This year will last a second longer than usual
Washington, Dec 29 (IANS) For welcoming the New Year, you will have to wait a little longer than usual as timekeepers will add a “leap second” to the final minute of 2016. On December 31,…
International
Twitter unveils live 360-degree video
New York, Dec 29 (IANS) Micro-blogging website Twitter has introduced a new way to see what is happening on Twitter — through live 360-degree video. “Users can check out live, interactive 360 videos from interesting…
Police make largest cocaine bust in Australian history
Sydney, Dec 29 (IANS) Police have seized nearly $360 million worth of cocaine in what authorities have claimed is the largest in Australia’s history, authorities said on Thursday. Fifteen men, including a former National Rugby…
China to build more high-speed railways in 5 years
Beijing, Dec 29 (IANS) China will build more high-speed railways as part of its efforts to establish a comprehensive transport system during the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), according to a white paper issued on…
Toshiba shares fall for third straight day
Tokyo, Dec 29 (IANS) Toshiba shares fell more than 20 per cent on Thursday, the third straight day of heavy losses. The Japanese industrial giant has now had nearly half its market value wiped off…
US may call for sanctions on Russia
Washington, Dec 29 (IANS) Three prominent US senators have warned that Russia may face sanctions over the country’s alleged interference in the recently concluded presidential election, media report said on Thursday. Outgoing President Barack Obama…
Michelle’s ‘ape in heels’ caller fired
Washington, Dec 29 (IANS) The woman whose controversial “ape in heels” comment about First Lady Michelle Obama invited scathing criticism has been fired from her job, media reports said on Thursday. The decision to fire…
S.Korea slashes 2017 economic growth outlook
Seoul, Dec 29 (IANS) South Korea on Thursday slashed its 2017 economic growth outlook by 0.4 percentage points, bolstering concerns about the protracted low-growth trend, a government report revealed. Next year’s growth forecast was cut…
Trump, Obama patch up over ‘positive’ phone call
Washington, Dec 29 (IANS) US President Barack Obama called his successor Donald Trump on Wednesday to have “a positive conversation”, as tension over Israel and transition been build up, media report said on Thursday. “Today’s…
10 killed in bomb blast in Philippines
Manila, Dec 29 (IANS) At least 10 people were killed and another 20 wounded in a Wednesday night bomb blast in central Philippines, the spokesperson for the Philippines President said on Thursday. Military authorities in…
Trump says Sprint will bring 5,000 jobs back to US
Washington, Dec 29 (IANS) US President-elect Donald Trump has said that Sprint will bring 5,000 jobs back to the US from overseas, while another company OneWeb will add 3,000 more, media reports said. Trump said…
Iranian President regrets homeless living in empty graves
Tehran, Dec 29 (IANS) Iranian President Hassan Rouhani reacted to the controversial images of the people sheltering from the cold winter in the empty graves in the suburbs of the capital Tehran as an “unacceptable”…
Amnesty for FARC rebels sails through Colombian Congress
Bogota, Dec 29 (IANS) Not a single “no” vote was cast on Wednesday as both houses of Colombia’s Congress approved a bill granting amnesty to members of the FARC guerrilla group who lay down their…
Israel PM blasts Kerry for Middle East policy speech
Jerusalem, Dec 29 (IANS) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed the United States State Secretary John Kerry’s Middle East policy speech, denouncing Kerry as “obsessed” and “biased.” Speaking in a televised statement on Wednesday, Netanyahu…
US designates 2 LeT leaders as terrorists, exposes international links
By Arul Louis New York, Dec 29 (IANS) Designating two Pakistan-based leaders of Lakshar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), the United States has exposed the long tentacles of the group that stretch from Gaza and Syria to Bangladesh and…
NASA astronauts to conduct spacewalks for power update
Washington, Dec 29 (IANS) Astronauts on the International Space Station are to conduct two spacewalks in January for a “complex” upgrade to the orbital outpost’s power system, US space agency NASA said. The spacewalks will…
Hamas says Kerry’s speech didn’t bring anything new
Gaza, Dec 29 (IANS) Islamic Hamas movement said that the speech of US Secretary of State John Kerry hasn’t brought anything new that changes the US policy towards the conflict in the Middle East. “Hamas…
6.3-magnitude earthquake hits Japan
Tokyo, Dec 29 (IANS) An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.3 rocked Japan’s Ibaraki prefecture at 9.38 p.m. (local time) on Wednesday, leaving two people slightly injured. According to Japan Meteorological Agency, the temblor…
Police hold Tunisian over links to Berlin attack
Berlin, Dec 29 (IANS) Berlin Police detained a Tunisian national on suspicion of having been in contact with the alleged perpetrator of the truck attack on a Christmas market in which 12 people died, federal…
Kerry defends UN vote, makes earnest pitch for 2-state solution
Washington, Dec 28 (IANS) US Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday made a forceful defence of the Barack Obama administrations approach to Israel and its vision for a Middle East peace, while warning that…