Sri Lanka's main opposition party joined anti-government protesters on Friday in rejecting the appointment of a new prime minister, and insisted the president resign because of the country's disastrous economic crisis. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appointed veteran opposition politician Ranil Wickremesinghe as prime minister late on Thursday, but the comments signalled …
Read More »UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan passes away at 73
His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the ruler of Abu Dhabi, passed away on Friday according to a statement by the Ministry of Presidential Affairs. A statement released by the Emirates News Agency (WAM) read, “The Ministry of Presidential …
Read More »Emirates passengers can soon experience airline services in metaverse
Emirates airline passengers can soon try and experience airline services including selecting a seat, shopping for duty-free products, touring the airport or even exploring hotel rooms in the metaverse. Adel Al Redha, Emirates' chief operating officer, gave a preview of the impending technological changes while speaking to the media on …
Read More »Lavrov says all will suffer from West’s ‘total hybrid war’ on Russia
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday that the West had announced a "total hybrid war" against Russia and it was hard to predict how long it would last. In a speech on the 80th day since Russia invaded Ukraine, Lavrov pointed to the barrage of sanctions imposed by …
Read More »Putin says sanctions hurting West more than Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin says Western countries are being more affected by sanctions imposed on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine than Russia is. Putin was also quoted last month saying Western countries had scored an own goal by imposing sanctions against Russia over Ukraine which he said had led to …
Read More »Turkey, Pakistan need to ‘fortify bilateral relations’: security dialogue
Turkey and Pakistan need to fortify their bilateral relations while expanding the scope of their engagements to research and exchanges of experiences, from battling terrorism to know-how in defence and high tech, scholars from the two countries agreed on Wednesday. “Turkey and Pakistan need to build sustained, resilient cooperation mechanisms …
Read More »China experiencing ‘deja vu’ effect in COVID-19 pandemic
While China seems to have defeated the coronavirus for a long time thanks to the success of quarantine measures in Wuhan, where COVID-19 was first detected, highly contagious delta and omicron variants leading to outbreaks have made the compelling measures permanent. Mass virus tests, curfews, travel restrictions, and quarantine measures …
Read More »‘Nuclear arsenals maintain credible deterrence in South Asia’
The nuclear capabilities of India and Pakistan have maintained a “strategic and military” balance not only between the two South Asian neighbors but also with New Delhi’s eastern rival China, say defense and security experts. On the eve of the 24th anniversary of the nuclear tests conducted by the archrivals …
Read More »Sri Lanka’s ruling family in fight for survival as crisis worsens
His beloved villa has been daubed in graffiti by protesters, and a museum dedicated to his father ransacked. Now former Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa is in hiding in a heavily fortified military base, protected by the armed forces. The reversal of fortunes for the island nation's most powerful …
Read More »NATO to welcome Nordic members as Ukraine pushes back Russian forces
Finland is expected to announce on Thursday its intention to join NATO with Sweden likely to follow soon after, diplomats and officials said, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine reshapes European security and the Atlantic military alliance. NATO allies expect Finland and Sweden to be granted membership quickly, five diplomats and …
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