Iran says sanctions show US ‘afraid’ of top diplomat
Tehran, Aug 1: Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani on Thursday mocked a US decision to impose sanctions on his top diplomat Mohammad Javad Zarif, saying it showed Washington was “afraid” of him as tensions again flare between the arch-enemies. The US Treasury said the sanctions would freeze any of Zarif’s assets in the United States or […]
Al-Qaeda heir Hamza bin Laden killed: US media
Washington, Aug 1: Osama bin Laden’s son Hamza, chosen heir to the leadership of Al-Qaeda, has been killed, US media reported Wednesday citing American officials. NBC News said three US officials had confirmed they had information of Hamza bin Laden’s death, but gave no details of the place or date. The New York Times subsequently […]
No EU consensus on new IMF chief to replace Lagarde: French govt
Paris, Aug 1: The European Union has not yet reached a consensus on a candidate to replace Christine Lagarde as head of the International Monetary Fund, the French finance ministry said Thursday. “At this stage, although some candidates’ names gather more support than others, there is not yet a full consensus around one name,” the […]
Bus strikes roadside bomb in Afghanistan, 32 killed
Kabul, Jul 31 (AP) A roadside bomb tore through a bus in western Afghanistan on Wednesday, killing at least 32 people, including women and children, a provincial official said. Mohibullah Mohib, spokesman for the police chief in Farah province, said 15 others were wounded with most in critical condition, indicating the death toll could rise. […]
Israel approves Palestinian construction in West Bank
Jerusalem, Jul 31 (AP) Israel’s Cabinet on Tuesday unanimously approved a proposal to build over 700 housing units for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank in addition to 6,000 Israeli settlement housing units. An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity to describe the closed-door meeting, said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government advanced the proposal […]
Bangladesh grapples with country’s worst dengue outbreak
Dhaka, Jul 31 (AP) Bangladesh is facing its worst-ever dengue fever outbreak as hospitals are flooded with patients, putting a severe strain on the country’s already overwhelmed medical system. The mosquito-borne viral infection has spread across the country with 61 out of 64 districts reporting dengue cases by late Tuesday. The government has confirmed 15,369 […]
More than 160 land defenders murdered in 2018: Watchdog
Paris, Jul 30: At least 164 land and environmental activists were murdered last year for defending their homes, lands and natural resources from exploitation by mining, food and logging firms, Global Witness said Tuesday. The charity watchdog’s annual land defenders report found “countless” more people were silenced through violence, intimidation and the use and misuse […]
China says ‘most’ inmates in Xinjiang camps are out
Beijing, Jul 30: Chinese officials on Tuesday said “most” individuals held in re-education camps in its northwest Xinjiang region have left the centres and found jobs – though they did not provide any figures. In Xinjiang, experts and human rights groups say more than one million Uighurs and other mostly Muslim minorities are held in […]
20 dead as violence mars Afghan election season
Kabul, Jul 29 : Deadly violence marred the start of Afghanistan’s election season on the weekend, after President Ashraf Ghani insisted “peace is coming” to the war-torn nation. At least 20 people were killed and 50 others wounded on Sunday in an attack targeting the Kabul office of Ghani’s running mate, Amrullah Saleh. The violence […]
Saudi King Salman’s brother dies at 96
Riyadh, Jul 29 : Saudi Arabia was gearing up Monday for the funeral of King Salman’s elder brother, the royal court said, after he died at the age of 96. “His Royal Highness Prince Bandar bin Abdulaziz al-Saud passed away,” the royal court said Sunday in a brief statement carried by the official Saudi Press […]
