World

21

Aug

By The Press Editor

World

Six Indians aboard cargo ship carrying Turkish military weapons hijacked off Somalia coast

Mogadishu: Six Indians were among the 10-member crew of a Cameroon-flagged cargo ship hijacked by pirates off Somalia’s Puntland coast earlier this week, according to a Somali official. The M/V LUTUF, owned by Polar Movement Shipping, was seized on Monday about 3.5 nautical miles off Marraya in Puntland’s Eyl district and was subsequently taken toward the Nugaal coast. The vessel was carrying Turkish weapons, along with communications and satellite equipment, reportedly bound for a Turkish military training facility in Mogadishu. The crew comprised six Indian nationals, one Turkish national, one Georgian and two Serbian security guards, the official said. Eight…

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21

Aug

By The Press Editor

World

Imran Khan, Pakistan’s jailed former PM, shifted to Islamabad hospital after Supreme Court order

Islamabad: Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan was shifted to a hospital in Islamabad in wee hours of Friday, amid concerns over his health. The development comes after the Pakistani government filed a review petition in the Supreme Court, urging it to reconsider the order to shift him to a private hospital for treatment. The 73-year-old cricketer-turned-politician, who is the founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), was taken to Shifa International Hospital from the Adiala Jail, confirmed PTI's spokesperson Zulfi Bukhari, while speaking to AFP. "The Supreme Court's order has been complied with." Khan, who served as the prime minister…

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20

Aug

By The Press Editor

World

BNP candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir elected as new President of Bangladesh: Who is he?

Dhaka: Bangladesh has elected Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) veteran Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as its 23rd President on Thursday. Alamgir secured 255 votes in the presidential election held at the Jatiya Sangsad (Bangladesh's Parliament), defeating Oli Ahmed, who received 88 votes. A total of 343 lawmakers participated in the election, which was conducted between 2 pm and 5 pm local time under the supervision of Chief Election Commissioner ASM Nasir Uddin. The Chief Election Commissioner subsequently announced the results and formally declared Alamgir the country's new President. The election was notable because it was the first Bangladeshi presidential poll in 35…

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20

Aug

By The Press Editor

World

Trump says will meet North Korea’s Kim Jong Un this year. Can this reduce tensions in Korean Peninsula?

Washington: US President Donald Trump has said he would be meeting North Korea's Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un later this year in an apparent move aimed at defusing the tensions between Washington and Pyongyang.  He made the announcement while speaking to reporters at the White House on Wednesday. Trump, a two-time US President and a Republican leader, said he gets along with Kim quite well, as he defended the North Korean leader and claimed that Pyongyang has around 57 nuclear weapons, while justifying his war against Iran. "He has 57 very powerful nuclear weapons. Should have never allowed it to…

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20

Aug

By The Press Editor

World

Prince Harry, Meghan Markle moving back to UK, resuming Royal roles on cards? What we know so far

London: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly planning to move back to the UK nearly six years after stepping down as senior working members of the British royal family and relocating to California with their son, Prince Archie. According to UK media reports, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are planning to return to Britain this month, with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, expected to begin school there in September.  There are currently no plans for either Prince Harry or Meghan Markle to return as working members of the royal family. The couple moved to the US…

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20

Aug

By The Press Editor

World

Donald Trump threatens countries against financially assisting Iran: ‘Most crushing economic operation’

Washington: US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (local time) warned countries against providing any financial or logistical assistance to Iran, saying they would be subjected to "tremendous economic consequences" and describing the ongoing military action against the Islamic Republic as "most crushing economic operation ever taken against any country".  However, the 80-year-old Republican leader said no one other than him has given Iran a greater opportunity to make a deal. He once again reiterated that Iran's navy, air force and the entire military has been destroyed, and the country is barely "hanging by a thread". "Oil smuggling, swap lines, cash…

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20

Aug

By The Press Editor

World

Prolonged Iran war costing dearly? US debt tops whopping USD 40 trillion, fourth record high under Trump

Washington: The US national debt has surpassed a record USD 40 trillion, marking an unprecedented milestone driven by rising defence spending, major social programmes such as Social Security and Medicare, and mounting interest payments on the federal deficit. The milestone marks the fourth time the debt has increased during Donald Trump's second tenure as President. The debt reached USD 40 trillion just five months after crossing the USD 39 trillion mark in March and five months after surpassing USD 38 trillion in October. The rapid increase underscores the growing pressure on the US government to balance competing priorities, including higher…

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19

Aug

By The Press Editor

World

Pakistan summons US envoy over Sergio Gor’s ‘J-K important part of India’ remark in Srinagar

Islamabad: Pakistan on Wednesday (August 19) summoned US Chargé d’Affaires Natalie Baker and lodged a 'strong demarche' after US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor described Jammu and Kashmir as an 'important part of India' during his visit to Srinagar. 'Irresponsible statement by the US ambassador' Hours after his remarks, Pakistan's Foreign Office summoned the US Chargé d'Affaires in Islamabad and rejected his characterisation of Jammu and Kashmir as part of India and called the remarks 'factually incorrect'. "Pakistan strongly condemned and categorically rejected the characterisation of Jammu and Kashmir as a 'part of India'," the Foreign Office said in a…

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19

Aug

By The Press Editor

World

UK: Indian-origin couple killed after light aircraft crashes in remote Wales area

London: An Indian-origin couple in their 50s were killed on the spot after the light aircraft they were travelling in crashed at a remote location in northern Wales, according to the police. The deceased have been identified as Ketan Swali and his wife Sheetal. Ketan is believed to have been piloting the Piper PA-28 aircraft, accompanied by his wife, Sheetal, when they took off from Tatenhill Airport in Burton-upon-Trent, in England's West Midlands region, last week. According to the police, the crash site was located in an isolated area in the hills above Trawsfynydd, close to Blaenau Ffestiniog in Gwynedd.  Aircraft wreckage…

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19

Aug

By The Press Editor

World

Pakistan govt challenges top court order to shift jailed former PM Imran Khan to private hospital

Islamabad: The Pakistani government on Wednesday (August 19) challenged the Supreme Court order to shift jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan to a private hospital of his choice for medical treatment. The office of the chief commissioner in Islamabad filed a review petition, seeking a review or withdrawal of the order. The government filed the review petition arguing that the top court's interim order was "discriminatory" - because it applied only to Khan and not to prisoners in general. It is believed that moving Khan to a private hospital would set a precedent for all convicts to seek similar treatment in…

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