Europe UK PM announces home-working, vaccine passports in England LONDON: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday announced the tightening of virus restrictions in England... Updated 09 Dec, 2021 12:20am
Africa South Africa reports nearly 20,000 COVID-19 cases, an Omicron-wave record JOHANNESBURG: South Africa reported nearly 20,000 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, a record since the Omicron ... Published 08 Dec, 2021 11:06pm
Blinken headed for Southeast Asia with China, Myanmar on agenda WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will head to Southeast Asia next week on a tour designed to show ... Published 08 Dec, 2021 09:38pm
Africa Seven UN peacekeepers killed in central Mali explosion BAMAKO: An explosion on Wednesday in central Mali killed seven United Nations peacekeepers and seriously wounded... Published 08 Dec, 2021 09:33pm
Middle East Iran denounces new US sanctions over rights abuses TEHRAN: Iran has voiced criticism over new US sanctions imposed on a dozen Iranian entities and officials accused of... Published 08 Dec, 2021 07:57pm
Companies YouTube stays on Roku devices as companies strike multi-year deal YouTube and Roku Inc announced on Wednesday a multi-year pact to end a battle that dragged for months over... Published 08 Dec, 2021 07:26pm
South Asia Indian farmers receive new government offer, may call off protest NEW DELHI: India's protesting farmers have received a revised proposal from the government addressing some of their... Published 08 Dec, 2021 07:01pm
Middle East Bahrain parliament approves value-added tax increase to 10% DUBAI: Bahrain's parliament has approved the doubling of value-added tax to 10%, a member of parliament said, a... Published 08 Dec, 2021 06:47pm
South Asia Death toll from Indonesia volcano eruption rises to 39 LUMAJANG: The death toll from the eruption of Indonesia's Mount Semeru has risen to 39, authorities said Wednesday,... Updated 08 Dec, 2021 07:48pm
Europe UK urges Covid test firms to stop exploiting travellers LONDON: Britain on Wednesday urged private Covid test firms to stop exploiting travellers, after a former... Published 08 Dec, 2021 06:36pm
Europe UK warns Russia Ukraine incursion would be 'strategic' error LONDON: British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss warned on Wednesday it would be "a strategic mistake" by Moscow to ... Published 08 Dec, 2021 06:04pm
Companies BioNTech, Pfizer vaccine neutralises Omicron with three shots BioNTech and Pfizer said on Wednesday a three-shot course of their COVID-19 vaccine was able to neutralise the new... Published 08 Dec, 2021 05:26pm
Coronavirus toll at 1100 GMT Wednesday PARIS: The novel coronavirus has killed at least 5,270,700 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December... Published 08 Dec, 2021 05:19pm
China's Xi calls for 'new level' of ties with Germany under Scholz BEIJING: China's President Xi Jinping on Wednesday congratulated Olaf Scholz, saying Beijing was willing to work ... Updated 08 Dec, 2021 05:48pm
Europe Putin says Russia will follow up fast after Ukraine call with Biden MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Russia would send ideas to Washington within a week... Updated 08 Dec, 2021 09:34pm
Europe Scholz takes over as German chancellor, ending Merkel era BERLIN: German lawmakers elected Social Democrat Olaf Scholz as chancellor on Wednesday, ending 16 years of... Updated 08 Dec, 2021 05:49pm
MENA Saudi prince visits UAE as new Khashoggi controversy swirls DUBAI: Saudi Arabia's de facto leader pressed on with a Gulf tour Wednesday after French police said they had... Published 08 Dec, 2021 04:04pm
Europe EU chief vows to work with Scholz for 'strong Europe' BRUSSELS: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Germany's new chancellor Olaf Scholz on... Published 08 Dec, 2021 03:47pm
Europe Macron tells Germany's Scholz: 'We will write the next chapter together' PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday told new German Chancellor Olaf Scholz the two countries would... Updated 08 Dec, 2021 03:43pm
India's defence chief, 12 others killed in chopper crash The Indian Air Force says an inquiry is underway into the accident Updated 08 Dec, 2021 07:35pm
South Asia Elephant kills two Sri Lanka cricket stadium staff COLOMBO: Two ground staff at an international cricket stadium in Sri Lanka were killed in an elephant attack,... Published 08 Dec, 2021 01:06pm
South Asia Indian billionaire Ambani says 5G rollout should be nation's priority NEW DELHI: Indian billionaire tycoon Mukesh Ambani, who controls India's biggest wireless carrier Reliance Jio... Published 08 Dec, 2021 12:51pm
Europe Germany records highest daily COVID deaths since February BERLIN: Germany recorded the highest number of deaths from COVID-19 since February on Wednesday as it battles to ... Published 08 Dec, 2021 12:43pm
Africa Gunmen torch bus, kill 30 passengers in Nigeria's Sokoto state BAUCHI: At least 30 passengers on a bus in Nigeria's Sokoto state were burnt to death when gunmen torched it on... Published 08 Dec, 2021 12:37pm
South Asia 20 Bangladesh students sentenced to death for brutal murder DHAKA: Bangladesh sentenced 20 university students to death on Wednesday for the brutal 2019 murder of a young man... Published 08 Dec, 2021 12:18pm
Europe Northern Ireland Protocol stokes EU-UK tensions BELFAST: The Northern Ireland Protocol was signed separately from the Brexit trade deal between the UK and the... Published 08 Dec, 2021 12:11pm
Europe Swiss group lights 11,288 candles for COVID-19 victims BERN: More than 11,000 candles - one for each Swiss victim of the coronavirus pandemic - lit up the December ... Published 08 Dec, 2021 11:20am
Top WHO, US scientists say Omicron no worse than other virus variants GENEVA: The Omicron variant appears to be no worse than other coronavirus strains, top scientists from the WHO and... Published 08 Dec, 2021 11:15am
USA Trump White House chief risks criminal charge in Capitol riot probe WASHINGTON: Donald Trump's former chief of staff said Tuesday he was no longer willing to cooperate with the probe... Published 08 Dec, 2021 11:00am
Europe Olaf Scholz: Germany's staid but steady next chancellor BERLIN: Often described as austere and even robotic, Social Democrat Olaf Scholz nonetheless managed to inspire... Published 08 Dec, 2021 10:48am
Congress reaches agreement to avert calamitous US debt default WASHINGTON: US senators struck a deal Tuesday to create a one-time law allowing Democrats to lift the nation's... Published 08 Dec, 2021 10:31am
Rising seas blamed as flooding hits Pacific islands MAJURO: Island nations in the South Pacific were cleaning up Wednesday after storms and tidal surges triggered... Published 08 Dec, 2021 10:26am
Europe British PM under fire over video of staff joking about lockdown party LONDON: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was under fire Wednesday after a video emerged of his senior aides... Published 08 Dec, 2021 10:13am
UN chief isolating after Covid-19 exposure UNITED NATIONS: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was exposed to the coronavirus Tuesday by a UN official who... Published 08 Dec, 2021 09:33am
Malaysian appeal court upholds ex-PM Najib's 1MDB conviction PUTRAJAYA: A Malaysian appeal court on Wednesday upheld former leader Najib Razak's corruption conviction and ... Published 08 Dec, 2021 09:26am
Biden to tell Putin he’ll face toughest sanctions yet if he invades Ukraine WASHINGTON/MOSCOW: US President Joe Biden will tell Russian President Vladimir Putin in a video conference later on... Published 08 Dec, 2021 06:22am
Middle East Israel announces completion of underground Gaza border barrier OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israel on Tuesday announced the completion of a sensor-equipped underground wall on its side of... Published 08 Dec, 2021 06:22am
Middle East Saudi coalition bombs Sanaa in tit-for-tat violence with Houthis DUBAI: The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen said on Tuesday it bombed military targets in the capital Sanaa... Published 08 Dec, 2021 06:22am
Olympics diplomatic boycott: Beijing warns US will ‘pay the price’ BEIJING: China warned on Tuesday the United States would “pay the price” for a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing... Published 08 Dec, 2021 06:22am
Norway urges WB’s Afghanistan donors to channel funds to UN UNITED NATIONS: Norway is encouraging donors to a World Bank-administered fund for Afghanistan to agree to transfer... Published 08 Dec, 2021 06:22am