The United States and Albania will soon submit their draft resolution to the United Nations Security Council, seeking to condemn Russia for its recent Ukraine actions, diplomatic sources said Wednesday. “It’s almost finalized,” a European diplomat, who wished to remain anonymous, told AFP. “I hope we can move to action in the next hours or […]
AFP
Putin announces ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine’s Donbas region
KYIV/DONETSK: Russian President Vladimir Putin authorised a military operation in eastern Ukraine on Thursday in what could be the start of war in Europe over Russia’s demands for an end to NATO’s eastward expansion. Shortly after Putin spoke, a Reuters witness heard the sound of what appeared to be explosions in the distance from the […]
US opposes Canada’s digital services tax proposal
Washington: The United States on Tuesday announced its opposition to Canada’s proposed tax on the largest tech firms, warning it “would examine all options” should Ottawa go ahead with the levy. The United States Trade Representative (USTR) said Canada should instead work towards implementing a global taxation agreement that Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development […]
Pak javelin throwers face visa delay to train in South Africa
ISLAMABAD: With a series of big international events looming, the Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) is still uncertain whether or not its potential javelin throwers will be able to get the much-needed elite training to claim medals at them. The World Athletics Championships are penciled in for July 15-24 in Oregon, followed by the […]
New Zealand protestors occupy parliament grounds for fourth day
WELLINGTON: More people arrived outside New Zealand’s parliament on Friday, as protesters calling for an end to a vaccine mandate and tough COVID-19 restrictions refused to end their demonstrations despite arrests by the police. It’s been four days since several thousand protesters, inspired by truckers’ demonstrations in Canada, occupied the parliament lawns in the capital Wellington, and […]
Dozens of SpaceX internet satellites lost to geomagnetic storm
Washington: Up to 40 SpaceX high-speed internet satellites have been knocked out of orbit by a geomagnetic storm shortly after launch, but pose little threat to Earth as they burn up in the atmosphere, the company said. Geomagnetic storms are caused by ejections of the solar corona into space, resulting in disturbances to the Earth’s […]
WHO laments ‘tragic’ 500,000 Covid death toll since Omicron
Geneva: The World Health Organisation lamented Tuesday that half a million Covid-19 deaths had been recorded since the Omicron variant was discovered, calling the toll “beyond tragic”. The WHO’s incident manager Abdi Mahamud said that 130 million cases and 500,000 deaths had been recorded globally since Omicron was declared a variant of concern in late […]
Union says Starbucks fired organising committee at US store
Washington: A union representing Starbucks employees on Tuesday accused the coffee chain of firing workers attempting to organise in the US state of Tennessee. Starbucks Workers United said employees comprising “almost the entire union organising committee” at a store in Memphis were fired weeks after two Starbucks stores in New York became the first to […]
G-77 urges push towards debt sustainability, food security and sustainable development
UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Munir Akram, in his capacity as the Group of 77 Chairman, has called for mobilisation of resources to enable the pandemic-hit developing countries to eradicate poverty and hunger and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). “Unprecedented times call for an unprecedented response from the international community based on the […]
North Korea Olympics message may signal halt to missile tests: analysts
Seoul: North Korea sent “warm congratulations” Friday to ally China ahead of the opening of the Beijing Winter Olympics, a message analysts said likely signals it will stop test-firing missiles during the event. Pyongyang conducted an unprecedented seven weapons tests in January, including launching its most powerful missile since 2017 as it hinted it could […]