International

09-03-2023 GENEVA: A British draft law unveiled Tuesday aimed at stopping migrants entering illegally on small boats will amount to an asylum ban, the UN warned, calling for “more humane” solutions instead. The United Nations refugee agency said it was “profoundly concerned” by plans that would give the British interior …

09-03-2023 TOKYO: Japan’s new medium-lift rocket failed on its debut flight in space on Tuesday after the launcher’s second-stage engine did not ignite as planned, in a blow to its efforts to cut the cost of accessing space and compete against Elon Musk’s SpaceX. The 57-metre (187 ft) tall H3 …

09-03-2023 COLOMBO: Sri Lanka expects final approval from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a $2.9 billion loan in the third or fourth week of this month, the president said on Tuesday, adding that new support from China means all funding requirements had been met. The country of 22 million …

09-03-2023 GENEVA: United Nations rights Chief Volker Turk on Tuesday demanded action from Beijing to address “grave concerns” over the human rights situation in China’s Xinjiang province. Turk has been under pressure from Western nations and rights organizations to take a firm stand on Xinjiang following a bombshell report by …

09-03-2023 LONDON: Rishi Sunak has said he is “up for the fight” to bring in new legislation to prevent migrants crossing the Channel on small boats to reach the UK. The prime minister said he was confident the government would win any legal battles over the “tough, but necessary and …

08-03-2023 Bureau Report NEW DELHI/ KOCHI: Indian firefighters are trying to put out a fire at a waste plant which has led to a toxic smoke cover over many areas in Kochi city in Kerala state. The fire began last week at a local waste management plant which processes tonnes …

08-03-2023 Bureau Report + Agencies WASHINGTON/ KARACHI: You must rush to the rooftop tonight to witness the sky decorated with stunning celestial bodies. This week, the final full moon of the winter will illuminate the sky, providing skywatchers with yet another unique opportunity. Why is it called a worm moon? …

08-03-2023 Bureau Report + Agencies GENEVA/ KABUL/ ISLAMABAD: The Taliban’s treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan could amount to a crime against humanity, according to a UN report presented on Monday at the Human Rights Council in Geneva. The Taliban seized power in August 2021, drastically curtailing women’s freedoms …

08-03-2023 OTTAWA: A Canadian girl and boy born over four months premature and not expected to survive have celebrated their first birthday with a Guinness World Records nod as the world’s most premature twins. Adiah and Adrial Nadarajah were born on March 4, 2022 at the gestational age of 22 …

08-03-2023 BEIJING: China’s foreign minister Qin Gang has blamed the United States for rising tensions between Washington and Beijing, warning that no number of preventive measures could avert a confrontation if the US does not change paths. The US had engaged in suppression and containment of China rather than fair …