International

19-12-2021 MADINAH/ RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is planning to revive the hajj and Umrah sectors of the Kingdom through greater cooperation between private and public entities. According to a report published by Arab News, the move will allow the kingdom to expand services to pilgrims visiting the two holiest sites for …

19-12-2021 WASHINGTON: Newly obtained Pentagon documents show that the US air wars in the Middle East have been marked by “deeply flawed intelligence” and resulted in thousands of civilian deaths, including many children, the New York Times reported Saturday. It said a trove of confidential documents covering more than 1,300 …

18-12-2021 OSAKA/ TOKYO: At least 27 people are feared to have died after a fire broke out in a building in downtown Osaka, Japan. Police are investigating whether the blaze was started deliberately, public broadcaster NHK said. They are investigating reports that a man spilled liquid that started the fire. …

18-12-2021 SHANGHAI/ NEW DELHI/ WASHINGTON: Rising consumption in China, India and the United States could bring global coal-fired power demand to a new all-time high this year, undermining efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Friday. The IEA said global power generation from coal …

18-12-2021 PYONGYANG: North Korea has restricted its citizens from laughing or showing any signs of happiness for 11 days to commemorate the 10th death anniversary of their leader, Kim Jong-il, The Hindustan Times reported. The publication cited a news story by Radio Free Asia to confirm the ban which quoted …

18-12-2021 Bureau Report + BBC NEW DELHI: According to the recently released data by the government’s National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), 22,372 housewives took their own lives last year – that’s an average of 61 suicides every day or one every 25 minutes. Housewives accounted for 14.6% of the total …

17-12-2021 By SJA Jafri + Bureau Report + Agencies KABUL/ RIYADH/ ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan’s finance ministry under the new Taliban-led government has prepared a draft national budget that, for the first time in two decades, is funded without foreign aid, a spokesman said. It comes as the country is mired in …

17-12-2021 DHAKA: Bangladesh has marked 50 years of victory over Pakistan in a bloody war for independence by hosting a military parade with the Indian president as a guest of honour. Huge crowds paid tribute to Bangladesh’s war heroes in the capital Dhaka and other cities on Thursday. Veterans who …

17-12-2021 Bureau Report TASMANIA/ SYDNEY: Five children have been killed and several others seriously injured at an Australian school after a gust of wind threw their bouncy castle high up into the air. Police said the students at a primary school in northern Tasmania were celebrating the last week of …

17-12-2021 Bureau Report NEW DELHI: The Indian government has cleared a proposal to raise the minimum age of marriage for women from 18 to 21, according to media reports, as women’s rights activists fear the move could lead to a “real disaster”. The decision to raise the age was made …