Category: NEWS

HAVANA – Cuban dancer Yankiel Vázquez thought his dream of dancing with Cuba’s National Ballet was finished when a rare neurological disorder nearly crippled him several years ago. The 29-year-old man, a native of the town of Mantua, in rural western Cuba, had joined the ballet in 2011. Shortly after, he was stricken with Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare but often debilitating condition in which the immune system attacks the nerves, sometimes paralyzing one’s extremities. “It took me several months to learn to walk again,” he said, calling it an “intense…

WASHINGTON – US President Joe Biden said on Thursday (Aug 25) that US air and artillery strikes that killed four militants in eastern Syria were ordered to protect US forces from attacks by Iran-backed militia. “I directed the Aug 23 strikes in order to protect and defend the safety of our personnel . . . and to deter the Islamic Republic of Iran and Iran-backed militia groups from conducting or supporting further attacks on United States personnel and facilities,” Biden said in a statement informing Congress of the action. He…

SEOUL (AFP) – Pope Francis has asked Pyongyang to invite him to North Korea, saying in a televised interview on Friday that he would not turn down a chance to visit and work for peace. A potential papal visit to the isolated, nuclear-armed country was previously floated in 2018 when Seoul’s former president Moon Jae-in embarked on a round of diplomacy with Pyongyang’s leader Kim Jong Un. Moon, who is Catholic, said during a summit that Kim told him the pontiff would be “enthusiastically” welcomed. Pope Francis replied at the…

BERLIN (Reuters) – It was when the Taliban came to arrest her and her brother in October that Fawzia Saidzada, an Afghan journalist and women s rights activist, finally decided it was time to flee. The 30-year-old managed to get out the next day after promising the Taliban she would inform on other journalists and activists – something she never did. Her brother was held for 15 days. “When the Taliban came to power, we decided to fight against the Taliban,” said Saidzada, who is raising a 13-year-old son alone. “Our…

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain s Prince Harry said he wished his children could have met his mother Princess Diana and hoped the 25th anniversary of her death next week would be a day filled with memories and love. Harry was just 12 years old when Diana was killed on Aug. 31, 1997 when the limousine carrying her and her lover Dodi al-Fayed crashed in the Pont de L’Alma tunnel in Paris as it sped away from chasing paparazzi photographers on motorbikes. Harry was speaking at a dinner on Thursday evening after…

Kollam: Every year, Onam refreshes Kerala with joy and festivity. But this Onam, something new is in the air. Something fresh, fashionable and foot-tapping and very bold, is captivating Kerala, as it ushers in Onam festivities. The new track, #KeralamMaariyo, co-produced by India’s hottest fashion brand AJIO and Kerala’s coolest rock band Thaikkudam Bridge, starring Kalyani Priyadarshan, the new face of the bold southern film industry is taking Kerala by storm. The catchphrase “Keralam Maariyo” roughly translates into “Has Kerala changed?”, and underlines brand AJIO’s belief in challenging the status…

Islamabad: The politics of revenge in Pakistan is at its peak and the leader who gets the opportunity, he tries to settle his political opponents there. At present, this opportunity is with Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and every effort is being made to remove Imran Khan as well as his supporters from the path. Earlier, Shahbaz Gill, a close aide of Imran Khan, was jailed and now the live telecast of Imran Khan’s speech has been banned, according to Pakistani media, Imran Khan may be arrested soon. According to Pakistani media reports,…

Islamabad: Pakistan is reviewing a proposal to deposit 20 per cent of the total cost of five projects of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) with the central bank amid a fall in foreign exchange reserves. This information has been given in the newspaper ‘The Express Tribune’ quoting a member of the Pakistani cabinet. The minister said that the proposal has been discussed at the highest level and Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has given instructions to rectify it further. According to this report, at least five CPEC projects with an estimated value…

“It is absolutely the need of the hour to unite the Indian diaspora in various countries, so I extend all my heartfelt congratulations and appreciation to the organizers of this great Global Indian Council. While we are celebrating Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, we are looking back to the progress and development of our country. All the Indians around the world are united to celebrate this auspicious and unique occasion after independence.” Mr. N K Premachandran, Hon M P said on inaugurating the GIC Independence Day celebration on Aug 20, 2022…