Author: Starvision News Desk

Washington, July 21 (IANS) US home sales dropped to a 14-year-low in June as the shortage of supply choked the housing market, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) said in a report.Existing home sales fell 3.3 per cent in June from May, running at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.16 million units, Xinhua news agency quoted the report as saying.It was an 18.9 per cent decline from a year ago, marking the slowest sales pace for June since 2009.The drop in home sales was largely due to the dearth of inventory. Some 1.08 million homes remained on the market…

Houston, July 21 (IANS) Twelve migrants were discovered packed inside an 18-wheeler during a police chase in Texas, local media reported.Police officers tried to pull over the driver of the stolen truck, which led to a short chase in Bexar County near the US-Mexico border, Xinhua news agency quoted the local WOAI-TV as saying in a report.The driver, who carried a gun, finally stopped and was taken into custody.Investigators found 10 men and two women, including one pregnant, inside the trailer.The migrants were from Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico, according to the report.This comes as we continue to investigate the treatment…

Ankara, July 21 (IANS) Turkey will separately host Israeli and Palestinian leaders next week, authorities have confirmed.In a statement, the Turkish presidency said that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas arrive on July 25 and meet his counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, reports Xinhua news agency.The two leaders will discuss Turkey-Palestine relations and cooperation, the latest developments in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and other regional and international issues, the statement said.Erdogan will also host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on July 28, the Turkish presidency said.The two sides will talk about their relations as well as the steps to improve cooperation, it said.The relations…

Islamaabd, July 21 (IANS) The Islamic holy month of Muharram started in Pakistan with terror attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province and its surrounding tribal areas that claimed the lives of security officials and locals. In the latest attack, three policemen and a civilian were killed in twin suicide blasts in Khyber district’s Bara area.According to police, two suicide bombers wearing police uniforms drove in a car to the Tehsil Offices Compound in Bara and broke into the premises by cutting a barbed-wire fence.“As additional intruders opened fire at the policemen on duty, two suicide attackers attempted to enter the…

Islamabad, July 21 (IANS) Petroleum dealers in Pakistan have threatened to shut down fuel stations across the country for an indefinite period from Saturday onwards if the government fails to honour its commitment of increasing their profit margins. In a statement, the Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) said they were being forced to protest against the government’s failure to fulfill its commitment of a 5 per cent increase on the sale of petrol and diesel.According to the the government commitment, a 5 per cent profit margin would increase the per litre profit from 6 PKR (2.4 per cent) to 12…

Sanaa, July 21 (IANS) The government in Yemen announced the reopening of Al Ghaydah Airport in the country’s eastern province of Al Mahrah after a nine-year suspension due to the ongoing civil war.The airport’s reopening came as a result of successful rehabilitation efforts facilitated by Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, Xinhua news agency quoted a state media report as saying.This achievement is seen as a crucial step forward in war-torn Yemen, offering renewed hope for enhanced connectivity and economic opportunities despite the prevailing challenges, the report said.During the airport’s inauguration ceremony on Thursday, Minister of Transport…

Ankara, July 21 (IANS) The Turkish central bank has delivered a second interest rate hike in two months to fight high inflation, a new sign of adherence to orthodox monetary policies.The bank’s monetary policy committee said in a statement on Thursday that it decided to increase the benchmark interest rate (one-week repo rate) by 250 basis points to 17.5 per cent, adding the door remains open for further hikes this year, reports Xinhua news agency.The committee decided to continue the monetary tightening process to establish the disinflation course as soon as possible, anchor inflation expectations, and control the deterioration in…

Phoenix, July 21 (IANS) A massive fire is raging near the airport in the US city of Phoenix after several propane tanks exploded in the area, according to officials.According to the Phoenix Fire Department, crews were called to the 40th Street and Washington at around 5 p.m. on Thursday evening following a report of a propane business on fire, reports Fox10 Phoenix.”Phoenix Firefighters are on the scene of a second alarm structure fire with hazmat,” the Department said in a tweet.Department officials said multiple propane tanks exploded, and some reportedly traveled hundreds of yards away from the spot.Hundreds of propane…

New Delhi, July 21 (IANS) To fulfil her mother’s wish, a Dubai expat has flown back to India with 10 kg of tomatoes in her suitcase packed in kitchen storage containers. The woman who was coming home to India for holidays asked her mother what she wanted from Dubai, who said tomatoes in response, considered highly valuable these days in the country amid their surging prices.Sharing the anecdote, the expat’s sister, who goes by the name Revs on Twitter, wrote: “My sister is coming to India from Dubai for her children’s summer holidays, and she asked my mum if she…

Colombo, July 20 (IANS) Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe appointed five acting ministers to overlook the subjects he handles before leaving for his first ever official visit to India since taking charge after a turbulent political change last year.Wickremesinghe left for a two-day official state visit to India on Thursday on the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.The President appointed five acting ministers — Shehan Semasinghe (Finance), Premitha Bandara Tennakoon (Defence), Dilum Amunugama (Investment Promotion), Kanaka Herath (Technology), and Anupa Pasqual (Women, Children Affairs and Social Empowerment) — before leaving the country. During his visit, Wickremesinghe is scheduled to…