Author: EchoAsiaNews

Burnham says Labour “didn’t get it right” on Gaza, pledges accountability for the Netanyahu government and signals tougher measures if he becomes prime minister. LONDON: Andy Burnham, who is expected to become the United Kingdom’s next prime minister later this month, has apologised for the Labour Party’s initial response to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, acknowledging that the party “didn’t get it right” and promising a tougher approach toward the Israeli government. What did Burnham say about Gaza? Burnham said the humanitarian crisis in Gaza represents “a scar on our collective conscience” and admitted Labour had been too slow in…

State-backed Poste Italiane seeks to transform into a national AI and cloud infrastructure powerhouse through its proposed acquisition of Telecom Italia (TIM). MILAN: Italy is positioning its national postal service at the centre of its artificial intelligence ambitions, with state-backed Poste Italiane pursuing a €13.5 billion takeover of Telecom Italia (TIM) as part of a broader strategy to strengthen the country’s digital infrastructure and technological sovereignty. Why is Italy relying on its postal service? The Italian government sees Poste Italiane as a trusted national institution capable of leading the country’s next phase of digital transformation. Two-thirds owned by the state,…

ONGC to build a 1.75-million-tonne strategic petroleum reserve in Mangalore as New Delhi strengthens emergency crude storage following disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. NEW DELHI: India has announced plans to significantly expand its strategic petroleum reserves, with state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) set to construct a 1.75 million metric tonne (MT) crude oil storage facility in Mangalore, as the country moves to strengthen its energy security amid continued instability in the Middle East. The announcement was made in a stock exchange filing by ONGC late Thursday, highlighting New Delhi’s efforts to reduce vulnerabilities following recent disruptions to…

Regional bloc to discuss Myanmar’s conflict, humanitarian crisis and future engagement as Naypyidaw pushes back against ASEAN’s peace plan. MANILA: Southeast Asian foreign ministers will hold their first in-person meeting with Myanmar’s top diplomat since the 2021 military coup, as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) seeks to address the country’s prolonged civil war and reassess its engagement with the bloc. The informal meeting, scheduled for Sunday in Bangkok under the chairmanship of the Philippines, marks the first direct ministerial-level engagement between ASEAN and Myanmar in five years after the country’s military leadership was barred from attending high-level ASEAN…

Public health authorities say most fatalities occurred during late June heatwave, while political pressure mounts over climate action and Europe endures its hottest June on record. BERLIN: Germany has recorded an estimated 5,120 heat-related deaths so far this year, with the vast majority occurring during the intense late-June heatwave, according to the country’s Robert Koch Institute (RKI), highlighting the growing human cost of extreme weather across Europe. The RKI said around 4,270 of the fatalities were among people aged 75 and older, making the elderly the hardest-hit group. More women than men died, largely because women make up a greater…

Kylie and Jason Kelce describe the star-studded ceremony as “incredible,” while Travis reveals he secretly planned his proposal during a podcast recording. Taylor Swift and NFL star Travis Kelce have received glowing praise from family members following their high-profile wedding, with Kylie Kelce describing the ceremony as “incredible” during a public appearance alongside her husband, Jason Kelce. Speaking at the American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe on Thursday, Kylie Kelce, who is married to Travis Kelce’s brother Jason, offered a brief but enthusiastic assessment of the wedding celebrations held at New York’s Madison Square Garden last week. Jason Kelce also…

Subheading: PNS Hunain and Pakistan Maritime Security Agency launch coordinated emergency operation after distress call, safely evacuating all crew members from flooded vessel. ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Navy, in coordination with the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA), successfully rescued all 20 Pakistani crew members from a sinking cargo dhow off the coast of Ormara after the vessel suffered severe flooding, the military’s media wing said on Thursday. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the rescue operation was launched immediately after the Joint Maritime Information Coordination Centre received a distress call from the vessel, which was operating east of Ormara in…

DUBAI: Iran launched coordinated attacks on United States military infrastructure across the Gulf on Thursday in retaliation for fresh US airstrikes on its southern and eastern provinces, marking a major escalation that has pushed a fragile three-week-old ceasefire to the brink of collapse. Iranian state media reported multiple explosions across southern Iran, including in Bushehr, home to one of the country’s nuclear power plants, as well as Bandar Abbas, Konarak, and Choghadak, following the latest wave of US military operations. The US military did not immediately comment on the reported explosions. How did the latest escalation unfold? The renewed confrontation…

OXBOROUGH: France booked their place in the FIFA World Cup semi-finals with a commanding 2-0 victory over Morocco on Thursday, as captain Kylian Mbappé recovered from a missed penalty to inspire the defending champions into the tournament’s last four. How did France secure their place in the semi-finals? Mbappé opened the scoring with a superb curling effort just after the hour mark before Ousmane Dembélé doubled France’s advantage six minutes later with a clinical low finish, sealing a comfortable victory and setting up a semi-final clash against either Belgium or Spain. What milestones did Kylian Mbappé achieve? The 27-year-old France…

Brent heads for a 6% weekly gain as renewed hostilities between the United States and Iran reignite fears of supply disruptions in the world’s most critical oil transit route. Global oil prices climbed on Friday and were on track for their strongest weekly gains in weeks after renewed military exchanges between the United States and Iran heightened concerns over energy supplies from the Middle East. Brent crude futures rose 0.25% to $76.49 per barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude gained 0.26% to $72.27 per barrel. On a weekly basis, Brent was poised to rise around 6%, with WTI…