. “That’s why I risked my life on a jet ski. Without my family, life has no meaning.”

The trio ran out of fuel about 20 kilometers short of Lampedusa but managed to call for help. A Romanian patrol boat under a Frontex mission rescued them and brought them to Italy’s southernmost island on August 18.

“The way they came was pretty unique,” said Filippo Ungaro, spokesperson for UNHCR Italy, confirming that the group arrived by jet ski from the Libyan port of al-Khoms.

From Lampedusa, the journey continued. They were transferred to Sicily and then to Genoa, but Abu Dakha said they escaped from the bus before reaching their destination. He later flew from Genoa to Brussels and then traveled to Germany where a relative picked him up.

“I have worked hard to build a life, and now my only dream is to bring my family to safety,” he said.

Back in Gaza, his family remains in a tent camp in Khan Younis after their home was destroyed. Abu Dakha has now applied for asylum in Germany and is waiting for a court to review his case.

US President Donald Trump said Monday that he is bringing a $15 billion “defamation and libel lawsuit” against the New York Times.

“The New York Times has been allowed to freely lie, smear, and defame me for far too long, and that stops, NOW!” he wrote on his Truth Social platform, adding the lawsuit was being brought in Florida.

AFP has contacted the New York Times for comment.

Trump decried the newspaper as a “virtual ‘mouthpiece’ for the Radical Left Democrat Party” and accused it of lying about his “family, business, the America First Movement, MAGA, and our Nation as a whole.”

He provided no evidence for his claims.

The news outlet reported last week that Trump had threatened legal action against it in relation to articles on a lewd birthday note given to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The Republican president has denied authoring the note.

Trump has intensified his attacks on traditional media since his return to the White House, repeatedly badmouthing journalists critical of his administration, restricting access and bringing lawsuits.

He sued media magnate Rupert Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal for at least $10 billion in July after it published an article about his friendship with Epstein.

Paramount settled Trump’s lawsuit over election coverage on CBS News’ flagship show “60 Minutes” for $16 million the same month. He had alleged that the program deceptively edited an interview with his 2024 election rival, Kamala Harris, in her favor.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox said on Sunday that the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk is refusing to cooperate with investigators. Authorities are now relying on interviews with his friends and family to determine a motive.

Tyler Robinson, 22, is expected to be formally charged on Tuesday. He was arrested at his parents’ home following a 33-hour manhunt. Robinson is a third-year student at Dixie Technical College in Utah.

Investigators say Robinson climbed onto a rooftop at Utah Valley University last Wednesday during an outdoor event and shot Kirk from long range. Kirk was struck in the neck by a single rifle round and died at the scene. 

The event, held in Orem, about 65 kilometers south of Salt Lake City, was attended by nearly 3,000 people.

Cox said Robinson’s roommate, who was also his romantic partner, has been cooperating with authorities. Citing the FBI, Cox described the roommate as a male transitioning to female. The governor added that investigators are still determining whether the roommate’s gender identity has any relevance to the case.

According to court filings, investigators recovered bullet casings engraved with phrases and references to video game culture and memes. One casing read, “hey fascist! CATCH!” followed by button press symbols from a popular game. Another was inscribed with the message, “If you read This, you are GAY Lmao.”

Relatives told investigators that Robinson’s political views had diverged from his religious and conservative upbringing. He was registered to vote in Utah but not affiliated with any political party. A family member said Robinson had previously expressed dislike for Kirk and his positions.

Kirk was co-founder of Turning Point USA, a conservative student organization with chapters across U.S. campuses.

He was a prominent supporter of Donald Trump and was known for his strong views on immigration and LGBT issues, which drew criticism from opponents.

The killing has intensified debate over political violence in the United States. Trump blamed the “radical left” for Kirk’s death, though officials have not presented evidence supporting that claim.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, said political leaders should work to reduce tensions and condemned violence across party lines.

Governor Cox also criticized social media, saying it has played a role in recent political attacks. A memorial for Kirk is scheduled for September 21 in Glendale, Arizona, according to Turning Point USA.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has proposed that the government acquire 114 French-made Rafale fighter jets for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) after Pakistan Air Force (PAF) had shot down three aircraft when the countries clashed in May. 

Following the April 22 Pahalgam incident in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), India launched strikes in Pakistan’s cities on the night of May 6-7. In response, PAF shot down six IAF fighter jets, including three Rafales.

The 88-hour-long conflict between the neighbouring nuclear countries ended after the United States (US) President Donald Trump, in a post on Truth Social, announced a ceasefire on May 10. 

Islamabad has time and again acknowledged President Trump’s role in mediating the ceasefire; however, India denied it, saying that the ceasefire was achieved during direct talks that had taken place between both countries’ Director General of Military Operations (DGMO).

According to Indian media, if the proposal is accepted, the deal for Rafale is estimated to be done to cost INR 2 lakh crore, or about a whopping $23.8 billion. The jets will feature 60 percent indigenous content and will be built in India by Dassault Aviation and an Indian firm under the ‘Make in India’ scheme.

The proposal is currently under consideration by different wings within the ministry, including Defence Finance. The IAF has reportedly called upon the MoD to bypass the Multi Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) program to directly opt for the Rafale.

The biggest ever defence deal for the Rafales is expected to take the number of Rafale aircraft in the Indian defence forces’ fleet to 176, as the IAF had already inducted 36 of them, and the Indian Navy has placed orders for 36 of them under government-to-government deals.

Nepal is slowly returning to normalcy after days of violent political unrest, with the credit for a dramatic twist in the country’s leadership goinh to an unlikely place, Discord.

On Friday, former Chief Justice Sushila Karki became Nepal’s first woman prime minister, leading an interim government. But what made the story remarkable was how she was chosen. Gen Z protestors, frustrated with traditional politics, logged on to Discord to elect their new leader.

Discord, a social platform launched in 2015 by Jason Citron and Stanislav Vishnevskiy, was once designed mainly for gamers. Over the years it has grown into a space for large communities, with servers that can hold hundreds of thousands of users. Its simple layout, lack of endless feeds, and mix of tools like text, audio, video, and moderation make it a favorite among Gen Z.

Protestors in Nepal tapped into that power. They created a server called Youth Against Corruption, which now has more than 130,000 members according to media reports. Members organized channels for announcements, fact-checking, ground updates, helplines, and even news dumps. The setup turned Discord into a command center for mass protests.

After Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli resigned, the group decided to vote for a new leader. On September 10, after 7,713 votes were cast, Karki crossed the 50 percent mark, according to reports. The very next day, she met President Ram Chandra Poudel and Army Chief Gen. Ashok Raj Sigdel to formalize her new role.

With curfews now lifted in Kathmandu Valley and other parts of the country, daily life is beginning to settle down.

Albania has introduced a cabinet member unlike any other. Diella, an AI-generated bot, will be in charge of awarding public contracts and managing tenders.

Prime Minister Edi Rama, who is beginning his fourth term, unveiled Diella on Thursday, stating that she will make sure public tenders are free from bribes, political pressure, or attempts to curry favor.

“Diella is the first cabinet member who isn’t physically present, but is virtually created by AI,” Rama told the audience. He added that Diella will help turn Albania into “a country where public tenders are 100 percent free of corruption.”

The awarding of contracts has long been a hotspot for corruption scandals in Albania. Experts say the Balkan nation has become a hub for gangs laundering money from drugs and weapons trafficking. That reputation has slowed down Albania’s ambition to join the European Union by 2030, a goal many analysts call overly ambitious.

The government did not explain what kind of human oversight Diella will face or how it plans to prevent manipulation of the AI system.

Diella first appeared earlier this year as a virtual assistant on the e-Albania platform. Wearing traditional Albanian attire, she helps citizens and businesses obtain state documents, issues electronic stamps, and speeds up bureaucratic work.

The public remains divided. On Facebook, one user wrote: “Even Diella will be corrupted in Albania.” Another joked: “Stealing will continue and Diella will be blamed.”

Parliament is scheduled to meet on Friday following the May elections, though it is unclear if the new government will be voted in the same day.

Netherlands has said that it  plans to prohibit the import of goods made in Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories, as calls increase for action on the genocide in Gaza and the expansion of settlements in the West Bank.

Foreign Minister David van Weel informed parliament on Wednesday that he has instructed his ministry to prepare a governmental decree to implement the ban. He mentioned that the action would be executed “as soon as possible,” without providing a specific timeframe.

The decision follows months of discussions within the Dutch government about how to react to Israel’s continued flouting of international law. In July, the Netherlands enacted travel restrictions on two far-right Israeli cabinet members who advocated for the removal of Palestinians from Gaza. At that time, the government refrained from taking broader actions.

Last month, former foreign minister Casper Veldkamp stepped down, stating he did not have sufficient backing from the cabinet to pursue additional measures against Israel. His successor, Van Weel, has adopted a different stance by moving forward with restrictions on goods associated with settlements.

The Netherlands is among the largest European consumers of Israeli products, yet Van Weel did not reveal the specific amount of imports that are directly connected to settlements. He affirmed that this policy would focus solely on items produced in areas occupied by Israel since 1967.

Most nations and the United Nations view Israeli settlements in the West Bank as illegal under international law. In addition to officially recognized settlements, there are outposts that often initiate without governmental authorization but are frequently legitimized afterward.

Moreover, Van Weel stated that the Netherlands would support European Commission proposals to revoke certain trade benefits that Israel enjoys under its association agreement with the European Union. The Commission is evaluating whether Israel’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank are in alignment with the commitments outlined in the agreement.

The Dutch government’s decision contributes to broader discussions in Europe regarding trade and diplomatic relationships with Israel. Some EU member states advocate for more stringent measures, while others are cautious about jeopardizing existing relations.

A shocking incident unfolded in the Indian city of Moradabad where a 23-year-old mother put her 15-day-old son inside a refrigerator because she felt frustrated with his constant crying.

Indian media reported that the woman lives with her husband and in-laws in Jabbar Colony in the Uttar Pradesh city. On September 5, she took the crying baby to the kitchen, placed him inside the fridge, and then returned to her room to sleep.

Moments later, the baby’s cries woke up his grandmother. She rushed to the kitchen, pulled the infant out of the fridge, and took him to a hospital where doctors declared him out of danger.

When the family questioned the mother about what she had done, she calmly replied, “He was not sleeping, so I kept him in the fridge.” The in-laws were left stunned.

Initially, the family believed she was under the influence of some evil spirit and arranged treatment for that. But her behavior did not improve. Doctors later conducted a psychological evaluation and diagnosed her with postpartum depression.

Experts explain that postpartum depression affects some new mothers after childbirth. It goes beyond temporary sadness, causing persistent emotional, physical, and behavioral changes. The condition can affect daily life and make it difficult for mothers to care for themselves and their newborns.

Nepal descended into chaos on Tuesday as a Gen Z-led protests forced Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to resign while violent clashes triggered the escape of more than 13,500 prisoners from jails across the country.

Police have confirmed that inmates broke out of multiple prisons during unrest, leaving three officers dead in clashes. Viral videos showed hundreds of prisoners fleeing from Kathmandu’s Dilli Bazaar jail as soldiers struggled to stop them.

Authorities said police pulled back to their headquarters in most areas while the army began patrolling the capital. Soldiers announced curfew orders through loudspeakers as the crisis deepened.

Army chief General Ashok Raj Sigdel urged protesters to end the violence and choose dialogue, but the anger on the streets showed no signs of fading.

The protests erupted after Oli’s government banned social media platforms including Facebook, X and YouTube, accusing them of refusing to register under new regulations. Police fired on demonstrators in Kathmandu on Monday, killing 19 people. Although the government lifted the ban later that night, the protests exploded into a nationwide movement against corruption and political privilege.

Protesters set fire to the parliament building, Oli’s residence and the homes of senior leaders. In one of the deadliest incidents, demonstrators stormed the Dallu residence of former prime minister Jhalanath Khanal, trapping his wife Rajyalaxmi Chitrakar inside before setting the house ablaze. She was rushed to Kirtipur Burn Hospital, where she is being treated. 

Videos showed Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel, 65, being chased and beaten in the streets. Kathmandu airport suspended operations as army helicopters evacuated ministers to secure locations.

Facing mounting pressure, Oli resigned on Tuesday.

Young protesters accuse Nepal’s leaders of corruption and highlight the lavish lifestyles of their children, branded ‘Nepo Kids’, while most youth struggle to find jobs.

The uprising, now known as the ‘protest of Gen Z’, has shaken the Himalayan nation.