WASHINGTON: Puppeteer Caroll Spinney, who brought Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch to life on the iconic children’s television show “Sesame Street” for half a century, died on Sunday at the age of 85. Spinney died at home in Connecticut after living for some time with the movement disorder dystonia, […]
World
Miss South Africa is 2019 Miss Universe
ATLANTA: Miss South Africa was crowned Miss Universe on Sunday in Atlanta after a lavish ceremony filled with glitter and heartfelt speeches about female empowerment. Zozibini Tunzi, 26, finished first ahead of the Puerto Rican and Mexican finalists in a flashy televised event, hosted by American comic turned TV personality […]
Violent protesters vandalise shops, bank in Hong Kong
HONG KONG: A group of violent protesters vandalised shops and a bank in Causeway Bay and Wan Chai during a demonstration in Hong Kong on Sunday, Xinhua news agency reported, quoting a statement by the police. The police warned them not to do any illegal acts posing threat to public […]
S Korea to ban foreign tourists from getting driver’s license
SEOUL: Short-term foreign visitors will soon be barred from applying for a South Korean driver’s licence, as a revision of a relevant local law is imminent, reported Yonhap News Agency, quoting police on Monday. The Road Traffic Act’s revision to allow only registered foreigners to obtain a driver’s licence here […]
Trump aims at toilets’ problem
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump told a White House gathering Friday that he’s taking aim at the problem of US toilets that require flushing “10 times, 15 times”. Speaking in a voice and with a level of detail that suggested the importance he was giving the issue, Trump told the high-level […]
Sydney struggles to breathe
MELBOURNE: A giant bushfire on the edge of Sydney, which has blanketed the city in smoke causing a spike in respiratory illnesses and the cancellation of outdoor sports, will take weeks to control but will not be extinguished without heavy rains, firefighters said. Thousands of weary firefighters, who have been […]
HK police to take hard-and-soft approaches
BEIJING/HONG KONG: The Hong Kong police will use both “hard” and “soft” approaches when dealing with protests, Hong Kong’s police commissioner Chris Tang told reporters in Beijing yesterday. The police chief spoke ahead of a potentially large pro-democracy demonstration today and following nearly six months of sometimes violent protests in […]
Sabiha Gokcen is ‘Best Airport of The Year’
ANKARA: Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen International Airport was selected “Best Airport of The Year” Friday by the Asia Pacific Aviation Centre (CAPA), one of the world’s leading aviation organisations. Airport CEO Ersel Goral received the award at a ceremony held at the CAPA World Aviation Summit in Malta, Turkey’s Anadolu Agency […]
Korean pop culture producers eyeing SEA
SEOUL: Southeast Asian countries are emerging as a new market for Korean broadcasting content, in line with the government’s aggressive foreign policy initiative called the New Southern Policy, which gained momentum via a South Korea-Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) special summit in Busan last month. The region can provide […]
56 polar bears descend on village
MOSCOW: More than 50 polar bears have gathered on the edge of a village in Russia’s far north, environmentalists and residents said, as weak Arctic ice leaves them unable to roam. The Russian branch of the World Wildlife Fund said climate change was to blame, as unusually warm temperatures prevented […]