Trump accuses foreign-owned meat packers of inflating US beef prices

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday accused foreign-owned meat packers of driving up the price of beef in the US and asked the Department of Justice to open an investigation. The Republican president announced the move on social media days after his party suffered losses in key elections in which the winning Democratic candidates focused relentlessly on the public’s concerns about the cost of living. But experts said it’s unlikely that an investigation would result in lower prices

Nov. 9, 2025

James Watson, co-discoverer of the double-helix shape of DNA, dies at age 97

James D. Watson, whose co-discovery of the twisted-ladder structure of DNA in 1953 helped light the long fuse on a revolution in medicine, crimefighting, genealogy and ethics, has died. He was 97. The breakthrough -- made when the brash, Chicago-born Watson was just 24 -- turned him into a hallowed figure in the world of science for decades. But near the end of his life, he faced condemnation and professional censure for offensive remarks, including saying Black people are less intelligent than

Nov. 9, 2025

Britain's Prince George attends tribute event for fallen soldiers

LONDON (AFP) -- Britain's 12-year-old Prince George attended his first tribute for soldiers killed in action at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Saturday, accompanied by his mother Catherine, his grandfather King Charles III and Queen Camilla. The audience rose as a brass band began to play upon the arrival of the royal family, who sat in their box in the famous concert hall. The heir to the throne, Prince William, who had just returned from the COP30 climate conference in Brazil, was not pres

Nov. 9, 2025

Want to go to Bangladesh's St. Martin's Island? These new rules are not optional

DHAKA, Bangladesh (Daily Star/ANN) -- St. Martin's Island, the darling of travelers at home and abroad, hasn't been doing well lately, as its endangered coral species -- vital for maintaining the island's ecosystem balance -- are under serious threat. In light of these problems, the government had kept the island closed for several months for an uncertain period. Recently, on Oct. 1, the government reopened St. Martin's for travelers -- this time with a new set of ground rules. The Ministry of E

Nov. 7, 2025

Last call for the NightRider bus: Can Singapore be a 24-hour city without it?

SINGAPORE (Straits Times/ANN) -- "My very first time partying, I went home on a NightRider bus," says Sivanesh Pillai. "It was a really important part of my clubbing, having an affordable way to get back home." In 2006, Pillai paid just $2.20 for his late-night journey home to Yishun from the city center. Back then, the NightRider buses operated from 11:30 p.m. to 4:30 a.m., covering that stretch of the early hours when the MRT lines cease to run. "That bus was a game changer," says the DJ, wist

Nov. 7, 2025

Buddhism reaches the Vatican: A step towards global dialogue

VATICAN CITY (Sin Chew Daily/ANN) -- The delegation of Buddhist groups to the Vatican attending the 60th anniversary celebration of Nostra Astate and a major interfaith exchange event is a case of Buddhism on the world stage. The delegation of 80 members from the United Association of Humanistic Buddhism Chunghua with more than 200 Buddhism groups in Taiwan, was the only Chinese Buddhist group invited to attend the ceremony, meet Pope Leo XIV, and participate in a series of interreligious dialog

Nov. 7, 2025

Industry ministry to invest W300b in innovative R&D projects by 2035

The government plans to spend a combined 302.6 billion won (US$209 million) over the next 10 years on innovation-focused research and development (R&D) projects with high commercialization prospects, the industry ministry said Thursday. The plan was devised to lessen the burden on private companies in developing high-risk, high-potential technologies that could become game changers for future industries, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources said. To this end, the ministry will designate

Nov. 6, 2025

Prince William spotlights environmental solutions in Rio de Janeiro with Earthshot Prize awards

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) -- Brazilian and foreign celebrities joined Prince William for the Earthshot Prize awards in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday, the centerpiece of William's three-day environment-focused trip to the Brazilian megalopolis before the heir to the British throne heads to the United Nations Climate Summit COP30. The ceremony began with the sound of samba and featured musical performances from Anitta, Gilberto Gil, Shawn Mendes, Kylie Minogue and Seu Jorge, who interpreted David Bowie's

Nov. 6, 2025

Rubio plans to visit five Central Asian states in 2026

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday he planned to visit the five Central Asian countries in the coming year, as he met their foreign ministers as part of a Trump administration charm offensive aimed at the resource-rich region. The presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are set to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington on Thursday for talks that are likely to include discussions of rare earths minerals and other re

Nov. 6, 2025

Mexican leader calls for tougher sexual harassment laws

MEXICO CITY (AFP) -- Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum called Wednesday for sexual harassment to be made a crime nationwide after being groped on the street in an attack that underscored the dangers women in the Latin American country face. Sheinbaum, 63, was attacked while greeting supporters near the presidential palace in Mexico City on Tuesday as she was walking to a public event. A drunken man approached her, put his arm around her shoulder, and with the other hand touched her hip and che

Nov. 6, 2025

Trump administration orders 10% of flights cut

US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Wednesday that he would order 10 percent of flights at 40 major US airports to be cut starting Friday unless a deal to end the federal government shutdown is reached. The shutdown, now in its 36th day and the longest in US history, has forced 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration agents to work without pay. This has worsened staff shortages, caused widespread flight delays and extended lines at airport secu

Nov. 6, 2025

As world leaders enter climate talks, people in poverty have the most at stake

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — When summer heat comes to the Arara neighborhood in northern Rio, it lingers, baking the red brick and concrete that make up many of the buildings long after the sun has gone down. Luis Cassiano, who's lived here more than 30 years, says he's getting worried as heat waves become more frequent and fierce. In poor areas such as Arara, those who can afford air conditioning — Cassiano is one — can't always count on it because of frequent power outages on an overloaded system. C

Nov. 6, 2025

Putin requests plans for nuclear tests

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered officials on Wednesday to submit proposals for a possible resumption of nuclear tests in response to President Donald Trump’s statements last week that appeared to suggest the US will restart its own atomic tests. Speaking at a meeting with his Security Council, Putin reaffirmed his earlier statement that Moscow will only restart nuclear tests if the US does so first. But he directed the defense and foreign ministries and other government ag

Nov. 6, 2025

Israel says Hamas hands over additional remains

The Israeli military said Wednesday that Hamas has handed over remains believed to be of a deceased hostage to the Red Cross in Gaza, the latest step forward under the US-brokered ceasefire. The military said in a statement that the remains were being brought back into Israel. Ahead of the announcement, Hamas had returned the remains of 21 hostages to Israel under the terms of the ceasefire that began Oct. 10. If the latest remains are confirmed during forensic testing, that would leave the rema

Nov. 6, 2025

Trump grapples with political setback after Democrats ride voter fury over prices

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- It's been a year since Donald Trump's decisive win in the 2024 presidential election, and the White House had planned an anniversary rollout on Wednesday highlighting the promises kept by the Republican leader since he returned to office. Instead, the president and his Republican allies were left grappling with a string of Democratic victories in off-year elections, a rare setback for Trump as voters in a handful of states signaled resistance to his agenda. Trump, known f

Nov. 6, 2025