Palestinian reconciliation dialogue to resume amid fears of failure on February 4, 2016GAZA: Leaders of the two rival Palestinian groups are scheduled to meet in a few days in Qatar to discuss the possible reconciliation. However, local observers and analysts have ruled out that the dialogue would end the eight-year-old division between Islamic Hamas movement and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Fatah party. The two rivals are scheduled […]
Photo exhibition to mark 40 years of China-Bangladesh ties enthralls visitors on February 4, 2016DHAKA: The ongoing photo exhibition marking Bangladesh’s 40 years of bilateral relations with China has attracted record number of high profile visitors including academics, governments officials, diplomats and politicians. US Ambassador in Bangladesh Marcia Stephens Bloom Bernicat, among other dignitaries, was also seen to visit the photo exhibition. The exhibition of many rare and unseen […]
China-Egypt cultural exchanges thrive, enhancing bilateral ties on January 27, 2016BEIJING: Muhsin Farjani was among the 10 people met by visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping in Cairo last week to honor their outstanding contributions to China-Arab friendship . As a Chinese language professor with Ain Shams University in Cairo, 56-year-old Farjani has dedicated the last two decades of his life to the translation of ancient […]
Nepal launches electric cremation service to modernise Hindu practice on January 26, 2016KATHMANDU: Nepal has launched an electric cremation service for the first time in its history to phase out the traditional Hindu cremation process using firewood. The electric crematorium facility was inaugurated by Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Ananda Prasad Pokharel on Sunday. Hindu people traditionally cremate the dead in the open alongside holy […]
UNICEF welcomes Zimbabwe outlawing child marriages on January 23, 2016HARARE: The United Nations Children’s Fund on Friday welcomed a Zimbabwean top court ruling this week that outlaws the practice of child marriage, particularly in the rural areas, which had left many helpless children at the mercy of pedophiles. According to the ruling, no person under the age of 18 shall enter a valid marriage, […]
Australias PM says US-led coalition need to start winning propaganda war against IS on January 20, 2016CANBERRA: Australia’s Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has alled on the Iraqi government to “mock and disprove” Islamic State’s online propaganda more effectively and more quickly to help the US-led coalition in its war on terror. Speaking to an elite audience in Washington, ahead of his meeting with US President Barack Obama on Tuesday, Turnbull said […]
Britain takes steps to protect schoolchildren from extremism on January 20, 2016LONDON: Tough new measures to protect children from the “spell of twisted ideologies” were announced Tuesday by Britain’s education secretary, Nicky Morgan. A new landmark website giving advice to parents and children on preventing extremism has been created as part of a package to protect children from extremism. Morgan announced the program at the Bethnal […]
Iran ships enriched uranium to Russia on December 30, 2015TEHRAN/OSLO: A total of 11 tons of low-enriched uranium has been shipped to Russia from Iran while Norway has helped verify a shipment of 60 tons of raw uranium to Iran, as part of an international deal on Tehran’s nuclear program. Head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Ali-Akbar Salehi, on Tuesday confirmed the transfer […]
South Korean comfort women protest against accord with Japan on December 30, 2015SEOUL: Hundreds of South Korean protesters joined two surviving former “comfort women” on Wednesday to denounce an agreement with Japan to resolve an issue stemming from Japan’s wartime past that has long plagued ties between neighbours. The two “comfort women”, as those who were forced to work at Japan’s wartime military brothels are euphemistically known, […]
Vietnam warns of toxic Web use ahead of party shakeup on December 30, 2015HANOI: Vietnam sought to discourage its internet-savvy public on Wednesday from reading Web postings that disparaged its Communist Party, warning of an increase in “toxic” activity just weeks away from its scheduled leadership shakeup. Using its new Facebook page, the government vowed to tackle social media criticism of the party without interrupting the Internet ahead […]