Pope: Gossiping is “plague worse than COVID”
Vatican City: Pope Francis said Sunday that gossiping is a “plague worse than COVID” that is seeking to divide the Catholic Church. Francis strayed from his prepared text to double down on his frequent complaint about gossiping within church communities and even within the Vatican bureaucracy. Francis didn’t give specifics during his weekly blessing, but […]
Taliban return to Doha setting stage for Afghan peace talks
Islamabad: Taliban officials say a senior delegation returned early Saturday to Qatar, paving the way for the start of peace talks with the Afghan government that are expected to take place in the tiny Gulf state. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media. The negotiations […]
Very nasty situation along India-China border: Trump
Washington: Asserting that the situation along the India-China border has been “very nasty” and the Chinese are “going at it” much more strongly, US President Donald Trump said he would love to get involved and help. “While we’re at it, we’re talking about China and India are going at it pretty good on the border, […]
12 killed, 25 injured as six air conditioners explode in Bangladesh mosque
Dhaka: At least 12 worshippers, including a child, were killed and 25 others injured when a suspected gas leak caused six air conditioners to explode almost simultaneously in a mosque on the outskirts of Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka, fire officials said on Saturday. The explosions took place during prayers at the Baitul Salat mosque in Narayanganj […]
Madrid struggles with Europe’s acutest 2nd wave of pandemic
Madrid: The Madrid regional government is further restricting family reunions and social gatherings to curb a sharp spike in confirmed coronavirus cases as schools are set to re-open, although officials said Friday that new infections in and around the Spanish capital were being brought under control. Authorities said an existing ban on outdoor meetings of […]
New Zealand has 1st virus death in 3 months
Wellington (New Zealand): New Zealand reported its first death from the coronavirus in more than three months on Friday. Health authorities said a man in his 50s died at an Auckland hospital where he was being treated for the virus following a small outbreak in the city that began last month. New Zealand has reported […]
UN experts raise concerns over Hong Kong security law
Hong Kong: Seven human rights experts affiliated with the UN raised concerns over Hong Kong’s national security law in a letter addressed to Chinese authorities, saying that the law infringed on certain fundamental rights. In a letter released Friday, the experts said that the national security law raised a “serious risk” that fundamental freedoms, such […]
Budget deficit to hit record USD 3.3T due to virus, recession: Congressional Budget Office
Washington: The federal budget deficit is projected to hit a record USD 3.3 trillion as huge government expenditures to fight the coronavirus and to prop up the economy have added more than USD 2 trillion to the federal ledger, the Congressional Budget Office said Wednesday. The spike in the deficit means that federal debt will […]
India to host summit of SCO council of heads of government on Nov 30
New Delhi: India will host a summit of the council of heads of government of the SCO on November 30 with a focus on contributing to the trade and economic agenda of the influential grouping, a senior official in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has said. India has been focusing on expanding its cooperation […]
UN chief urges Japan, others to meet goals on climate change
United Nations: The United Nations chief urged Japan and other wealthy nations on Thursday to give up their reliance on coal and other fossil fuels and commit to investments in green energy as they recover from the coronavirus pandemic. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres made the appeal in an address to an online climate conference hosted […]
