International

13-04-2024 MANILA/ TOKYO/ WASHINGTON: The leaders of Japan, the Philippines and the United States have voiced “serious concern” over China’s actions in the disputed South China Sea. Beijing has stepped up its activities in the strategic waterway in recent years, and tensions have risen, particularly with the Philippines, one of …

13-04-2024 Bureau Report + Agencies NEW DELHI/ BENGALURE: In early March, a realistic Artificial Intelligence (AI) generated image of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, styled as Bhishma Pitamah from the ancient Hindu epic Mahabharata, was boosted as a political advertisement on Instagram. With long wavy grey hair, a sun-shaped mark …

13-04-2024 JERUSALEM: Israel is keeping up its war in Gaza but is also preparing for scenarios in other areas, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday, amid concern that Iran was preparing to strike Israel in response for the killing of senior Iranian commanders. “Whoever harms us, we will harm …

13-04-2024 NEW YORK: Taylor Swift’s songs are back on TikTok following a dispute that led her label to stop licensing its content to the app. Her music’s return on Thursday comes ahead of the release of her new album, The Tortured Poets Department. Universal Music pulled songs by its artists …

13-04-2024 KYIV/ MOSCOW: A major power plant near Kyiv was completely destroyed by Russian strikes early on Thursday, Energy Company Centrenergo said. Trypillya power plant was the largest electricity provider for three regions, including Kyiv, officials said. “The scale of destruction is terrifying,” said Centrenergo chairman Andriy Hota. Russia has …

13-04-2024 WASHINGTON: The United States has restricted travel for its employees in Israel amid fears of an attack by Iran. The US embassy said staff had been told not to travel outside the greater Jerusalem, Tel Aviv or Be’er Sheva areas “out of an abundance of caution”. Iran has vowed …

12-04-2024 OTTAWA: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has defended his government’s efforts to ensure election integrity at a public inquiry looking into foreign interference in Canada. He argued that the last two elections in 2019 and 2021 had been “free and fair” and decided only by Canadians. The inquiry has largely …

12-04-2024 BERLINDUBAI: German airline Lufthansa (LHAG.DE), opens new tab said on Wednesday it had suspended flights to Tehran due to the situation in the Middle East, which is on alert for possible Iranian retaliation for a suspected Israeli air strike on Iran’s embassy in Syria. An Iranian news agency briefly …

12-04-2024 RAEBARELI/ HALOL: The city of Raebareli in northern India has for most of the last 75 years been the political fiefdom of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty that dominates the once-powerful Congress party and provided three of the nation’s prime ministers. But, with India’s general election just weeks away, the party’s …

12-04-2024 WASHINGTON/ CANBERRA/ LONDON: US President Joe Biden has said that he is considering a request from Australia to drop the prosecution of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. The country’s parliament recently passed a measure backed by PM Anthony Albanese, calling for the return of Assange to his native Australia. The …