Month: October 2026

The chief of New Zealand’s Defence Force resigned on Friday over an “inappropriate relationship” ​he failed to disclose while in a ‌position of command. Tony Davies has informed Defence Minister Paul Goldsmith of his resignation, the New Zealand ​Defence Force said in a statement. “The resignation ​is for personal reasons, and results from ⁠errors of judgement made by me in ​the past, for which I am taking ​responsibility. The errors of judgement were contrary to the values of the Defence Force,” Davies said. “These matters revolved ​around an inappropriate relationship…

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US and South Korean officials see the chances of a meeting between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this year fading, according to ​five people with knowledge of the situation. Trump, the only US president to have met a North Korean leader, has been eager to jump-start talks with North ‌Korea, but Pyongyang has shown little interest in diplomacy aimed at containing its nuclear program. The US has received no response from North Korea on holding a Trump-Kim meeting, and there is little time left before…

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The United ​Arab Emirates’ Ministry of ‌Climate Change and Environment said on Friday that its monitoring ​system had detected a ​tanker oil spill affecting beaches ⁠in Umm Al Quwain. Odors ​reported by residents in Sharjah, ​Ajman and Umm Al Quwain posed no health risks to them, ​the ministry said. The ministry ​said all beaches and coastal areas in ‌Umm ⁠Al Quwain had been temporarily closed until technical teams completed their assessments and ​determined the ​necessary ⁠safety and marine protection measures. Survey operations are ​ongoing as a precautionary ​measure ⁠to ensure…

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Oil prices were little changed in early Asian trade on Friday, after rising 4% to a five-month high in the previous session due ​to concerns of further energy supply disruption after Houthi attacks ‌on top exporter Saudi Arabia. Brent crude futures was down 21 cents, or 0.2%, at $112.96 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude was down ​27 cents, or 0.3%, at $98.12. Every week, WTI was on ​track to end two weeks of gains to finish lower. ⁠Brent, which settled at its highest since May 4 on…

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Versatile actor Tom Skerritt, who starred in Hollywood megahits including the sci-fi classic “Alien,” the war comedy “M*A*S*H,” and the action drama “Top Gun,” has died at the age of 93. Skerritt, a Detroit native whose Hollywood career spanned from the 1960s to the 2020s, died on ​Wednesday of natural causes, his family said in a statement. “While the world knew Tom through his remarkable acting career, we knew ‌him for his humour, curiosity, wisdom, generosity, and the love he brought into our lives,” they said. “He cared deeply about…

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US President Donald Trump determined on Thursday that petroleum production, refining, and related activities are essential to national defence. This move could open up US funding for fossil fuel projects. In a presidential memo, Trump also invoked part of the Cold War-era Defence Production Act, allowing him to provide financial incentives for oil-related activities, ​pipelines, and storage of liquid fuels. Prices for crude oil and diesel have ​surged since the US and Israel attacked Iran in joint ⁠action at the end of February. Since then, the conflict ​has limited energy…

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Israeli strikes and gunfire killed at least four people in the Gaza Strip in separate incidents on Thursday, health officials ​in the enclave said. In Gaza City, a strike on a car killed ‌at least one person, medics said. They earlier said there had been two deaths. A crowd gathered around the burning wreckage, as orange-vested emergency crews sprayed it with water, photos ​from the scene showed. Other strikes killed a Palestinian man on a ​bike in the southern city of Khan Younis, and a man near ⁠Nuseirat refugee camp…

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