PARIS: Posturing, repression and a distaste for facts: the world’s strongman regimes have dealt with the Covid pandemic in much the same way they deal with everything else, analysts say. But the sometimes blatant disregard for the well-being of populations, coupled with sheer incompetence, has undermined whatever trust citizens have in such leaders, they say. […]
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
HANOI: Washington’s top diplomat urged Southeast Asian countries on Thursday to stand up to “maritime bullying” by China and to reassess business deals with its state firms, adding to heated exchanges between two powers jostling for influence. Speaking remotely to foreign ministers of the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean), Secretary of State […]
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
San Francisco: Dozens of extreme wind-driven wildfires burned through forests and towns in US west coast states on Thursday, destroying hundreds of homes and killing seven people. In the past 48 hours, three people died from a lightning-sparked fire in northern California, while three were reported dead in Oregon and a one-year-old boy died in […]
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
A roadside bomb in Kabul targeted First Afghan Vice President Amrullah Saleh on Wednesday morning, but he escaped unharmed, his spokesman said. The blast killed at least four people and wounded 16, a health ministry spokesman said, including some of Saleh’s bodyguards. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, which comes just […]
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
An 86-year-old grandmother was allegedly raped and assaulted by a man nearly five decades younger than her in India, BBC News reported, in the latest shocking case of sexual violence against women in the country. Police in the capital New Delhi have arrested a man in his 30s who allegedly duped the octogenarian into accompanying him before […]
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump accused the US military brass on Monday of wanting to fight wars to keep weapon makers happy. At a White House news conference, Trump criticised his rival Joe Biden, describing him as a proponent of “endless wars”, before turning his criticism toward military leaders who he himself appointed, saying they are […]
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
WASHINGTON: Pakistan has a key role in the Afghan peace effort, says Afghanistan’s acting Foreign Minister Mohammed Haneef Atmar as US and Taliban envoys resume their peace talks in Doha, Qatar. On Tuesday, US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad held a meeting in Doha with the head of the new Taliban team due to open peace […]
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
NEW DELHI: India’s top tourist attraction the Taj Mahal is set to reopen more than six months after it was shut, officials said on Tuesday, even as the vast nation battles soaring coronavirus infections. India, home to 1.3 billion people, on Monday overtook Brazil to become the world’s second most-infected nation with more than 4.2 […]
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
COLOMBO: A burning oil tanker began leaking diesel off Sri Lanka’s coast, naval officials said on Tuesday, fuelling fears of a major environmental disaster. The Panama-flagged New Diamond, carrying 270,000 tonnes of crude oil and another 1,700 of diesel fuel, has been burning since Thursday. A diesel oil slick was observed near the crippled vessel […]
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
China accused Indian troops of violating a bilateral agreement and firing warning shots in the air during a confrontation with Chinese personnel on the disputed border on Monday, amid renewed tensions between the two countries. Chinese border guards took “countermeasures” to stabilise the situation, Zhang Shuili, spokesman for the military’s western command theatre, said in […]
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE