15-03-2025 BERLIN: German Chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz said on Friday he had secured the crucial backing of the Greens for a massive increase in state borrowing, clearing the way for the outgoing parliament to approve it next week. Merz’s conservatives and the Social Democrats, who are in negotiations to form a …

15-03-2025 LONDON: Two British diplomats expelled in a spying row. A blistering statement from Russia’s foreign intelligence service calling Britain “a warmonger.” And a threat from a top ally of Vladimir Putin to seize UK assets inside Russia. As the US under Donald Trump seeks to reset ties with Moscow …

15-03-2025 MOGADISHU/ KHARTOUM: The United States and Israel have discussed with three East African governments the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza to Sudan, Somalia and its breakaway region of Somaliland, according to US and Israeli officials quoted by media. Friday’s report said officials from Sudan claimed to have rejected …

15-03-2025 NEW DELHI: The Indian government has asked a local court to deliver a summons issued by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to billionaire Gautam Adani over alleged securities fraud and a $265 million bribery scheme, according to a letter seen by Reuters. The summons, which was issued under …

15-03-2025 KINSHASA: Southern African leaders have announced they will pull their troops out of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo where they have been helping the government fight rebel forces. The troops were sent two years ago to support the Congolese army fight the Rwandan-backed M23 rebels, which has seized control …

15-03-2025 WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has threatened a 200% tariff on any alcohol coming to the US from the European Union (EU) in the latest twist of an escalating trade war. The threat is a response to the EU’s plans for a 50% tax on imports of US-produced whiskey …

15-03-2025 WASHINGTON: Russian President Vladimir Putin said he agreed with the idea of a ceasefire in Ukraine, but that “questions” remained about the nature of a truce as he set out a number of tough conditions. The Russian president was responding to a plan for a 30-day ceasefire, which Ukraine …

15-03-2025 DAMASCUS: Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa has signed a constitutional declaration covering a five-year transitional period, three months after his Islamist group led the rebel offensive that overthrew Bashar al-Assad. The document says Islam is the religion of the president, as the previous constitution did, and Islamic jurisprudence is …

14-03-2025 MOSCOW: The Kremlin said on Wednesday it was awaiting details from Washington about a proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine before responding, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio hoped a deal would be struck within days. As Moscow considered the plan, President Vladimir Putin visited Russia’s Kursk …

14-03-2025 Bureau Report + Agencies NEW DELHI: Apple has successfully blocked its opponents in India, Tinder-owner Match, opens new tab and a group of startups, from accessing its commercially sensitive information which was part of antitrust findings against the US firm, a confidential order shows. An investigation by the Competition …