International

03 February, 2020 By SJA Jafri + Agencies BEIJING/ WASHINGTON: The Chinese government has accused the US of causing “panic” in its response to the deadly coronavirus outbreak. It follows the US decision to declare a public health emergency and deny entry to foreign nationals who had visited China in …

03 February, 2020 TEHRAN/ BAGHDAD: Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyed Abbas Mousavi said the Islamic Republic welcomes the appointment of Iraq’s new Prime Minister, Mohammed Allawi, who replaced Adel Abdul Mahdi after two months of political deadlock in the Arab country. “The Islamic Republic of Iran welcomes the appointment of …

03 February, 2020 LONDON: Police have shot dead a man wearing a “hoax” explosive device after a stabbing attack in south London that left three people wounded and was described by police as a “terrorism-related incident”. The London ambulance service said three people had been taken to hospital after the …

01 February, 2020 By SJA Jafri + Agencies WASHINGTON/ MELBOURNE: A former US Coast Guard officer has been jailed for 13 years for stockpiling weapons to carry out an alleged white supremacist attack. Officials said Christopher Hasson, 50, was planning to target liberal politicians and news broadcasters. Prosecutors said this …

01 February, 2020 By SJA Jafri CANBERRA: A bushfire near the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) grew to more than 35,000 hectares on Saturday, as officials closed a major motorway. Residents in some areas around the capital, Canberra, were warned that it was “too late to leave” and they should try …

01 February, 2020 WASHINGTON/ NEW YORK: The US President Donald Trump is set to be acquitted in his impeachment trial after senators voted against calling witnesses or admitting new evidence. Democrats hoped four swing Republicans would vote for witnesses, which would have extended the trial without in all likelihood changing …

01 February, 2020 By SJA Jafri + Agencies LONDON: The flags outside embassies have been lowered, the countdown clocks have stopped. The United Kingdom (UK)is no longer a member of the European Union (EU). The country’s 47 years of membership officially ceased at the stroke of 23:00 GMT (midnight Brussels time), …

31 January, 2020 By SJA Jafri CANBERRA: Authorities in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) have declared a state of emergency as massive bushfires rage south of Canberra. It is the worst fire threat to the territory in nearly two decades, officials said. The main blaze, in the territory’s south, is …

31 January, 2020 NEW YORK/ BEIJING: The World Health Organization declared the outbreak sparked by coronavirus in China as a global emergency on Thursday, after the number of cases spiked more than tenfold in a week, while the death toll rose to 213. This developed as China’s health commission reported on …

30 January, 2020 JERUSALEM/ WASHINGTON: The White House is pushing back against the publication of a book by former national security adviser John Bolton, citing security concerns. The National Security Council said the book had “top secret” details that must be removed, a claim Bolton rejects. A manuscript of the …