Author: News Desk

NEW DELHI : Just hours before news of Queen Elizabeth II’s death spread, Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered a fiery speech urging India to shed its colonial ties in a ceremony to rename a boulevard that once honored King George V. Rajpath, formerly called Kingsway, was a “symbol of slavery” under the British Raj, he said. Instead, under the newly named Kartavya Path that leads to the iconic India Gate, “a new history has been created,” Modi beamed. His speech last Thursday was the latest in a concerted drive to purge India of its colonial relics. It was also a…

Russia : As Russian troops were retreating in northeastern Ukraine amid a fierce counteroffensive by Kyiv, Muscovites were celebrating the 875th anniversary of the city’s founding. Fireworks boomed and President Vladimir Putin inaugurated a huge Ferris wheel, a new transportation link and sports arena. The Russian capital’s festive holiday weekend stood in stark contrast to the military debacle unfolding in Ukraine that seemed to catch the Kremlin by surprise in the nearly 7-month-old war. The rapid and reportedly chaotic troop withdrawal in the Kharkiv region, in which some weapons and ammunition were left behind, was a huge blow to Russian prestige. It…

Singapore :  Oil prices fell in volatile trade on Tuesday as investor concerns about lower demand in China, the world’s biggest crude importer, and further increases in U.S. and European interest rates offset worries about tight fuel supplies ahead of winter. Brent crude slid 34 cents, or 0.4%, to $93.66 a barrel by 04:45 GMT, while WTI crude declined by 20 cents, or 0.2%, to $87.58 a barrel. Both contracts fell by more than $1 earlier in the session, snapping a three-day rally. COVID-19 curbs in China, the world’s second-largest oil consumer, renewed concerns about lower global fuel demand, according…

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia launched a nation-wide march of the torch of the Saudi Games 2022, the largest sporting event in the Kingdom’s history. Athletes and major sports personalities will travel 3,500 kilometres across the Kingdom starting from Riyadh for 22 days on foot or another preferred means of transport such as a vehicle or a horse. The march, scheduled to conclude on Oct. 10 in Al-Dir’iyyah Governorate, aims to promote the values of the Saudi Games 2022 and convey peace and friendship to residents and visitors alike, according to the organizer’s statement. The Saudi Games 2022 torch relay is set…

London : Arrests of anti-monarchy protesters following the death of Queen Elizabeth II have been described as “deeply concerning” and an “affront to democracy” by free speech and human rights campaigners. Three  arrests have been made in Scotland and Oxford over suspected breach of the peace and public order offences, while another protester was forced to move on by police in Westminster, central London. .Police Scotland said a 22-year-old woman was charged in connection with a breach of the peace after being arrested during the Accession Proclamation for the king outside St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh. Symon Hill, 45, was arrested on…

EDINBURGH : As Queen Elizabeth II’s four children walked silently behind, a hearse carried her flag-draped coffin along a crowd-lined street in the Scottish capital Monday to a cathedral, where a service of thanksgiving hailed the late monarch as a “constant in all of our lives for over 70 years.” Four days after the 96-year-old queen died at her beloved Balmoral Castle in the Scottish Highlands, a military bagpiper played as her oak coffin, draped in the red-and-yellow Royal Standard of Scotland, was borne from the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh under late-summer sunshine. King Charles III, dressed in army uniform, and Princess Anne,…

South Africa head coach Mark Boucher decided quit from his role after the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia in October-November, Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced on Monday. Boucher has held the position since December 2019, and led the Proteas to 11 Test wins, including a memorable 2-1 series win against India at home in January. “Mr Boucher has decided to resign in order to pursue other opportunities in line with his future career. His last series at the helm will be a white-ball tour of India from September 28 to October 11 before heading to the T20 World Cup in…

Bahrain : Royal Guard Special Force Commander, Deputy Director of the Bahrain-UAE joint anti-terrorism drill (Jelmoud 3), His Highness Lieutenant Colonel Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, chaired today the meeting of the exercise’s high organizing committee, which was held in the presence of military and security officials. The meeting convened in preparation for the drill which is set to be held by end of this year to boost joint security and military cooperation to combat terrorism and maintain security. HH Lieutenant Colonel Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa affirmed that the joint exercise reflects cooperation within the framework of…

California : Walt Disney Co sketched the contours of a plan for how the entertainment, theme parks, and consumer products conglomerate will use technology to enhance storytelling for the next 100 years. Speaking backstage at the company’s biennial D23 Expo fan convention with Reuters, Chief Executive Bob Chapek took great pains to avoid what he called the “M-word,” or metaverse, despite pushing the company in that direction last year, Reuters reports. Chapek described Disney’s vision for the metaverse as “next-generation storytelling.” He wants to use data gleaned from theme park visits and consumers’ streaming habits to deliver personalized entertainment experiences,…

New York : The only thing that could stop Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova in Grand Slam tournaments this year was COVID-19. The Czechs won their third major in 2022 and completed a career Grand Slam on Sunday, rallying late to beat Caty McNally and Taylor Townsend 3-6, 7-5, 6-1 in the U.S. Open women’s doubles final. “I think it’s a really special feeling that we are part of history right now,” Krejcikova said. “But, I mean, then also the other hand, it’s such amazing achievement, but then the career is still going on and we still want to add…