World

Jakarta, Oct 29: An aircraft with 189 people on board is believed to have sunk after crashing into the sea off Indonesia's island of Java on Monday, shortly after takeoff from the capital on its way to the country's tin-mining hub, officials said. A spokesman for Indonesia's search and rescue agency said the Lion Air flight, JT610, lost contact 13 minutes after takeoff, adding that a tug boat

Washington, Oct 29: A crowdfunding campaign by two Muslim American groups has raised almost USD 80,000 for the surviving victims of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting and the relatives of the 11 killed. The campaign reached its initial goal of USD 25,000 within six hours, its second goal of $50,000 after a day, and is now targeting USD 100,000. It was organised by CelebrateMercy and MPower Change

Pittsburgh, Oct 28: 46-year-old Robert Bowers on Saturday opened fire at the Tree of Life synagogue in the US city of Pittsburgh, killing at least 11 people and injuring several others including four policemen, in the deadliest "anti-Semitic attack" in America in years. Pittsburgh Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich told reporters that there were 11 fatalities and six injuries including four

Colombo, Oct 28: The political crises in Sri Lanka took an ugly turn on Sunday when bodyguards of Petroleum Minister Arjuna Ranatunga, a loyalist of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, fired live rounds at the supporters of the new premier Mahinda Rajapaksa, leaving one person dead. One person succumbed to his injuries and two others were hospitalised in the shooting incident and a security

Colombo, Oct 28: Sri Lankan Parliament's Speaker Karu Jayasuriya Sunday recognised Ranil Wickremesinghe as the country's prime minister in a major relief to the embattled UNP leader, who was sacked as the premier by President Maithripala Sirisena. In a letter to Sirisena, Jayasuriya questioned Sirisena's decision to suspend the House till November 16, saying it will have "serious and undesirable"

Colombo, Oct 27: Mahinda Rajapaksa staged a dramatic political comeback on Friday, becoming Sri Lanka's new Prime Minister after President Maithripala Sirisena sacked premier Ranil Wickremesinghe, triggering angry reactions from the finance minister who termed the former strongman's return as an "anti-democratic coup". Visuals of the former president Rajapaksa taking oath as the premier were

Islamabad, Oct 26: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan will visit China next week, authorities said Thursday, as the former cricketer mounts a desperate search for funds to prop up the nation’s dire finances. The confirmation of Khan’s first visit to China as premier comes days after Pakistan secured $6 billion dollars in funding from Saudi Arabia to help stave off a widening balance of payment

United Nations, Oct 26: Sexual violence and abductions continue to be used as weapons of war in armed conflict by non-state actors and terrorist organisations which disproportionately affect women, India has said as it asked the UN Security Council to sanction individuals and entities involved in gender-based violence. The remarks by Paulomi Tripathi, First Secretary in India's Permanent Mission

Islamabad, Oct 26: Promising that all corrupt leaders will go to jail, Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that no politicians and officials who have put Pakistan into the debt trap through their corrupt practices will get protection from any legislation like the defunct National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO). The controversial NRO was promulgated in October 2007 by the government of then

Addis Ababa, Oct 26: Ethiopia on Thursday appointed a woman to the largely ceremonial position of president for the first time, further increasing female representation in the government of Africa's second most populous nation. In a unanimous vote, Ethiopian lawmakers picked career diplomat Sahle-Work Zewde, 68, to replace Mulatu Teshome who resigned in unclear circumstances. Ethiopia's reformist