International

26-04-2024 MADRID: The wind, which picked up and made it impossible for small boats to attempt more Channel crossings, now looks to be easing. Already, around Calais, there are indications that, despite yesterday’s deaths, smugglers are starting to shepherd migrants towards the dunes along the coast to prepare for more …

26-04-2024 NEW YORK: Shares in US tech giant Meta have sunk in US after-hours trading despite better-than-expected earnings. The Facebook and Instagram owner said expenses would be higher this year as it spends heavily on artificial intelligence (AI). Its shares fell more than 15% after it said it expected to …

26-04-2024 TEHRAN: An Iranian rapper jailed for supporting anti-government protests has been sentenced to death, his lawyer has said. Toomaj Salehi in his songs supported protests in 2022 that erupted over the death of Mahsa Amini, a woman who died in police custody after allegedly wearing an “improper” hijab. One …

26-04-2024 WASHINGTON/ KYIV: Ukraine has begun using long-range ballistic missiles secretly provided by the US against invading Russian forces, American officials have confirmed. The weapons were part of a $300m (£240m) aid package approved by US President Joe Biden in March and they arrived this month. They have already been …

25-04-2024 Bureau Report NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist party have begun attacking opposition rivals, saying they favor minority Muslims, in what analysts see as a bid to invigorate their hardline base after general elections began last week. India began voting on Friday in a …

25-04-2024 SEOUL: Lee Hee Tae had high hopes for his sex festival, which he proudly billed as South Korea’s “first and largest”. He envisaged 5,000 fans flocking to see their favorite Japanese porn actors and actresses, who were being flown in for last weekend’s event. There was to be a …

25-04-2024 Bureau Report SYDNEY: Australian police have arrested seven teenagers as part of a wave of counter-terrorism raids across Sydney, claiming it was “likely” the youths may have been plotting an attack. The suspects are believed to share a “religiously motivated violent extremist ideology”, say police. The raids are linked …

25-04-2024 NEW YORK: Pro-Palestinian protesters have refused to disband from Columbia University’s main campus after a midnight deadline was set by the institution’s president. Dr Minouche Shafik warned demonstrators that “alternative options” would have to be considered for clearing the area on the New York City campus if an agreement …

25-04-2024 ATHENS: A dramatic orange haze has descended over Athens as clouds of dust have blown in from the Sahara desert. It is one of the worst such episodes to hit Greece since 2018, according to officials. Greece had already been struck by similar clouds in late March and early …

25-04-2024 HONIARA: The Solomon Islands election has delivered no clear winner leaving pro-China Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare in a race with rival opposition politicians to form a coalition to lead the Pacific island nation. Solomon Islanders voted a week ago in a closely fought campaign that was the first since …