NEW YORK – Moves by major US fast-food chains to temporarily scrub fresh onions off their menus on Oct 24, after the vegetable was named as the likely source of an E. coli outbreak at McDonald’s, laid bare the recurring nightmare for restaurants: Produce is a bigger problem for restaurants to keep free of contamination than beef. Onions are likely the culprit in the McDonald’s E. coli outbreak across the Midwest and some Western states that has sickened 49 people and killed one, the US Department of Agriculture said late on Oct 23. The company pulled the Quarter Pounder off its menu at one-fifth of its 14,000 US restaurants. In past years, beef patties dominated the dockets of food-borne-illness lawyers, before US federal health regulators cracked down on beef contamination after an E. coli outbreak linked to Jack in the Box burgers hospitalised more than 170 people across states and killed four. As a result, beef-related outbreaks became much rarer, experts say.

LONDON — The world's biggest food and beverage companies on average sell products in low-income countries that are less healthy than what they sell in high-income countries, according to a new report. Products sold by companies including Nestle, Pepsico and Unilever were assessed as part of a global index published by the Access to Nutrition Initiative (ATNI), its first since 2021. The non-profit group found that across 30 companies, the products sold in low-income countries scored lower on a star rating system developed in Australia and New Zealand than those sold in high-income countries. In the Health Star Rating system, products are ranked out of five on their healthiness, with five the best, and a score above 3.5 considered to be a healthier choice.

Sir Elton John has overhauled his diet after suffering a health scare. The 77-year-old singer has made a concerted effort to control his blood sugar levels in recent times, after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the early 2000s and battling a "severe eye infection" earlier this year. Elton said on Ruthie's Table 4 podcast: "I can have an apple, I can eat a bit of melon. As long as you're sensible about it, it doesn't shoot your blood sugar up. But what I crave is chocolate and ice cream — I can't have any ice cream." Despite this, Elton revealed that his dream meal would still be full of sugar-filled desserts. The award-winning star — who is married to filmmaker David Furnish — said: "If I had a death row meal, it wouldn't contain anything except sweets, because I can't eat them now. So, I'd have ice cream, doughnuts, apple pie, rhubarb crumble." Elton has dealt with various health issues over the years, including having surgery for prostate cancer and battling a "severe eye infection". The singer detailed his most-recent problem in an Instagram post in September.

South Korean actor Song Jae-rim died yesterday (Nov 12) at the age of 39. The Seongdong Police Station in Seoul confirmed that he was found deceased in his apartment at around 12.30pm. According to media reports, a friend whom he was supposed to meet for lunch had visited his home and reported the death. A two-page letter was reportedly found at the scene but the cause of death has not been confirmed. A police official, however, stated that there are "no signs of foul play". His wake was held at Yeouido St. Mary’s Hospital Funeral Hall at 5.30pm yesterday. His funeral will be held tomorrow at Seoul City Crematorium. Jae-rim gained popularity after starring in the 2012 drama The Moon Embracing the Sun and the 2014 reality series We Got Married. This year, he starred in two dramas — My Military Valentine and Queen Woo. Following news of his death, comedian Hong Seok-cheon and other celebrities posted tributes to Jae-rim on social media.

LONDON — Britain is to debate whether to legalise assisted dying for the terminally ill, potentially paving the way for the law to change. Below is a list of countries which allow people to choose to end their lives or are considering doing so.  Switzerland Switzerland legalised assisted dying in 1942 on the condition the motive is not selfish, making it the first country in the world to permit the practice. Doctors can prescribe drugs and administer them or had them over for self-administration. A number of Swiss organisations such as Dignitas offer their services to foreign nationals.   United States Medical aid in dying, also known as physician assisted dying is legal in 10 states: California, Colorado, Hawaii, Montana, Maine, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont and Washington, plus the District of Columbia. Oregon was the first state to legalise it under a law which came into effect in 1997. It allows mentally competent patients who are terminally ill and with less than six months to live to ask for life-ending medication. People from outside Oregon may travel to the state to take advantage of the law. 

TORONTO — A teenager is in critical condition in a British Columbia children's hospital, sick with Canada's first presumptive human case of avian influenza. "This was a healthy teenager prior to this, so no underlying conditions," said provincial health officer Bonnie Henry in a news conference on Tuesday (Nov 12). "It just reminds us that in young people this is a virus that can progress and cause quite severe illness and the deterioration that I mentioned was quite rapid." British Columbia health officials said on Saturday the province had detected Canada's first human case of H5 bird flu in a teenager.

WASHINGTON — Donald Trump is expected to take a slew of executive actions on his first day as president to ramp up immigration enforcement and roll back signature Biden legal entry programs, a sweeping effort that will be led by incoming "border czar" Tom Homan and other Republican immigration hardliners, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The executive actions would give federal immigration officers more latitude to arrest people with no criminal records, surge troops to the US-Mexico border and restart construction of the border wall, the sources said. Homan, who served as acting director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement from 2017-2018 under Trump, will bring a deep understanding of the US immigration system after a four-decade career that took him from a frontline Border Patrol agent to head of the agency that arrests and deports immigrants in the US illegally.

LONDON - Kate, UK's Princess of Wales, will make her most prominent return to royal engagements since having treatment for cancer next month when she hosts an annual Christmas carol service at London's Westminster Abbey. Kate, the wife of heir to the throne Prince William, has only made a handful of public appearances after having major abdominal surgery in January, and then undergoing a course of preventative chemotherapy when subsequent tests revealed the presence of cancer. Last weekend, she attended two high-profile Remembrance events to commemorate those who lost their lives in conflict as part of her gradual return to official duties, but the carol service — ​​​​​the fourth she has organised, will be the first major royal event she has hosted herself. "This year's service provides a moment to reflect upon the importance of love and empathy, and how much we need each other, especially in the most difficult times of our lives," her office, Kensington Palace, said in a statement.

BEIRUT/JERUSALEM — The Israeli military pounded Beirut's southern suburbs with airstrikes on Tuesday (Nov 12), mounting one of its heaviest daytime attacks yet on the Hezbollah-controlled area, and struck the middle of the country where more than 20 people were killed. Smoke billowed over Beirut as around a dozen strikes hit the southern suburbs starting in midmorning. After posting warnings to civilians on social media, the Israeli military said it struck Hezbollah targets in Beirut's Dahiyeh area and later said it dismantled most of the group's weapons and missile facilities. Israel said it had taken steps to reduce harm to civilians and repeated its standing accusation that Hezbollah deliberately embeds itself into civilian areas to use residents as human shields, a charge Hezbollah rejects. In northern Israel, two people were killed in the city of Nahariya when a residential building was struck, Israeli police said. Hezbollah later claimed responsibility for a drone attack that it said was aimed at a military base east of Nahariya.

SEOUL - South Korea's military said it will hold a three-day joint exercise with the United States and Japan starting on Wednesday (Nov 13), featuring fighter jets and marine patrol aircraft as well as the US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington. The Freedom Edge exercise is a response to what the South Korean military said were threats from North Korea, which recently conducted an intercontinental ballistic missile test, drawing condemnation from Seoul, Tokyo and Washington. It also comes as the US State Department said North Korean troops have started engaging in combat operations in Russia's war with Ukraine. The exercise will include South Korean and Japanese fighter jets and maritime patrol aircraft, as well as the USS George Washington, Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a statement. The trilateral exercise follows a first round held earlier this year after the leaders of the three countries agreed at a summit in 2023 to hold annual training drills. Pyongyang has long condemned joint drills between South Korea and the United States, calling them a rehearsal for invasion.

Fugitive lawyer Charles Yeo, who is in custody in the UK, is currently awaiting an extradition hearing, reported CNA on Tuesday (Nov 12).  A court date for the extradition hearing has not been determined, but Yeo is set to attend a bail hearing on Friday, according to the report. In an Instagram post on Nov 1, the former chairman of the Reform Party said the Singapore government had made a formal request for his extradition. In his post, Yeo also said that he will be presenting himself, together with his legal team, at Westminster Magistrates Court on Nov 11. Yeo left Singapore in July 2022 after being charged earlier that year with multiple offences relating to harassment and wounding the religious feelings of Christians in several social media posts. In August 2022, a warrant of arrest was issued against him for breaching the conditions for overseas travel while on bail.  He was allowed to travel to Vietnam for work, but failed to return to Singapore and claimed he was seeking political asylum in the UK. 

In July 2024, internet personality Bobby Saputra posted a video of himself living it up at what appeared to be the star-studded, ultra-lavish wedding of Radhika Merchant and Anant Ambani, the youngest child of Indian billionaire and Asia's richest man, Mukesh Ambani. The video featured clips of Saputra dancing, feasting and soaking up the "completely crazy" celebrations. He gushes in the voiceover: "It was like watching a Bollywood production." The video quickly went viral, racking up 6.6 million views on Instagram, 5.1 million on TikTok, and another 2.2 million on YouTube. Thousands left comments, including some celebrities who claimed they spotted him there. Except… he never set foot in the party. As it turns out, he had pieced together clips from a wedding he attended a few months prior — complete with him in full Indian attire, dancing with friends — and spliced in shots from the Ambani wedding that he found online. The result? Social media magic.

KOLKATA — A court in the eastern state of West Bengal began the trial on Monday (Nov 11) of a police volunteer accused of raping and murdering a doctor at a government hospital in August, a case that sparked outrage over the lack of safety for women in India. The woman's body was found in a classroom at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in the state capital Kolkata on Aug 9, the federal police said. They also said they had arrested a police volunteer, Sanjay Roy, for the crime.

ISLAMABAD — A bus carrying 27 passengers fell into the Indus river in northern Pakistan on Nov 12, killing 14 people, according to a statement from the Gilgit Baltistan authorities. Twelve of the remaining passengers are missing, and one passenger has survived the accident with injuries, the statement from the authorities said. The accident occurred due to speeding, and the driver losing control of the vehicle, according to the authorities. According to local broadcaster Geo, the bus was part of a wedding procession headed towards Pakistan's Chakwal district when it fell into the river from Telchi bridge at the limits of Diamer district. Fatal road accidents are common in Pakistan, where traffic rules are rarely followed and roads in many rural areas are in poor condition. Earlier in August, two bus accidents in north-east and south-west Pakistan killed at least 34 people.

ISLAMABAD — Beijing is pushing Pakistan to allow its own security staff to provide protection to thousands of Chinese citizens working in the South Asian nation, during talks after a car bombing in Karachi that was seen as a major security breach, sources said. Last month's airport bombing in the southern port city that killed two Chinese engineers returning to work on a project after a holiday in Thailand was the latest in a string of attacks on Beijing's interests in Pakistan. The attacks, and Islamabad's failure to deter them, have angered China, which has pushed Pakistan to begin formal negotiations for a joint security management system. Reuters spoke to five Pakistani security and government sources with direct knowledge of the previously unreported negotiations and demands on condition of anonymity, as the talks are sensitive, and reviewed a written proposal sent by Beijing to Islamabad. "They (Chinese) want to bring in their own security," said one official, who sat in on a recent meeting, adding that Pakistan had not so far agreed to such a step.

Dec 5, 2023

David W. Kearn argues that deployment of nuclear weapons cannot rectify a perceived imbalance in conventional forces in the western Pacific.

Feb 10, 2024

Assaf Zoran argues that it is crucial to hold Iran accountable and convey the cost associated with arming, training, financing, and promoting violence through proxies.

Sep 28, 2022

As the best documented major crisis in history, in substantial part because Kennedy secretly taped the deliberations in which he and his closest advisers were weighing choices they knew could lead to a catastrophic war, the Cuban missile crisis has become the canonical case study in nuclear statecraft. Over the decades since, key lessons from the crisis have been adapted and applied by the successors of Kennedy and Khrushchev to inform fateful choices.

Oct 27, 2022

Kennedy’s statecraft in the missile crisis provides a rich source of clues that can help illuminate the challenge the United States now faces, and the choices President Joe Biden is making.

Feb 9, 2023

In the first comprehensive post-mortem analysis of the Noel Kempff Mercado Climate Action Project (NKMCAP), Reine Rambert and Amanda Sardonis examine how NKMCAP failed to live up to its potential, by focusing on three different dimensions of partnership effectiveness: 1) the sustainability of the partnership, 2) the effectiveness of the collaboration process itself, and 3) the achievement of the planned objectives. Rambert and Sardonis extract several transferable lessons from the challenges faced by NKMCAP that are highly consequential to partnership effectiveness.

Aug 1, 2023

Using the private journals of commission secretaries Henry Marie Brackenridge and Dr. William Baldwin, as well as Captain Sinclair, this chapter will explore the establishment of American naval identity through its diplomatic experiences in South America. It will also exhibit the role of the U.S. Navy in a proto framework of the Monroe Doctrine.

Mar 12, 2024

After a century of rebellion, South America experienced a rapid decline in revolts in the early 1900s. Historical narratives and an analysis of a comprehensive new dataset show that the decrease stemmed in large part from the expansion and professionalization of the region’s militaries, which were driven by an export boom and the threat of interstate conflict. 

The climate crisis has brought human ill-treatment of nature forcibly to our attention, though of course India’s environmental problems are by no means the product of global warming alone. The staggeringly high rates of air pollution in the cities of Northern India, the ongoing devastation of the Himalaya by carelessly planned roads and dams, the [...]

Shahbaz noted that Zardari appealed to the PML-N to avoid mentioning allegations that former Chief Justice Hamid Dogar had arranged preferential treatment for his daughter's school admission

In a June 11 meeting, Prime Minister Singh assured Under Secretary Burns of his strong personal commitment to strengthening further India's ties to the United States.

In a wide-ranging meeting with CODEL McCaskill February 17, National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon touched on several regional security and trade-related issues.

Zardari made repeated pleas for drones to be "put in Pakistan's hands" so that Pakistan would own the issue and drone attacks (including collateral damage) would not provoke anti-americanism.

Menon emphasized that India had been tough on Pakistan with regard to accountability, but restrained in its rhetoric and actions.

Benazir Bhutto claimed that the Sindh Government had informed her that if she goes to Larkhana (her ancestral home), she would be attacked.

Embassy strongly recommends against providing a U.S. Government evaluation, saying it will inevitably expose performance gaps that would not meet American standards of training and equipment.

Even with support from the government, serious threats against Bhutto will persist.

It was made clear to the PPP representatives that certain dangers were inherent in the return of Bhutto to Karachi, mostly directed by elements from the northern areas.

During recent trips to southern Punjab, Principal Officer was repeatedly told that a sophisticated jihadi recruitment network had been developed in the Multan, Bahawalpur, and Dera Ghazi Khan Divisions.

The resignation drama has helped distract attention from the DMK party's woes in advance of next years Parliamentary elections.

Pakistan concern that freedom of expression be balanced with respect for religion as "we are not as advanced as you are" in terms of respect for freedom of religion and could not always control the reactions of sometimes ignorant crowds.

Holbrooke cited the U.S. and India's shared interest in Pakistani stability and reassured Krishna the U.S. had been pushing Islamabad for action on terrorism, while noting the weakness of Pakistan's civilian leadership.

S.M. Zafar, Khan's prominent and highly respected lawyer, had pledged to the government that the meeting with the press would be Khan's "first and last" such encounter.

Pending post verification are claims that total $279 million for the March-May 2007 period. The areas of greatest concern to us include costs for helicopter operations ($83 million annually), radar maintenance ($65 million annually) and Joint Staff operations ($5 million annually).

Tarin requested that an additional $500 million of U.S. assistance flow through the GOP - in addition to the $174 million already committed - to bolster GOP credibility and allow the GOP to more adequately support its priorities.

For the Pakistani military, the F-16 sale is tangible proof of the post-9/11 bilateral relationship, and we seriously doubt they will allow it to fail.

It is hard to exaggerate the effect the failure of the F-16 sale would have on U.S. relations with Pakistan and on our allies in the Pakistani military.

Cutting off the flow of funds to terrorist organizations and achieving stability in Af/Pak are top U.S. priorities.

While each side adhered to familiar positions, the chemistry between the principals was good and the dialogue was cordial and frank.

The AIADMK spent the highest share in spreading the party’s propaganda (99.5%) and relied only on media and advertisements

The Farm Laws Repeal Bill was discussed in the LS for two minutes - the joint second-lowest time for discussion of a bill since 2014