17-03-2023 WASHINGTON: The United States military has released footage it says is of an unsafe interception of a US drone by a Russian jet over the Black Sea. The US on Tuesday alleged that a Russian Su-27 fighter jet struck one of its Reaper drones during a surveillance and reconnaissance …
Read More »China’s Baidu unveils ChatGPT rival Ernie
17-03-2023 TAIPEI, BEIJING: Chinese search engine giant Baidu has revealed its artificial intelligence-powered chatbot Ernie, the latest rival to OpenAI’s groundbreaking ChatGPT. Baidu Chief Executive Robin Li said on Thursday that Ernie, known as Weixin in Chinese, was the result of “decades of Baidu’s hard work and efforts” at a …
Read More »Missing uranium from Libya sparks concerns
17-03-2023 VIENNA/ UNITED NATIONS/ TRIPOLI: Two and a half tons of uranium have gone missing from a site in Libya, the UN’s nuclear watchdog has said. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) sounded the alarm after a visit by its inspectors to the undisclosed site earlier this week. They found …
Read More »Flash floods kill at dozens in Turkish quake zone
17-03-2023 ISTANBUL: Flash floods killed dozens of people living in tents and container housing set up across Turkey’s quake-hit region on Wednesday, piling more pressure on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ahead of crunch elections. Several more people were swept away by the rushing water, which turned streets into muddy rivers …
Read More »N Korea launches ICBM ahead of S Korea-Japan summit
17-03-2023 SEOUL/ PYONGYANG: North Korea fired a suspected Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) into the sea between the Korean peninsula and Japan on Thursday, hours before South Korea’s president was due to fly to Tokyo for a summit expected to discuss ways to counter the nuclear-armed North. North Korea has conducted …
Read More »Afghan girls defying Taliban’s ban on female learning
17-03-2023 By SJA Jafri + Bureau Report + Agencies KABUL/ ISLAMABAD: Amidst the Afghan capital, a madrassa witnesses rows of teenage girls fervently reciting verses from the holy Quran, while a religious scholar keeps a close eye on their progress. Following the return of the Taliban to power in August …
Read More »Assad welcomes new Russian bases in Syria
17-03-2023 DAMASCUS/ MOSCOW: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said that he would welcome any Russian proposals to set up new military bases and boost troop numbers in the Middle Eastern country, suggesting Moscow’s military presence there should become permanent. When Russia intervened in the war in Syria in 2015, four …
Read More »US Senate confirms Garcetti as ambassador to India
17-03-2023 WASHINGTON: The US Senate confirmed President Joe Biden’s nominee Eric Garcetti as ambassador to India on Wednesday, ending a nearly two-year nomination fight over allegations the former Los Angeles mayor mishandled workplace harassment complaints. Senators backed Garcetti by 52-42, as seven Republicans joined the majority of Democrats in supporting …
Read More »Protests resume in Israel after PM rejects compromise
17-03-2023 JERUSALEM: Israeli protesters have pressed ahead with demonstrations against a plan by the far-right government to weaken the independence of the judiciary, pushing back against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after he rejected a compromise proposal from President Isaac Herzog that was meant to diffuse the crisis. Protesters in Jerusalem …
Read More »Pakistani police pause siege at ex-PM’s home after clashes
16-03-2023 By SJA Jafri + Bureau Report ISLAMABAD/ LAHORE/ KARACHI: After clashing with supporters of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan outside his home for a second day Wednesday, police paused their efforts to arrest the ousted premier for failing to appear in court last week on graft charges. Police …
Read More »