South Africa

Thailand’s political hopefuls register for May election

03 Apr 2023 22:42 PM IST

On Monday, hundreds of would-be lawmakers in Thailand began the official registration process for the upcoming general election, a vote that will pit supporters of an exiled prime minister against the conservative political establishment and its allies in the military. Dressed in T-shirts and jackets in their party colours and

Ex-Kosovo president Thaci pleads not guilty to war crimes

03 Apr 2023 22:42 PM IST

Former Kosovo president Hashim Thaci on Monday pleaded innocent to charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity as his trial began at a special court in The Hague, with protesters rallying outside in support of a leader once feted by the West. Thaci and three co-defendants face 10 charges

Long queues show desperation in Pakistan over ‘fight for food’

03 Apr 2023 22:41 PM IST

As inflation in Pakistan continues to remain high, long queues for food showcase the desperation of Pakistani citizens, as making ends meet with depleting sources of income is becoming quite tricky, the Dawn newspaper reported. In a recent occurrence, mismanagement hampered both official and private attempts to provide food to

Pakistan-China border trade route reopens after three years

03 Apr 2023 22:39 PM IST

After being closed for three years, trade and travel activities between Pakistan and China through the Khunjerab Pass reopened, Geo News reported, citing the Associated Press of Pakistan. The trade route that connects Pakistan with China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, which is home to many ethnic minority groups, including Uyghurs,

Egypt, Saudi Leaders meet after months of tension

03 Apr 2023 22:36 PM IST

The leaders of Egypt and Saudi Arabia have met in the kingdom amid months of tension between the two regional powers, officials said Monday. President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto leader of Saudi Arabia, held talks late Sunday that focused on ties between

South Korea, US, Japan conduct anti-North Korea submarine drill

03 Apr 2023 22:36 PM IST

The South Korean, US and Japanese navies began their first anti-submarine drills in six months on Monday to boost their coordination against increasing North Korean missile threats, South Korea’s military said. The two-day drills come as North Korea’s recent unveiling of a type of battlefield nuclear warhead prompted worries the

McDonald’s temporarily shuts its U.S. offices ahead of layoffs, says report

03 Apr 2023 22:35 PM IST

A report says McDonald’s has closed its U.S. offices for a few days as the company prepares to inform employees about layoffs. The Wall Street Journal cited an internal email from the Chicago-based fast-food giant saying U.S. corporate staff and some employees overseas should work from home while the company

Pension protests: Rights activists accuse French authorities of brutality

03 Apr 2023 22:34 PM IST

French authorities see the police as protectors who are ensuring that citizens can peacefully protest President Emmanuel Macron’s contentious retirement age increase. But to human rights advocates and demonstrators who were clubbed or tear-gassed, officers have overstepped their mission. In the months since mass protests against the proposed pension changes

Donald Trump set to deliver remarks at Mar-a-Lago

03 Apr 2023 22:34 PM IST

Former US president Donald Trump, who has been indicted by a federal court in New York, would deliver remarks at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Tuesday night, his office said on Sunday. Trump, who is the first former US president to face a criminal charge, will be arraigned on

At least 32 killed as tornadoes tear through the US’ Midwest and South

03 Apr 2023 22:32 PM IST

The death count from devastating and destructive tornadoes that scrapped the American South and Midwest had risen to 32, while parts of the Southern Plains braced for the possibility of their own round of severe weather, according to CNN’ The storm, which broke into America’s houses, came on Friday and

Russia to put nukes near Belarus’ western border, says envoy

03 Apr 2023 22:30 PM IST

Russian tactical nuclear weapons will be deployed close to Belarus’ borders with NATO neighbours, the Russian ambassador to Belarus said Sunday amid simmering tensions between Russia and the West over Moscow’s war in Ukraine. Ambassador Boris Gryzlov’s comment followed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent statement about plans to station tactical

Women-run radio station shut down by Taliban

03 Apr 2023 13:58 PM IST

According to a report from Al Jazeera on Monday, a women-run radio station in northeast Afghanistan has been shut down in yet another oppressive step because it broadcast music during the fasting month of Ramzan. Since it began broadcasting ten years ago, Sadai Banowan has been the only woman-run radio