International

Pope elevates Indian nun Mariam Thresia to sainthood

INDIAN nun Mariam Thresia and four others were declared Saints by Pope Francis at an impressive canonisation ceremony at the St Peter’s Square here on Sunday. Mariam Thresia, who founded the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family in Thrissur in May 1914, was raised to the highest position within the centuries-old institution during the open-air mass attended by thousands of people from across the world, including India...

Olga Tokarczuk, Peter Handke win Literature Nobels

STOCKHOLM : POLISH writer Olga Tokarczuk on Thursday won the 2018 Nobel Prize in Literature, which was delayed over a sexual harassment scandal, while Austrian novelist and playwright Peter Handke took the 2019 award, the Swedish Academy said. Tokarczuk, considered the most talented Polish novelist of her generation, was honoured “for a narrative imagination that with encyclopaedic passion represents the crossing of boundaries as a form of life”. Her books ..

Modi-Xi’s 2-day informal summit to reconfigure ties begins today

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will sit down in the 7th century Shore Temple complex overlooking the Bay of Bengal in this bustling ancient town on Friday in an attempt to reconfigure ties strained by tough talk on the Kashmir issue by both sides. A red-carpet welcome awaits Xi when he arrives here around 5 pm with both the State and the Central Government agencies making all-out efforts to deck up the coastal town which had strong historical linkages with China’s Fujian ..

Imran Govt breaks record in borrowing money

PAKISTAN’S ruling Imran Khan Government has broken all previous records in borrowing money merely in the first year of its tenure. According to the official data, during the one-year regime of the present Government Rs 7,509 billion (Pakistani currency) increase was recorded in the total debt of the country. A report in the Pakistani media, citing sources, said the State Bank of Pakistan has sent this borrowing data to the Prime Minister’s Office...

Economic slowdown likely in 90 per cent of world: IMF

THE new Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Kristalina Georgieva warned of an economic slowdown in 2019 in 90 per cent of the world during her first speech at the helm of the multilateral organisation. “In 2019, we expect slower growth in nearly 90 per cent of the world. The global economy is now in a synchronised slowdown,” Georgieva said at the IMF headquarters here on Tuesday, ‘Efe’ news reported...

China says, Kashmir issue should be resolved bilaterally

AHEAD of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to India for an informal summit with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Beijing on Tuesday moderated its stand on Kashmir, saying the issue should be resolved between India and Pakistan through dialogue and consultation. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang, to a query on Pakistan PM Imran Khan’s ongoing visit and whether the Kashmir issue would figure during talks, said: “China’s position on Kashmir issue is clear and consistent. We call ..

US-UK-Japan trio win chemistry Nobel for lithium-ion batteries

THREE researchers won the Nobel Chemistry Prize on Wednesday for the development of lithium-ion batteries, paving the way for smartphones and a fossil fuel-free society. John Goodenough of the United States -- at 97 the oldest person to be awarded a Nobel prize -- Britain’s Stanley Whittingham, and Japan’s Akira Yoshino will share the nine million Swedish kronor (about USD 914,000 or 833,000 euros) prize equally, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said...

Three get Nobel Medicine prize for research on how cells use oxygen

TWO Americans and a British scientist won the 2019 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for discovering how the body’s cells sense and react to oxygen levels, work that has paved the way for new strategies to fight anaemia, cancer and other diseases, the Nobel Committee said. Drs William G Kaelin Jr of Harvard University, Gregg L Semenza of Johns Hopkins University and Peter J Ratcliffe at the Francis Crick Institute in Britain and Oxford University will share equally the 9 million kronor (USD 918,000) ..

Musharraf to make comeback in politics

FORMER Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf is planning to make a comeback in the national politics by reviving his party, the All Pakistan Muslim League (APML), a media report said. The 76-year-old former President had been recuperating in Dubai after suffering from what was reported in the media as a rare disease, Geo News said in the report on Saturday...

Paralysed man walks again with brain-controlled exoskeleton

PARISA FRENCH man paralysed in a night club accident can walk again thanks to a brain-controlled exoskeleton in what scientists said was a breakthrough providing hope to tetraplegics seeking to regain movement. Combination of photographs by Clinatec Endowment Fund (fonds de dotation Clinatec) shows French tetraplegic ‘Thibault’ as he stands while wearing an exo-skeleton at ‘The University of Grenoble’ in Grenoble. (AFP) The patient trained for months, ..

Iraq forces fire on dozens of protesters

BAGHDADIRAQI security forces on Friday opened fired on dozens of protesters gathering in Baghdad for a fourth day of demonstrations against corruption, unemployment and poor public services. The security forces fired directly at the protesters, not in the air, the correspondent said. There was no immediate word on any casualties. Iraqi men inspect damages in an office of Iraq’s Hezbollah party in the central city of Najaf after protesters set it on fire during demonstrations against ..

UNSC without India affects UN’s credibility: Jaishankar

WASHINGTON, INDIA on Tuesday asserted that it has a “good case” to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a UNSC without it affects the United Nation’s credibility. Amid India’s consistent growth as a potent power on global stage, the point was made by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar before an influential Washington audience after a major foreign policy speech at a top US think tank, the Centre for Strategic and International Studies...

NASA’s lander hears strange sounds on Mars

NASA has released recordings of eerie sounds on Mars picked up by one of its missions to the Red Planet, the InSight lander. Far below the human range of hearing, these recordings had to be speeded up and slightly processed to be audible through headphones, NASA said on Tuesday. The spacecraft’s exquisitely sensitive seismometer, called the Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure (SEIS), can pick up vibrations as subtle as a breeze...

India blasts Imran’s “medieval mindset

UNITED NATIONS, STRONGLY hitting back at Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s rant at the UN General Assembly, India has said that its citizens do not need anyone else to speak on their behalf and “least of all those who have built an industry of terrorism from the ideology of hate.” Khan delivered his maiden speech at the 74th UN General Debate on Friday and in his almost 50-minute address, devoted half of his time to India an..

Modi discusses key issues with NZ, Armenian, Belgian counterparts

NEW YORK, PRIME Minister Narendra Modi has held key bilateral discussions with several world leaders, including with his counterparts from New Zealand, Armenia and Belgiam on issues ranging from cooperation in terrorism, defence, support for India’s candidature for a permanent UN Security Council seat and cyber security. Modi met Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan on the sidelines of the High Level Segment of 74th United Nations General Assembly here on Wednesday. Modi thanked Pashinyan for ..

PM announces USD 14 mn grant, USD 150 million Line of Credit to Caricom

NEW YORK, PRIME Minister Narendra Modi announced a USD 14-million grant for community development projects in a grouping of Caribbean nations and another USD 150 million Line of Credit for solar, renewable energy and climate-change related works as he hosted the first ever India-Caricom leaders’ summit here. “India’s historic and warm relations with the countries of the Caribbean witnessed a new momentum” in the meeting held on Wednesday, an official press release said. St Lucia Prime Minister and ..

UN warns of 1 meter sea level rise by 2100

PARIS : “The Special Report on changing climate said that glaciers in Europe, East Africa, the tropical reaches of the Andes and Indonesia could lose 80 per cent of their mass by the end of the century if climate change advances at its present pace ” SEA levels could rise by a meter and force millions of people to migrate by 2100 if current trends in climate change continue unabated, according to a UN report on Wednesday. The stark conclusions from the ..

Take advantage of golden opportunity, invest in India: Modi tells global business community

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday invited global businesses to invest in India, saying historic reduction in corporate tax rates by his Government creates a golden opportunity and promised more measures to improve business climate. Speaking at the Bloomberg Global Business Forum here, the Prime Minister said India offers a golden opportunity for investment in the country. “If you want to invest in a market where there is scale, come to India..

Modi gets ‘Global Goalkeeper’ award for ‘Swachh Bharat’

PRIME Minster Narendra Modi, who was honoured with the prestigious “Global Goalkeeper” award by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for his Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, has said that the cleanliness campaign played a critical role in helping achieve the United Nations’ goals and targets. “Getting the award in the year of Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary is personally significant for me. When 130 crore people take a pledge, any challenge can be overcome,” the Prime Minster said as he accepted the ..

Trump slams globalism, puts pressure on Iran

FACING growing calls for his impeachment, President Donald Trump addressed the UN General Assembly on Tuesday and delivered a roaring defence of nationalism and American sovereignty even as he tried to rally a multinational response to Iran’s escalating aggression. The President implored the world’s leaders to prioritise their own nations, with strong borders and one-on-one trade deals, rejecting sweeping transnational organisations and alliances...

Modi, Trump consolidate comradeship

Basking in mutual appreciation and comradeship and extending the warmth of the ‘Howdy Modi’ event two days earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and United States President Donald Trump, on Tuesday, engaged their respective nations in deals of lasting importance in a great show of solidarity on global issues. Meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, President Trump called Modi a ‘rockstar as popular as Elvis..

Water, not hydrogen bonds, key to DNA double helix: Study

LONDON : SCIENTISTS have disproved the prevailing theory of how DNA binds itself in the signatory double helix, finding it is not the hydrogen bonds which hold together the two sides of the hereditary material as previously thought. Instead, researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, found that water is key to the double helix. The discovery, published in the journal ‘PNAS’, opens doors for new understanding in research in medicine and life sciences. DNA is..

Modi gets warm welcome by Indian diaspora in NY

AMIDST loud chants and cheering, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was accorded warm welcome by members of the Indian community upon his arrival in New York late on Sunday (local time). Prime Minister Modi arrived in New York for his second leg of the seven-day visit to the US. Modi, in yellow Kurta and half jacket, was seen smiling and waving his hand while greeting the cheerful ..

Our affordable healthcare action will help world: PM

NEW YORK INDIA’S experience and capabilities in providing affordable healthcare is available for use to all developing countries, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the first-ever high-level meeting on Universal Health Coverage here on Monday, underscoring that a healthy life is the right of every person. Addressing the meeting, Prime Minister Modi said, “Health does not simply mean freedom from diseases. A healthy life is everyone persons’ right.”..

Modi: India is impatient for higher pace of growth

Prime Minister Narendra Modi using his own poem in Hindi, as he interacted with thousands of cheering members of the Indian diaspora as well as Americans in the eagerly-awaited ‘Howdy Modi’ event in which United States President Donald Trump also made a speech and remained present throughout the occasion...

Modi arrives in Houston to attend mega event

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi was accorded a warm welcome by members of the Indian community here on Saturday as he arrived at the George Bush International airport for the mega “Howdy Modi” event in which he will be joined by US President Donald Trump and address over 50,000 Indian-Americans. The “Howdy Modi” event on Sunday at the sprawling NRG Football Stadium here is the largest gathering ever for an elected foreign leader visiting the US, other than the Pope...

Trump to meet Imran tomorrow, Modi on Tuesday in New York

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump will meet Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday, a day after he joins Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the mega “Howdy Modi” event in Houston and will again hold a meeting with the Indian leader in New York on Tuesday, a senior official has said. Both the meetings with the leaders of India and Pakistan would be held in New York on the sidelines of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly, a senior administration official told reporters on Friday in a preview of ..

India important actor in climate action, making fantastic efforts in renewable energy: UN chief

INDIA is a very important actor and “fundamental partner” in international efforts on climate action and is making a “fantastic effort” to grow its renewable energy basket, UN chief Antonio Guterres has said. UN Secretary General Guterres, who has met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on several occasions, recalled his leadership of the International Solar Alliance and described India’s gift of 193 solar panels to the world organisation as “very useful.”..

First portrait of mysterious Denisovans drawn from DNA

FOR the first time, scientists have offered a glimpse of how Denisovans -- ancient enigmatic human relatives -- might have looked like by analysing their DNA. Researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel found that Denisovans likely had an elongated face and a wide pelvis similar to Neanderthals. Portrait of Denisovans drawn from DNA. They also found Denisovan-specific differences, such as an increased dental arch and lateral cranial expansion.The study, published ..

Modi to inaugurate 50KW ‘Gandhi Solar Park’ at UN

By Yoshita SinghIN A first of its kind symbolic effort by India at the UN, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate a 50KW ‘Gandhi Solar Park’ next week during his visit to the world organisation, a gesture that highlights India’s willingness to go beyond the talk on climate change. At a contribution of about one million dollars, India has gifted solar panels that have been installed on the roof of the UN Headquarters here, one panel each for every 193 UN Member ..

Oil prices jump as attack on Saudi plant jolts world

NEW YORK : GLOBAL energy prices spiked on Monday by 15% after a weekend attack on key oil facilities in Saudi Arabia caused the worst disruption to world supplies on record. It was an increase on par with the 1991 Gulf War and analysts said heightened tensions in the Middle East could keep prices elevated for the foreseeable future. The wider economic fallout will depend on just how long the Saudi supply disruption lasts. Crude was up more than $8 per barrel by midday trading, ..

Taliban bombers kill 48 ahead of Afghan polls

TALIBAN suicide bombers killed at least 48 people and wounded dozens more in two blasts on Tuesday -- one at a campaign rally for the President and the other in Kabul -- with the insurgents warning of more violence ahead of elections. The first attack saw a motorcyclist detonate a suicide bomb at a checkpoint leading to a rally where President Ashraf Ghani was addressing supporters in central Parwan province, just north of the capital,..

Attack on Saudi oil sites raises risks amid US-Iran tension

A WEEKEND drone attack on Saudi Arabia that cut into global energy supplies and halved the kingdom’s oil production threatened on Sunday to fuel regional tensions, as Iran denied US allegations it launched the assault and tensions remained high over Tehran’s collapsing nuclear deal with world powers. Iran called the US claims “maximum lies,”..

Will support to strengthen India’s fight against terror: Swiss President to Kovind

President Ram Nath Kovind and President of Swiss Confederation. Ueli Maurer at the Delegation Level Talks, at Bernerhof in Bern on Friday. (ANI) BERNE : India and Switzerland also expressed a strong commitment to strengthen economic and techonology ties SWITZERLAND extended its support to India to strengthen its fight against terrorism in all its manifestations as President Ram Nath Kovind held talks with his Swiss counterpart Ueli Maurer ..

Hamza bin Laden killed in US operation, says Trump

By Lalit K Jha : WASHINGTON US President Donald Trump on Saturday confirmed that Hamza bin Laden, son of slain al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, was killed in an American counter-terrorism operation along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. The confirmation of Hamza’s death has come more than a month after the US media reported that he was killed, citing the US intelligence officials. “Hamza bin Laden, the high-ranking al-Qaeda member and son of Osama bin Laden, was killed ..

Pakistan’s attempt to polarise Kashmir issue at UNHRC rejected: MEA

NEW DELHI : INDIA on Thursday said that Pakistan’s attempt to polarise and politicise the Kashmir issue at the UN Human Rights Council has been rejected. It also said that Pakistan needs to understand that “repeating a lie four or five times does not turn it into a gospel truth”. The global community is aware about Pakistan’s role in aiding, abetting and supporting terrorist infrastructure which they have in their country, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson ..

Water found for first time on exoplanet

IN AN “incredibly exciting” finding, astronomers have for the first time discovered water in the atmosphere of a planet orbiting a distant star outside our solar system with Earth-like temperatures that could support life. K2-18b, which is eight times the mass of Earth, is now the only exoplanet known to have both water and temperatures that could be potentially habitable, according to the study published in the journal ‘Nature Astronomy’...

Peace parleys with Taliban dead: Trump

PRESIDENT Donald Trump on Monday said that US peace talks with the Taliban are over and announced that the US military has dramatically scaled up attacks on the insurgents in Afghanistan. “They are dead. As far as I am concerned, they are dead,” Trump said at the White House about the long-running attempt to reach an agreement with the Taliban and extricate US troops from the country after 18 years of war...

Can’t accept any meddling over J&K: India at UNHRC

First Secretary at India’s UN Mission Vimarsh Aryan and (R) Secretary (East) MEA, Vijay Thakur Singh make their statementsat the UNHRC in Geneva on Tuesday. (ANI) GENEVA : INDIA tore into Pakistan at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on Tuesday for raking up the Jammu and Kashmir issue, saying a country with a “gory record” on human rights had presented “false” and “concocted” narrative and asserted that New Delhi will accept ..

Trump cancels secret peace talks with Taliban

PRESIDENT Donald Trump has cancelled a “secret” summit with Taliban leaders and his Afghan counterpart after the insurgent group claimed responsibility for a deadly attack in Kabul that killed an American soldier and 11 others, dealing a body blow to protracted negotiations that were nearing a peace deal to end America’s longest war...

India offers $1 bn for Russia’s Far East

INDIA on Thursday announced an “unprecedented” USD 1 billion line of credit for the development of Russia’s Far East with Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowing that New Delhi will walk shoulder-to-shoulder with Moscow in its quest for the development of the resource-rich region. Addressing the plenary session of the 5th Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) here, Prime Minister Modi said that it was a “unique case” of India providing such spe..

Google to pay $ 170 mn fine for sharing YouTube data from children

WASHINGTON : GOOGLE agreed on Wednesday to pay USD 170 million to settle charges that it illegally collected and shared data from children on its YouTube video service, a deal critics said was too soft on the internet giant. The settlement with the Federal Trade Commission and the New York state Attorney General is the largest amount in a case involving the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, a 1998 federal law, officials said. Officials said YouTube violated the ..

Indo-Pacific is as much our past as it is our future: Jaishankar

Male : A DAY after External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar said that Indo-Pacific is one of the logical steps after ‘Act East Policy’ for India, he asserted on Wednesday that the Indo-Pacific is as much India’s past as it is the future of the country. “The Indo-Pacific is as much our past as it is our future and it must be perceived as a further extrapolation of our Act East-Look East policy,” Indian Mission in the Maldives wrote on Twitter. Earlier ..

India to manufacture spare parts for Russian military

VLADIVOSTOK : IN A major breakthrough in Indo-Russian defence ties, India will start manufacturing spare parts and components for the Russian military equipment under transfer of technology and set up joint ventures, as the two strategic partners tried to transform their existing buyer-seller relationship into one of collaboration. This was agreed during wide-ranging talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin here in the Far East Russian ..

Amended law names Azhar, Saeed, Dawood, Lakhvi as individual terrorists

NEW DELHI : JAISH-E-MOHAMMED chief Masood Azhar, Lashkar-e-Toiba founder Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, Mumbai terror attack accused Zaki-ur-Rehman-Lakhvi and fugitive mob boss Dawood Ibrahim were on Wednesday declared individual terrorists by the Government under a new anti-terror law. The decisions have been taken nearly a month after Parliament approved a crucial amendment to The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act, 1967. They are the first to be declared terrorists under ..

Twitter CEO’s account hacked, offensive tweets posted

SAN FRANCISCO : TWITTER said on Friday the account of chief executive Jack Dorsey had been “compromised” after a series of erratic and offensive messages were posted. The tweets containing racial slurs and suggestions about a bomb showed up around 2000 GMT on the @jack account of the founder of the short messaging service before being deleted. Some of the tweets contained the hashtag #ChucklingSquad which was believed to indicate the identity of the hacker group. The ..

Jaishankar calls on European Parlt President David Sassoli

EXTERNAL Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday called on President of the European Parliament David Maria Sassoli and discussed the India-EU strategic partnership on regional, global and multilateral issues...

Closure of airspace with India will be decided at a time of our choosing: Pak

ISLAMABAD : PAKISTAN on Thursday said it could order the closure of its airspace for India “at a time of its choosing”, but so far no decision has been taken yet. Foreign Office Spokesperson Mohammad Faisal during a media briefing on Thursday said the issue had been discussed at the highest level. “It is one of the many options that are being considered, we can exercise it at a time of our choosing. No decision has been taken as yet,” he was quoted as saying by ..

Pakistan’s economy sees record high fiscal deficit

ISLAMABAD : PAKISTAN’S economy is plunging into a deep crisis, even as its Prime Minister and all other leaders are preoccupied with issuing threats of war and jihad against India after the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. The Pakistan Ministry of Finance released details of fiscal operations on Tuesday which show the frightening situation that the Pakistan economy is in. The first year of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Government has concluded with a record ..

India creates history at WorldSkills event in Russia, wins four medals

Indian team celebrates victory at 45th WorldSkills event in Russia. By Namita Tewari : KAZAN (Russia) THE Indian team, which participated at the 45th WorldSkills competition held here, has significantly improved its performance by winning one gold, one silver and two bronze medals. In 2017, the Indian team had won one silver, one bronze and nine medallions of excellence. The winners were announced at a glittering closing ceremony on Tuesday that featured music, dance ..

‘Small pressures’ will not affect its age-old ties with India: Iran

NEW DELHI : AMID US sanctions, Iran on Monday said “small pressures” will not affect its age-old ties with India and that the current phase in the relationship will “pass”. Iran’s Ambassador to India Ali Chegeni also said the trade relationship between the two countries were on an upswing. “Iran and India have very good relations based on centuries-old ties. These small pressures (sanctions) on the two sides (will not affect ties)...This (phase) will pass,” ..

Modi holds bilateral talks with Senegal President Macky Sall

BIARRITZ : PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held wide-ranging talks with Senegal President Macky Sall here and the two leaders discussed ways to strengthen bilateral ties in various sectors, including cooperation in combating terrorism. Modi met Sall on the sidelines of the G-7 Summit in this south-western French city and stressed upon “strengthening ties with an important African Partner.” “PM @narendramodi met with President Macky Sall of #Senegal ..

Jaishankar meets Hungarian counterpart

BUDAPEST/LONDON : The two leaders signed a cultural exchange programme between India and Hungary EXTERNAL Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday met his Hungarian counterpart here during his two-day visit to the country and held wide-ranging talks on multilateral issues. He was received by Indian Ambassador to Hungary Kumar Tuhin and senior officials from the Hungarian side on Sunday. Jaishankar held talks with Foreign Minister of Hungary Peter Szijjarto ..

G7 discusses Amazon fires, trade wars

BIARRITZ (France) : G7 LEADERS close their summit on Monday with discussion of world problems including the fires ravaging the Amazon rainforest, but overshadowed by President Donald Trump’s trade wars and questions over the group’s unity. In the summit in Biarritz, a high-end surfers’ paradise in south-western France, leaders of the G7 countries -- Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States -- ended their second day with another sumptuous ..

Modi highlights India’s efforts towards eliminating single use-plastic

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with many world leaders during the session on ‘Biodiversity, Oceans, Climate’, at the G7 Summit, in Biarritz on Monday. (ANI) BIARRITZ : PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Monday highlighted India’s large scale efforts towards eliminating single use plastic, conserving water, harnessing solar energy and, protecting flora and fauna for a sustainable future in his address to a session on ‘Biodiversity, Oceans, Climate’ at G7 ..

Modi, Johnson discuss bilateral cooperation

BIARRITZ (France): PRIME Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Boris Johnson met here on Sunday and the two leaders discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation. “PM Modi begins by congratulating PM Johnson on England’s spectacular win in the Third Test of the Ashes a short while ago. The two leaders are discussing ways to strengthen India-UK cooperation,” the Prime Minister’s Office tweeted. This is the first meeting between the two leaders ..

Bahrain confers King Hamad Order of the Renaissance to Modi

MANAMA: PRIME Minister Narendra Modi has been conferred the King Hamad Order of the Renaissance by Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa in recognition of his efforts to strengthen bilateral relations with the key Gulf nation. Modi, the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Bahrain, received the honour on Saturday night when he called on the King of Bahrain. The King bestowed Bahrain Order – First Class on Prime Minister Modi in recognition of his efforts to strengthen ..

UAE honours Modi with its highest civilian award

ABU DHABI:“ Prime Minister Modi was honoured with the ‘Order of Zayed’ award ” PRIME Minister Narendra Modi was honoured with the ‘Order of Zayed’, the UAE’s highest civilian award, on Saturday in recognition of his pivotal role in building the strategic relationship between the two countries. The award has earlier been bestowed on several world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth ..

India, Bahrain sign agreements in space technology, culture exchange

MANAMA: INDIA and Bahrain on Saturday agreed to collaborate in the areas of space technology, solar energy and culture exchange as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held comprehensive talks with his Bahraini counterpart Prince Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa to give a major boost to the entire spectrum of bilateral relations. Modi, the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Bahrain, and Prince Khalifa after the delegation-level talks witnessed the exchange of MoUs in the areas of culture, space, collaboration ..

British PM talks to Modi, regrets violence outside Indian mission in London

NEW DELHI: PRIME Minister Narendra Modi, in a telephone conversation on Tuesday with his British counterpart Boris Johnson, drew his attention to vandalism of the Indian High Commission by a Pakistan-led mob on August 15. The British Prime Minister regretted the incident and assured that all necessary steps would be taken to ensure safety and security of the mission, its personnel and visitors. During the phone call, Modi raised the issue of challenges posed by vested interests pursuing ..

Joy turns to horror as IS bomber kills 63 at Kabul wedding

KABUL: JOY and celebration turned into horror and carnage when an Islamic State suicide bomber targeted a packed Afghan wedding hall, killing at least 63 people in the deadliest attack to rock Kabul in months, officials and witnesses said on Sunday. The massive blast, which took place late on Saturday in west Kabul, came as Washington and the Taliban finalise a deal to reduce the US military presence in Afghanistan and hopefully build a roadmap to a ceasefire. The groom recalled greeting ..

US cuts USD 440 million financial aid to Pakistan

WASHINGTON: IN ANOTHER jolt to Pakistan, the US slashed the aid to the cash-strapped nation by nearly USD 440 million, bringing down its commitment to just USD 4.1 billion. The aid was disbursed under Pakistan Enhanced Partnership Agreement (PEPA) 2010, reported ‘Express Tribune’. The US apprised Pakistan Prime Minister about its decision to cut aid three weeks before his planned visit to Washington. Notably, the PEPA was signed in September 2010 to make operational the ..

Virgin Galactic unveils new Mission Control for promoting space tourism

SPACE tourism moved a step closer to reality on Thursday as Virgin Galactic unveiled its new Mission Control at a spaceport in New Mexico and the schedule for final test flights before taking paying customers into the final frontier. ..

Tanker freed by Gibraltar poised to set sail, says

A TANKER carrying Iranian oil, released by Gibraltar authorities after being held since July 4, is preparing to set sail into the Mediterranean, a senior Iranian shipping official said on Friday...

Trump wants to buy Greenland: Report

PRESIDENT Donald Trump is asking advisers if it is possible for the US to buy Greenland, according to a report. Trump has expressed interest in the self-governing part of Denmark -- which is mostly covered in ice -- asking advisors if it is possible for the US to acquire the territory, ‘The Wall Street Journal’ said on Thursday, citing people familiar with the discussions...

Imran vows to raise Kashmir issue at every forum; questions world community’s silence

By Sajjad Hussain ISLAMABAD: PAKISTAN Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday vowed to become the voice of Kashmir and raise the issue at every global forum, including the United Nations, as he questioned the silence of the international community on the tense situation in the region. Addressing a special session of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir’s (PoK) Legislative Assembly in Muzaffarabad, Khan said that if a war breaks out between Pakistan and India, the world community will ..

‘My upbringing does not allow me to take a life’: Modi to Bear Grylls

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and popular host and adventurer Bear Grylls during television show ‘Man vs Wild’ at Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand. (R) Bear Grylls taking a selfie with Modi. WALES [UK]: “The special episode of ‘Man Vs Wild’ will be broadcast on August 12 at 9 pm and will be showcased in 180 countries around the world. ” RECALLING one of the moments experienced with Prime Minister Narendra ..

Pak receives little traction globally on J&K issue: Sources

By Lalit K Jha: WASHINGTON A diplomat closely following the massive lobbying efforts being undertaken by Pakistan in last few days said that Pakistan is being clearly told that the onus for maintaining peace and stability in the region is on them PAKISTAN, which has launched a major lobbying effort, particularly in Washington and the United Nations, after India revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s Special Status, has received little traction on the issue, according to diplomatic ..

World warned: Change now or endanger food, climate

GENEVA: HUMANITY faces increasingly painful trade-offs between food security and rising temperatures within decades unless it curbs emissions and stops unsustainable farming and deforestation, a landmark climate assessment said on Thursday. The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned that efforts to limit global warming while feeding a booming population could be wrecked without swift and sweeping changes to how we use the land we live off. Its report on land ..

30 killed in two separate mass shootings in US

WASHINGTON/HOUSTON AT LEAST 30 people were killed and several others injured in two separate mass shootings within 24 hours in the United States, the latest in a string of mass shootings in America. Ten people, including the shooter, were killed and at least 16 others injured on early Sunday in Dayton’s Oregon district, a historic neighbourhood known for its nightclubs, bars, art galleries and shops. “The shooter is deceased. There are 9 others also deceased. At least ..