Iran deploys troops on Azerbaijan border
TEHRAN/BAKU: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Sunday they have deployed troops along the border with Azerbaijan and Armenia, following stray fire from the fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh. “Units of (the Guards) ground forces have been dispatched to and stationed in the region,” their commander Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour said, quoted by state news agency IRNA. Their mission […]
Libyan rivals sign ceasefire accord
GENEVA: Libya’s two warring factions signed a “permanent” ceasefire agreement on Friday after five days of talks at the United Nations, which hailed the deal as a historic moment following years of turmoil and bloodshed. “Today is a good day for the Libyan people,” said Stephanie Williams, the UN’s acting envoy to the troubled North […]
Bill passed, sweeping powers for Lanka President
Sri Lanka’s Parliament on Thursday passed the 20th Amendment to the Constitution with two-thirds majority, consolidating the power in the hands of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and undermining the authority of Parliament. The second reading of the 20th Amendment was passed in Parliament, with 156 MPs voting in favour of the Bill and 65 against it […]
2 killed in suspected gas explosion in London’s Punjabi suburb Southall
Two people were killed after a suspected gas explosion that led to a building collapse in Southall, the west London suburb with a large Punjabi-origin Indian diaspora population. The explosion occurred at a hair salon and phone shop underneath a set of flats on Wednesday. Four adults and one child, of Punjabi-origin, were rescued at […]
Nigeria in turmoil after police fire on demonstrators
LAGOS: Nigeria’s biggest city Lagos and several states were under curfew on Wednesday as unrest rooted in anti-police protests broke out again following a day of violence, including the shooting of civilians by security forces. Fires burned across Lagos and residents reported hearing gunfire despite President Muhammadu Buhari’s appeal for “understanding and calm”. Armed police […]
Washington to host talks on Karabakh, say warring sides
YEREVAN: Armenia and Azerbaijan said on Tuesday their foreign ministers would meet US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Washington on Friday in efforts to end the heaviest fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh since the 1990s. The State Department did not immediately comment. But the planned meetings suggest that, just before the US presidential election, Washington is […]
Karabakh sees fresh fighting despite ceasefire
STEPANAKERT: A new ceasefire agreed between Armenia and Azerbaijan to halt fighting over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh was again failing to hold on Monday as both sides accused each other of fresh attacks. The truce, backed by international mediators to put a stop to three weeks of fighting that has left hundreds dead, was […]
Afghan car bombing leaves 12 dead, many wounded
HERAT: A car bomb targeting an Afghan police headquarters in the western province of Ghor killed at least 12 civilians and wounded more than 100 on Sunday, officials said. The attack took place in Feroz Koh, the capital of Ghor, a province that has not seen much violence compared to some other regions of the […]
Turkey clears way for S-400 test, prompting US warning
ISTANBUL: A missile was fired into the sky on Friday on Turkey’s Black Sea coast where the military was expected to test its Russian-made S-400 defence systems, drawing a strong warning from the United States. The video, taken in the coastal city of Sinop, showed a narrow column of smoke headed high into the blue […]
Thousands defy Thai crackdown after emergency decree, arrests
Thousands of Thai protesters gathered on Thursday in defiance of a sweeping crackdown after authorities moved to crush months of pro-democracy demonstrations by imposing emergency powers and rounding up leading activists. Protesters chanted “Prayut get out!” and “Free our friends!” as they confronted police at Ratchaprasong, a busy junction in central Bangkok, despite a new decree that […]
