World News

AP Beirut Lebanon’s Parliament on Thursday approved a state of emergency in Beirut in its first session since the catastrophic August 4 explosion, granting the military sweeping powers amid rising popular anger at official corruption and mismanagement and political uncertainty. The government resigned after the blast that killed more than 170 people, injured at least 6,000 and wrecked the capital’s …

AP Beirut Lebanon’s Parliament on Thursday approved a state of emergency in Beirut in its first session since the catastrophic August 4 explosion, granting the military sweeping powers amid rising popular anger at official corruption and mismanagement and political uncertainty. The government resigned after the blast that killed more than 170 people, injured at least 6,000 and wrecked the capital’s …

IANS Canberra The Australian government announced on Thursday that that it will stop subsidizing university fees for first-year students who fail half their subjects. Minister for Education Dan Tehan announced the changes, saying that they would prevent students from taking on study loads they can’t handle, reports Xinhua news agency. Under the new measures, students who fail at least half …

PTI Washington Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden made a maiden public appearance with his running mate Kamala Harris on Wednesday during which the Indian-American shredded Donald Trump’s White House record, saying that the president is not “up to the job.” Jointly appearing in Wilmington, Delaware, to make their election case for the first time as running mates, Biden said his …

PTI Washington In a move that could help Indian IT professionals and those working in the healthcare sector, the Trump Administration has announced certain exemptions in H-1B and L-1 travel ban for those continuing employment with the same employer. The exemptions to the June 22 Presidential Proclamation 10052, commonly referred to as the H-1B or L-1 Travel Ban, also includes …

Washington: Joe Biden has picked Indian-origin Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate, recognising the crucial role Black voters and Indian-Americans could play in his bid to defeat Donald Trump in the US presidential election in November. By naming the 55-year-old lawyer and moderate Democratic politician from California as his vice-presidential candidate, Biden made history by selecting the first Black …

PTI London The UK economy plunged into a deep recession as it shrank 20.4 per cent between April and June at the height of the coronavirus lockdown, according to new figures released on Wednesday. Reacting to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) data, UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak admitted that it indicated that the “hard times” had warned about are here …

IANS United Nations Aid arrivals are increasing in Lebanon as the United Nations continues its assessment of Beirut’s emergency needs following last week’s massive explosion, a UN spokesman said. “A rapid assessment of the 55 primary health centers in the blast areas shows that some 35 per cent sustained moderate to severe damage,” said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General …

IANS Geneva The World Health Organization (WHO) is in close contact with Russia regarding a possible pre-qualification of the world’s first COVID-19 vaccine, a WHO spokesman said. “We are in close contact with the Russian health authorities and discussions are underway regarding a possible pre-qualification of the vaccine by WHO,” WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said at a virtual press briefing …

PTI Washington Leading Indian-American groups and individuals, including former Pepsico chief Indra Nooyi, have hailed the nomination of Indian-origin Senator Kamala Harris as Democratic vice presidential candidate, saying it was a “great choice” and a “moment of pride” for the entire community in the US. However, there were also some community members who questioned Harris’ contribution towards the Indo-US ties …