Vatican City: Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas warned Saturday that moving the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem would deal a huge blow to hopes for Middle East peace. Commenting as he opened a Palestinian embassy at the Vatican, Abbas added that anything which legitimised the “illegal Israeli annexation” of JerusalemRead More

Beijing: US hard-disk drive manufacturer Seagate Technology will lay off more than 2,000 Chinese workers as it shutters a factory in eastern China, reports said Saturday, prompting anger among employees. The factory, one of two operated by Seagate in China, is based in Suzhou city in eastern Jiangsu province, andRead More

Beijing: China sought to improve political and military ties with Vietnam, shelving the maritime dispute over the South China Sea, during Vietnamese Communist Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong’s ongoing visit amid Hanoi’s push for closer relations with India, state-run media here has said. Chinese President Xi Jinping, who also headsRead More

Jolo: A South Korean captain and a Filipino crewman abducted by suspected Islamist militants off the southern Philippines were released on Saturday, authorities said, ending a three-month ordeal where they endured beatings and hunger. The Philippine military said armed men identifying themselves as Abu Sayyaf militants kidnapped the pair fromRead More

District of Columbia: US senators have launched a probe into Russian spying, saying intelligence reports of Moscow`s interference in the 2016 election and possible ties to American political parties “raise profound concerns.” The investigation, backed by both Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Intelligence Committee, could trigger forced testimony byRead More

Bangkok: An earthquake of 6.2 magnitude struck 224 km (140 miles) southwest of Fiji on Saturday, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said, but there was no immediate tsunami warning. There were also no immediate reports of any damage or casualties.

Washington: US intelligence chief James Clapper has expressed “profound dismay” to Donald Trump over leaked details of a security briefing that reportedly contained explosive but unsubstantiated allegations about the president-elect. American intelligence officials last week presented to Trump, as well as to President Barack Obama, a two-page synopsis about theRead More

Beijing: China announced on Thursday a five-year plan to develop clean energy and open a research centre in the South China Sea – which could escalate tensions in the hotly-contested waters. The move, announced by the State Oceanic Administration, adds to Beijing’s increasing assertiveness over the world’s busiest sea tradeRead More

London: Flights were on Thursday cancelled amid warnings of blizzard conditions set to sweep across the UK. London’s Heathrow Airport said there were about 100 cancellations, the BBC reported. The Met Office has issued yellow “be aware” weather warnings for snow for much of the UK up until Saturday. Airports,Read More

Seoul: Retired UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon returned to South Korea Thursday as momentum builds around his possible run in elections to succeed impeached President Park Geun-Hye. “I have seriously considered and thought about how I can put my experience and knowledge as a UN Secretary General to best use,”Read More