IMF expects gradual BOJ rate hike towards neutral setting

Fear strikes Yemen's 3rd largest city Taiz as Houthi rebels encircle it in new siege

CAIRO — As word came of Houthi rebels closing in, Weam Abdullah and her family decided it was time to leave their home in Taiz, Yemen’s third largest city. They had survived a yearslong siege by the rebels earlier in their country’s civil war, and they didn’t want to endure that again. They made it out just in time: Just after Abdullah, her husband and two young children left, the rebels on Oct. 4 captured a key town, largely encircling the city and cutting off most access to supplies from government-held areas. “We already feel dead, there was already despair” in the city, Abdullah said, speaking by phone to The Associated Press from a province further south. “We feel as if we are cursed. Everyone is conspiring against us even though we’re not affiliated with any party or politics.” The Iranian-backed Houthis — even as they escalate attacks on Saudi Arabia with a string of deadly attacks on the airport in the capital Riyadh — are trying to make a major gain in Yemen's 12-year-old civil war by moving on Taiz, a prize they have long sought to capture. Their assault

Experts urge parents to prepare kids for possible livestreamed execution

This is not an article about politics, capital punishment or whether the Fort Hood shooter deserves to be executed in public for his crimes. Instead, it's focused on the unprecedented parental challenge of handling the near-certain prospect that children will hear of or see footage of the Dec. 3 U.S. execution by firing squad of Nidal Malik Hasan if the Trump administration follows through with plans to livestream the event. The danger stretches beyond the broadcast itself, because history shows graphic video from the event could be clipped, copied and pushed into children’s social feeds even if the original stream is restricted. Experts suggest that grownups who care about children start by setting aside matters of politics and public policy — like the Nov. 3 U.S. midterm elections and the debate over capital punishment . Focus instead on how witnessing someone's death by firing squad might land with young viewers — and how best to reassure and protect them. Here are some guidelines that might help. Keep empathy for kids in mind — and facts at hand Mis- and disinformation reach ch

Formula 1 announces return to Africa with Grand Prix in Rwanda in early 2030s

KIGALI, Rwanda — Rwanda will host a Formula 1 race from “the early 2030s” when the series returns to Africa after about 40 years. The African Grand Prix will have a 10-year contract and take place at a track in Bugesera, southeast of the capital Kigali, F1 said on Tuesday. The purpose-built track will be ready “early in the next decade.” “This partnership is long overdue,” Rwandan President Paul Kagame said at a launch event in Kigali. “But it is a success and a milestone for the entire continent, especially for the African fans. Ultimately, what we want is for the African Grand Prix to pave the way for other races to be hosted on the continent.” Racing in Africa will fulfil a long-held ambition for seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, the only Black driver in F1. The 41-year-old British driver has said he has been “fighting in the background” for years to have a race in Africa. The last time F1 raced in Africa was the South African Grand Prix in 1993. “Today is a landmark moment for Formula 1," F1 President and chief executive Stefano Domenicali said. "With R

Indonesia returns 20 green sea turtles to ocean after Bali smuggling raid

SERANGAN ISLAND, Indonesia — Indonesian authorities on the tourist island of Bali released 20 protected green sea turtles back into the ocean Tuesday after they were found and seized on an empty boat seemingly abandoned by wildlife smugglers fleeing a police raid. Officers conducted final checks on the turtles at a conservation center on Serangan Island, also known as Turtle Island, in southern Bali. They then carefully lifted the turtles using blue cloths and transported them by small truck to the shoreline. Marine police officers in Bali on Saturday foiled an attempt to smuggle 22 green sea turtles, known by the scientific name Chelonia mydas, in the waters off Serangan Island after receiving a report from residents who suspected sea turtle smuggling activity in the area. Two of the 22 turtles are still sick and need to be treated before they can also be released, Gusti Agung Purnama Wirahadi from the Bali Water and Air Police said Tuesday. All of the turtles, which are protected species in Indonesia, were found alive on the boat, but the suspected smugglers had already fled the scen

Trump's diesel deal with Putin draws criticism from a frustrated Congress

WASHINGTON — The House speaker stood before Donald Trump during his first term at the White House and pointed a finger declaring that with this president, “All roads lead to Putin.” The stark assessment years ago from Nancy Pelosi echoed anew after Trump’s surprise announcement last week that he struck a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to import tons of Russian diesel to the U.S. as a way to ease sky-high prices at the pumps for Americans ahead of the midterm elections. Trump’s diesel deal with Putin has been criticized by both Republicans and Democrats as fueling Russia’s war against Ukraine, violating existing U.S. laws and drawing the U.S. closer to Russia. It joins a growing list of instances where the president has sided with Putin , often at the expense of Ukraine — and America’s own standing. “The harm to the Ukrainians is real,” said William Taylor, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, now a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, in an interview Monday. “And the cost to us, the United States, is high.” It’s not at all clear the Trump-Putin deal

Selma Blair accused of attacking 2 flight attendants, assaulting a police officer and nurse

NEW YORK — Actor Selma Blair was arrested after she was accused of injuring two flight attendants on a trip from Los Angeles to New York. She was also accused of kicking a police officer taking her to the hospital and kicking a nurse once she got there. She pleaded not guilty Monday night to two counts of assault for state charges involving the officer and the nurse. And she faces separate federal charges based on what happened on the flight, which her representatives say was brought on by a severe medical emergency. Blair, 54, was detained by police at around 11 p.m. Sunday after the Delta Air Lines jet parked at the gate at John F. Kennedy International Airport, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said in a statement. Blair and one of the flight attendants were taken to a hospital for evaluation, the Port Authority said. A police officer taking her to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center said in charging documents that while she was securing Blair to a stretcher, Blair pulled a leg from the straps and kicked her repeatedly around the face, neck and chest, causing serious pain an

Why Indian-American Voices Matter: Republicans, Democrats Woo Community Ahead Of 2026 US Midterm Polls

Numbering over 5.2 million (around 1.5% of the total US population), their growing political footprint is capable of altering the balance of power in a closely contested Congress

Enzo Maresca hits back at critics of Man City’s celebrations after Liverpool win: ‘Criticised for what?’

Some have suggested that Manchester City should not have celebrated their Premier League win over Liverpool

UK facing ‘new era of national security’ with most foreign threats since Cold War, MI5 chief warns

Sir Ken McCallum said that the suspected attack against RAF Fairford was ‘not unique in the UK’ as he warned against rising threats from Russia and Iran

Tributes following death of Normandy veteran Henry Rice

Wandsworth prison nurse confesses ‘inappropriate’ relationship with convicted killer

Stephanie Adair, 29, pleaded guilty to a single count of misconduct in a public office at Kingston Crown Court on Tuesday

The best supermarket wine to pair with your Sunday roast, chosen by an expert

Wine expert Tom Gilbey recommends a bottle for beef, lamb, pork, chicken and vegetarian roasts