Four weddings and a fine

Keen to make the most of a statutory holiday for newlyweds, a couple from Taiwan found a novel way to maximise their honeymoon -- by marrying four times in just over a month.
21 April 2021, 18:00 PM

A winged ‘intruder’

India’s Border Security Force has sought registration of an FIR against a winged “intruder” from Pakistan--a pigeon--in the northern state of Punjab bordering Pakistan.
21 April 2021, 18:00 PM

UN rights chief says George Floyd murder case shows scale of systemic racism

The United Nations human rights chief on Wednesday welcomed as "momentous" the verdict in the George Floyd case which she said had highlighted how much remains to be done to end systemic racism against people of African descent in the United States.
21 April 2021, 13:48 PM

Putin warns of ‘quick and tough’ Russian response for foes

President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday sternly warned the West against encroaching further on Russia’s security interests, saying Moscow’s response will be “quick and tough” and make the culprits feel bitterly sorry for their action.
21 April 2021, 13:40 PM

EU proposes rules for high-risk artificial intelligence uses

European Union officials unveiled proposals Wednesday for reining in high-risk uses of artificial intelligence such as live facial scanning that could threaten people’s safety or rights.
21 April 2021, 13:26 PM

First batch of Covid vaccines lands in opposition-held Syria

Syria’s last rebel-held enclave received its first batch of COVID-19 vaccines on Wednesday, with a refrigerated truck offloading over 50,000 of United Nations-secured jabs in the overcrowded province.
21 April 2021, 12:24 PM

Indonesian military says submarine missing with 53 on board

Indonesia’s military says a navy submarine is missing near the resort island of Bali with 53 people on board.
21 April 2021, 12:11 PM

India’s BSF seeks FIR against pigeon from Pakistan

India’s Border Security Force has sought registration of an FIR against a winged “intruder” from Pakistan -- a pigeon -- in the northern state of Punjab.
21 April 2021, 11:22 AM

Interrupted oxygen supply at Indian hospital: Death toll rises to 24

The death toll at a Covid-19 hospital in India following oxygen cylinder leak has climbed to 24 with two more patients dying, said District Collector Suraj Mandhare.
21 April 2021, 10:13 AM

Myanmar sees 'blue shirt' protests; junta outlaws unity govt

Myanmar anti-coup activists launched protests on Wednesday calling for the release of prisoners detained by the junta, as the military government declared a National Unity Government formed by its opponents was illegal.
21 April 2021, 06:51 AM

Chauvin guilty of murder and manslaughter in George Floyd’s death

Former Minneapolis Officer Derek Chauvin was convicted Tuesday of murder and manslaughter for pinning George Floyd to the pavement with his knee on the Black man’s neck in a case that triggered worldwide protests, violence and a furious reexamination of racism and policing in the US.
21 April 2021, 02:10 AM

EU agency links J&J shot to rare clots, says odds favor use

The European Union’s drug regulatory agency said Tuesday that it found a “possible link” between Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine and extremely rare blood clots and that a warning should be added to the label. But experts at the agency reiterated that the vaccine’s benefits outweigh the risks.
20 April 2021, 18:13 PM

Rahul Gandhi tests positive for Covid-19

India’s Congress Party leader Rahul Gandhi yesterday said that he has tested positive for Covid-19 and has “mild symptoms”. Rahul had campaigned in West Bengal assembly elections and yesterday asked all to self-isolate themselves who came in contact with him.
20 April 2021, 18:00 PM

Chad President Idriss Deby killed in battle

Chad’s President Idriss Deby, who ruled his country for more than 30 years and was an important Western ally in the fight against Islamist militants in Africa, has been killed in a battle against rebels in the north.
20 April 2021, 18:00 PM

Kiev demands more sanctions

Russia will soon have more than 120,000 troops on Ukraine’s border, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said yesterday, calling for new Western economic sanctions to deter Moscow from “further escalation”.
20 April 2021, 18:00 PM

‘World wants justice, not hegemony’

Chinese President Xi Jinping yesterday called for a rejection of hegemonic power structures in global governance, amid growing tensions between Washington and Beijing over a widening range of issues including alleged human rights abuses.
20 April 2021, 18:00 PM

‘Dire warning’ for the planet

Climate-changing CO2 emissions are set to surge by the second-biggest amount in history this year as the global economy recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic, the IEA warned yesterday, a day after UN chief warned days before a major climate summit.
20 April 2021, 18:00 PM

NGOs call for $5.5b to save 34m from famine

More than 260 non-governmental organisations signed an open letter yesterday urging governments to donate $5.5 billion to prevent famine from reaching 34 million people in 2021.
20 April 2021, 18:00 PM

Pakistan bows to Islamist hardliners

Pakistan’s parliament has postponed until Friday a debate on whether the country should expel the French ambassador, as the government bids to appease a radical party that has threatened more violent protests unless the envoy is kicked out.
20 April 2021, 18:00 PM

Journalism partly ‘blocked’ in more than 130 countries

The annual report by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) yesterday said that journalism was at least partly blocked in nearly three-quarters of the 180 countries surveyed.
20 April 2021, 18:00 PM