TOKYO: Japan fell quiet at 2.46pm on Thursday to mark the minute that an earthquake began 10 years ago, setting off a tsunami and nuclear crisis that devastated the country’s northeast coast in a disaster that one survivor said he fears people are beginning to forget. Carrying bouquets of flowers, many walked to the seaside or visited graves to pray …

UNITED NATIONS: Millions of people around the world risk dying of hunger, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday, adding that climate change and Covid-19 had worsened the threat. “Without immediate action, millions of people will reach the brink of extreme hunger and death,” Guterres told the Security Council during a meeting on the links between food and security. Guterres …

JERUSALEM: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said it called off the Israeli leader’s visit to the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, citing disagreements with the Jordanian government. The Netanyahu’s office said in a statement that because of difficulties in coordinating his flight in Jordanian airspace the visit was postponed until further notice. It said the conflict stemmed from the cancellation …

JERUSALEM: Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) said on Thursday it would jointly develop an advanced drone defence system with the United Arab Emirates’ state-owned weapons maker EDGE. Israel and the UAE formalised relations last year, brought closer by commercial interests and concern over Iran. State-owned IAI, a major Israeli defence firm, said in a statement that the companies will develop a …

BEIJING: China’s parliament voted Thursday for sweeping changes to Hong Kong’s electoral system, including powers to veto candidates, as Beijing moves to ensure that only “patriots” run the city following huge pro-democracy rallies. Beijing has acted decisively to dismantle Hong Kong’s limited democratic pillars after massive and sometimes violent protests coursed through the financial hub in 2019. At last year’s …

MANDALAY: Spurning an appeal by the United Nations to stop using lethal force against peaceful demonstrators, security forces in Myanmar on Thursday fatally shot at least 10 people protesting against last month’s military coup. The military also lodged a new allegation against Aung San Suu Kyi, the elected leader it ousted on Feb 1. It charged at a news conference …

US President Joe Biden on Friday holds the first-ever four-way summit with the leaders of Australia, India and Japan, ramping up efforts to cement alliances as concerns grow over a rising China. In a flurry of diplomacy, Japan announced that Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga would become the first foreign leader to see Biden in person, a sign of the primacy …

ISLAMABAD / PESHA­WAR: As the Pakistan Tele­com Authority (PTA) on Thu­rsday directed internet service providers to immediately block access to TikTok, the short video sharing ent­er­tainment app has become inaccessible in the country. The PTA said in a statement: “In respectful compliance to the orders of the Peshawar High Court, PTA has issued directions to the service providers to immediately …

RAWALPINDI: Heavy rain coupled with thunderstorm lashed the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad on Thursday, bringing the temperature down and clearing the air from dust. The rain started early in the morning and continued till night with short breaks. Due to the chill in the air, the temperature lowered to 14 degree Celsius in the capital city. The meteorological …

GILGIT: No new coronavirus case has been reported in Gilgit-Baltistan, according to Home Secretary Mohammad Ali Randhawa.Dr Shah Zaman, the focal person for coronavirus in GB, also confirmed that presently there was no Covid-19 patient in the region. He said that all patients of coronavirus in the region had recovered. He said that three coronavirus cases were reported in GB …