newsmart – Latest News

thehindu.com | 12 min. ago NEW

UDF against PM-SHRI, but options being examined, says Keralam Education Minister

While the UDF government is bound to consider the agreement signed by its predecessor, it does not imply that PM SHRI will be implemented, says Samsudheen

thehill.com | 20 min. ago NEW

25 years after the anthrax attacks, we are still unprepared for biological warfare

When the nation desperately needs help, it will be from a government that has lost the ability to provide it.

thehindu.com | 37 min. ago NEW

Fund crunch puts Kozhikode Biological Park project hanging in the balance

The growing tourism prospects of Chakkittappara village prompted the previous State government to consider establishing a tiger safari park in the area. The decision to establish the park was taken on September 27, 2023, despite protests from a section of farmers and human rights activists.

thehindu.com | 37 min. ago NEW

Decision on PM SHRI soon as pressure mounts on Keralam govt.

Against the backdrop of the Centre’s letter seeking a decision at the earliest, Education Minister says Chief Minister will make an announcement. Muslim Youth League adopts resolution urging the government not to implement PM SHRI

foxnews.com | 47 min. ago NEW

Abdul El-Sayed touts ‘whole a--’ medical credentials while defending sex changes for children

Abdul El-Sayed, a Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate candidate, argues 'whole a--' doctors should decide trans treatment without government interference.

thehindu.com | 1 hrs. 37 min. ago

Political blame game over power crisis intensifies between Keralam government and Opposition

While the LDF has exploited the power crisis to portray its previous government in a better light for expedient political optics ahead of the upcoming byelections in 36 local body wards in the State, Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan has repeatedly sought to put the previous government on the hook for the crisis

rferl.org | 1 hrs. 41 min. ago

Interview: Ex-Envoy Stefanishyna Sheds Light On US-Ukraine Diplomacy Amid Corruption Probe

Olha Stefanishyna has served in three key government positions in Ukraine over the past six years, most recently as ambassador to the United States. In an interview with RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service, she discusses US-Ukraine ties and her decision to resign days before a corruption probe.

thehindu.com | 2 hrs. 7 min. ago

YSRCP opposes auto-renewal of liquor shop licences in Andhra Pradesh

The government’s proposal will deprive the State exchequer of nearly ₹3,000 crore and benefit liquor syndicates, says party leader Putta Siva Shankar

thehindu.com | 2 hrs. 8 min. ago

Why were 21 houses on private farmland demolished, Gauhati High Court asks Assam government

Court says the action of the revenue authorities in Goalpara district was prima facie illegal and unauthorised, and violated the principles of natural justice

scmp.com | 2 hrs. 11 min. ago

Will Malaysia’s Umno pull the plug on coalition partner PH?

The political impasse in Malaysia’s government has regressed to a game of chicken, experts say, with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and the former ruling Umno party trading barbs and dares as pressure grows for snap polls with more than a year left to term. Relations between Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition and erstwhile rivals Umno have hit its lowest point since the two sides cut a deal to form a unity government in 2022, after a series of recent state polls that saw PH all but decimated...

thehindu.com | 2 hrs. 38 min. ago

Government hospitals must prioritise quality healthcare, says Minister U.T. Khader

nytimes.com | 2 hrs. 49 min. ago

[$] ‘We Left in the Clothes We Were Wearing’: Yemenis Flee New Fighting

Hunger and disease have tormented Yemen for years. Now, fighting between the Saudi-backed government and Iran-backed Houthis is pushing it to the brink.

thehindu.com | 3 hrs. 6 min. ago

Brazil, India are building strategic ties for a changing world, says Brazil’s Foreign Minister

On whether BRICS seeks to replace the U.S. dollar, the Brazilian envoy says the possible use of local currencies for settling part of bilateral trade is something many countries already do, and that governments do not tell companies which currency they must use

livemint.com | 3 hrs. 42 min. ago

DA news update: Andhra Pradesh sanctions two dearness allowance instalments — When will employees get arrears?

Andhra Pradesh has approved two dearness allowance revisions for state government employees, resulting in a total DA hike of 4.55% to be implemented from September 2026 salaries. Here's when arrears will be paid…

theguardian.com | 4 hrs. 5 min. ago

Is university still worth it? What you need to know before committing

With AI, an unsettled jobs market and rising student costs, it’s crucial to make the most of your experience“To me it’s definitely still worth going to university – absolutely it is,” says Nick Hillman, chief executive of the Higher Education Policy Institute thinktank. “I’ll certainly be urging my children to go on to higher education,” he adds. “Relative to everything else, it’s still a very, very good bet.”Yet the national conversation around universities in recent months has been relentlessly negative. Rising tuition fees, spiralling student debt and the financial crisis gripping many institutions are more than enough to give pause to sixth-formers currently trying to decide whether it makes sense to go on to university. Continue reading...

thehindu.com | 4 hrs. 33 min. ago

Abhijeet Dipke meets Maratha quota activist Jarange-Patil, seeks end to fast, criticises government

Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party, met Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil at Antarwali Sarati on September 11, 2026, appealing to him to end his 14-day hunger strike. He also criticised the government over unemployment and rural distress, saying its inaction had pushed activists to take extreme steps.

scmp.com | 4 hrs. 38 min. ago

A year after lawmakers veto equality bill, LGBTQ Hongkongers still hope for change

When Hong Kong’s Legislative Council vetoed a government bill that would have granted limited recognition to the city’s same-sex couples, 51-year-old Isaac Yick said he was “disappointed but not surprised”. Yick was born and raised in Hong Kong before moving to Canada, where he eventually met and married his husband. They returned to the city together in 2013. He said there was initially a sense that things were changing for the LGBTQ community in the city, citing victories in court that...

euronews.com | 5 hrs. 8 min. ago

Diesel in Portugal hits record high, Spain introduces new discount

Many Portuguese already cross the border to fill up; the trend is now even clearer, as Spain's government adds a 20-cent-per-litre discount, making Spanish diesel the second cheapest in the EU.

scmp.com | 5 hrs. 32 min. ago

Alarm as Syria plans private jet hub on former torture site

Syrian government plans to turn a former military airport in Damascus into a ⁠hub for private jets are raising alarm among rights groups and residents who say redevelopment could disturb suspected mass graves and override private land claims. Syria’s civil aviation authority said last week it was preparing to reclassify Mezzeh military airport for limited civilian use, focused on private and executive aviation, to complement Damascus International Airport. Rubble removal and infrastructure...

nytimes.com | 6 hrs. 30 min. ago

[$] How Trump Is Wielding Power to Stifle Speech

President Trump has harnessed agencies across the government to curtail press freedoms, a sweeping campaign that free speech advocates say will have lasting effects.

smh.com.au | 6 hrs. 50 min. ago

Government sets health service limit

The Federal Government is alone in its new $5000 limit on allied health services for veterans, with politicians across other parties overwhelmingly against the move.

thehindu.com | 7 hrs. 39 min. ago

Balaghat child deaths: CJP convernor Dipke visits tribal villages, demands accountability

Mr. Dipke’s visit comes days after the Madhya Pradesh High Court issued notices to the State government over the deaths of more than 30 children, allegedly due to infectious diseases

smh.com.au | 7 hrs. 42 min. ago

Disability provider hit by strikes as funding gap bites

Workers have walked off the job at Scope disability homes as hopes rise that hundreds of others can be saved, despite the withdrawal of state government subsidies that threaten the roofs over vulnerable Victorians’ heads.

thestar.com | 7 hrs. 52 min. ago

Iraq confirms attacks on Saudi pipeline originated from Iraqi territory and other Mideast news

Attacks on a key Saudi oil pipeline were launched from Iraqi territory, said Iraq's government Saturday, pledging to probe further.

scmp.com | 8 hrs. 8 min. ago

Hong Kong is lagging in the AI race – can it raise its game, and how?

In the third of our series of previews on the five-year plan and policy address, to be announced on September 16, Leopold Chen and Theodora Yu look at how the city can raise its game and expand the adoption of artificial intelligence. Read part one here and part two here. Spotting bags of construction waste illegally dumped near a temporary refuse collection point in Hong Kong’s Southern district last year, former lawmaker and resident Michael Tien Puk‑sun immediately dialled the government’s...

thehindu.com | 8 hrs. 52 min. ago

Concern grows over future of GIDS as faculty, researcher posts vacant

The national research institute funded by Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) and the state government is facing questions as no permanent appointment has taken place in the institution since 2016

smh.com.au | 8 hrs. 55 min. ago

‘May fly an explosive-packed airplane into a US city’: CIA releases pre-9/11 Bin Laden briefings

The documents dating from 1998 to 2001 detail intelligence that US government officials had gathered about al-Qaeda in the lead up to the hijackings that killed nearly 3000 people and upended American national security.

scmp.com | 9 hrs. 44 min. ago

State funeral for Hong Kong’s first leader Tung Chee-hwa set for September 20

The state funeral for the city’s first chief executive, the late Tung Chee-hwa, is scheduled for next Sunday, the South China Morning Post has learned. A source confirmed on Saturday that the funeral would take place on September 20, with details being arranged. State leaders and central government officials are expected to join the funeral committee, following previous practice. The SCMP reported earlier that a state funeral would be accorded to Tung to honour his legacy as a deputy...

scmp.com | 9 hrs. 44 min. ago

Hong Kong to table cooling-off period bill for beauty, fitness deals by mid-2027

The Hong Kong government will table a bill at the Legislative Council in the first half of 2027 to introduce a statutory cooling-off period for prepaid beauty and fitness contracts, the commerce chief has said. Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Algernon Yau Ying-wah revealed the timeline on Saturday, two weeks after the government concluded a two-month consultation on the policy proposal to address limitations of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance on August 31. “We hope to table the...

al-monitor.com | 9 hrs. 48 min. ago

Syrian private airport plans spark outcry over mass graves, land rights

By Feras DalateyDAMASCUS, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Syrian government plans to turn a former military airport in Damascus into a hub for private jets are raising alarm among rights groups and residents who say redevelopment could disturb suspected mass graves and override private land claims.

livemint.com | 10 hrs. 8 min. ago

8th Pay Commission: Central government employees seek 5 MACP upgrades and promotional pay scales

8th Pay Commission: Central government employees’ unions seek five Modified Assured Career Progression (MACP) upgrades, shorter waiting periods and promotional pay scales. Here is what MSA, FNPO, NC-JCM and RSCWS have demanded and what the proposals could mean for employee salaries.

theguardian.com | 10 hrs. 28 min. ago

Sweden’s extremely close election could see far right enter government