18-04-2024 MOSCOW/ TEHRAN: Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for restraint as Israel weighs its response to Iran’s unprecedented weekend drone and missile attack. Putin made the remarks in a phone call with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Tuesday. The leaders discussed what the Kremlin called “retaliatory measures taken by …
Read More »China’s newest ally in the Pacific goes to the polls
18-04-2024 BEIJING/ SOUTH-WEST PACIFIC OCEAN: In the Solomon Islands, the night before an election is known as Devil’s Night. Political candidates offer bribes handing out everything from cash and boat motors, sacks of rice and solar panels to secure last-minute votes. Vote-buying has been a common tactic in the Pacific …
Read More »‘Dutch Crown Princess Amalia lived in Spain after threats’
18-04-2024 MADRID/ AMSTERDAM: The heir to the Dutch throne, Princess Amalia, lived in Spain for at least a year because of severe threats made against her, Dutch media report. The crown princess studied in Madrid because of the security situation and enjoyed greater freedom of movement there, according to sources …
Read More »Police told to shut down right-wing Brussels conference
18-04-2024 BRUSSELS: Brussels police were ordered to shut down a conference for right-wing politicians, including Brexiteer Nigel Farage and Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, on Tuesday. People were stopped from entering the National Conservatism Conference a few hours after it began, organizers said – although it continued for those inside. …
Read More »Iranians on edge as leaders say ‘Tel Aviv is our battleground’
17-04-2024 TEHRAN/ TEL AVIV/ GAZA CITY: Tehran is tense, two days after Iran’s unprecedented direct attack on Israel. Worried about war and its impact on Iran’s already flailing economy, a significant proportion of Iranians oppose what they see as the reckless adventurism of the country’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps …
Read More »Oil slips as concern eases about Middle East supply risk
17-04-2024 NEW YORK/ LONDON/ TEHRAN: Oil prices slipped lower after Iran’s weekend attack on Israel proved to be less damaging than anticipated, easing concerns of a quickly intensifying conflict that could displace crude barrels. Brent futures for June delivery settled at $90.10 a barrel, down 35 cents, or 0.4%. US …
Read More »Indian Rupee ends at record closing low amid Mideast tensions
17-04-2024 Bureau Report + Agencies NEW DELHI/ MUMBAI: The Indian rupee ended at a record closing low on Tuesday, as rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and worries that the Federal Reserve will delay interest rate cuts triggered a selloff in risky assets. The rupee ended at 83.5350 to …
Read More »‘Crimes against humanity may have been committed in Sudan’
17-04-2024 UNITED NATIONS/ KHARTOUM: Indiscriminate attacks against civilians in Sudan could constitute “war crimes and crimes against humanity,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said, one year after war erupted between rival generals in the East African country. The United Nations has said nearly 25 million people, half Sudan’s population, need …
Read More »Solomon Islands prepares for election since independence
17-04-2024 SOUTH-WEST PACIFIC OCEAN, AUSTRALIA: The people of the Solomon Islands are set to vote for their next government on April 17, in an election that could have repercussions for the rest of the Asia Pacific region due to the country’s close relationship with China. The Pacific state’s 760,000 citizens …
Read More »Chinese internet amused by ‘sanitary pad’ building design
17-04-2024 BEIJING: The proposed design of a train station in the Chinese city of Nanjing has attracted the attention of Chinese internet users for all the wrong reasons. Authorities say the design of the North Nanjing station takes inspiration from plum blossoms, which the city is known for but online, …
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