World

Rising tensions between the United States and Iran have triggered market volatility, with stocks falling and oil prices surging. The assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani by a US drone strike has heightened concerns of potential military escalation, prompting warnings from US President Donald Trump and causing significant global market uncertainty.

China's Ant Financial, the world's highest-valued FinTech company, has applied for a digital wholesale banking license in Singapore. This strategic move follows similar bids by Grab and Razer, aiming to contribute to the city-state's digital banking landscape and expand corporate financial services.

A tragic helicopter crash in Taiwan's mountainous region claimed the life of Air Force General Shen Yi-ming and seven defense officials. The UH-60M Black Hawk went down in poor weather, resulting in eight fatalities while five personnel survived. General Shen, 62, had recently taken his oath of office and served as Air Force commander.

In a significant environmental initiative, Thailand, France, and Mexico have announced separate bans on single-use plastic bags. The move comes after alarming incidents of marine life suffering from plastic waste, with Thailand ranking sixth globally in ocean pollution.

Shannon Lee, representing Bruce Lee Enterprises, has filed a lawsuit against Real Kungfu in Shanghai, alleging the chain used her late father's image as its logo for 15 years without permission. She seeks immediate cessation of logo use and 210 million yuan (US$30 million) in compensation for intellectual property rights violation.

Turkey's constitutional court has ruled the government's two-year ban on Wikipedia unconstitutional, ordering the immediate lifting of the block. The ban was initially imposed in 2017 over controversial entries alleging government officials' connections to terrorist organizations, which Wikipedia refused to remove.

Turkey's constitutional court has ruled the government's two-year ban on Wikipedia unconstitutional. The 10-6 vote determined the block violated freedom of expression, ordering the immediate lifting of the ban which was initially imposed due to controversial entries about government officials.

Russian President Vladimir Putin declares Russia now leads in hypersonic weapons technology, citing unique advances with systems like Kinzhal missile and Avanguard hypersonic glide vehicle, positioning the country ahead of the United States in this strategic military domain.

Canadian ministers François-Philippe Champagne and Karina Gould expressed deep disappointment over Russia and China's UN Security Council veto, which prevents critical humanitarian aid from reaching Syrian populations, particularly in Idlib facing increased violence and air strikes.

The German cabin crew union UFO is considering strikes against Lufthansa following unsuccessful negotiations over pay, pensions, and the union's legal status. After failed arbitration talks, union spokesman Nicoley Baublies indicated that industrial action could occur at any time after the holiday period.