MOSCOW | Xinhua | Russia has no interest in having war with NATO countries, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday. In an interview with a local TV channel, Putin refuted the claims that Russia may attack NATO as “absurd and a figure of speech.” Moscow and NATO countries “have …
Read More »China launches commercial carrier rocket
JIUQUAN | Xinhua | China successfully launched SQX-1 commercial carrier rocket into space from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Sunday. The rocket blasted off at 3 p.m. (Beijing Time) from the launch site, sending the Di’er-1 satellite into the planned orbit. It was the sixth flight …
Read More »WHO chief reiterates call for ceasefire in Gaza
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND | Xinhua | Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), reiterated his call on Friday for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Tedros made the appeal at an annual press conference organized by the Association of Accredited Correspondents at the United Nations in Geneva. …
Read More »61 migrants drown off Libyan coast: IOM
TRIPOLI | Xinhua | The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Saturday that 61 migrants have drowned at sea off the coast of the western Libyan city of Zuwara, some 120 km west of the capital Tripoli, while trying to reach Europe. IOM tweeted late Saturday that the migrants, …
Read More »Iraqi security personnel cast ballots ahead of provincial elections
BAGHDAD, IRAQ | Xinhua | Iraqi security personnel cast their votes on Saturday in 15 of the country’s 18 provinces ahead of the provincial elections slated for Monday following a 10-year hiatus. The voting began after 7 a.m. local time (0400 GMT) when soldiers and policemen lined up to cast …
Read More »China urges US caution on Taiwan question, South China Sea issue
BEIJING | Xinhua | A Chinese defense spokesperson has urged the U.S. side to exercise caution on the Taiwan question and the South China Sea issue. Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks in response to a media query regarding a U.S. warship illegally intruding …
Read More »Russia’s gold reserves worth hits new record
ST. PETERSBURG | Xinhua | The value of Russia’s gold reserves has exceeded 150 billion U.S. dollars for the first time in contemporary history, due to the rise in gold prices, RIA Novosti news agency reported on Thursday. The value of Russia’s gold investments in November increased by 2.2 percent, …
Read More »EU agrees to open accession talks with Ukraine, Moldova
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM | THE INDEPENDENT | European Union (EU) leaders agreed on Thursday to open EU accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova and to grant candidate status to Georgia. The EU will also open negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina once the necessary degree of compliance with the membership criteria is …
Read More »Israel-Hamas conflict agonizes Palestinian workers, Israeli labor market
JERUSALEM | Xinhua | Mohamed Ghraib, a Palestinian taxi driver, is waiting for his business at the Israeli side of the Qalandia checkpoint 15 km away from Jerusalem, but not much luck has come to him so far. “Before the Israel-Hamas conflict, at this time of the day and this …
Read More »Uganda’s Comboni College innovators win Commonwealth Sustainable Energy Transition Award
Dubai, UAE | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda’s Michael Okao, Darius Ogwang and Joshua Elem have won this year’s Commonwealth Sustainable Energy Transition Award for the best technical solution for their solar concentrator that harnesses renewable energy for clean cooking. They are students of Comboni College in Lira. The Commonwealth Secretariat announced …
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