British Banking giant HSBC said Tuesday it would buy back up to US$1 billion of shares after a big jump in profits in the first half of 2026. The jump in profits was due to “growth in banking net interest income and higher fee and other income”, HSBC said in its earnings report, adding that the profit in banking…
France has deployed nearly 1,000 officers to beaches along its Channel coast as part of efforts to prevent migrants in small boats from crossing into the UK. The deployment follows the UK-France agreement to crack down on illegal migration and curb small boat crossings through a payment-by-results deal signed in April by the UK Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood. The…
At least 13 people were killed after a small tourist plane crashed in Peru, with all those on board feared dead. The crash occurred around 1:00 p.m. local time in the Pueblo Viejo area after the aircraft departed from an airport in Pisco, Peru. The Cessna Caravan C-208 was on a sightseeing flight over the Nazca Lines archaeological site…
US embassies in several Middle Eastern capitals warned American citizens to beware of an “unforeseen escalation” in the regional conflict and urged them to be ready to leave. “Americans in the region should consider departing, or be prepared to depart should there be escalation,” said a security alert, versions of which were posted on social media by the US…
A prestigious public university in Mexico was forced to cancel its entrance examination after nearly all candidates bagged perfect scores in an assessment known to be tough in the country. Administrators of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, or UNAM, have annulled the exams after an unusually high number of candidates emerged successful, marking it as a first in…
The European Union (EU) said it is set to expand enforcement of its artificial intelligence (AI) Act starting August 2, introducing new transparency obligations for AI systems operating across the bloc. The European Commission on Friday said the latest phase of implementation would require AI systems such as chatbots to inform users when they are interacting with artificial intelligence…
