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 …
Read More »The fate of Korea’s ‘first and biggest’ sex festival
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 …
Read More »7 teens arrested in Sydney counter-terror raids
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 …
Read More »Columbia protesters vow to remain until demands met
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 …
Read More »Orange Sahara dust haze descends over Athens
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 …
Read More »Solomon Islands’ pro-China PM fails to secure majority
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 …
Read More »US warns Pakistan of sanctions risk
By SJA Jafri + Bureau Report + Agencies WASHINGTON/ ISLAMABAD: The United States has warned Pakistan of the risk of sanctions after it promised greater security and economic cooperation with Iran during a visit by President Ebrahim Raisi. The first Iranian president to visit the South Asian country in eight …
Read More »Spain sees US-style economic boost from immigrant workers
25-04-2024 MADRID: Achieving her career ambitions in Spain has proved remarkably easy for Sara Hernandez, a systems architect from Venezuela who found her skills were in hot demand when she arrived in Madrid. Spain may have Europe’s highest unemployment rate but moving to Madrid in 2021 after seven years in …
Read More »Asia bears biggest climate-change brunt amid extreme weather
24-04-2024 GENEVA: Asia was the region most affected by climate change, weather and water-related hazards globally last year, the United Nations weather agency has said. In a report published on Tuesday, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said floods and storms were the main cause of casualties and economic damage in …
Read More »India’s battered opposition takes on Modi
24-04-2024 Bureau Report + Agencies NEW DELHI: How fair is the electoral landscape in India’s general election? Not very, says the opposition alliance. It accuses the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of denying it a level playing-field. The BJP, seeking a third consecutive term, is ahead in opinion …
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