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 …
Read More »Sri Lanka expects $2.9bn from IMF with China’s support
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 …
Read More »UN wants action from China on human rights concerns
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 …
Read More »British PM issues strict warning to migrants
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 …
Read More »Indian city chokes on toxic haze from waste dump fire
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 …
Read More »‘Worm Moon to light up the sky tonight’
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? …
Read More »Taliban’s persecution of women could be ‘crime against humanity’
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 …
Read More »World’s most premature babies celebrate first birthday
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 …
Read More »China warns of ‘conflict’ if US stays on path of confrontation
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 …
Read More »N Korea warns US against shooting down its missile tests
08-03-2023 PYONGYANG: North Korea has said that any move to intercept and shoot down its test missiles would be considered “a declaration of war”. The statement on Tuesday by Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, cited a South Korean media report that said …
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