SOUTH ASIA

Accra, Jan 3 (IANS) A fire broke out at a big market located in the central business district of Accra, Ghana's capital.The fire, which broke out in the early hours of Thursday and erupted overnight, left widespread destruction, with traders scrambling to salvage their goods as the flames rapidly spread.Eyewitnesses told local media that the fire broke out suddenly, with voices of people who first saw it screaming to draw attention to the inferno that ravaged numerous shops within the market, Xinhua news agency reported.The fire destroyed large portions of the Kantamanto Market, home to secondhand clothing, building materials, chemicals, paint, and furniture, among other things. Desperate traders were seen wailing at the loss of their wares while the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) trie...

Jerusalem, Jan 3 (IANS) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was discharged from the hospital, his office said in a statement, less than a week after undergoing prostate removal surgery.Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem, where the operation took place, also issued a statement confirming Netanyahu's release. His medical team stated that his condition was "stable, and he is recovering satisfactorily from the procedure.""A period of recovery still lies ahead for him," the doctors further noted, adding that "post-surgical medical monitoring would continue as customary."Netanyahu, 75, underwent the operation on Sunday but briefly left the hospital on Tuesday to cast his vote in parliament on a critical government tax bill that faced the risk of failing, Xinhua news agency reported.T...

Jerusalem, Dec 29 (IANS) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to undergo prostate removal surgery on Sunday, his office confirmed in a statement. The statement on Saturday noted that on Wednesday, Netanyahu underwent a test at Hadassah Medical Centre in Jerusalem, where a urinary tract infection was detected, resulting from a benign prostate enlargement, Xinhua news agency reported.The Israeli Prime Minister has since received antibiotic treatment, which has resolved the infection.Despite the upcoming surgery, the Prime Minister's office said the Israeli Cabinet's weekly meeting will proceed as scheduled on Sunday.Earlier this year, Netanyahu underwent hernia surgery in March under general anaesthesia, during which Israel's Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister, Yar...

Barcelona, Dec 15 (IANS) Spain is set to register a record number of visitors this year, with some 95 million foreign visitors coming to the country and a turnover of over 2 billion euros ($2.10 billion), according to the Spanish tourist industry organisation Mesa de Turismo. With foreign visitor numbers returning to pre-pandemic levels, Spain's tourist industry appears to have fully recovered from the health crisis and is now looking ahead with optimism, Xinhua news agency reported.In Barcelona, a major holiday destination in Spain and Europe, the Barcelona Tourism Consortium is aiming to use tourism to transform the city."The COVID experience was traumatic and taught us that we have an opportunity to use tourism to continue transforming our cities, to attract investment, to reach out to...

Tehran, Dec 12 (IANS) Iran and Qatar called on Thursday for urgent efforts to end Israel's attacks on Syria's infrastructure and its ongoing occupation of the Arab state.In a phone call, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani discussed the latest developments in Syria, stressing the need for continued bilateral and multilateral consultations to help stabilize Syria and form an inclusive political system with the participation of the Syrian people, according to a statement from the Iranian Foreign Ministry.Since the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's government, Israel has significantly increased airstrikes across Syria, along with ground operations targeting critical military infrastructure. The Israeli milit...

Washington, Dec 12 (IANS) President Joe Biden on Thursday commuted sentences of nearly 1,500 people and pardoned 39 convicts of non-violent crimes, making it the largest grant of clemency in a single day in modern U.S. history.“America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances,” said Biden.He added that as President, he has the great privilege of extending mercy to people who have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation, restoring opportunity for Americans to participate in daily life and contribute to their communities, and taking steps to remove sentencing disparities for non-violent offenders, especially those convicted of drug offences.“That is why, today, I am pardoning 39 people who have shown successful rehabilitation and have shown commitment to making their commun...

Damascus, Dec 11 (IANS) Syria's Military Operations Administration announced Wednesday that it has lifted the curfew previously imposed on Damascus and its surrounding areas, calling on residents to resume their daily activities and return to their workplaces.In a statement, the administration encouraged citizens to "contribute to building the new Syria" as the country attempts to normalize conditions following recent fall of Bashar al-Assad's government.The lifting of the curfew came as Mohammed al-Bashir, previously a regional leader in northwestern Syria, announced Tuesday that he had been tasked with heading a transitional government in Syria until March 2025, Xinhua news agency reported.A militant alliance led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham waged a major offensive from northern Syria sin...