International

China accuses U.S. of abusing tech export controls


US widens military presence in Philippines North Korea warns of ‘overwhelming nuclear force’ to counter US US opens embassy in Solomon Islands Beijing: Amid the increasing tension in the South China Sea, China has criticized United States’ controls on technology exports as a trade violation, after Japan and the Netherlands agreed to join Washington in limiting Beijing’s access to materials...

Ex-minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed arrested in Pakistan


Islamabad: Pakistani police arrested ex-minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed in an overnight raid on his home near Islamabad days after he accused the former president of the country of plotting to kill ex-prime minister Imran Khan, officials said Thursday. The latest government move is likely to deepen political turmoil at a time when the government is facing...

Iran court jails dancing pair for 10 years


New York: An Iranian couple, Astiyazh Haghighi and her fiancé, Amir Mohammad Ahmadi, both in their early 20s, received prison sentences of more than 10 years after appearing in a video where they danced in front of an iconic Tehran landmark, activists said. The young couple was arrested in November after footage of their romantic tango at...

Boris Johnson says Putin ‘threatened him with missile strike’


London: Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had "threatened him with a missile strike during an extraordinary phone call" ahead of Moscow launching its invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. He made the remarks in a BBC documentary titled 'Putin Vs the West'. "He threatened me at one point, and...

UK sees biggest strike in years as teachers, drivers protest


London: Up to half a million British teachers, civil servants, train drivers and university lecturers walked out over pay and conditions in the largest coordinated strike action in Britain in a generation, causing widespread disruption. The mass walkouts across the country shut schools, halted most rail services, and the military was put on standby to help with...

Biden says “no” to sending fighter jets to Ukraine


Washington: US President Joe Biden has said that he won't approve sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. "No," Biden said in response to a question about the possibility of such a decision, Xinhua News Agency reported. The president's remarks came as debate picked up steam over whether to arm Ukraine, which has been in conflict with Russia...

Imran’s lavish copter rides cost struggling Pak ₹1 bn: Report


Islamabad: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief and former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan has come under scrutiny for his helicopter rides. This report comes at a time when the nation is gripped by a major economic crisis, with the rupee plummeting, inflation soaring. According to a report in The Nation, Imran Khan's helicopter rides cost the national...

Lanka’s ex-President apologizes for 2019 Easter Sunday bombings


Colombo: Former Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena apologized to the country's minority Catholic community for the devastating 2019 Easter Sunday bombings that killed over 270 people, including 11 Indians, saying that the carnage took place without his knowledge. Nine suicide bombers belonging to the local Islamist extremist group National Thawheed Jamaat (NTJ) linked to ISIS carried out...

China a major challenge to India, world: US


Washington: The United States and India on January 31 formally established a high-level initiative on critical and emerging technologies or iCET. India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval had a 'fruitful discussion' with his US counterpart Jake Sullivan at the White House. In the discussions, there was a laser focus on aligning Washington and New Delhi's strategic, commercial...