Page 2 - International News

Sri Lanka says cyclone damage assessment may take six more months to finish

Sri Lanka's Deputy Finance Minister on Wednesday said it could take six months to complete the estimate required to recover and reconstruct the damage the island nation has faced post-Cyclone Ditwah. However, a rough estimate could be presented after December 15. The work is being handled by the 'Rebuild Sri Lanka Fund' constituted by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in the immediate aftermath of the devastation. The fund management committee, comprising public and private sector representatives, including corporate leaders, is entrusted with the task of assessing requirements, setting priorities, allocating resources and disbursing funds for recovery. Multiple countries, including India and Sri Lankan expatriates, have continued to make contributions to the Fund, Anil Jayantha Fernando was quoted by the Mawbima newspaper here. He added that the government has requested USD 200 million from the IMF, and the government's initial estimate of the need for recovery would be between U

India, Brazil sign key naval MoU to boost Scorpene submarine support

During the visit of Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi to Brazil, a landmark tripartite MoU was signed between the Indian Navy, Brazilian Navy, and Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited on Exchange of Information related to maintenance of Scorpene-class submarines & other naval vessels, as per the spokesperson of the Indian Navy.According to the Indian Navy, the MoU will enhance life-cycle support, enable experience sharing in maintenance, logistics & training, and strengthen cooperation between government agencies & industry of both nations.The MoU will further boost Defence R & D collaboration and drive technological innovation in sustaining Scorpene-class submarines and other naval platforms.The visit of CNS Tripathi to Brazil comes shortly after a 40-member delegation from Brazil's Naval War College was hosted at the Naval Headquarters here in the national capital in November this year. The visit of the delegation saw discussions on enhancing the ...

Ex-Nepal ministers, Chinese firm charged with graft in Pokhara airport case

Former Nepali ministers, officials and a Chinese company were charged with corruption over financial irregularities during the construction of an international airport. The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority filed on Sunday cases against 55 people and the China CAMC Engineering Company Limited, one of the biggest such cases in the Himalayan nation, accusing them of inflating construction expenses by more than USD 74 million. It remains unclear when the hearing will begin. Two officials of the Chinese company have been named in the charges filed at the Special Court in Kathmandu, which handles corruption cases related to government dealings. The bidding agreed on with the government in 2012 was set at USD 169.6 million, but Nepali officials increased the amount to a little over USD 244 million "in collusion with the Chinese company," the commission said. The airport, at the resort city of Pokhara, 200 kilometres west of Kathmandu, was built with a loan from China Exi

Indian-origin billionaires top Forbes list of richest US immigrants

Indian immigrants lead Forbes' 2025 richest list, with 12 self-made billionaires in tech and finance, surpassing Israel to become the top birthplace of America's immigrant billionaires

North Korea detains 3 officials over failed launch of naval destroyer

North Korean authorities have detained three shipyard officials over the recent failed launch of a naval destroyer, an incident that leader Kim Jong Un said was caused by criminal negligence, state media said Sunday. The 5,000-tonne-class destroyer was damaged Wednesday when a transport cradle on the ship's stern detached early during a launch ceremony attended by Kim at the northeastern port of Chongjin. Satellite imagery on the site showed the vessel lying on its side and draped in blue covers, with parts of the ship submerged. The vessel is North Korea's second known destroyer. The failed launch was subsequently an embarrassment to Kim, who is eager to build greater naval forces to deal with what he calls US-led military threats. North Korea launched its first destroyer, also a 5,000-tonne-class ship, with massive fanfare last month. The ship is North Korea's largest and most advanced warship and state media reported it is designed to carry various weapons including nuclear ...

Trump admin releases migrants to shelters it once threatened to prosecute

Trump administration releases migrants to border shelters it previously warned might face prosecution for aiding migrants, causing confusion and straining already scarce resources

Watch: SpaceX Fram2 astronauts become first to orbit over Earth's poles

SpaceX's Fram2 mission makes history as the first crewed flight to orbit over Earth's poles, capturing stunning images and video of the Arctic and Antarctic

Turkey political unrest: Why anti-Erdogan protests are escalating

Thousands of people took to the streets in Turkey's major cities in the past five days over the detention of Istanbul's mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, an prominent critic of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Greenland votes on March 11 amid calls for independence, Trump's interest

Greenland's Prime Minister Mute Egede criticised Trump's remarks, stating the island deserves respect and will prioritise relations with nations that acknowledge its sovereignty

Indian-origin Canadian MP Chandra Arya announces bid to become next PM

Known as a long-time loyalist of Justin Trudeau, Arya's announcement came two days after Trudeau resigned amid growing discontent within the Liberal Party

Faiz Hameed case: Why this former Pakistan ISI head is facing court martial

Retired Lt Gen Faiz Hameed is the first former intelligence chief in Pakistan's history facing a court martial

Geopolitical concerns dent big UK biz optimism ahead of Budget: Deloitte

A British Chambers of Commerce survey last week showed the escalating conflict in the Middle East was a "major factor" behind anxiety in boardrooms - though potential tax hikes were a bigger worry

Split-second move may have saved Trump; security gap raises questions

Law enforcement experts question possible security failures surrounding assassination attempt on Donald Trump, express shock over would-be assassin getting close enough to injure a former US President

Tech tycoon who wants to 'live forever' edits his own DNA on secret island

Bryan Johnson, CEO of Kernel, a leading neurotechnology firm, previously made waves by infusing his son's plasma to rejuvenate himself

Trash balloons are deepening rift between North and South Korea; here's why

Animosities between North and South Korea are rising sharply again over an unusual cause: The North's rubbish-carrying balloons. In the past week, North Korea floated hundreds of huge balloons dumping manure, cigarette butts, scraps of cloth, waste batteries and even reportedly dirty diapers across South Korea. In response, South Korea vowed unbearable retaliatory steps and moved to suspend a fragile military deal meant to ease tensions with its northern neighbor. Experts say if South Korea resumes live-fire drills or anti-Pyongyang propaganda broadcasts via loudspeakers in border areas, that's certain to infuriate North Korea and may prompt it to take its own provocative countermeasures along the border. Here's a look at North Korea's balloon launches: WHAT DID NORTH KOREA DO? Since May 28, North Korea has sent about 1,000 balloons carrying all kinds of trash across the border. No hazardous materials were found, but South Korean social media was still abuzz with worries that Nort

6.1 magnitude earthquake shakes Indonesia's Java Island, felt in Jakarta

A strong magnitude 6.1 earthquake shook the southern part of Indonesia's main island of Java on Saturday, but there were no immediate reports of injury or significant property damage. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake struck 102 kilometers (63 miles) south of Banjar city at a depth of 68.3 kilometers (42.4 miles). There was no tsunami warning. High-rises in the capital Jakarta swayed for around a minute and two-story homes shook strongly in the West Java provincial capital of Bandung and in Jakarta's satellite cities of Depok, Tangerang, Bogor and Bekasi. The quake was also felt in other cities in West Java, Yogyakarta and East Java province, according to Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysical Agency. The agency warned of possible aftershocks. Earthquakes are frequent across the sprawling archipelago nation, but they are rarely felt in Jakarta. Indonesia, a seismically active archipelago of 270 million people, is prone to seismic upheaval because of its locat

China defence Budget: Concerns about low soldier readiness, morale dominate

Jump in Chinese defence Budget comes amid concerns in Beijing that its armed forces lack discipline after decades without real combat and a wide-ranging mission to eradicate military corruption

New Zealand MP Golriz Ghahraman resigns after shoplifting allegations

The allegations were first reported on January 10 by Newstalk ZB Plus, which stated that Ghahraman had been accused of shoplifting during the holiday season at a luxury brand store

US trade deficit narrows to nearly three-year low in August: Report

Imports of goods and services fell 0.7% to $314.3 billion

Rupert Murdoch compared to 'mafia boss' ordering hit in smartmatic case

The judge ended the hearing without ruling. If Fox Corp's motion to dismiss is denied, the Murdochs may be key witnesses at trial, likely in 2025. Fox News's motion to dismiss was denied last year