Xi and Putin pledge to shape new world order, no peace in sight for Ukraine By: Reuters on March 22, 2023China’s President Xi Jinping and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin set their sights on shaping a new world order as the Chinese leader left Moscow on Wednesday, having made no direct support for Putin’s war in Ukraine during his two-day visit. Xi made a strong show of solidarity with Putin against the West, but he barely […]
Saddam’s rusting yacht serves as picnic spot for Iraqi fishermen By: Reuters on March 17, 2023e BASRA: Capsized in a river in southern Iraq, the rusting wreck of a yacht that belonged to Saddam Hussein serves as a stark reminder of his iron-fisted rule that ended with the US-led invasion two decades ago. The 121-metre (396 ft) “al-Mansur”, a symbol of Saddam’s wealth and power when it was built in […]
India approves purchase of military equipment worth $8.5bn By: Reuters on March 16, 2023India on Thursday approved purchases of missiles, helicopters, artillery guns and electronic warfare systems worth $8.5 billion as it sought to add more teeth to its military. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), the top government body for capital acquisition approvals for the Indian military, approved the orders worth 705 billion rupees ($8.52bn) for all its […]
Sri Lanka’s public workers strike to press for lower taxes, power bills By: Reuters on March 15, 2023COLOMBO: Public employees at Sri Lanka’s ports, hospitals, schools, and railways went on strike on Wednesday to protest against high costs of living as the country struggles to recover from a severe financial crisis. Thousands of members belonging to more than 40 trade unions refused to report to work or took sick leave in the […]
North Korea fires two short-range ballistic missiles, South Korea says By: Reuters on March 14, 2023North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea off its east coast on Tuesday, South Korea’s military said, the latest of several weapons tests as the South and the United States conduct their largest joint military drills in years. The missiles were fired about 7:40 a.m. (2240 GMT on Monday) from South Hwanghae province, near […]
Mahsa Amini not forgotten in Iran six months after death By: AFP on March 14, 2023TEHRAN: Six months ago this week, Mahsa Amini was arrested for allegedly flouting Iran’s strict dress code for women. Within days she was dead, sparking the country’s biggest protests in years. The 22-year ethnic Kurd became a household name inside Iran, a rallying point for demands for change. Around the world, she became a hero […]
IOC urges Britain to respect ‘autonomy of sport’ By: Reuters on March 14, 2023LONDON: Olympic chiefs have urged the British government to respect the “autonomy of sport” after an attempt to lobby sponsors against a proposed pathway for Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate at next year’s Paris Games. Britain’s Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer last week wrote a letter to 13 of the biggest Olympic sponsors, urging them […]
France, Britain strike migration deal paving way for new entente By: Reuters on March 10, 2023PARIS, March 10 (Reuters) – Britain will pay France around 480 million pounds ($577 million) over three years to try to stop migrants travelling in small boats across the Channel as the two allies on Friday took a major step to end years of bickering in the post-Brexit era. At a summit designed to rebuild […]
Apple backs new music startup By: Reuters on March 9, 2023Apple Inc is backing a music startup launched by one of its former executives. The company, called Gamma, is the brainchild of former Apple Music Global Creative Director Larry Jackson and veteran music executive Ike Youssef. It positions itself as an alternative to traditional record labels. “The artists shaping today’s culture not only create music, but […]
India’s oil deals with Russia dent decades-old dollar dominance By: Reuters on March 8, 2023NEW DELHI: U.S.-led international sanctions on Russia have begun to erode the dollar’s decades-old dominance of international oil trade as most deals with India – Russia’s top outlet for seaborne crude – have been settled in other currencies. The dollar’s pre-eminence has periodically been called into question and yet it has continued because of the […]