Author: Fatimah Idera

Vodafone and Three are exploring plans to launch a TV service following their £15bn mega-merger. The mobile providers have held initial discussions about rolling out a subscription TV service as they prepare to mount a fresh challenge to BT. The proposed move into TV would underscore efforts by the newly merged company to establish a stronger foothold in the broadband market. Telecom companies often bundle TV services with their internet connections as a way of enticing more customers onto their networks. BT-owned EE and Virgin Media already offer similar pay-TV bundles. While talks are believed to be at an early…

Israeli forces have bombed al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City, the largest remaining functioning hospital in northern Gaza, destroying its emergency unit, main entrance and medical oxygen supplies. Health officials at the Al-Ahli Arab Baptist Hospital evacuated the patients from the building after one person said he received a call from someone who identified himself with the Israeli security shortly before the attack took place. Critically ill patients were left on the street after fleeing the attack in the early hours of Sunday morning, with one doctor reporting that at least three people, including a child who was on oxygen,…

President Donald Trump’s revealed that the U.S. Military Academy and the U.S. Air Force Academy will no longer consider race as a factor in admissions as the military schools had long done to boost enrollment of Black, Hispanic and other minorities. The changes were detailed in court filings, by the U.S. Department of Justice in federal courts in Denver, New York and Colorado related to two lawsuits filed by the group that successfully persuaded XD;- U.S. Supreme Court to ban race-conscious admissions at civilian universities. That group, Students for Fair Admissions, was founded by affirmative action baction opponent Edward Blum…

In a bid to move ahead of the deal and dismantled key parts of its years-long currency controls and loosened its grip on the peso, Argentina sealed a $20 billion, 48-month Extended Fund Facility deal with the International Monetary Fund The IMF will disburse $12 billion by next Tuesday, while another $2 billion will become available by June. The IMF said the deal is expected to help Argentina catalyze additional official multilateral and bilateral support, and a timely re-access to international capital markets. “Key pillars of the program include maintaining a strong fiscal anchor, transitioning towards a more robust monetary…

Iran and the United States are set to engage in high-level talks in Oman on Saturday aimed at jump-starting negotiations over Tehran’s fast-advancing nuclear programme, with U.S. President Donald Trump threatening military action if there is no deal. Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi was leading Iran’s delegation while the talks on the U.S. side were being handled by Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. In a post on X by the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei said Each delegation had their separate room and would exchange messages as “Indirect talks between Iran and the United States with the mediation of…

The United Kingdom government has announced a further £450m of military support to Kyiv, as the country and Germany prepare to host a meeting of 50 nations in Brussels. Defence officials are convening to pile pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin and force him to end his invasion of Ukraine, UK Defence Secretary John Healey said. “We must step up to deter Russian aggression by continuing to bolster Ukraine’s defences,” he added. The package includes funding for hundreds of thousands of drones, anti-tank mines, and repairs to military vehicles. About £350m will be provided by the UK, with extra funding…

Tesla launched operations in Saudi Arabia on Thursday, a sign that Chief Executive Elon Musk has patched up relations with the kingdom and that the oil capital was moving forward with an ambitious electric-vehicle policy. A Tesla Cybertruck and a redesigned Model Y sedan dominated a plaza dotted with palm trees, as the EV maker officially opened for business. A small crowd tried out the vehicles as a massive outdoor video screen showed a Cybertruck plowing through a dusky desert, leaving behind plumes of sand. Tesla needs new customers: globally, it posted a 13% drop in first-quarter sales, its weakest…

Military chiefs at Nato have been warned of global internet blackouts following a string of suspected Russian attacks on subsea cables. Telecom companies including Vodafone, O2 owner Telefonica and Orange have written to UK, EU and Nato officials warning that a rise in sabotage incidents was putting critical services at risk. In an open letter, they wrote: “The repercussions of damage to subsea cables extend far beyond Europe, potentially affecting global internet and power infrastructure, international communications, financial transactions and critical services worldwide.” It comes after a spike in incidents relating to fibre optic cables on seabeds that carry huge…

Buckingham Palace and the Vatican said Britain’s King Charles and Queen Camilla had an unannounced meeting with Pope Francis during their state visit to Italy. Recall that Charles and Camilla had been due to make a formal state visit to the Vatican, but postponed their plans after doctors prescribed Francis two months of rest following the pontiff experienced a serious bout of double pneumonia. In a statement by the Vatican, the pope met the royal couple privately and offered his best wishes for their 20th wedding anniversary, which they celebrated on Wednesday. Buckingham Palace said Charles and Camilla “were delighted…

UK markets have begun to rebound after Donald Trump announced a 90-day pause in his sweeping tariffs, though ministers insisted they would remain cautious in the face of instability. The FTSE 100 rose by more than 6% after stock markets opened in London on Thursday. Following a significant rally for markets in the US and Asia, after President Trump said he would be delaying tariffs on most nations for 90 days while raising his tax rate on Chinese imports to 125%. Amid the rising market confidence the senior Cabinet minister Yvette Cooper continued to urge caution. The Home Secretary said,…