Light News (LN)

  US Space Command Gen Stephen Whiting warns such a move could disrupt GPS, communications and daily life across the globe. The head of  U.S. Space Command  said the U.S. is "very concerned" that Russia may be developing a nuclear weapon in space to target satellites, warning such a move could disrupt global communications, GPS systems and daily life on Earth. Gen. Stephen N. Whiting, the commander of U.S. Space Command, made the remarks during an appearance on The General & The Journalist, a weekly podcast by The Times. "Russia remains a very historic and sophisticated space power. Yes, they have been hurt by economic sanctions, but they continue to invest in counter-space weapons, with the most concerning reports being that they are potentially thinking about placing on orbit a nuclear ASAT weapon," he added. "That would violate the  Outer Space Treaty  that they're a party to, and it would hold at risk everyone's satellites in low Earth orbit, an...

  The global economic outlook for 2026 looks grim if the Iran war continues, but some industries are booming. The International Monetary Fund has downgraded its global growth forecast for 2026 from 3.3 to 3.1 percent, citing the impact of the United States-Israeli war on Iran and the shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz on the world economy. The war has damaged energy infrastructure across the Gulf, while critical exports like oil, gas, chemicals and fertiliser remain largely stranded by Iran’s shutdown of the strait and the subsequent US naval blockade of Iranian ports. In the worst-case scenario of a prolonged war, the IMF said global growth could fall to 2.5 percent in 2026, with low-income and developing economies hit the hardest by soaring commodity and energy prices. The global shipping and logistics industry is facing a separate crisis. But every economic crisis also has beneficiaries: d espite the dire macroeconomic outlook, some corners of the global economy are thriving on th...

  Julius Malema, the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), has claimed that his ongoing prosecution is politically motivated, alleging a “hidden hand” at play in the judicial process against him. Political commentators, at the same time, say that the case raises complex legal and political questions. Malema said this was part of a broader and orchestrated campaign to disrupt his political career and stifle the EFF’s influence ahead of the 2026 local government elections.  Malema was addressing his supporters outside the East London Magistrate’s Court following his sentencing for the unlawful discharge of a firearm during a 2018 rally.  Malema was sentenced to five years of direct imprisonment on Thursday. However, he was released on warning following his immediate appeal against the sentence. This was after he was found guilty in September last year on five charges under the Firearms Control Act, including discharging a firearm in a built-up or public area withou...

  With the fragile ceasefire holding and signs of de-escalation emerging, Pakistan’s mediation efforts to revive US–Iran talks are gathering pace, reflecting a broader push to contain tensions across the Middle East. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif travelled to Doha on Thursday for talks with Qatar’s leadership as momentum builds for a possible new round of negotiations between the US and Iran to end the ongoing war. The meeting comes as the fragile ceasefire continues to hold and diplomatic contacts between Washington and Tehran show signs of picking up again. US President Donald Trump suggested that talks could take place within days, potentially in Pakistan, while UN Secretary-General António Guterres said it is “highly probable” that discussions will restart. Sharif’s visit to Qatar follows a stop in Saudi Arabia and comes ahead of meetings in Turkey, as Islamabad pushes on with its mediation efforts to secure a second round of talks between the two sides. Pakistan’s m...

  The Israeli finance minister's sharp criticism of the German chancellor's views on Israel's settlement policy is just the latest sign of a growing estrangement. What's the current state of German-Israeli relations? Earlier this week, when German Chancellor  Friedrich Merz  spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister  Benjamin Netanyahu , it seemed like a routine exchange between world leaders. Afterward, Merz's spokesman Stefan Kornelius sent out a press release about the call. The final two sentences read: "In the conversation, the chancellor expressed his deep concern about developments in the Palestinian territories. There must be no de facto partial annexation of the  West Bank ." On the platform X, the chancellor's account shared the same message in both a German and an English post: "I made it clear: There must be no de facto annexation of the West Bank." None of this is really new. In a call between the two heads of government in mid-...

  US urges resolution through talks, but says Washington ‘locked and loaded’ to resume attacks. United States Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth has said the military blockade of Iran’s ports will continue “as long as it takes”, saying Washington remained “locked and loaded” to attack Iran’s energy facilities. Hegseth spoke on Thursday as a tenuous pause in fighting agreed to last week has continued. On Monday, President Donald Trump had announced the military would blockade Iran’s ports in the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf after US-Iran talks in Pakistan failed to reach a breakthrough. The defence secretary struck an aggressive tone as he maintained the US was monitoring Iran’s military movements during the pause in fighting, which currently is meant to extend through early next week. “We are reloading with more power than ever before … even more importantly, better intelligence than ever before,” Hegseth said. “As you expose yourself with your movement to our watchful eye, we are locked...