Monday, 13 Jan, 2025

International

US military evacuates diplomats from Sudan

The US military has evacuated American diplomats and their families from Khartoum, President Joe Biden has said. "Today, on my orders, the United States military conducted an operation to extract US government personnel from Khartoum," he said in a statement. Earlier

Rahul Gandhi vacates his official residence in Delhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi vacated his official bungalow in Lutyens' Delhi on Saturday and shifted to his mother Sonia Gandhi's residence, weeks after losing his Lok Sabha membership following his conviction in a defamation case. The Congress said the government may

Guantanamo Bay prisoners show signs of ‘accelerated ageing’: ICRC

Prisoners who have been held for years by the United States at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility are showing signs of “accelerated ageing”, a senior official of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has said. Patrick Hamilton, the ICRC’s head of

Russia names new commanders for Baltic and Pacific fleets

Moscow has installed new commanders at the head of its Baltic and Pacific fleets, Russia’s Interfax and TASS news agencies have reported. The former head of Russia’s Baltic Fleet, Admiral Viktor Liina, is now in charge of the Pacific Fleet, the news agencies reported on

Montevideo Maru: Australia finds wreck of Japanese WW2 disaster ship

Deep-sea explorers have found the wreck of a Japanese transport ship which sank off the Philippines, killing nearly 1,000 Australian troops and civilians in World War Two. It was Australia's worst maritime disaster: a US submarine torpedoed the ship unaware that it was packed with

Top US, Sudanese generals speak as US weighs embassy evacuation

Chairman of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley has discussed the safety of US citizens in Sudan in a phone call with Sudan’s army chief, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, as Washington considers the possible evacuation of its embassy amid fighting in

Over 400 killed, 3,500 hurt in Sudan fighting: WHO

More than 400 people have been killed and over 3,500 others hurt in the fighting in Sudan, the World Health Organization said Friday. "Four hundred and thirteen people have died and 3,551 people have been injured," WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris told reporters at a press

Russia accidentally bombs own city near Ukraine

A Russian Sukhoi-34 supersonic warplane accidentally fired a weapon into the city of Belgorod near Ukraine late on Thursday, causing an explosion and injuring three people. Video footage from the site showed piles of concrete on the street, several damaged cars and a building with

Sudan’s RSF announces 72hr ceasefire amid Khartoum fighting

Sudan’s paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has announced it will shortly begin a ceasefire despite continued heavy fighting with the army in the capital Khartoum. The RSF said in a statement it would observe a 72-hour ceasefire, which would come into effect at 6am

Saudi Arabia declares Eid Al Fitr will start Friday after moon sighted

Saudi Arabia has declared that Eid Al Fitr will begin on Friday after experts sighted the new moon, the Saudi Press Agency has reported. The announcement on Thursday evening was made by the kingdom's Supreme Court calling for people to head out to try and sight the moon from

India court rejects Rahul Gandhi’s plea for stay on conviction

A court in India’s western state of Gujarat has rejected Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s petition seeking a stay of conviction in a defamation case, increasing uncertainty over whether he will be able to contest an election due next year. Gandhi was convicted last month in a

Thailand air pollution leads millions to seek medical help

About 2.4 million people in Thailand have sought hospital treatment for medical problems linked to air pollution since the start of the year, health officials said, as toxic smog chokes parts of the country. Bangkok and the northern city of Chiang Mai were among the most polluted

Nine Pakistani pilgrims killed in road accident in Saudi Arabia

Nine Pakistani Umrah pilgrims died and another four sustained injuries in a road accident in Saudi Arabia, 24NewsHD TV channel reported on Wednesday. According to Arab media, the accident occurred when Pakistani citizens were returning to Riyadh after performing Umrah.  The

Dozens die in Ramadan crush in Yemen's capital Sanaa

At least 78 people have been killed in a crush at a school in the Yemeni capital Sanaa during a distribution of charity for Ramadan, officials say. Video footage on social media shows chaotic scenes after the incident in the Bab-al-Yemen area of the city. Reuters news agency reports

India, now world’s most populous country, overtakes China

India has become the world’s most populous country, overtaking China. The latest data from the United Nations has revealed that India’s population is now 142.86 crore, compared to China’s 142.57 crore. With this development India has for the first time ranked at the

Kim orders launch of North Korea's first spy satellite

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has said the country has finished building its first military spy satellite and gave the green light for its launch, state media said. The report of its completion comes on Wednesday, about a week after Pyongyang launched what it said was a new

India: Judiciary decried after former MP murdered live on TV

The murder of a gangster-turned-politician has put the spotlight on killings of those in custody in India. Rights activists have raised questions over their deaths, and claim it has emboldened a climate of lawlessness. Live on television on Saturday night, former Indian politician Atiq

Investigation underway after Beijing hospital fire kills 21

An investigation was under way Wednesday after a fire ripped through a hospital in China’s capital Beijing, killing 21 people, state media reported. Emergency response teams first received word just before 1 pm (0500 GMT) Tuesday that a fire had broken out at the Beijing

UN says leaving Afghanistan would be ‘heartbreaking’

The United Nations is ready to take the “heartbreaking” decision to pull out of Afghanistan in May if it can’t persuade the Taliban to let local women work for the organization, the head of the UN Development Program said. UN officials are negotiating with the Afghan

President Raisi invites Saudi King Salman to visit Iran

Iran has officially invited Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz to visit the country, an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Monday, after the two regional rivals agreed to end years of hostility following a China-brokered agreement in March. After years of bad