Wickremesinghe takes oath as Sri Lanka PM in effort to quell crisis

Five-time former Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was reappointed on Thursday in an effort to bring stability to the island nation, engulfed in a political and economic crisis.
12 May 2022

Crisis-hit Sri Lanka gets new PM

Sri Lanka’s president swore in a new prime minister yesterday to replace his brother, who was banned from leaving the country after his supporters launched violent attacks on a protest against the nation’s dire economic crisis.
12 May 2022

N Korea fires ‘ballistic missiles’

North Korea has fired three ballistic missiles, Seoul’s military said yesterday, hours after Pyongyang announced the country’s first-ever cases of Covid-19.
12 May 2022

Give us a grandchild or pay $650,000

An Indian couple are taking their son to court demanding that he and his wife produce either a grandchild within a year or cough up almost $650,000. Sanjeev
12 May 2022

Russia ‘most direct threat to world order’: EU

Top European officials yesterday warned that Russia poses the “most direct threat” to world order and urged China to play a more constructive role on the international stage as they held talks in Tokyo.
12 May 2022

Singing Indian anthem must at all madrasas in BJP-ruled UP

Singing of India’s national anthem "Jana Gana Mana" was made compulsory at all madrasas in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh from today (May 12, 2022), according to an official.
12 May 2022

36 hurt as plane veers off runway, catches fire in China

A Chinese passenger jet veered off the runway during takeoff and caught fire on Thursday, sending black smoke billowing into the air and injuring more than 30 people.
12 May 2022

Five-time Sri Lankan PM Ranil Wickremesinghe to be reappointed, says party official

Five-time former Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will be reappointed on Thursday in an effort to bring stability to the island nation, engulfed in a political and economic crisis, a party official said.
12 May 2022

Indian court dismisses BJP leader's petition to open 22 Taj Mahal rooms

India’s Allahabad High Court today dismissed a petition which sought the opening of 22 locked rooms in Taj Mahal, one of the wonders of the world.
12 May 2022

Produce grandchild in a year or pay $650,000: Indian couple sues son

An Indian couple are taking their son to court demanding that he and his wife produce either a grandchild within a year or cough up almost $650,000.
12 May 2022

Thailand to give away cannabis plants for home cultivation

Thailand’s public health minister, who has spearheaded the country’s drive to decriminalize cannabis, says the government will distribute 1 million of the plants free when most legal restrictions on production and possession of the drug are lifted next month.
12 May 2022

India developing one-stop portal for foreigners seeking medical treatment

India today said a one-stop portal is being developed to provide credible information to foreigners seeking medical treatment in India.
12 May 2022

Ex-PM Mahinda Rajapaksa, son barred from leaving Sri Lanka

A Sri Lankan court on Thursday banned former prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, his politician son Namal and 15 allies from leaving the country over violence against anti-government demonstrators.
12 May 2022

North Korea orders nationwide lockdown as first Covid-19 outbreak reported

North Korea confirmed its first Covid-19 outbreak on Thursday, calling it the "gravest national emergency" and ordering a national lockdown, with state media reporting an Omicron variant had been detected in Pyongyang.
12 May 2022

New PM, cabinet this week: Sri Lankan president

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said on Wednesday he would appoint a new prime minister and cabinet this week, after his elder brother and former premier Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned following deadly violence in the country.
11 May 2022

China’s consumer inflation picks up

China’s consumer inflation rose at its quickest pace in nearly half a year, official data showed Wednesday, reflecting the growing costs of the country’s zero-Covid curbs and high commodity prices.
11 May 2022

Economy will collapse if no new govt in 2 days

Sri Lanka’s economy will “collapse” unless a new government is urgently appointed, the central bank chief warned yesterday, as security forces fanned out on the streets to restore order after spasms of mob violence. 
11 May 2022

New Delhi relaxes rules for coal mines

India’s environment ministry has allowed coal mines with clearances to increase output by 40 percent to step up production by up to 50 percent without seeking feedback from locals, it said in a memo reviewed by Reuters.
11 May 2022

Colonial-era sedition law: India SC freezes law until review

India’s Supreme Court yesterday suspended a colonial-era sedition law that activists say is often used by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to target free speech and dissent.
11 May 2022

'Pakistan elections may be held before the next army chief is appointed'

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said that the possibility of holding general elections prior to the appointment of a new army chief cannot be ruled out.
11 May 2022