Omicron ‘stealth’ COVID variant now dominant globally

A sub-variant of the highly transmissible Omicron version of coronavirus known as BA.2 is now dominant worldwide, prompting surges in many countries in Europe and Asia and raising concern over the potential for a new wave in the United States.

Ukraine insists on ‘territorial integrity’ before Russia talks

Ukraine and Russia were preparing on Monday for the first face-to-face peace talks in more than two weeks, with Kyiv insisting it would make no concessions on ceding territory despite Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier suggesting Ukraine was prepared to discuss adopting a neutral status as part of a peace deal with Russia.

China to host meeting of Foreign Ministers in Afghanistan, flunks India

China will host the 3rd meeting of the foreign ministers of Afghanistan’s neighbouring countries on March 30-31, the Chinese foreign ministry announced on Monday as Beijing and “all-weather ally” Pakistan firm up their influence in the Taliban-ruled country.

Oscars 2022: Deaf family drama ‘CODA’ wins prize for best picture

CODA,” a heartwarming movie about a deaf family with a hearing daughter, won a landmark best picture prize at the Oscars on Sunday.

Russia aims to split Ukraine: Intelligence Chief

Russia wants to split Ukraine into two, as happened with North and South Korea, Ukraine’s military intelligence chief said on Sunday, vowing “total” guerrilla warfare to prevent a carve-up of the country.

Pakistan opposition starts anti-gov’t march

Thousands of people started marching to the Pakistani capital Islamabad, Monday in a show of opposition to Prime Minister Imran Khan who is expected to face a vote of no confidence next week.

Israel and US to work together to prevent nuclear Iran

Israel and the United States will cooperate in preventing a nuclear-armed Iran despite disagreements they have over an emerging nuclear deal, Israel’s foreign minister Yair Lapid said on Sunday.

Russia signals scaled-back war aims as Ukrainians advance near Kyiv

Moscow signaled on Friday it was scaling back its ambitions in Ukraine to focus on territory claimed by Russian-backed separatists as Ukrainian forces went on the offensive, recapturing territory on the outskirts of the capital Kyiv.

N.Korea has ‘likely more in store’ after missile test: White House

North Korea likely has “more in store” after successfully test-firing its largest-ever intercontinental ballistic missile this week, a top White House official said Friday.

Biden warns China against siding with Russia

U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday said that China knows its economic future is tied to the West, after warning Chinese leader Xi Jinping that Beijing could regret siding with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine claims it destroyed Russian ships in occupied port

Ukraine said its armed forces had destroyed the Russian landing ship “Orsk” near the Russian-occupied Ukrainian port of Berdyansk on the Azov Sea. Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar said the ship was capable of carrying 45 armoured personnel carriers and 400 people. Reuters was unable to verify the report.

US attempts to freeze Russia’s gold reserves – media

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will meet this week with a bipartisan group of senators to discuss the opportunity of freezing Russia’s $132 billion in gold reserves, an American news website Axios reported.

Russia gets Chinese backing to stay in G20

Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to attend the next G20 summit in Indonesia later this year and received valuable backing from Beijing on Wednesday in a pushback to suggestions by some members that Russia could be barred from the group.

One of two black boxes of crashed China Airliner found

Chinese searchers found one of two black boxes from a China Eastern Airlines (600115.SS) flight carrying 132 people. The plane crashed in forest-clad mountains on Wednesday the aviation regulator said.

Ukraine on brink of surving war:Zelenskiy

Ukraine is on the brink of surviving its war with Russia, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a video address to the Italian parliament on Tuesday warning Russian forces want to break in to Europe.

Russia receiving weather data from ‘western’ countries

Russian agencies are continuing to receive nearly instantaneous meteorological data from Western and other governments, which some weapons experts say could be used to plan a chemical or biological attack in Ukraine, Reuters reported Tuesday.

Kremlin critic Navalny sentenced to further 9 years in jail

Jailed Kremlin critic and Russian opposition activist Alexey Navalny was sentenced to a further 9 years in a maximum security prison by a Russian court, Tuesday.

Chinese plane crashes with 132 on board, no sign of survivors

A China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 with 132 people on board crashed in mountains in southern China on a domestic flight on Monday after a sudden descent from cruising altitude. Media said there were no signs of survivors.

Ukraine defies Russian demand to surrender Mariupol

Ukraine defied a Russian demand that its forces lay down arms before dawn on Monday in Mariupol, where hundreds of thousands of civilians have been trapped in a city under siege and already laid to waste by Russian bombardment, Reuters reported Monday.

China has fully militarized 3 islands in South China Sea: US

China has fully militarized at least 3 of several islands it built in the disputed South China Sea, arming them with anti-ship and anti-aircraft missile systems, laser and jamming equipment and fighter jets in an increasingly aggressive move that threatens all nations operating nearby, a top US military commander said Sunday.

Mariupol school bombed, thousands deported from besieged city

The Russian military has bombed an art school in besieged Ukrainian port city of Mariupol where about 400 people had taken refuge, news agency AP quoted local authorities as saying, Sunday

Pakistan PM Imran Khan praises India amid no-confidence motion

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday praised India and its foreign policy, this at a time when he faces threats of being unseated amid no-confidence motion moved against him, the Hindustan Times reported Sunday.

US strategy for Indo-Pacific as ‘dangerous’ as NATO expansion: China

The US strategy for the Indo-Pacific is as “dangerous” as the eastward expansion of Nato in Europe, China’s vice foreign minister Le Yucheng said on Saturday issuing what appeared to be a veiled warning against the Quad grouping of countries.

Biden urges Xi to abandon Moscow over Ukraine

U.S. President Joe Biden sought to prevent Beijing giving new life to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in a video call on Friday with Chinese President Xi Jinping, as Moscow pressed on with bombardments that have taken the place of military advances.

Zaghari-Ratcliffe returns after 5-year arrest in Iran

The families of two British-Iranians who returned to the UK after years imprisoned in Tehran on Thursday spoke of their overwhelming relief and gratitude at finally being reunited.

Theatre sheltering over 1,000 civillians bombed in Ukraine

Ukraine accused Russia Thursday of bombing a theatre that was sheltering more than 1,000 civilians in the city of Mariupol, .

India criticises OIC invitation to Hurriyat leader

India on Thursday criticised the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) decision to invite Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Omar Farooq to a meeting being held in Pakistan next week. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi told a weekly media briefing sayingg it was tantamount to encouraging individuals and entities engaged in terrorism.

Russia and Ukraine looking for compromise in peace talks

New talk of compromise from both Moscow and Kyiv on a status for Ukraine outside of NATO lifted hope on Wednesday for a potential breakthrough after three weeks of war.

China registers over 1,000 new daily Covid cases

China reported 1,860 new local symptomatic Covid-19 cases on March. 15, posting over a thousand for a fourth consecutive day, with most new infections still concentrated in the northeast, official data showed on Wednesday.

Cleric calls for day-long bandh against HC order

The Muslim community in Karnataka will observe a day-long bandh on March 17 to protest against the high court ruling upholding the state government’s order prohibiting students from wearing religious attires, including hijab, in educational institutes, Maulana Sagir Ahmad Khan Rashadi, the ‘Ameer-e-Shariat Karnataka,’ said on Wednesday.