Taiwan plans to cull up to 120,000 green iguanas due to their adverse impact on agriculture. Around 200,000 iguanas are in Taiwan's central and southern regions. With no natural predators and rampant reproduction, these iguanas damage crops. Special teams killed 70,000 last year, promoting humane methods and public assistance in identifying nests.
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British counter-terrorism police are investigating a massive fire at an electrical substation near Heathrow Airport, speculating possible Russian sabotage. The fire disrupted over 1,300 flights, affecting nearly 291,000 passengers. Experts suggest Russian involvement, hinting at parallels with previous incidents. Authorities have not found conclusive evidence, but MI5 is reportedly scrutinising the incident owing to national security concerns.
Russian drone attacks on Ukraine's Kharkiv targeted a military hospital, shopping center, and apartment blocks, resulting in casualties. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy accused Russia of prolonging ceasefire talks. Meanwhile, US President Trump criticized Putin over his remarks about Ukrainian leadership.
Hamas returned the bodies of Kfir Bibas (9 months), Ariel Bibas (4 years), their mother, and Oded Lifshitz (84), staging the handover with unsettling propaganda. Despite the International Committee of the Red Cross's call for respect, the ceremony included missile displays and derogatory imagery.
Wall Street experienced significant losses on Thursday, with the Dow Jones dropping 427 points and the Nasdaq plunging 483 points. Despite President Trump's decision to delay tariffs, market instability persists. Retailers like Macy's and Victoria's Secret reported disappointing forecasts, while major tech firms, including Nvidia, also declined.
Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) will import 130,000 metric tonnes of diesel from India's Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL) between January and December. The cost of this diesel will be Bangladeshi Taka 1,137 crore. BPC's total fuel oil demand is 7.4 million tonnes, with 4.6 million tonnes being diesel, mostly imported. This agreement continues a practice started in January 2016.
Iraq's President Abdul Latif Rashid has sued Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and Finance Minister Taif Sami over unpaid salaries for civil servants in Kurdistan. The lawsuit highlights ongoing financial disputes between Baghdad and the autonomous region, exacerbating tensions within Iraq's leadership.
Ranjani Srinivasan, an Indian doctoral student at Columbia University, self-deported from the US after her visa was revoked over alleged support of Hamas. Her departure highlights increased scrutiny on foreign students involved in pro-Palestinian activism. Homeland Security justified the visa revocation by citing security concerns. Srinivasan's significant academic background includes studies at Harvard and Columbia.
Hong Kong's Democratic Party, a prominent pro-democracy voice for over 30 years, faces dissolution under pressure from Beijing. Founded on the hope of a democratic Hong Kong, the party's influence waned after the 2019 protests and subsequent crackdown.
Dan Bongino, a critic of Barack Obama, was appointed FBI deputy director by Donald Trump. Previously a Secret Service agent, Bongino has linked Obama to various political scandals. With conservative commentator Bongino and ally Kash Patel leading the FBI, significant changes are expected in the agency amid internal upheaval and scrutiny.
Taleb publicly renounced Islam and declared himself an atheist, a stance that is not only controversial but also dangerous in Saudi Arabia, where apostasy can result in severe penalties. He cited these risks as the basis for seeking political asylum in Germany, which was granted in 2016.