President Joe Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the phone on Wednesday, their first contact since Biden stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in office.” According to the White House, the two men spoke for about an hour on a day when Zelensky repeated his plea for formidable defensive weaponry. According … Read more
WARSAW: Poland on Wednesday urged the EU to impose a tax on Russian energy imports and said it planned to end its own purchases this year, calling the dependence on Moscow a “stupidity”. The EU has so far avoided following the United States in banning Russian oil and gas, with Germany opposed as it relies heavily on … Read more
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s Covid-19 tests came positive on Monday, after his meeting with US Secretary of the State Antony Blinken. Bennett, who met Blinken in Jerusalem on Sunday on the sidelines of a “historic summit” of Israeli and Arab diplomats, “is feeling well and will continue his schedule as planned from his home,” a statement … Read more
On Thursday, March 17, the country’s former president warned the US that it had the power to put the world’s preeminent superpower in its place and accused the West of fomenting a wild Russophobic plot to tear Russia apart. It comes as Russian troops’ invasion of Ukraine, which began on February 24, has come to … Read more
Priyanka Chopra’s appearance on a chat show in America highlighted her love for festivals. When it comes to remaining faithful to her roots, Priyanka is first in line. The cross-continental queen may be shaking up Hollywood with her wealth of talent, but when it comes to being true to her roots, she’s first in line. Priyanka … Read more
Cotton prices in the United States have risen to a historic high in the last two decades amid ongoing drought in the central parts of the country. The plant fiber reached $1.3171 per pound (about 453 grams) on the key US futures contract, the highest since July 2011. Rainfall has been exceptionally low since early … Read more
Jay Brewer, the founder and president of Reptile Zoo Prehistoric Inc. in the United States, recently posted a video on Instagram showing him cleaning the back of a baby alligator with a toothbrush. Albino alligators are quite uncommon. They are the children of parents who suffer from albinism, a recessive disease that stops them from … Read more
HONG KONG: Hong Kong is set to resume international flights from the United States, Britain and seven other countries, the government said Monday as it announced a loosening of some of the world’s toughest Covid-19 restrictions. The finance hub has struggled to maintain China’s zero-Covid policy during an Omicron-fuelled outbreak. After the highly transmissible variant fuelled … Read more
WASHINGTON: The United States has given more than 500 million coronavirus vaccines to other countries since the jabs were developed, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday in a statement obtained by AFP. “The United States has now shared over 500 million safe and effective Covid-19 vaccine doses, free of cost, to more than 110 … Read more
PARIS: Henrik Stenson says he will do “everything in my power” to reclaim the Ryder Cup from the United States after being named as captain of the 2023 European team by golf chiefs on Tuesday. The first Swede to be named European captain boasts an impressive Ryder Cup record, helping Europe to victory over the United States … Read more
After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Peter Dutton slammed Vladimir Putin as “paranoid, cynical, and ruthless.” As Russian soldiers struggle to advance because to intense Ukrainian opposition, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu claimed Putin’s war was a “miscalculation” that may lead to his doom after 22 years in power. Mr Dutton also went after Russian President Vladimir … Read more
FRANKFURT: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and spiralling energy prices have upended the economic outlook and left European Central Bank policymakers with the task of navigating the eurozone through a fresh crisis at their meeting on Thursday. The bank had been poised to take another step towards the ‘normalisation’ of its monetary policy, by ending its … Read more
SYDNEY – The University of Queensland (UQ) has entered into a partnership with biotechnology company Moderna, as Aussie researchers delve into the cutting edge of mRNA vaccine research. The new partnership, the first in Australia announced on Thursday, was the result of efforts from UQ scientists Mark Walker and Paul Young, who said the access … Read more
INDIAN WELLS: Novak Djokovic was entered into the draw for this week’s ATP/WTA Indian Wells tournament on Tuesday but it is unclear whether he will take part in the tournament, organisers said. A brief statement from tournament organisers said officials were in contact with Djokovic’s team to determine whether he would play in California or even be allowed … Read more
NEW YORK – The rate of wasted COVID-19 vaccines was about 9.5 percent of the more than 687 million doses that had been delivered as of late February in the United States, which equates to about 65 million doses, The Associate Press (AP) reported last week. Nearly 1.5 million doses in Michigan, 1.45 million in … Read more
WASHINGTON: The United States is shipping 840,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine to Uganda Tuesday through an international initiative for humanitarian crises, a White House official said. This will be the first shipment of the J&J jab under the “humanitarian buffer,” a stock of vaccines managed by Covax, the international scheme aimed at … Read more
WASHINGTON – COVID-19 is unlikely to be eradicated any time soon, and people still need to be flexible and put on masks and practice physical distancing again if COVID-19 case levels get high in their area, health experts have warned. New COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths continue to decline across the United States. The number … Read more
WASHINGTON – At least 600 homes had been evacuated in the Florida Panhandle, the northwest part of the southeasternmost U.S. state of Florida, as wildfires continued to grow in the state, officials said on Saturday. There are currently 148 wildfires burning more than 7,100 acres (roughly 2,873 hectares) across Florida, the Florida Forest Service tweeted … Read more
When the Group of 20 finance ministers and central bank governors gather in Jakarta, in person and virtually, this week, they can take inspiration from the Indonesian phrase, gotong royong, ‘working together’ to achieve a common goal. This spirit is more important than ever as countries are facing a tough obstacle course this year. The … Read more
As Super Bowl fans devoured tons of guacamole in the United States, soldiers in the world’s biggest avocado-producing region in Mexico were deactivating makeshift landmines left by warring drug traffickers. At the same time, officials scrambled to end a suspension of Mexican avocado exports to the United States prompted by threats against a US inspector … Read more
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the United States, which repeatedly promised to protect Kyiv, has again come into the spotlight because it continues to add fuel to the fire. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a video speech complained that the Western countries have abandoned his country. Some Western netizens even asked: Where has the … Read more
MOSCOW – Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday accused Western politicians of fixating on nuclear war, one week after Moscow launched the invasion of Ukraine. “It’s clear that World War Three can only be a nuclear war,” Lavrov said in an online interview with Russian and foreign media. “I would like to point out that … Read more
RIO DE JANEIRO – Brazil recorded 370 deaths related to COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, bringing the national death toll to 650,000, the Ministry of Health reported Wednesday. In the same day, 30,995 new COVID-19 infections were reported, raising the total caseload to 28,842,160. The COVID-19 mortality rate in the country was 309 cases … Read more
VIENNA – Saudi Arabia, Russia and other top oil producers on Wednesday agreed to hold firm on only gradually opening the taps despite Russia’s assault on Ukraine sending prices spiralling. Both WTI crude and Brent broke above $110 a barrel Wednesday. Brent is at a high last seen in 2014, while WTI is at levels … Read more
MADRID – Spain will supply weapons directly to Ukraine following Russia’s invasion, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Wednesday, two days after saying Madrid would only contribute via an EU funding mechanism. The move came after pressure on Sanchez’s left-wing coalition government to take a more proactive approach to the war raging on Europe’s eastern flank. “Spain will … Read more
NEW YORK: US credit card giants Visa, Mastercard and American Express said they were blocking Russian banks from their payment networks following international sanctions in response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. “As a result of sanction orders, we have blocked multiple financial institutions from the Mastercard payment network,” Mastercard Chief Executive Michael Miebach said in … Read more
HONG KONG: Crude surged past $113 a barrel Wednesday and equities sank with investors growing increasingly fearful about the Ukraine war’s impact on global energy supplies and the economic recovery. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of his neighbour has sent world markets into a spiral over the past week, further fraying nerves on trading floors … Read more
HONG KONG: The United States warned citizens against travelling to Hong Kong on Wednesday, citing the risk of children being separated from parents as the Chinese city imposes controversial Covid isolation policies. The State Department upgraded Hong Kong to its highest “Do Not Travel” warning “due to COVID-19 related restrictions, including the risk of parents … Read more
