18th ASEAN ministerial meet begins in Laos with focus on connectivity, resilience
Vientiane, Aug 28 – Secretary-General of ASEAN, Kao Kim Hourn, and the ASEAN Ministers responsible for combating transnational crime on Wednesday participated in the 18th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime in Vientiane, Laos, along with Timor-Leste as an Observer. The meeting themed
Monkeypox kills 610 in Congo: Health Minister
Kinshasa, Aug 28 – At least 610 people were killed due to monkeypox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), said Health Minister Roger Kamba. The minister urged the population to adhere to protective measures, especially with the upcoming school year in
Trump, Harris agree to mute mics for Sep 10 debate
Washington, Aug 28 – Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he has “reached an agreement” to have closed microphones at the September 10 debate with Democratic rival Kamala Harris, noting that “the rules will be the same as the last
First Jan 6 rioter to breach US Capitol jailed for more than 4 years
Washington, Aug 28 – A Kentucky man, who was the first rioter to enter the US Capitol, on January 6, 2021, in an attempt to stop the official certification of the US presidential election has been sentenced to more than four years in
IAEA chief warns of risk of nuclear incident in Russia’s Kursk region
Moscow, Aug 28 – Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi has warned of a risk of a nuclear incident at the Kursk nuclear power plant due to the conflict nearby. “There is a risk of a nuclear incident
Laos mulls increasing allowance to tackle rising cost of living
Vientiane, Aug 27 – The Lao government is considering a proposal to increase supporting allowances for enterprise employees to tackle the rising cost of living. Speaking at the government’s monthly meeting for August, Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone emphasised the urgency of tackling
Bulgaria President calls for parliamentary elections on October 27
Sofia, Aug 27 – Bulgarian President Rumen Radev on Tuesday signed a decree to hold parliamentary elections on October 27, his press office said in a statement. The statement said Radev also appointed a caretaker government led by current caretaker Prime Minister Dimitar
Gave assessment of Ukraine’s destructive line: Russian President Putin after phone call with PM Modi (Ld)
New Delhi/Moscow, April 27 – Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin following his last week’s landmark visit to Ukraine. “Spoke with President Putin today. Discussed measures to further strengthen Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership. Exchanged perspectives on
PM Modi dials Russian President Putin, shares ‘insights’ from recent Ukraine visit
New Delhi/Moscow, April 27 – Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin following his landmark visit to Ukraine, last week. “Spoke with President Putin today. Discussed measures to further strengthen Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership. Exchanged perspectives on
Wildfires cause loss of $182 mn in Brazil’s Sao Paulo
Sao Paulo, Aug 27 – The economic loss caused by the wildfires in Brazil’s southeastern Sao Paulo state reached up to 1 billion reals (US$182 million) within just three days, regional Governor Tarcisio de Freitas said. In an interview with Brazil’s GloboNews channel
Air quality alert sounded in Brazilian capital
Brasilia, Aug 27 – Brasilia’s environment institute, which monitors air quality in the Brazilian capital, issued an alert, warning of a “delicate situation.” For the second day in a row, Brasilia was affected by heavy smoke from wildfires in the states of Sao
Thousands of trade workers join strikes over Australian government’s union takeover
Canberra, Aug 27 – Tens of thousands of trade workers have walked off job sites across Australia in protest against the federal government’s takeover of the construction union. Members of the Construction, Forestry, and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU) as well as the electrical,
Iranian, Qatari discuss bilateral ties, Gaza situation
Tehran, Aug 27 – Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi and his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani exchanged views on bilateral ties and the situation in Gaza. During their meeting on Monday, the two sides reviewed joint efforts to expand
Russia launches missile, drone attack on Ukrainian energy facilities
Moscow/Kyiv, Aug 27 – Russian military launched a massive strike on Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure facilities, the Russian Defence Ministry said. “This morning, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation launched a massive strike with high-precision long-range air and sea-based weapons, striking unmanned
Palestine condemns Israeli Minister’s call to build synagogue in Al-Aqsa Mosque compound
Gaza, Aug 27 – Palestine has condemned Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s remarks about building a synagogue inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. Palestinian people will not accept any harm to the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is a red line that cannot
Israeli raid kills 7 Palestinians in Gaza City
Gaza, Aug 27 – At least seven Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a gathering on the beach in Gaza City, Palestinian security and medical sources said. An Israeli drone targeted the gathering of Palestinians, killing seven and wounding dozens of
Hezbollah attacks Israeli site with suicide drone
Beirut, Aug 27 – Hezbollah has claimed that it targeted Israeli “spy equipment” at the Ramyah site in northern Israel with a suicide drone, achieving a direct hit. “In support of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and their resistance, our fighters
UN chief condemns attacks in Pakistan’s Balochistan
United Nations, Aug 27 – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned the attacks in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, his spokesman said. “The Secretary-General strongly condemns the 26 August attacks in Pakistan’s Balochistan province,” said Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Chief, at a daily
S. Korea seeks 3.6 pc rise in defence budget for 2025
Seoul, Aug 27 – The South Korean government has sought a 3.6 per cent increase in defence spending next year to bolster capabilities to respond to evolving North Korean military threats. The Cabinet on Tuesday endorsed the proposed budget of 61.59 trillion won
IMF approves $820 mn disbursement to Egypt
Cairo, Aug 27 – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved a disbursement of US$820 million to Egypt as part of an 8 billion-dollar loan program. The IMF on Monday said macroeconomic conditions in Egypt have improved since the program’s first and second reviews