11-08-2023 JERUSALEM: Israel has warned that if war were to break out with Hezbollah it would result in Lebanon returning “to the stone age”. The threat issued by Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on Tuesday comes after weeks of repeated skirmishes with the armed Iran-backed group on the border area …

11-08-2023 ANKARA: Five Turkish soldiers have been killed in a clash with Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) fighters in northern Iraq, Turkey’s defence ministry has said. The conflict took place in Zap, a region where Turkey has been carrying out a cross-border operation called “Claw-Lock” since April 2022. Ankara says the …

11-08-2023 NAYPYIDAW/ AVA: In yet another unfortunate maritime tragedy, as many as 17 people drowned after a boat carrying more than 50 Rohingya refugees fleeing Myanmar’s Rakhine state sank soon after sailing off, rescue officials said Thursday. Every year, thousands of Rohingya residents put their lives in danger and try …

11-08-2023 PYONGYANG: North Korean media reported Wednesday that Pyongyang is all set to launch its first satellite without indicating type, after a failed attempt to put its spy military spacecraft into Earth’s orbit in May. It remains to be seen what kind of satellite North Korea intends to launch but …

11-08-2023 MAUI/ HAWAII: Officials in Hawaii’s Maui County said Thursday at least 36 lives have been claimed as deadly wildfires sweep across the area, forcing authorities to start evacuating people. “As the firefighting efforts continue, 36 total fatalities have been discovered today amid the active Lahaina fire,” the Maui county …

10-08-2023 Bureau Report + Agencies NEW DELHI: Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “murdering Mother India” in violence-hit Manipur state. “They killed India in Manipur. Their politics killed India in Manipur,” Gandhi said in parliament amid uproar from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). …

10-08-2023 Bureau Report + Agencies SYDNEY: Scientists have identified a new species of amphibian that occupied Australia some 247 million years ago. The finding ends a mystery that has captivated researchers since the 90s, when the creature’s fossilized remains were found by a retired chicken farmer in New South Wales. …

10-08-2023 TEHRAN: Iran has obtained supersonic cruise missile technology, state media have said amid rising tensions with the United States over military deployments in the region. The missiles are now undergoing tests and “will mark the beginning of a new chapter in the defence power of our country”, the state-linked …

10-08-2023 Bureau Report + Agencies NEW DELHI/ PARAPPANANGADI: M Radha, a sanitation worker in the southern state of Kerala, says when she checked her mobile phone on July 27, she could not believe her eyes; she had won the 100 million rupees ($1.2m) lottery jackpot. The 49-year-old had pooled money …

10-08-2023 ROME: As many as 41 people are reported to have lost their lives after a migrant ship with a total of 45 people including three children sank off Lampedusa Island in Italy Wednesday, according to the rescuers. The boat departed from Sfax in Tunisia and sank within hours while …