Monday, 17 Mar, 2025

International

Higher risk of Bell's palsy after Sinovac's Covid-19 vaccine: Study

The risk of Bell's palsy, a type of facial paralysis, is higher after Sinovac Biotech's Covid-19 vaccine CoronaVac, but should not be a deterrent to vaccination, according to a study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal. "The beneficial and protective

Google, Facebook bypass China with undersea cable

Google and Facebook on Monday unveiled plans for a new undersea internet cable connecting Singapore, Japan, Guam, the Philippines, Taiwan and Indonesia. Google and Facebook earlier this year had halted efforts on a planned undersea cable that would have connected California and Hong

China to mine rare earth minerals in Afghanistan: US Congressman

China is set to move to Afghanistan to mine rare earth minerals, media reports said quoting a US Congressman on Tuesday. "China will be moving in. There are rare earth minerals in (Afghanistan). I don't know why we didn't work with the Afghans to develop that, but we never

No American will be left behind in Kabul: Biden

US President Joe Biden has said US troops may stay in Afghanistan beyond his withdrawal deadline, as armed Taliban fighters kept desperate evacuees from reaching Kabul's airport. Mr Biden wants US forces out by the end of this month, but up to 15,000 US citizens are stranded in the

Haiti earthquake death toll reaches 2,189

Fresh tremors shook buildings late on Wednesday in the southern Haitian city of Les Cayes, a Reuters witness said, a few days after a devastating earthquake killed almost 2,200 people across the Caribbean nation and injured thousands more. A police officer on patrol in Les Cayes said

Taliban says will respect women’s rights, press freedom

The Taliban is promising to protect women’s rights and press freedom in the group’s first news conference following its stunning takeover of Afghanistan as the group’s co-founder returned to the country. “We are going to allow women to work and study. We have

Evacuations from Afghanistan speed up as Taliban vow peace

Planes carrying hundreds of evacuees from Kabul arrived in the United Kingdom and Germany on Wednesday as Western nations stepped up evacuation efforts and the Taliban promised women’s rights, media freedom and amnesty for government officials in Afghanistan. A British Royal Air

UK to welcome 20,000 Afghans amid Taliban takeover

Thousands of Afghan refugees will be resettled in the UK after the Taliban seized control of Kabul, the UK government has promised. The new scheme will see up to 20,000 Afghans offered a route to set up home in the UK in the coming years. In the first year, 5,000 refugees will be

Haiti earthquake death toll reaches nearly 2,000

At least 1,941 people are known to have died in Haiti in Saturday's powerful earthquake - a rise of more than 500 on the previous figure, officials say. Nearly 10,000 people have been injured, and many are still missing after the the 7.2-magnitude tremor. Rescue work has been

Taiwan coast guard seizes Chinese oil ship near Penghu islands

Taipei [Taiwan]: Taiwan Coast Guard Administration (CGA) has seized a Chinese oil transport and supply ship after it crossed the nation's maritime border near waters off Taiwan-held Penghu Islands. Despite multiple radio warnings from the CGA's Penghu Offshore Flotilla, the

Protests in many countries against Taliban's seizure of Afghan territories

Multiple protests were held in Australia, Canada, the UK and Austria on Sunday against the Taliban's seizure of key regions and brutal offensive in Afghanistan. Afghan diaspora and other people living in Canada, Australia, Manchester and Vienna staged protests against the Taliban,

Dubai: New foundation to upskill Indian workers

Dedicating the 75th Indian Independence Day to empowering thousands of blue-collar workers, a Dubai company is launching a welfare foundation called ‘Abhaar’, a Hindi word that means ‘being grateful’. EFS Facilities Services Group, which employs a large number

Taliban announces general amnesty for Afghan govt officials

The Taliban Tuesday declared a general amnesty for all government officials and urged them to return to work, two days after taking power following a lightning sweep through the country. "A general amnesty has been declared for all... so you should start your routine life with

Haiti quake death toll reaches 1,419, injured over 6,900

Rescue workers are rushing to locate survivors of the deadly earthquake that struck Haiti on Saturday as a tropical storm hit the Caribbean nation. At least 1,419 people are known to have died in the 7.2-magnitude quake. More than 6,900 were injured, and an unknown number are still

Indian edtech startup Eruditus now a $3.2bn unicorn

NEW DELHI -- Mumbai-headquartered Eruditus Learning Solutions, which offers executive learning programs, has become the sixth Indian startup to bag the unicorn tag this month after securing $650 million in a Series E funding round led by Accel US and SoftBank Vision Fund II. A unicorn

Duterte said China pledged billions of dollars to the Philippines. What happened to it?

As Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte rushes to fulfil his pre-election promise to build a railway for Mindanao island, reality is beginning to bite. Duterte is five years into his six-year term, yet the 83 billion pesos (US$1.64 billion) he claimed China would lend him to build the

We don't want anybody bilaterally recognise Taliban govt in Afghanistan: UK PM Boris Johnson

Kabul/London: British PM Boris Johnson gave a strong message to Taliban insurgents as they take control of Afghanistan after capturing capital city Kabul on Sunday, saying that nobody should bilaterally recognise the government in the war-torn nation that might soon be formed. "We

At least 5 people killed in Kabul airport

At least five people have been killed at Kabul airport as hundreds of people desperate to get out of the country tried to forcibly enter planes, witnesses told Reuters. All commercial flights have been cancelled from Hamid Karzai International Airport after the chaos that ensued as

US troops fire shots in air at Kabul airport as crowd mobs tarmac

US troops fired shots into the air at Kabul airport on Monday as thousands of Afghans crowded onto the tarmac in the hope of catching a flight out after the Taliban takeover of the country. “I feel very scared here. They are firing lots of shots into the air,” a witness

Malaysian PM resigns after failing to get majority support

Malaysian PM Muhyiddin Yassin tendered his resignation to the King on Monday, becoming the shortest-ruling leader after conceding that he lost majority support to govern. Science Minister Khairy Jamaluddin wrote on Instagram that “the Cabinet has tendered our resignation”