Tense overnight violence in north Kosovo, Serbs block roads
Pristina: Kosovo police and the local media on Sunday reported explosions, shooting and road blocks overnight in the north of the country, where the population is mostly ethnic Serb, despite the postponement of the Dec. 18 municipal election the Serbs were opposed to. No injuries have been reported. The European Union rule of law mission, […]
Putin says Russia could adopt US preemptive strike concept
Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Moscow could adopt what he described as a US concept of using preemptive military strikes, noting it has the weapons to do the job, in a blunt statement amid rising Russia-NATO tensions over Ukraine. “We are just thinking about it. They weren’t shy to openly talk […]
UN rights chief to follow up on abuse concerns about China
Berlin: The top United Nations human rights official said Friday that his office will continue reaching out to Beijing about allegations of abuse in China. The office of former U.N. human rights chief Michelle Bachelet published a report in August stating that China’s detention of Uyghurs and other mostly Muslim ethnic groups in the western […]
Arab leaders in Saudi Arabia for Chinese leader Xi’s visit
Dubai: Gulf Arab leaders and others in the Mideast met Friday in Saudi Arabia as part of a state visit by Chinese leader Xi Jinping, seeking to firm up their relations with Beijing as decades of US attention on the region wanes. Before a joint meeting with Xi, representatives of the Gulf Cooperation Council met […]
German coup plot fuelled by conspiracy claims, COVID measures
Berlin: An alleged plot to topple the German government, led by a self-styled prince, a retired paratrooper and a Berlin judge, had its roots in a murky mixture of post-war grudges, antisemitic conspiracy theories and anger over recent pandemic restrictions, experts say. Police detained 25 people on Wednesday described as being part of Germany’s Reichsbuerger, […]
EU split over newest members joining ID-check-free zone
Brussels: European Union countries are weighing on Thursday whether the bloc’s three newest members – Bulgaria, Romania, and Croatia – can fully open their borders and participate in Europe’s ID-check-free travel zone, but more delays to their entry appear likely. A green light would be a boon for their economies. The so-called Schengen area is […]
UN ECOSOC grants accreditation to 9 NGOs amid objections from several nations
United Nations: The UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) has voted to grant special consultative status to nine non-governmental organisations, including one that advocates for Dalit human rights, despite objections raised by several countries including China, Russia and India over the accreditation process of these NGOs. The ECOSOC, one of the six principal organs of […]
India working for release of its 16 sailors with authorities in Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea: Govt
New Delhi: The government on Thursday said it is in touch with authorities in Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea for securing release of 16 Indian sailors who were part of the crew of a commercial ship that was detained in August. The Indian sailors have been reportedly in detention in Equatorial Guinea. According to the charge […]
Iran executes first known prisoner arrested in protests
Dubai: Iran said on Thursday it executed a prisoner convicted for a crime allegedly committed during the country’s ongoing nationwide protests, the first such death penalty carried out by Tehran. The execution comes as other detainees also face possible death penalty for their involvement in the protests, which began first as an outcry against Iran’s […]
25 arrested in Germany on suspicion of planning armed coup
Berlin: Thousands of police officers carried out raids across much of Germany on Wednesday against suspected far-right extremists who allegedly sought to overthrow the government in an armed coup. Officials said 25 people were detained. Federal prosecutors said some 3,000 officers conducted searches at 130 sites in 11 of Germany’s 16 states. While police raids […]
