02-07-2020 By SJA Jafri + Bureau Report QUEENSLAND/ MELBOURNE/ SYDNEY: Supermarkets have reissued calls not to panic buy, as shoppers begin to strip shelves again. Woolworths and Coles have today urged customers to be considerate, saying there’s plenty of supply for everyone. Both supermarkets brought back toilet paper limits nationwide just …

02-07-2020 MENLO PARK, CALIFORNIA: A campaign to boycott Facebook advertisements is set to go global, organisers said as pressure builds on Facebook to crack down on hate speech related to racial discrimination. The “Stop Hate for Profit” campaign will begin calling on major companies in Europe to join the boycott, Jim …

02-07-2020 NAYPYITAW: At least 113 bodies have been found after a landslide at a jade mining site in northern Myanmar, officials say. Rescue work is continuing for people still missing at the site in the Hpakant area of Kachin state. A wave of mud triggered by heavy rain engulfed those …

02-07-2020 NEW DELHI/ BEIJING: Sina Weibo, China’s response to twitter closed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s account on Tuesday after a request from the Indian embassy following the country’s move to boycott Chinese mobile apps following a deadly border clash involving soldiers from both sides. Since posting on Sina Weibo …

02-07-2020 ADDIS ABABA: The military was deployed in the Ethiopian capital on Wednesday as armed gangs roamed neighbourhoods in a second day of unrest that claimed more than 80 lives. Popular musician Haacaaluu Hundeessaa was shot dead on Monday in what police said was a targeted killing. Protests following the …

02-07-2020 RAMALLAH/ JERUSALEM/ OCCUPIED WEST BANK: Despite a delay in the long-anticipated declaration of an Israeli plan to annex one-third of the already illegally occupied West Bank, including parts of the strategic Jordan Valley, Palestinians decried the plan with some holding protests in Ramallah and Gaza City. Israel’s Foreign Minister …

India and China have emphasised the need for an expeditious, phased and step wise de-escalation as a priority along the Line of Actual Control(LAC). Both sides have been engaged in discussions through established military and diplomatic channels to address the situation. Commanders from  People’s Liberation Army and Indian Army held …

01-07-2020 By SJA Jafri + Bureau Report + Agencies CANBERRA: Australia says it will significantly increase military spending and focus on the Indo-Pacific region amid rising tensions between the US and China. PM Scott Morrison pledged A$270bn (£150bn; $186bn) to Australia’s arms budget over 10 years – a 40% boost. …

01-07-2020 UNITED NATIONS/ JERUSALEM: Israel’s aim to annex parts of the occupied West Bank is clearly “illegal”, the United Nations’ human rights chief said on Monday, warning that the consequences could be “disastrous”. Just days before Israel intends to kick-start plans to annex its West Bank settlements and parts of …

01-07-2020 ISTANBUL: A boat that sank on Lake Van in eastern Turkey is believed to have been carrying up to 60 refugees and migrants when it went down in stormy weather, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said. Speaking to reporters in Van province on Wednesday, Soylu said authorities detained 11 people …