International

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 …

17-12-2021 Bureau Report WELLINGTON/ MELBOURNE/ ISLAMABAD: Two New Zealanders were awarded the country’s highest bravery award Thursday for confronting a white supremacist gunman during a 2019 terror attack on Christchurch mosques that claimed the lives of 51 Muslim worshippers. Naeem Rashid, who died in the attack, and survivor Abdul Aziz …

16-12-2021 RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has announced that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s citizens and foreigners aged 12 and above can avail Umrah permits, as per the new regulations. A statement issued by the official Twitter account for the publication of news related to the Two …