Friday, March 24, 2023

World

Video claiming Putin is using body doubles goes viral on Russian social media

LONDON: A video is going viral on Russian social media claiming Vladimir Putin is conning his people by using multiple body doubles for trips he doesn't want to make, Daily Mail reported.

Atif Aslam, wife Sara welcome baby girl in holy month of Ramzan

MUMBAI: Pakistani playback singer Atif Aslam, who is known for chartbusters such as 'Aadat', 'Bakhuda', 'Jeena Jeena', 'Jaane De' and several others, has become a proud faher as he and his wife Sara Bharwana welcome a baby girl.

Iranian, Saudi FMs hold phone talks, agree to meet soon

TEHRAN: Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud have agreed to meet at the earliest opportunity to prepare the ground for the reopening of embassies and consulate generals between the two countries, the Foreign Ministry in Tehran announced on Thursday.

Philippine central bank hikes interest rate to tame inflation

MANILA: The Philippine central bank on Thursday announced its decision to raise the interest rate on the overnight reverse repurchase facility by 25 basis points to 6.25 per cent effective from Friday to tame inflation.

Australian PM reveals question for Indigenous Voice referendum

CANBERRA: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Thursday revealed the question voters will be asked at the referendum on establishing an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

White House to disband Covid response team in May

WASHINGTON: The White House will disband its Covid-19 response team led by Indian-American physician Ashish Jha, as the public health emergency over the pandemic is set to expire on May 11, officials said.

Imran claims another assassination plot

LAHORE: Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has claimed the police chiefs of Punjab and Islamabad alongside their "handlers" have hatched a conspiracy to kill him as they are "getting serious to assassinate him".

Beijing's population declines for first time in 19 yrs

BEIJING: For the first time in 19 years, Beijing witnessed a drop in its population drop in 2022, according to a media report.

Boris Johnson apologises in 'Partygate' grilling

LONDON: Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has apologised for misleading Parliament in a scandal over parties held at Downing Street during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Pak envoy to Saudi Arabia being recalled

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is considering recalling the countrys Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Ameer Khurram Rathore, hardly a year after he was posted by former premier Imran Khan.

Austerity measures hit Pakistan Day as military parade scaled back

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Army has decided to conduct the traditional military parade on Pakistan Day on a limited scale to save expenses as part of the governments austerity measures.

UN envoy urges re-engagement on negotiations to resolve Israel-Palestine conflict

UNITED NATIONS: UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland has called on parties concerned to re-engage on meaningful negotiations to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Far-right censure motion against Spanish govt defeated

MADRID: The Spanish Congress, or the lower chamber of Parliament, has rejected a censure motion against Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez by the extreme right-wing Vox party.

US on edge over possible Trump indictment

WASHINGTON: The US is on edge over the possibility that former President Donald Trump would be indicted over an alleged hush-money payment during his 2016 election campaign.

Macron pushes forward pension reform despite tensions

PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron has said that his government's controversial pension reform plan should become law "before the end of the year".

US Fed, undaunted by recent banking problems, raises interest rate

WASHINGTON: The US Federal Reserve on Wednesday raised interest rate by 25 basis points, which is modest compared to previous hikes aimed at curbing inflation but came amidst uncertainty about the banking system that has taken a hit in the last few weeks triggering fears of a larger problem.

Indian-American appointed to Virginia advisory board for Asians

NEW YORK: Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin has appointed Indian-American healthcare professional Srilekha Palle to the Virginia Asian Advisory Board (VAAB).

Sheikh Hasina hands over 39,365 houses to homeless people

DHAKA: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina handed over 39,365 houses to homeless people as part of her government's Ashrayan-2 project which ensure housing for all landless persons.

N.Korea fired 4 cruise missiles in a day: Seoul's Defence Minister

SEOUL: South Korea's Defence Minister Lee Jong-sup on Thursday said that North Korea fired four cruise missiles the previous day, though a detailed analysis is still underway to confirm the specifics.

Canada's population marks record-high growth in 2022

OTTAWA: The year of 2022 marked the first 12-month period in Canada's history where population grew by more than 1 million people, and the highest annual population growth rate of 2.7 per cent since 1957, Statistics Canada said.

Canada's CPI rises 5.2% in Feb

OTTAWA: Canada's Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 5.2 per cent year over year in February, following a 5.9 per cent increase in January, the largest deceleration in the headline CPI since April 2020, the national statistical agency said.

'Change is coming that hasn't happened in 100 years and we're driving it': Xi's parting message to Putin

LONDON: China's President Xi Jinping told a grinning Vladimir Putin 'change is coming' in an ominous parting message as he departed Moscow following talks with his Russian counterpart, the media reported.

New Zealand launches campaign to help youngsters deal with break-ups

WELLINGTON: The New Zealand government has launched an innovative 'LoveBetter' campaign to help youngsters deal with the tough emotions of relationships and break-ups, a Minister said on Wednesday.

IMF funding to restore Sri Lanka's int'l recognition: President

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament on Wednesday that the IMF Extended Fund Facility (EFF) will restore the island nation's international recognition amid the worst-ever economic crisis, ensure the country is not bankrupt and help banks regain international trust.

Palestinian, Israeli Presidents hope for peace, stability

RAMALLAH: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his Israeli counterpart,Isaac Herzog expressed the hope that peace and stability would prevail in the Palestinian territories and the entire Middle East.

Canada to raise federal minimum wage to keep pace with inflation

OTTAWA: The Canadian government announced the federal minimum wage will increase from C$15.55 ($12.4) by 7 per cent to C$16.65 Per hour on April 1 to keep pace with inflation.

Pakistan averts default on payments to Kuwait

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan approved a supplementary grant of 27 billion PKR to avert a looming default on account of diesel purchase payments to Kuwait -- a move that might create problems in other areas because of the country's efforts to keep the overall expenses within the limits agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Indian-origin lawyer suspended for targeting S'pore's legal system

SINGAPORE: An Indian-origin lawyer has been suspended for five years in Singapore for making "baseless and grave" allegations against the Attorney-General, prosecutors and the Law Society.

Lebanon condemns Israeli FM's racist remarks on Palestinians

BEIRUT: Lebanon has condemned the latest racist remarks made by Israel's far-right Finance Minister, who denied the existence of Palestinian people.

Iraq, Turkey to build transportation corridor linking Basra to Turkish border

ANKARA: Turkey and Iraq will build a land and railroad transportation corridor stretching from the Iraqi province of Basra to the Turkish border, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

New York beefs up security measures amid uncertainties over Trump case

NEW YORK: Law enforcement in New York City stepped up security measures in sensitive areas after former US President Donald Trump recently suggested that he would be arrested and called for his supporters to stage protests.

Biden nominates Nisha Biswal as Dy CEO of US finance agency

WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden has announced his intent to nominate Indian-American policy expert Nisha Desai Biswal as Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC).

6.9-magnitude quake hits Afghanistan

BEIJING: A 6.9-magnitude earthquake jolted Afghanistan at 12:47 a.m. on Wednesday, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC).

UN chief urges elimination of racial discrimination in all forms

UNITED NATIONS: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged the international community to take action to address racism wherever and whenever it arises, and eliminate all forms of racial discrimination.

US report raises concerns over human rights violations in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The US has raised serious concerns over human rights violations in Pakistan in an annual report.

Mexican economy healthy despite US banking crisis: President

MEXICO CITY: Mexico's economy is "solid" and able to withstand external shocks such as the crisis roiling several banks in the US, said President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

Biden okays bill to declassify intelligence info on Covid origins

WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden has signed a bill to declassify intelligence information on the origins of the Covid pandemic, which has so far claimed more than seven million lives globally.

Low birth rates problematic for ageing EU population: Expert

BARCELONA: The average age of the European population has gone up by 2.5 years in the past decade, according to Eurostat data published recently.

Pak ruling coalition hints at banning PTI

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's ruling coalition has hinted at banning Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), as the government claims that the party has become a terrorist outfit after its involvement in attacking state institutions, including the army, judiciary, and law-enforcement agencies.

B'desh commissions first naval submarine base

DHAKA: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has commissioned the first naval submarine base, calling it a proud moment for the country.

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