International News Updates

Sydney: Two more people were confirmed dead and several more remain missing in Australia on Tuesday as the result of severe bushfires in the country’s southeast. “It’s been confirmed today that there are two deceased persons in Cobargo and a third person remains missing with grave concerns for their safety,” New South Wales (NSW) Premier […]

Beirut: Carlos Ghosn, the ousted Nissan Motor Co. Chairman has confirmed that he was currently in Lebanon, saying he decided to escape Japan to not become a “hostage” of the Asian country’s justice. Ghosn, who is thought to have left Japan and entered Lebanon under a false identity, was on bail for various charges of […]

Pyongyang: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has said that his country would soon introduce a “new strategic weapon” in the near future, adding that he sees little reason to stick to his country’s suspension of nuclear and long-range missile tests, he had put in place during talks with the US. Talks between North Korea and […]

Canberra: At least seven people died in the devastating bushfires that engulfed the Australian state of New South Wales since Monday, police said on Wednesday. The latest fires, which raced towards the coast this week, have also destroyed more than 200 homes, BBC reported. With conditions easing slightly, a major road that was closed in […]

Vatican City: An otherwise serene Pope Francis lost his cool momentarily on New Year’s eve when a woman devotee pulled at the pontiff’s arm while he was greeting the faithful in St Peter’s Square here. As the 83-year-old Pope turned away after greeting the pilgrims standing behind the barricades along the kerbside to have a […]

Islamabad: Pakistan on Wednesday rejected India’s new Army chief’s statement that New Delhi reserves the right to “preemptively strike” across the Line of Control (LoC), terming the remarks as “irresponsible.” In an exclusive interview to PTI barely hours after taking charge of the 1.3-million-strong force, Army Chief Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane on Tuesday said India reserves […]

Colombo: Sri Lankan Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga has confirmed that the government was in the process of drafting a Cabinet proposal to extend the free-visa regime till April 30, it was reported on Thursday. “We have just begun to draft the proposal and within the next two weeks I hope to submit it to the […]

Belfast: Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been as the 11th Chancellor of Queen’s University, Belfast (QUB), Northern Ireland, making her the first woman to take up the post. In a statement on Wednesday, Clinton said it was a “great privilege” to become the Chancellor of QUB. She will assume her role immediately […]

Vatican City: Even as Pope Francis apologised for slapping a woman’s hand while greeting the faithfuls at St Peter’s Square here on New Year’s eve, Twitterati on Thursday offered mixed reactions over the unsavoury incident. “Love makes us patient. So many times we lose patience, even me, and I apologise for yesterday’s (December 31) bad […]

Kathmandu: A mild earthquake measuring 3.8 in the Richter scale hit Nepal’s tourist hub Pokhara on Thursday night, officials said. The epicentre of the tremor, which was recorded at 9:59 pm, was located at Ghachok area of Kaski district, the National Seismological Department said. The tremor was also felt in the neighbouring districts of Tanhu, […]

Baghdad: A US strike killed top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani and the deputy head of Iraq’s Hashed al-Shaabi military force at Baghdad’s airport early Friday, the Hashed announced. “The deputy head of the Hashed, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, and head of the Quds Force, Qasem Soleimani, were killed in a US strike that targeted their car […]

Washington: President Donald Trump ordered for the US airstrike in Iraq that killed General Qasem Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards, in a “decisive defensive action” to protect US personnel abroad and deter future attacks being planned by Iran, the Pentagon said Friday. General Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite al-Quds force and […]

Amaravati: Pakistan will on Monday release all 22 fishermen from Andhra Pradesh arrested on charges of espionage, officials said on Friday. Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has informed the Indian High Commission in Islamabad that the Pakistan government has decided to release and repatriate the fishermen to India via the Wagah border on January 6. Andhra […]

Islamabad: The United Arab Emirates has extended USD 200 million aid to cash-strapped Pakistan for the development of the small and medium-sized enterprises in the country. The announcement came after Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan concluded his one-day visit to the country on Thursday. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, Finance Adviser to […]

Islamabad: Ailing former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will be hospitalised soon for a cardiac procedure, it was reported. A source at the Royal Brompton Hospital, London told The News International that cardiologists have informed Sharif that he must be admitted for the procedure. The source added that the former leader has been advised that […]