Palestinian leader calls for peace conference by mid-2018
United Nations, Feb 21 : Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has ruled out the US as a broker for peace with Israel, calling for an international peace conference by mid-2018 with the key goals of full UN membership for the state of Palestine and a timeframe for a two-state solution. Abbas spoke yesterday as the Trump […]
New wearable sensor could help detect chronic diseases
London, Feb 21 : A team of scientists led by an Indian-origin researcher at the University of Glasgow have created a new wearable sensor that could help people detect chronic diseases like diabetes. Professor Ravinder Dahiya, head of the university’s School of Engineering’s Bendable Electronics and Sensing Technologies (BEST) group, explained that his team was […]
Lanka recalls its defence attache in UK over anti-Tamil gesture
Colombo, Feb 21 : Sri Lanka has recalled its defence attache in the UK for an inquiry following his offensive act of gesticulating to slit throats of Tamil demonstrators in London, the military spokesman said. Brigadier Priyanka Fernando, the Military Attache in Sri Lankan High Commission, was seen gesticulating to slit throats of a group […]
Quebec’s top court upholds kirpan ban at provincial legislature
Toronto, Feb 21 : A Canadian court has upheld the right of Quebec’s national assembly to prohibit people from entering the building with a kirpan, an article of faith for the Sikhs, media reports said. Two members of the World Sikh Organisation of Canada were challenging a unanimous motion adopted in the national assembly in […]
US disappointed over extension of emergency in Maldives
Washington, Feb 21: The US today expressed disappointment over the Maldivian government extending the state of emergency by another 30 days and asked President Abdulla Yameen to uphold the rule of law in the troubled Indian Ocean island nation. Yameen yesterday extended a draconian state of emergency by another month, bolstering his grip on power […]
Trump pushes for ban on rapid-fire gun ‘bump stocks’
Washington, Feb 21 :Facing anger over the deadly school shooting in Florida, President Donald Trump has directed the Justice Department to consider banning bump stocks, the controversial device that turns semi-automatic rifles into fully automatic weapons capable of firing hundreds of rounds a minute. Trump yesterday said he signed a memorandum directing the Attorney General […]
Citing India, UNGA President says world needs science for addressing water scarcity
United Nations, Feb 21: Citing a project in India where farmers are using solar-powered pumps to access groundwater for irrigation, UN General Assembly president Miroslav Lajcak has said that the world needs science for tackling global water scarcity. Noting that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development calls for making sure that there is water and […]
India has nothing to worry about China-Bangla ties: Hasina
Dhaka, Feb 21: India should not be worried about Bangladesh’s growing ties with China, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said, asserting that the cooperation with Beijing was meant only for the country’s development. Hasina said her government was only concerned about the development, and is ready to cooperate with any country that helps Bangladesh’s growth. […]
200 dead as Syria enclave pounded ahead of expected ground assault
Hammuriyeh, Feb 20 (AFP) Heavy Syrian bombardment killed at least 200 civilians in rebel-held Eastern Ghouta, a war monitor said, as regime forces appeared to prepare for an imminent ground assault. Yesterday’s escalation came as pro-government forces were also expected to enter the northern Kurdish-controlled enclave of Afrin, to take a stand against a month-old […]
China upgrades air defence along Indian border: Report
Beijing, Feb 20: China is upgrading air defence of its Western Theatre Command, which looks after the security along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), to “confront any threat from India”, an official media report quoted a military expert as saying. The Chinese military has released photographs of a J-10 fighter jet – a lightweight […]
