American singing sensation Miley Cyrus’s latest Instagram post has relatable written all over it as the diva gets in the party mode ringing in 2020. After having a relatively tough year with her marriage to Liam Hemsworth coming to an end, as well as some health scares comprising her vocal cord surgery, it looks like the singer is more than …

NEW YORK: New York dropped its traditional crystal-encrusted ball to ring in 2020 in a packed Times Square, after crisis-marred celebrations in other countries ended a year of worldwide upheaval that saw strike-hit Paris welcome the new decade with fireworks, and London´s Big Ben ring out after a long restoration. Billions around the world cheered in 2020 after a tumultuous …

LONDON: Peter Wright has insisted all his numerous defeats by Michael Van Gerwen will count for nothing when he faces the reigning champion in the PDC World Championship darts final on Wednesday. Wright heads into the showpiece New Year´s Day match at London´s Alexandra Palace on the back of a fiery 6-3 semi-final win over Gerwyn Price. Having come through …

Pakistan and its wondrous natural beauty seems to have left Prince William enchanted as he shared a throwback shot from the royal couple’s visit to the country while launching his mega climate change project, The Earthshot Prize. The official Instagram handle of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Kensington Royal, shared a powerful message about climate change with a photo …

SAN FRANCISCO: Ride-hailing giant Uber and delivery company Postm­ates have filed a lawsuit against the state of California, claiming a new law that would treat gig economy freelancers as emp­loyees is unconstitutional. The legislation, known as Assembly Bill 5 and due to go into effect on Wednesday, would mean that – under certain conditions – independent contractors are classified as …

CAIRO: Sporadic tribal clashes between Arabs and non-Arabs continued on Tuesday in Sudan’s West Darfur province, as the death toll climbed to at least two dozen people, some of them burned to death, according to a local aid group working in the area. Some of the 24 dead were children, said Adam Regal, a spokesman for a local organisation that …

COLOMBO: The wife of an abducted Sri Lankan journalist has accused the military of trying to derail a court case in which nine soldiers have been charged with her husband’s abduction and enforced disappearance nearly 10 years ago. Sandya Ekneligoda, who has struggled for years to seek justice for her abducted husband, Prageeth Ekneligoda, said “some officers serving in the …

HONG KONG: Pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong held hands and formed human chains across the city on Tuesday, as they carried their months-long movement and its demands into 2020 with midnight countdown rallies and a massive march planned for New Year’s Day. Read more: Six months of sacrifice: Hong Kong’s protesters take stock The financial hub has been battered by more …

NEW DELHI: Autho­rities in occupied Kashmir will restore text messaging services in the disputed region on Wednesday, almost five months after India’s government downgraded its semi-autonomy and imposed a strict security and communications lockdown, an official said on Tuesday. Local government spokesman Rohit Kansal said the decision was made after a review of the situation. He said broadband internet services …

US President Donald Trump warned Tehran it would “pay a very big price” after a mob of pro-Iranian demonstrators stormed the American embassy compound in Iraq, as his government said it is sending hundreds more troops to the Middle East. Angered by US air strikes that killed two dozen paramilitary fighters on Sunday, hundreds of protesters spilled through checkpoints in …