13-04-2023 WELLINGTON: For the first time, New Zealand will see an equal number of men and women in its cabinet. This comes after Northland MP Willow-Jean Prime, who is of Maori descent, was promoted as a cabinet minister. “It is nice to have a cabinet that reflects the New Zealand …

13-04-2023 (Courtesy Al-Jazeera) NEW DELHI: India says Ukraine has asked for more medicines and medical equipment and has invited Indian companies to help rebuild the country. Ukraine made its request during a four-day visit to India by First Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Emine Dzhaparova, which ended on Wednesday, the Indian …

13-04-2023 AMSTERDAM: Protesters disrupted French President Emmanuel Macron’s speech in the Netherlands about Europe’s future as he faces mass protests over pension reform back home. Security officials detained a demonstrator who shouted at Macron outside Amsterdam University on Wednesday in the latest disturbance during the French president’s state visit to …

13-04-2023 ROME: Italy’s cabinet on Tuesday announced a state of emergency on immigration following a “sharp rise” in flows across the Mediterranean, a statement said, in a move aimed at better management of migrant arrivals and repatriation facilities. The state of emergency will be backed by initial funding of 5 …

13-04-2023 DAMASCUS: War-torn Syria will reopen its diplomatic mission in Tunisia and appoint an ambassador there, Damascus and Tunis say in a joint statement. The announcement on Wednesday came after more than a decade of strained ties. Syria’s decision followed a similar move by Tunisia on April 3 when President …

13-04-2023 MOSCOW: Russia plans to introduce electronic military draft papers in an effort to make it harder for men to avoid being called up to fight in Ukraine. The State Duma, the lower chamber of parliament, approved the necessary legislation in two separate votes at lightning speed on Tuesday with …

12-04-2023 ANKARA: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan launched his re-election campaign on Tuesday with a party pledge to slash inflation to single digits and boost growth, as he seeks to extend his two decades in power in a May 14 vote. Erdogan is facing the biggest political challenge since his AK …

12-04-2023 Bureau Report NEW DELHI: An Indian court has directed the government to respond to an appeal submitted by a comedian challenging recent changes to the country’s Information Technology (IT) rules, which prevent social media platforms from hosting information that the government terms “fake”. The rules dictate that social media …

12-04-2023 LOUISVILLE: Authorities have said that the gunman who stormed a bank in Louisville, Kentucky on Monday morning killing at least five people and injuring eight others live-streamed the attack on Instagram. According to interim Louisville Metro Police Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel, the shooter has been identified as an employee at …

12-04-2023 BELFAST/ WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden intends to emphasize his country’s “commitment to preserving peace” in Northern Ireland when he visits Belfast this evening. He will arrive in the city to mark the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Good Friday peace agreement. The 1998 deal brought an …