world news

A viral video depicting a tourist driving a Bentley in Pattaya City, Thailand, with a lion cub in the back seat has ignited a wave of controversy and prompted officials to launch an investigation. The footage, shared on social media platforms, shows the luxury convertible moving through Soi Phratamnak 5 in Bang Lamung district, raising concerns about the safety and legality of owning exotic animals.

The Red Sea crisis is casting a shadow over India's trade dynamics, impacting exports and driving up costs as the region grapples with persistent disruptions caused by Yemeni Houthi militia attacks on ships. With nearly 80% of India's trade with Europe passing through the Red Sea, concerns are mounting over the escalating shipping costs, longer voyages, and strained logistics capacities.

In a heartbreaking incident, the death toll from a devastating landslide in China's southwestern Yunnan province has climbed to 11, with rescue efforts underway amid freezing temperatures. Rescue workers, facing extreme cold and snowy conditions, worked tirelessly through the night in Zhenxiong County to locate and save dozens trapped beneath the rubble, according to Reuters.

In a move that has heightened tensions between NATO and Russia, the alliance announced on Thursday the commencement of its largest military exercise since the Cold War, involving a staggering 90,000 troops. The exercises, known as Steadfast Defender 2024, are designed to simulate scenarios where U.S. troops would reinforce European allies in countries bordering Russia and along the alliance's eastern flank in the event of a conflict with a "near-peer" adversary.

Two British Royal Navy mine-hunter vessels collided in Bahrain Harbour on Friday, resulting in a loud crashing noise and causing one of the ships to rock. The incident involved HMS Chiddingfold reversing into HMS Bangor, which was moored at the time. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, and both vessels are said to be in stable condition.

The United Nations' World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) announced on Friday that international tourism is expected to rebound to pre-pandemic levels by 2024, with a projected 2.0 percent growth above 2019 figures. The Madrid-based agency highlighted the resilience and rapid recovery of the tourism industry, noting that global tourism figures for 2023 reached 1.3 billion tourists traveling abroad. This represents a substantial increase of 44 percent from 2022 and an impressive 88 percent of the numbers recorded in 2019