03-09-2024 BERLIN: Germany’s anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) is celebrating a “historic success”, with the far-right party on course for a big victory in the eastern state of Thuringia. The AfD is set to win almost a third of the vote, according to a projection for public broadcaster ARD, nine …
Read More »Israeli strikes kill dozens, health officials prepare polio campaign
02-09-2024 CAIRO/ GAZA CITY: Israeli strikes on Saturday killed at least 48 people in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian health authorities said, as clashes took place in central and southern areas of the enclave ahead of the planned start of a polio vaccination campaign. The United Nations is due to start …
Read More »Pope to visit Jakarta’s Istiqlal mosque for interfaith harmony
02-09-2024 JAKARTA: When Pope Francis visits Indonesia next week, he will stop by a mosque in Jakarta that has an unusual feature, a tunnel connecting it to the city’s Catholic cathedral, as part of a push for interfaith harmony on his 12-day Asia-Pacific tour. The 28.3-metre “Tunnel of Friendship”, connecting …
Read More »India collects $21b in goods & services tax in August
02-09-2024 Bureau Report + Agencies NEW DELHI/ BENGALURU: India collected 1.75 trillion rupees ($20.87 billion) in goods and services tax (GST) in July, a rise of 10% from the same period last year, according to a government statement on Saturday. The Indian government collected 1.59 trillion rupees as GST in …
Read More »China and Philippines trade blame as ships collide
02-09-2024 BEIJING: China and the Philippines have accused each other of ramming coast guard vessels in a disputed area of the South China Sea. The Philippines has claimed a Chinese ship “directly and intentionally rammed” into its vessel, while Beijing has accused the Philippines of “deliberately” crashing into a Chinese …
Read More »Far-right AfD eyes big gains in German elections
02-09-2024 BERLIN: Voters in Germany’s two eastern states are due to cast their ballots in elections in which the far right is expected to perform strongly. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) has been polling top in Thuringia ahead of Sunday’s vote, while the party has been running neck-and-neck for first …
Read More »Thailand wages war against ‘alien’ tilapia fish
02-09-2024 BANGKOK: It has been described as the “most invasive species” to ever hit Thailand one which risks enormous damage to the environment, according to officials. Attempts to control it have seen crowds wading out into lakes, and genetic modification and yet the blackchin tilapia continues to spread through Thailand’s …
Read More »Harris criticizes Trump over Arlington Cemetery dispute
02-09-2024 WASHINGTON: Vice-President Kamala Harris is criticizing former president Donald Trump over a recent controversy involving his campaign at Arlington National Cemetery, saying the military burial site is “not a place for politics”. Harris took aim at Trump on Saturday in a post on social media, writing that he “disrespected …
Read More »Russian activist speaks out in spy case after prisoner swap
02-09-2024 MOSCOW: In early August, Pablo Gonzalez was taken from a prison in Poland and flown to Moscow on a plane carrying Russian deep-cover agents, hackers and a hitman for the FSB intelligence service. The group was met at the airport by a military guard, red carpet and Vladimir Putin …
Read More »Israel recovers bodies of six Gaza hostages
01-09-2024 JERUSALEM: Israel says its forces have recovered the bodies of six hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the bodies were located on Saturday in an underground tunnel in the Rafah area of southern Gaza. The IDF named the …
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