Mahinda Rajapaksa sworn in as Sri Lanka PM

Colombo (IANS) Sri Lanka's former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was sworn in as the island country's 23rd Prime Minister in the presence of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat here on Thursday.

Rajapaksa, who…

US Congressman Olson praises India for revoking Article 370

Washington (IANS) US Congressman Pete Olson has praised India for revoking Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir, saying the move will bring equality and peace to the region.

Speaking in the US House of Representatives, Olson said that Article…

Trump impeachment: 4 witnesses cast doubt on probe request to Ukraine

New York (IANS) Four key witnesses testifying in the President Donald Trump impeachment inquiry have expressed varying degrees of reservations about him asking Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate the involvement of former Vice President…

China rejects HK court ruling against anti-mask law

Beijing (IANS) Chinese authorities on Tuesday expressed their opposition to a Hong Kong High court ruling against a law banning face masks during the ongoing anti-government protests that have rocked the city since June.

Zang Tiewei, spokesperson…

14 Taliban militants killed in Afghan air strike

Kunduz (Afghanistan) (IANS) At least 14 Taliban militants, including a militants' divisional commander, were killed in an air strike carried out by Afghan Air Force in Afghanistan's northern Kunduz province, police said.

The sortie…

Kim Jong-un supervises airborne landing training: Report

Seoul (IANS) North Korean state media in a report on Monday said that leader Kim Jong-un supervised an airborne landing training, while emphasizing the need to improve the country's war preparedness.

Kim's "field guidance" was reported…

Pak's MQM founder seeks asylum, financial help from India

London (IANS) Altaf Hussain, the founder of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) who has been charged with a terrorism offence, has requested Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for help by giving asylum and financial help to him and his companions, a media…

Record number of women to stand in UK polls

London (IANS) A record number of women were set to stand in the UK's December 12 general election, with female candidates likely to comprise about a third of the total, it was reported on Saturday.

An analysis found that 1,120 of 3,322…

Lanka polls: Muslim voters detained for hours, say activists

Colombo (IANS) Muslim voters in northern Sri Lanka who faced gun attacks on their way to cast votes in Saturday's presidential polls were harassed and detained for hours, activists have complained.

Over 200 busses, carrying voters who left…

N. Korea calls Joe Biden 'rabid dog'

Pyongyang (IANS) North Korea lashed out at former US Vice President Joe Biden for denouncing the communist regime , calling him a "rabid dog" that should be "beaten to death", state media said on Friday.

"Biden bereft of elementary appearance…