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Reuters
Thailand receives 260 victims of human trafficking from Myanmar, army says
Thailand has received 260 human trafficking victims, more than half of them Ethiopians, from Myanmar, its army said on Thursday, in a massive repatriation that comes amid a mounting crackdown on scam centres operating along a porous border. Criminal gangs have trafficked hundreds of thousands of people and forced them to work in illegal online operations generating billions annually across Southeast Asia, especially along the Thai-Myanmar border, according to the United Nations. Although these illegal operations have been in place for years, Thai authorities renewed efforts last month after Chinese actor Wang Xing was abducted in Thailand, lured on the promise of an acting job.
Reuters
UK and China talks to cover contentious issues
Britain's foreign minister David Lammy said on Thursday discussions with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi would include issues upon which both nations "do not always see eye-to-eye". Wang is in London to revive the UK-China Strategic Dialogue, a forum last held in 2018 to discuss bilateral issues. Lammy's comments came at the start of the meeting before media were ushered out of the room.
Reuters
Major corporate law firms join legal battle over Trump policies
As opponents of U.S. President Donald Trump's rapid-fire executive actions turn to the courts, at least eight of the largest corporate law firms in the country have signed on to represent plaintiffs leading the fight in the past two weeks. All eight firms, which include WilmerHale, Perkins Coie, Jenner & Block and Arnold & Porter, also challenged Trump policies during his first term, such as restrictions on immigration from some majority Muslim countries. They are again representing or working alongside liberal advocacy groups and other challengers, adding legal firepower to lawsuits targeting Trump's expansive new crackdown on illegal immigration and transgender rights, and the administration's firing of officials and crippling of federal spending on health research and foreign aid.
Reuters
"50% battle-ready": Germany misses military targets despite Scholz's overhaul
The German army's battle-readiness is less than when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, military officials, lawmakers and defence experts told Reuters. Even if a new government boosts defence spending, it will remain hamstrung for years, particularly by a lack of air defence, artillery and soldiers, they said. "Before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, we had eight brigades at around 65% readiness," Colonel Andre Wuestner, head of the German Armed Forces Association, told Reuters in an interview.
Associated Press
Western allies and Arab countries gather in Paris to discuss Syria's future amid US aid freeze
Western allies and Arab countries are gathering in Paris on Thursday for an international conference on Syria to discuss the country’s future after the fall of former Syrian president Bashar Assad and amid uncertainty over the United States' commitment to the region. It’s the third conference on Syria since Assad was ousted in December, and the first since President Donald Trump's administration took over in the U.S. Trump's controversial decision to freeze foreign assistance has raised concerns in Syria, a country that had depended on hundreds of millions of dollars in aid from the U.S. and now left in ruins by a civil war.
AFP
Unilever announces profit slump on Russia exit
British consumer goods giant Unilever on Thursday announced falling net profits for 2024, hit by exiting Russia and other restructuring costs.The fall in profits reflected the sale of assets and "higher restructuring costs as a result of accelerating the productivity programme", the company said in its earnings statement.
Reuters
Kennedy to clear final Senate hurdle in bid for top US health job
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine critic who endorsed President Donald Trump after abandoning his own presidential bid, inched closer to becoming U.S. secretary of Health and Human Services with the Senate scheduled to vote on his confirmation on Thursday. The Republican majority seemed poised to confirm Kennedy, who made pledges to protect existing vaccination programs in a bid to secure votes of hesitant lawmakers. If confirmed, Kennedy will have overcome resistance from the medical establishment and members of Congress and would be sworn into a job overseeing multiple high-profile agencies, including the FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Yahoo Finance
Tesla robot rival Apptronik raises $350 million from the likes of Google
The race to develop humanoids at scale heats up.
Yahoo Finance
Inflation uncertainty keeps looming over markets: Morning Brief
Any hints that inflation may be higher than initially thought in 2025 have made investors jumpy recently.
AFP
China's 2024 coal projects threaten climate goals: report
China began construction last year on projects with the greatest combined coal power capacity since 2015, jeopardising its goal to peak carbon emissions by 2030, according to a report published on Thursday.China should "establish a total cap on coal-fired power generation" and formulate "a clear timetable for phasing out coal power", Gao Yuhe, Beijing-based project lead at Greenpeace East Asia, told AFP. "The 2030 target for installed renewable energy capacity should be raised to expedite the re
AFP
French game developers mark first industry-wide strike
French video game workers on Thursday hit the pause button in a first-ever sector-wide walkout over conditions and job cuts.Drawing in other worker groups, the movement has even spread abroad with a walkout at a studio belonging to French giant Ubisoft in Barcelona, Spain.
Associated Press
How South Korea's Constitutional Court is deciding on the president's future
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is putting up a desperate fight for his political life at Seoul’s Constitutional Court after being impeached and arrested for his short-lived imposition of martial law last year. Yoon’s legal saga, which also includes a separate criminal indictment on rebellion charges, has become a stress test for the country’s democracy, which has been challenged by deepening political polarization and distrust. Yoon’s conservative supporters rioted at a Seoul court that authorized his arrest; his lawyers and ruling party have openly questioned the credibility of courts and law enforcement institutions; and Yoon has continued to express contempt for his liberal rivals, endorsing baseless conspiracy theories about election fraud to justify his ill-fated authoritarian push.
AFP
Nestle sales beat forecast after price hikes
Swiss food giant Nestle reported better-than-expected annual sales on Thursday, boosting its shares after the maker of Nescafe coffee, KitKat chocolate and Purina dog food hiked prices to offset inflation.Consumers turned to cheaper products as Nestle raised prices to cope with inflation.
AFP
UK economy picks up ahead of US tariff risks
Britain's economy surprisingly picked up at the end of last year, official data showed Thursday, relieving some pressure on the Labour government as the country faces up to US tariffs.The data hands a reprieve to the government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer which has put growing the UK economy at the top of its mission since Labour won a general election in July after 14 years in opposition to the Conservatives.
Associated Press
Nissan projects an annual loss as it drops its talks with Japan rival Honda
Nissan’s April-December profit crashed to 5.1 billion yen ($33 million), a tiny fraction of the 325 billion yen the Japanese automaker earned the previous year. Nissan projected red ink of 80 billion yen ($519 million) for the full fiscal year through March. Nissan Chief Executive Makoto Uchida told reporters the focus of the talks had changed from forming a joint holding company to making Nissan into a subsidiary of Honda.
Associated Press
Hamas says it will release more hostages as planned, paving the way to resolve ceasefire dispute
Hamas said Thursday it would release the next group of Israeli hostages as planned, paving the war toward resolving a major dispute that threatened the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The statement indicated three more Israeli hostages would be freed Saturday. There was no immediate comment from Israel on Hamas’ announcement.
USA TODAY
Amid Education Department turmoil, Trump's nominee to oversee schools faces lawmakers
Linda McMahon, Trump's pick to lead the federal Education Department, is set to face questions from lawmakers Thursday morning. Here's what to know.
USA TODAY
Tech visas and trade: 'Total killer' Indian leader to meet with Trump
On Thursday, when Modi arrives in the White House, he’d be among a handful of leaders visiting Trump in the first weeks of his second presidency.
CNN
USAID employees detail harrowing exits from DR Congo amid violence as Trump administration dismantles agency
US Agency for International Development employees this week recounted the panic they experienced in the days after they were ordered to return from their assignments in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Associated Press
At least 20 are injured after a driver hits a group of people in Munich
A driver drove a vehicle into a group of people in Munich on Thursday, injuring at least 20 people, authorities said. Authorities didn't provide details about the incident near downtown Munich which took place around 10:30 a.m., including whether the people were hit deliberately. Mayor Dieter Reiter said he was “deeply shocked” by the incident.

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Latest Stories

Thailand receives 260 victims of human trafficking from Myanmar, army says

UK and China talks to cover contentious issues

Major corporate law firms join legal battle over Trump policies

"50% battle-ready": Germany misses military targets despite Scholz's overhaul

Western allies and Arab countries gather in Paris to discuss Syria's future amid US aid freeze

Unilever announces profit slump on Russia exit

Kennedy to clear final Senate hurdle in bid for top US health job

Tesla robot rival Apptronik raises $350 million from the likes of Google

Inflation uncertainty keeps looming over markets: Morning Brief

China's 2024 coal projects threaten climate goals: report

French game developers mark first industry-wide strike

How South Korea's Constitutional Court is deciding on the president's future

Nestle sales beat forecast after price hikes

UK economy picks up ahead of US tariff risks

Nissan projects an annual loss as it drops its talks with Japan rival Honda

Hamas says it will release more hostages as planned, paving the way to resolve ceasefire dispute

Amid Education Department turmoil, Trump's nominee to oversee schools faces lawmakers

Tech visas and trade: 'Total killer' Indian leader to meet with Trump

USAID employees detail harrowing exits from DR Congo amid violence as Trump administration dismantles agency

At least 20 are injured after a driver hits a group of people in Munich