Japan

France and Belgium seek UNESCO recognition for WWI memorials

06 Sep 2023 11:05 AM IST

With war ravaging Europe’s heartland again, the countless headstones, cemeteries and memorials from World War I are a timeless testimony to its cruelty. Belgium and France want them recognised as UNESCO World Heritage sites to make sure people stop and think. They bring pause and introspection to just about everyone

From coup to commemoration: Chile’s complex relationship with Pinochet’s era

06 Sep 2023 11:05 AM IST

The world remembers Gen. Augusto Pinochet as the dictator whose regime tortured, killed and disappeared 3,065 people in the name of fighting communism. But as Chile marks the 50th anniversary next Monday of the coup that brought Pinochet to power for almost 17 years, many in the country don’t see

Biden to nominate aide as US Ambassador to UNESCO

06 Sep 2023 11:03 AM IST

A long-time aide to President Joe Biden who is a senior adviser in Vice President Kamala Harris’ office is Biden’s choice to represent the United States at the United Nations agency devoted to education, science and culture. The U.S. recently rejoined the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization after a

Severe rainstorm leads to traffic ban in flooded central Greece

06 Sep 2023 11:00 AM IST

Greek police ordered vehicles off the streets of the central town of Volos and the nearby mountain region of Pilion on Tuesday as a severe storm hit the area, turning streets into flooded torrents. The ban, which covers all except emergency services and roadside assistance vehicles, will remain in place

Concerns grow as Ukraine overtakes Syria in cluster munition deaths

06 Sep 2023 10:58 AM IST

More than 300 people were killed and over 600 wounded by cluster munitions in Ukraine in 2022, according to an international watchdog, surpassing Syria as the country with the highest number of casualties from the controversial weapons for the first time in a decade. Russia’s widespread use of the bombs,

Upcoming US Presidential race: Echoes of the Last Campaign

06 Sep 2023 10:57 AM IST

The end of Labour Day weekend would typically mark the start of a furious sprint to the Iowa caucuses as candidate’s battle for their party’s presidential nomination. But as the 2024 campaign comes into greater focus, the usual frenzy is yielding to a sense of inevitability. Among Republicans, Donald Trump

Hong Kong’s top court backs same-sex partnership recognition

06 Sep 2023 10:56 AM IST

Hong Kong’s top court ruled on Tuesday that the government should provide a framework for recognising same-sex partnerships in a landmark decision for the city’s LGBTQ+ community. The ruling did not grant full marriage rights to same-sex couples but was a partial victory for prominent pro-democracy Jimmy Sham, who had

Swedish trial commences: Oil executives face war crimes charges in Sudan

06 Sep 2023 10:54 AM IST

A trial started on Tuesday in Stockholm of two executives of a Swedish oil exploration and production company accused of complicity in war crimes in Sudan 20 years ago by securing the company’s oil operations in the African nation. Prosecutors claim that Ian Lundin, former chairman of Lundin Oil, and

US official hints at Kim Jong Un-Putin meeting in Russia

06 Sep 2023 10:53 AM IST

A US official said that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may travel to Russia soon to meet with President Vladimir Putin as the Kremlin tries to acquire military equipment for use in its war in Ukraine. The official, who was not authorised to address the matter publicly and spoke

PM Modi to depart for Jakarta on Wednesday for 20th ASEAN India Summit

05 Sep 2023 17:14 PM IST

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will fly to Jakarta for the September 7th 20th ASEAN India Summit and the 18th East Asia Summit. On September 7, late in the evening, just before the G20 Summit in New Delhi, the prime minister will arrive back. “At the invitation of the

Mass protests erupt over unjust tax hikes, electricity bills, inflation in PoK

05 Sep 2023 15:04 PM IST

Tens of hundreds of people took to the streets in the Hajira region of Rawalakot district in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as they staged massive demonstrations against the government. They expressed frustration over unjust tax hikes, an unprecedented surge in electricity bills despite prolonged power cuts, and against a state-manufactured crisis of

China agitates neighbors as it maps out territorial claims

05 Sep 2023 13:50 PM IST

On August 28, China’s Ministry of Natural Resources published a “standard map” of China, which amounted to a unilateral assertion of whatever territory it wants to claim. Beijing said the new version was introduced to “eliminate problem maps”, but China has succeeded only in upsetting numerous neighbours. So far, five