International

China accused of using water cannon on Philippine boat 07-08-2023 MANILA/ BEIJING: The Philippines has accused China’s coastguard of using a water cannon to block a Philippine military supply boat in the South China Sea, condemning the actions as illegal, “excessive” and “dangerous”. The confrontation on Saturday was the latest …

07-08-2023 LISBON: Thousands of worshippers showed up as Pope Francis held service at the Shrine of Fatima, a place highly revered by the Catholics in Portugal. Pope Francis stopped several times to kiss babies who were brought to him. The pope then recited the rosary with 112 sick youths, people …

07-08-2023 WASHINGTON: Former US vice president Mike Pence said he has “no plans” to testify in his ex-boss Donald Trump’s trial on charges of trying to overturn the 2020 presidential elections yet he did not rule it out either. On Sunday, during an interview with CBS’ Face the Nation, when …

07-08-2023 ROME: At least two people have been killed and dozens of others were missing after two shipwrecks off the Italian island of Lampedusa. The Italian coastguard said on Sunday it had recovered two bodies and rescued 57 people following the sinking. Around 28 people were reported lost at sea …

07-08-2023 By SJA Jafri KARACHI/ NAWABSHAH: At least 22 people have been killed after a train travelling from the southern Pakistani port city of Karachi to Abbottabad derailed in the city of Nawabshah in Sindh province, according to the country’s railways minister. “This is quite a big accident. Rescue teams …

06-08-2023 RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Lebanon urged its citizens to leave the country as soon as possible, and to avoid approaching areas where there have been armed clashes. In a statement posted late Friday on X, formerly known as Twitter, the embassy warned Saudi citizens not to visit areas …

06-08-2023 LONDON: The surface temperature of the world’s oceans has hit its highest ever level as climate breakdown from burning fossil fuels causes the oceans to heat. Global average daily sea surface temperatures (SST) hit 20.96C this week, breaking the record of 20.95C reached in 2016, according to the Copernicus …

06-08-2023 LONDON/ DERBYSHIRE: A UK-based curry restaurant owner has been sentenced to 18 months imprisonment for fraud involving a £50,000 COVID-19 bounce-back loan. To secure the maximum loan amount in May 2020, Syed Hussain dishonestly claimed that his restaurant’s turnover was £200,000. The actual turnover, as per filed accounts, was …

06-08-2023 HOUSTON: Women in Texas with serious pregnancy complications will be temporarily exempted from the southern US state’s abortion ban, a judge has ruled. Judge Jessica Mangrum said there was a lack of clarity in the legislation, siding with women and doctors who had sued Texas over the ban in …

06-08-2023 BEIJING: As the flooding emergency in western Beijing turned deadlier at the beginning of this week, taking out bridges, washing away dozens of cars at a time, and wreaking havoc on the city, the decision was made to divert the raging waters. The effect was almost immediate. The pressure …