Gulfnews

Spain mourned at least 158 deaths yesterday and authorities told people in flood-stricken regions to stay at home as rescuers raced to find survivors in the rare disaster.An exceptionally powerful Mediterranean storm from Tuesday unleashed heavy rains and torrents of mud-filled water that swept away people and wrecked homes, with the eastern Valencia region hit hardest.The body co-ordinating rescue work in the Valencia region announced that 155 bodies had been recovered there by afternoon yesterday.Officials in Castilla-La Mancha and Andalusia had announced a combined three deaths in their regions on Wednesday.With many people still missing and some areas remaining inaccessible to rescuers, government ministers had warned that Wednesday’s provisional toll of 95 was likely to rise.Local authorities have not disclosed how many people are still unaccounted for.“Please, stay at home ... follow the calls of the emergency services,” pleaded Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.“Right now the most im...

Indian and Chinese troops exchanged boxes of sweets yesterday at two points on their contested high-altitude border, a week after the leaders of the Asian rivals held a rare meeting.China and India, the world’s two most populous nations, are intense rivals and have accused each other of trying to seize territory along their unofficial divide, known as the Line of Actual Control.However, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met on the sidelines of a Brics gathering in Russia on October 23, the pair’s first formal meeting in five years.In their meeting, Xi said they should “strengthen communication and co-operation”, while Modi said “mutual trust” will guide ties with China.It signalled a potential thaw between the nuclear-armed neighbours since clashes between their troops in 2020 over their border, which killed at least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers.Photographs released by the Indian army yesterday showed soldiers shaking hands and handing gift-wra...

The UN Security Council underscored that the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) 'remains the backbone of all humanitarian response in Gaza' and no organization can replace its role, warning that any interruption or suspension of its work would have severe humanitarian consequences for Palestinian refugees and implications for the region.In a press statement, the members of the Security Council emphasized the vital role of UNRWA in providing life-saving humanitarian assistance to Palestinian refugees through essential education, health, relief and social services programs and emergency assistance in the occupied Palestinian territory, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.They strongly warned against any attempts to dismantle or diminish UNRWA's operations and mandate, recognizing that any interruption or suspension of its work would have severe humanitarian consequences for millions of Palestinian refugees and also implications for the regio...

Spanish rescuers yesterday scrambled to save people trapped by surging tides of muddy water in floods that killed at least 95 people, tossed cars and wreaked transport havoc.Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez urged citizens to remain vigilant as the danger persisted and three days of mourning were declared in the European nation’s worst such disaster in more than 50 years.Heavy downpours and fierce winds have lashed Spain since the beginning of the week after a storm formed over the Mediterranean Sea, with up to a year’s worth of rain falling in just hours in some areas.The body co-ordinating emergency services in the eastern Valencia region announced a provisional death toll of 92, adding that bodies were still being recovered and identified.Two people died in neighbouring Castilla-La Mancha and another victim was reported in Andalusia in the south, both regions’ leaders told journalists.The toll is likely to rise because “there are many missing people”, government minister Angel Victor Tor...

With its picturesque landscapes, well-maintained roads, awe-inspiring infrastructure, and incredibly hospitable people, you find yourself in the Republic of Rwanda. Nestled in the Great Rift Valley of East Africa, this landlocked gem stands at the crossroads of the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa.Known as the 'Land of a Thousand Hills,' Rwanda is not just a destination; it’s an experience that blends stunning natural beauty with a complex history and a bright future.As we embarked on our journey from Doha with RwandAir, we were immediately greeted by the unmistakable warmth of Rwandan hospitality. The atmosphere was charged with optimism, reflecting a nation that has triumphed over its tumultuous past. Although global headlines surrounding the Marburg virus had caused some concern, RDB and the Rwandan health department reassured us of a safe and enriching FAM trip. Media representatives from around the world—spanning Qatar, Canada, France, Kenya, and Ethiopia—ha...

China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposes the US' move of placing some Chinese entities on its export-control 'entity list' and 'unverified list,' noting that China will take necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of its enterprises.The spokesperson said that China has taken note of the latest action by the US, which added six Chinese entities to its 'entity list' and three to its 'unverified list.'Over a long period of time, the US has generalized the concept of national security, abused export control measures, and sanctioned and suppressed enterprises from other countries including China.The spokesperson said that such actions have seriously damaged the legitimate rights and interests of these enterprises and undermined the security and stability of the global industrial and supply chains, urging the US side should immediately 'stop its wrongdoing.' source https://www.gulf-times.c...

Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, affirmed that the vote by the Israeli Parliament (Knesset) against UNRWA is 'unprecedented and sets a dangerous precedent,' as it opposes the UN Charter and violates the Israeli entity's obligations under international law.'This is the latest in the ongoing campaign to discredit UNRWA and delegitimize its role towards providing human-development assistance and services to Palestine Refugees,' Lazzarini added on X platform.The Knesset had finally approved the law that bans the activities of UNRWA, despite international and UN warnings about the danger of this legislation, which violates international and UN charters and laws. source https://www.gulf-times.com/article/693496/international/israeli-occupations-ban-is-dangerous-precedent-unrwa

South Korea and the United States will hold their 'two plus two' talks among the top foreign and defense officials this week, South Korea's foreign ministry said Monday, amid the heightening tensions with North Korea's deployment of its troops to Russia.The ministry said in a statement that the talks will take place in Washington on Thursday among South Korea's Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, South Korea's Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, according to South Korea's News Agency (Yonhap).The meeting comes at a time when North Korea is believed to have sent its soldiers to Russia for possible deployment to the conflict in Ukraine. South Korea and the United States have confirmed the North's dispatch of thousands of troops to eastern Russia.The top officials will have 'broad discussions on the Korean Peninsula, the bilateral alliance, and other regio...

The Iraqi government on Monday submitted an official letter of protest to the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the UN Security Council, condemning the 'flagrant' violation committed by Israel by breaching Iraqi airspace and sovereignty, and using Iraqi airspace to carry out an attack on Iran on Oct. 26.Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani has also directed the foreign ministry to communicate with the United States regarding this violation, in accordance with the provisions of the bilateral strategic framework agreement, and to urge Washington to uphold its role concerning the security and sovereignty of Iraq.In a statement Monday, the Iraqi government reaffirmed its full commitment to Iraq's sovereignty and independence, emphasizing that it is taking all necessary steps to address these violations.It also stressed that it will not allow the use of Iraqi airspace or lands to attack other countries, especially neighboring ones that have commo...

Homeowners in the northern Philippines used spades and rakes to clear out debris left by Tropical Storm Trami on Friday while rescuers trawled through thick mud looking for the missing as the death toll rose to 76.Tens of thousands of people were displaced by floods fuelled by a torrential downpour that dumped two months’ worth of rain over just two days in some areas.“Many are still trapped on the roofs of their homes and asking for help,” Andre Dizon, police director for the hard-hit Bicol region, said. “We are hoping that the floods will subside since the rain has stopped.”But accessibility remained a major issue for rescuers on Friday, particularly in Bicol, President Ferdinand Marcos said.“That’s the problem we’re having with Bicol, so difficult to penetrate,” he said, adding that the heavily saturated ground led to “landslides in areas that didn’t have landslides before.”In Laurel, a scenic town nestled near volcanic Lake Taal south of the capital Manila, roads were blocked by fe...

Thousands of well-wishers lined the banks of Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River yesterday to watch King Maha Vajiralongkorn ride a glittering royal barge procession to mark his 72nd birthday.A flotilla of 52 ornately decorated boats, paddled by more than 2,000 oarsmen decked out in scarlet and gold, carried the king and Queen Suthida in formation through the heart of the Thai capital to a Buddhist ceremony at Wat Arun, the city’s ancient Temple of Dawn.The king took his place on a century-old royal barge known as the “Golden Swan” to deliver robes to monks in a ceremony marking the end of Buddhist Lent.Royal barge processions date back hundreds of years, but are held rarely, saved for the most significant occasions – most recently, the king’s coronation in 2019.During the 70-year reign of the previous king, Bhumibol Adulyadej, only 16 barge processions were held.King Vajiralongkorn turned 72 in July, completing his “sixth cycle” in the 12-year astrological calendar – a milestone regarded by T...

Candidates in Japan’s super-tight election made last-ditch appeals to voters yesterday, with opinion polls suggesting the ruling coalition might fall short of a majority. Such a bombshell outcome in today’s vote would be the worst result for the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) since 2009, and potentially a knockout blow to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.Ishiba — a fan of trains, 1970s pop idols and making model ships and planes — only last month took the helm of the LDP, which has governed Japan for almost all of the past seven decades. After a tough internal contest, the 67-year-old former defence minister became premier on October 1. Days later, he called the snap parliamentary elections, promising a “new Japan”.Ishiba pledged to revitalise depressed rural regions and to address the “quiet emergency” of Japan’s falling population through family-friendly policies such as flexible working hours. But he has since rowed back his position on issues including allowing married couples to take...

Right-wing, anti-immigrant protesters and opposing anti-racism demonstrators held large rallies in London yesterday, with both passing off peacefully amid a beefed-up police operation to prevent any clashes between the rival groups.Several thousand people waving English and British flags joined the “Unite the Kingdom” nationalist rally by parliament, organised by anti-immigrant activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, known by the pseudonym Tommy Robinson. A counter-protest of anti-racism campaigners and trade unionists also took place nearby, with marchers carrying banners saying “Refugees Welcome” and “Smash the Far Right”. Police officers were drafted in from around the country to avert possible unrest, but the London force said on X only a handful of arrests had been made.Britain saw days of rioting in towns and cities across the country at the end of July in the wake of the murder of three young girls at a dance workshop in Southport, after misinformation on social media wrongly identified...

Cyclone Dana tore the roofs off homes and flattened trees and power lines after making landfall on Friday on India’s east coast, but did not appear to have caused significant casualties.Cyclones - the equivalent of hurricanes in the North Atlantic or typhoons in the northwestern Pacific - are a regular and deadly menace in the northern Indian Ocean.At least 1.1mn people in the states of Odisha and West Bengal were relocated to storm shelters before the eye of the cyclone reached the coast just after midnight.District official Siddarth Swain said the storm had left a “trail of destruction” in the coastal town of Puri. “Many trees and electric poles are uprooted,” he added. “Makeshift shops on the sprawling beach have been blown away.”No casualties have been reported so far.Dana flooded parts of the coast after triggering a surge in sea levels of up to 3.75 feet.As of landfall, the storm had gusting winds up to 120km per hour.The Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest in the world, was ...

A severe outbreak of E. Coli linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder burgers has expanded to 75 reported cases, mainly in the western United States, authorities said on Friday.The number of hospitalisations has risen to 22, though no additional deaths have been reported beyond that of an elderly patient in Colorado, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).One child and one adult developed haemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious condition that damages blood vessels in the kidneys.Investigators have yet to confirm a specific ingredient as the contamination source, though they are assessing whether slivered onions or beef patties could be the origin.While the investigation is underway, Taylor Farms, which supplies the slivered onions to affected locations, has issued a voluntary recall of its yellow onions.McDonald’s restaurants in the 13 impacted states have temporarily pulled Quarter Pounders from their menus, though other ...

Mozambique’s capital Maputo awoke to wreckage and mobile Internet cuts yesterday as protests overnight turned violent following the ruling party Frelimo’s re-election after 49 years in power.Hundreds of opposition supporters demonstrated, rejecting what they called a ballot “stolen” by a “corrupt” electoral commission, which on Thursday announced that Frelimo’s candidate Daniel Chapo had won the October 9 election with 71 percent of the vote.As the election authority, widely accused of acting in the ruling party’s favour, was announcing the results, crowds gathered in multiple cities. Protests escalated, with rioters setting fire to tyres to block avenues in Maputo and scaling Frelimo’s election billboards and destroying them. Some also threw stones at riot police, who fired tear gas to disperse them, an AFP reporter saw. Internet outages across mobile carriers struck Maputo, although home access was not affected, according to AFP reporters.“We can confirm a near total outage of mobile...

Widespread flooding and landslides set off by a tropical storm in the northeastern Philippines on Thursday left at least 23 people dead, swept away cars and prompted authorities to scramble for motorboats to rescue trapped villagers, some on roofs.The government shut down schools and offices except those urgently needed for disaster response for the second day on the entire main island of Luzon to protect millions of people after Tropical Storm Trami slammed into the countrys northeastern province of Isabela after midnight.The storm was blowing over Aguinaldo town in the mountain province of Ifugao after dawn with sustained winds up to 95 kph (59 mph) and gusts up to 160 kph (99 mph). source https://www.gulf-times.com/article/693201/international/tropical-storm-battering-philippines-leaves-at-least-23-people-dead

French President Emmanuel Macron has discussed developments in Lebanon with Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who is currently visiting France.The Lebanese Premiership said in a statement Wednesday that the two sides discussed French efforts to cease fire in Lebanon, in addition to the ongoing preparations for holding the international conference to support Lebanon, scheduled to be held in Paris on Thursday.During the meeting, Macron stressed the continuation of France's efforts and endeavors in cooperation with the United States to stop the fire and discuss ways to pressure Israel to achieve this.For his part, Mikati considered the conference to support Lebanon, called for by the French President, as the best evidence of France's interest in Lebanon and its standing by its side in the circumstances it is currently going through.More than 70 countries and international organizations will participate in the international conference to support Lebanon and ...

The United States does not seek war with Russia, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said.In remarks during his visit to Kyiv, Ukraine, Austin underlined that the United States will 'defend every inch of NATO territory' and 'will get Ukraine what it needs to fight for its survival and security.'The war has not gone the way that the Kremlin planned, and Moscow will never prevail in Ukraine, Austin added.The United States has been Ukraine's biggest international supporter since the start of the Russian war on February 24, 2022. source https://www.gulf-times.com/article/693050/international/us-does-not-seek-war-with-russia-us-defense-secretary

King Charles and Queen Camilla will cap a six-day visit to Australia with a community barbecue and a military jamboree aside Sydney’s iconic Opera House today.On the last full day of engagements Down Under, the 75-year-old regent will crisscross the city at a series of events hoping to shore up shaky Australian support for the monarchy.Rather than bread and circuses, the king will offer antipodean subjects sausage “sangas” and a navy fleet review in the glistening harbour city.For lunch, he will attend a community barbecue overseen by MasterChef Australia winner Adam Liaw designed to showcase the “cultural diversity of modern Australia”.Guests will be treated to a game of backyard cricket, henna tattooing and a sheep dog display.Paramatta, the suburb that will host the event, has large Chinese and Indian communities that traditionally have less affinity for the Britain-based head of state.Almost 60% of Paramatta’s population was born outside Australia, according to the latest census fi...

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili addressed a crowd of thousands at rally in the capital yesterday, delivering a strong pro-EU message just days before a fiercely-contested parliamentary election.The crowds gathered in Tbilisi’s central square represented “a free Georgia”, she said.“Here today is the society, the people, the Georgians who are going to Europe,” said Zourabichvili, who has urged people to vote against the incumbent Georgian Dream party.The October 26 election is widely viewed as a test of whether Georgia returns to Russia’s orbit or maintains its pro-Western orientation.The EU last year granted candidate status to Georgia, a first stage towards eventual membership.However, relations have worsened sharply since Georgian Dream passed a “foreign agent” law in May that critics say is evidence it is pivoting towards Russia.Draped in EU and Georgian flags, Georgians converged on Freedom Square yesterday to support the four main pro-Western opposition groups running next ...

Kamala Harris turned 60 yesterday in the final stretch of a knife-edge election battle with 78-year-old Donald Trump, as she urged a black congregation in Georgia to embrace compassionate values while others “spread hate, sow fear and cause chaos”.Harris, speaking at a Baptist megachurch near Atlanta, did not mention Trump by name but the crowd – after spontaneously serenading her with “Happy Birthday” – nodded knowingly to her allusions to her Republican rival.Georgia is one of the key states that are expected to decide the November 5 election.Both candidates were planning events later in another of those states, Pennsylvania, which both sides see as a must-win.With just over two weeks before Election Day, the Democratic vice-president and the Republican billionaire are in a fierce race.Harris, addressing the enthusiastic black churchgoers – normally a strongly Democratic demographic – delivered a temperate speech, telling the tale of the Good Samaritan but also using it to exhort the...

Nepali police fired tear gas yesterday at thousands of protesters loyal to a former deputy premier once seen as a rising political star, as he appeared in court on charges his supporters say are politically motivated.Rabi Lamichhane faces charges of fraud and organised crime related to the alleged embezzlement of funds from a financial co-operative prior to his entry into politics, a case that has garnered national attention.Lamichhane rejects the charges, which his angry supporters say were trumped up.Lamichhane is well known for his career as a television host in the Himalayan republic, making his name as an anti-corruption activist through aggressive interviews with public officials. He shot to political power in November 2022 with his Rastriya Swatantra Party tapping into widespread discontent at Nepal’s elderly political leadership, becoming the deputy premier and interior minister.But he was sacked in January 2023, after Nepal’s top court barred him from office for failing to reg...

source https://www.gulf-times.com/article/692899/international/in-support-of-palestinians

Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump hit the campaign trail yesterday, pressing their case with voters from Georgia to Pennsylvania who are already starting to cast ballots in the US presidential election.Harris and Trump are essentially tied in the most competitive states and many Americans are voting early by mail or in person, with just 17 days until the November 5 election.Harris hosted a get-out-the-vote event in Detroit yesterday for the city’s first day of early voting, alongside Michigan-born rapper Lizzo.She then travelled to Atlanta, Georgia, for a rally with pop singer Usher, who is currently headlining a sold-out, three-date concert tour in the southern city. Early voting started in Georgia this week.“Donald Trump has proven himself to be increasingly unstable and unfit and he is trying to take us backward,” Harris told reporters in Detroit.Harris will need strong results in the majority non-white cities of Detroit and Atlanta and their surrounding suburbs to ...

A drone targeted the residence of Prime Minister of the Israeli entity Benjamin Netanyahu in Caesarea, central Israel, earlier today.According to a press statement from Prime Minister of the Israeli entity office, the drone was launched toward his home, though he was not present at the time.The occupation military had earlier reported that three drones breached Israeli airspace in the morning, with two intercepted and one falling in Caesarea. source https://www.gulf-times.com/article/692853/international/drone-targets-israeli-entity-prime-ministers-residence

The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed Saturday that it had shot down 16 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory.In a statement, the ministry said that last night, an attempt by Ukrainian forces to launch an attack using drones on targets within Russian territory was thwarted.The statement added that air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 16 Ukrainian drones. Of these, 13 were shot down over the Bryansk region, two over Rostov, and one over Belgorod.The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which began in February 2022, shows no signs of resolution. Ukraine continues to request permission from Western countries to use long-range missiles to strike deeper into Russian territory, while Moscow has repeatedly issued stern warnings against such actions. source https://www.gulf-times.com/article/692849/international/ukeurope/russian-ministry-of-defense-reports-downing-16-ukrainian-drones

Twice since July 2022, Moninder Singh, spokesperson for a Sikh advocacy group in Canada’s British Columbia province, has had police come to his door in the Vancouver suburb of Surrey.Twice, Singh said, they warned him that he faced an imminent risk of assassination, though they did not say from whom.These warnings prompted the 43-year-old Canadian to stay away from his home for months at a time - away from his wife and children, ages 15 and 11.“India has gotten away with so much over the years and under Modi’s regime, its impunity,” Singh said, referring to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “They feel like they’re just so powerful that no one’s really going to hold them in check. And they probably have been correct over the past decade or so.”Singh’s experience illustrates the threats that some members of Canada’s Sikh community - the largest outside India’s Sikh-majority Punjab state - are facing at a time of mounting tensions between the governments of India and Canada.The Royal C...

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Friday slammed attacks on United Nations peacekeepers as 'unacceptable' after the UN force accused Israeli troops of firing at their positions in south Lebanon.Meloni, the first head of state or government to visit Lebanon since an escalation between Israel and Hezbollah started last month, demanded the protection of the Unifil force, which includes Italian peacekeepers.'I consider targeting Unifil unacceptable, and I ask once again that all parties strive to ensure at all times that the safety of each of these soldiers is guaranteed,' Meloni said during a press conference with her Lebanese counterpart Najib Mikati.Italy has around 1,000 troops as part of the UN's peacekeeping force in Lebanon which has come under repeated fire in the Israeli-Hezbollah war in recent days.Five peacekeepers were injured in a series of incidents last week, with the latest seeing the UN force accuse Israeli troops of breaking through a gate ...

Polls opened for early voting yesterday in North Carolina – a critical battleground in the November 5 US presidential election – just weeks after Hurricane Helene left some residents still without power, running water or phone service.North Carolina could be crucial in determining a winner in the race between US Vice-President Kamala Harris, a Democrat, and former Republican president Donald Trump because its voting preferences could swing either way.Polls show a very tight race with a handful of swing states likely to determine the winner.Hurricane Helene, which killed more than 200 people across six states and caused billions of dollars in damage, has sparked questions on how it might impact voter turnout.Harvey Neal, a 71-year-old retiree, voted at the lone early voting site in Hendersonville, North Carolina, as a steady stream of voters filed in and out of the centre yesterday morning.Neal cast his vote for Harris.“She’s young, she’s a Democrat,” he said. “And, you know, what’s the...

Visitors to a new aquarium in China were left furious this week after discovering one of its top aquatic stars was a robot, despite it being marketed as such. Xiaomeisha Ocean World in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, opened on October 1 but was quickly slammed for its high prices, long queues, and poor conditions for its marine life. Much of the criticism, however, centred on the park’s star attraction: a “mechanised whale shark”. Photos of the shark showed joints in the body where parts of the robot had been joined together. On the online review platform Dazhong Dianping, users fl ooded the aquarium’s page with negative comments. “I’m speechless about the fake whale shark. I really want to report and ban this place,” one visitor wrote. “Why are they using fake props as fi sh?” read another review. “Are they trying to trick children?” The park, which charges around 240 yuan ($34) for adult tickets, has a rating of just 2.9 out of 5 stars on the popular review platform. Many social media ...

Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said that the European Union must do more to deal with the crisis in the Middle East, noting that he would be discussing the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine with his fellow EU leadersHarris, who is in Brussels for the European Council, said ''the humanitarian impact of the conflict in Gaza and now Lebanon is alarming. The EU must do more.'''I have repeatedly said that all countries and organizations must use all levers at our disposal to bring about a ceasefire,' he added, noting that he will continue his calls, alongside Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, for a review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which has only become more pressing since the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice in July on the Israeli entity's illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories.The Irish Prime Minister affirmed that he would also engage with other member states with troops servi...

An explosion tore through crowds of people who had rushed to collect fuel spilling from a crashed tanker in northern Nigeria, killing at least 147, officials said on Wednesday.The tragedy is the latest such accident at a time when petrol has become a precious commodity in the country, which is suffering its worst economic crisis in a generation. The fuel tanker veered to avoid another vehicle and crashed in the town of Majiya, Jigawa state late on Tuesday, police said.Following the crash, residents crowded round the overturned tanker to gather the leaking fuel.Student Sanusi Lawan told AFP he had heard “shouts of joy” and rushed to join hundreds of people scooping up the fuel with buckets. The 21-year-old had taken his bucket home and his brother had persuaded him not to return for more, when they heard “a huge explosion and cries of pain and fright”.“We rushed to the place and it was a scene of horror,” Lawan said. “People were running while on fire and shouting for help.” “Had I not ...

An Indian passenger aircraft was diverted on Wednesday after the latest in a string of hoax bomb threats made to airline companies involving the country.The Akasa Air flight, which was flying from India's capital New Delhi to the southern city of Bengaluru, 'received a security alert' and the flight was ordered to return as a 'precaution'.Akasa Air said the captain had followed 'all required emergency procedures for a safe landing in Delhi'.The flight had 184 people on board, including three infants, the airline said.Another flight, the domestic carrier IndiGo flying from Mumbai to New Delhi, was diverted to Ahmedabad in Gujarat.Zulfiquar Hasan, director-general of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), told the Times of India newspaper that 'Indian skies are absolutely safe' and said police were working to identify the culprits.'We are confident of tracing all those behind these threat messages and very strict action under law will b...

Chinese President Xi Jinping said that China and the United States should serve as a boost to each other's development rather than a hindrance, and China is willing to work with the United States as partners and friends.Xi made the remarks in a congratulatory message to the annual Gala Dinner of the National Committee on US-China Relations. source https://www.gulf-times.com/article/692666/international/beijing-ready-to-be-partner-friend-of-washington-chinese-president

Britain has sanctioned Israeli settler organizations that it said had sponsored violence against Palestinian communities in the West Bank, and called on Israel to 'stop settler expansion on Palestinian land'.The sanctions 'target 3 settler outposts and 4 organizations that have supported, incited and promoted violence against Palestinian communities in the West Bank,' the UK Foreign Office said.These sanctions enacted under the UK's global human rights regime.'Measures respond to a continued rise in violence that is devastating Palestinian communities in the West Bank,' the Foreign Office said.The inaction of the Israeli entity's government 'has allowed an environment of impunity to flourish where settler violence has been allowed to increase unchecked,' UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said. source https://www.gulf-times.com/article/692662/international/uk-imposses-new-sanctions-on-israeli-settler-outposts-in-west-bank

Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar landed in Pakistan yesterday for a Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO) summit, the first top diplomat from Delhi to visit the country’s neighbour in nearly a decade.Jaishankar and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif greeted each other with a handshake at the start of an official dinner for the visiting leaders of the bloc.The neighbouring governments have said that no bilateral meetings have been requested, and Jaishankar’s visit will strictly follow the SCO schedule.Islamabad is keen to project an image of stability and security while hosting the meeting of governments, after a rash of civic unrest in the capital and militant attacks elsewhere across Pakistan in recent weeks.The country’s popular opposition leader and former prime minister Imran Khan remains in jail on charges he says are designed to keep him from returning to power.The city has been shut down for the two-day summit with more than 9,000 police officers deployed a...

The global total public debt is set to exceed USD 100 trillion this year for the first time, and may grow more quickly than forecast as political sentiment favors higher spending and slow growth amplifies borrowing needs and costs, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said.The IMF's latest Fiscal Monitor report showed global public debt will reach 93 percent of global gross domestic product by the end of 2024. It would also be up 10 percentage points from 2019.Released a week before the IMF and World Bank hold annual meetings in Washington, the Fiscal Monitor said there are good reasons to believe future debt levels could be well higher than currently projected, including a desire to spend more in the US, the world's largest economy.Debt could be further increased significantly by weak growth, tighter financing conditions, and greater fiscal and monetary policy uncertainty in systemically important economies such as the US and China, the report said.The report includ...

Cheering crowds hailed an 18-year-old Nepali mountaineer as a hero as he returned home yesterday after breaking the record for the youngest person to summit all 14 of the world’s 8,000-metre peaks.Nima Rinji Sherpa reached the summit of Tibet’s 8,027m (26,335’) Shisha Pangma on October 9, completing his mission to stand on the world’s highest peaks.Yesterday he returned from China to Nepal’s capital Kathmandu, where scores waited to see him.“I am feeling very happy,” he told AFP, draped in traditional Buddhist scarves and garlands of marigold flowers, as he emerged to loud cheers at the airport.“Thank you so much everyone”, he said to his supporters, beaming a wide grin.Sherpa hugged his family while others rushed to offer him scarves and flowers. He later waved to the crowd out of a car sunroof, while proudly holding the national flag.Nepal’s climbing community also welcomed several others who returned after completing the summit of 14 peaks.Summiting all 14 “eight-thousanders” is con...

US-based academics Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson and James Robinson won the 2024 Nobel economics prize “for studies of how institutions are formed and affect prosperity”, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said yesterday.The prestigious award, formally known as the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, is the final prize to be given out this year and is worth 11mn Swedish crowns ($1.1mn).“Reducing the vast differences in income between countries is one of our time’s greatest challenges. The laureates have demonstrated the importance of societal institutions for achieving this,” said Jakob Svensson, Chair of the Committee for the Prize in Economic Sciences.“Societies with a poor rule of law and institutions that exploit the population do not generate growth or change for the better,” the award organisers added on their website.Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, while James Robinson is at the University...