Japan’s moon lander enters orbit
TOKYO: Japan’s SLIM space probe entered the Moon’s orbit on Monday in a major step towards the country’s first successful lunar landing, expected next month. The Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) is nicknamed the “Moon Sniper” because it is designed to land within 100 metres (328 feet) of a specific target on the lunar […]
13 dead, 38 injured in explosion at nickel plant in Indonesia
At least 13 people were killed and 38 injured in eastern Indonesia on Sunday in an explosion at a Chinese-funded nickel-processing plant, the owner of the industrial park that hosts the facility said. The island of Sulawesi is a hub for the mineral-rich country’s production of nickel, a base metal used for electric vehicle batteries […]
Trump pressured officials to throw out Biden’s win: report
WASHINGTON: Donald Trump urged two Michigan election officials not to certify Democrat Joe Biden’s victory in the state following the 2020 presidential election, personally calling them in a pressure campaign reminiscent of his Georgia tactics, the Detroit News reported. In a Nov 17, 2020, phone call, the then-president told two fellow Republicans on the Wayne County […]
US, UAE work toward middle ground at UNSC
UNITED NATIONS: The United States and the United Arab Emirates engaged in last-minute consultations on Monday as the UN Security Council prepared to vote on a new resolution urging an “urgent and sustainable cessation of hostilities” in Gaza. The UAE resolution responds to escalating tensions in the region and growing impatience among key allies, notably […]
Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Nawaf laid to rest
KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, who was defence minister when Iraq invaded the oil-rich country in 1990, was laid to rest on Sunday in a low-key funeral, a day after he died aged 86. Foreign leaders and envoys later paid their final respects, including the Saudi crown prince and the rulers of […]
53 injured in Russian missile strikes on Kyiv
KYIV: A volley of Russian missiles wounded several people and damaged a children’s hospital on Wednesday, the worst attack on Kyiv in months, Ukrainian officials said, as the country pleads for Western military aid. Journalists in the capital heard several explosions before dawn, and air raid sirens sounded soon after that. Ukraine’s air force said […]
FO cautious over reports Haqqani leader used ‘green passport’
ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch on Thursday cautiously addressed media reports alleging that Sirajuddin Haqqani, Afghan Taliban’s Interior Minister and a senior leader of the Haqqani Network, in the past used a Pakistani passport for international travel. Responding to queries at the weekly media briefing, Ms Baloch said: “I have just seen the […]
Top China, US diplomats discuss Gaza situation
BEIJING: The top diplomats from China and the United States discussed the Gaza situation in a call on Wednesday, saying agreed on the need to de-escalate the unrest as Turkiye rejects “buffer zone” plan for Gaza. Secretary of State Antony Blinken “reiterated the imperative of all parties working to prevent” the unrest from spreading, according […]
39 more Palestinians reunited with loved ones
• Hamas returns 13 Israeli, three Thai and one Russian prisoner, says it is willing to extend truce • Palestinian farmer killed by Israeli forces in refugee camp; 8 dead in West Bank JERUSALEM: Israel’s prison service said 39 Palestinian detainees were released on Sunday under the terms of a truce agreement, while Hamas hand […]
Houthis seize Israel-linked ship in Red Sea
HODEIDA: Israeli ships are a “legitimate target”, Yemen’s Houthis warned on Monday, after their seizure of an Israel-linked cargo vessel opened a new dimension in the ongoing unrest in the region. Sunday’s capture of the Galaxy Leader and its 25 international crew came days after the Houthis threatened to target Israeli shipping over the Israeli […]
