Month: December 2018

China customs gives green light for US rice imports

China’s customs administration announced Friday it had approved US rice imports, a move that comes during a 90-day tariff truce between the two countries which are engaged in a bruising trade war. US rice that meets inspection and quarantine requirements will be allowed to enter the country, according […]

600,000 deployed for Bangladesh vote marred by violence

Bangladesh tightened security Saturday for an election expected to see Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina win a record fourth term but dominated by opposition claims that they have been shackled by a government clampdown. Authorities have deployed around 600,000 police, army and other security forces ahead of Sunday’s vote, […]

Egypt kills 40 ‘terrorists’ in crackdown after Giza attack

Egyptian police killed 40 alleged “terrorists” in a crackdown on Saturday after a roadside bomb hit a tour bus claiming the lives of three Vietnamese holidaymakers and an Egyptian guide. The suspects were killed in separate raids in Giza governorate, home to Egypt’s famed pyramids and the scene […]

The Latest: WHO warns against Congo ‘prolonged insecurity’

KINSHASA, Congo  — The Latest on Congo’s presidential election (all times local): 7:30 p.m. The World Health Organization chief warns that “prolonged insecurity” in Congo could erase the gains made in a deadly Ebola outbreak, as parts of the country protest ahead of Sunday’s presidential election. Director-General Tedros […]

Anak Krakatau volcano now a quarter of its pre-eruption size

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Scientists say Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau volcano island, which erupted and collapsed a week ago triggering a deadly tsunami, is now only about a quarter of its pre-eruption size. Anak Krakatau now has a volume of 40-70 million cubic meters (1.4 billion-2.4 billion cubic feet) and […]

Rupee rallies 40 paise, ends at 69.95 to a dollar

Mumbai : The rupee jumped 40 paise Friday to finish at an over one-week high of 69.95 against the US currency on strong dollar buying by banks and exporters amid the greenback’s weakness overseas. Domestic stock markets extending gains for the third session also supported the local currency. The […]

Syrian army deploys to Manbij in new alliance with Kurds

Beirut : Syrian troops deployed in support of Kurdish forces around a strategic northern city on Friday, in a shift of alliances hastened by last week’s announcement of a US military withdrawal. Nearly eight years into Syria’s deadly conflict, the move marked another key step in President Bashar al-Assad’s […]

WHO chief warns DRC unrest threatening gains in Ebola fight

Geneva :  The World Health Organization chief warned Friday that growing unrest in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo was disrupting efforts to rein in an Ebola outbreak, threatening gains made in fighting the deadly virus. The security situation in the Ebola-hit Beni and Butembo areas has deteriorated since Thursday […]

‘We’re not in crisis’: New Saudi foreign minister takes the reins

Riyadh : Saudi Arabia’s new foreign minister struck a note of defiance Friday in the face of international outrage over critic Jamal Khashoggi’s murder, rejecting the kingdom was in crisis and his predecessor had been demoted. Ibrahim al-Assaf, a former veteran finance minister who was briefly detained last year […]

Trump advisor heads to Turkey, Israel after Syria pullout

Washington : US national security advisor John Bolton said Friday he would visit Turkey and Israel to coordinate on Syria, after President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw all US forces. Bolton said he would head in January to both Turkey — which has enthusiastically backed Trump’s sudden move — […]

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