Ex-New Zealand soldier who helped veterans dies in Ukraine

WELLINGTON: A former New Zealand soldier who co-founded a charity to help struggling veterans has been killed in Ukraine, authorities said Thursday.Ukrainian authorities confirmed the death of Kane Te Tai and the New Zealand embassy in Poland was trying to find out more details, New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in a…

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South Korea, US to hold largest live-fire drills amid North Korea tension

SEOUL: South Korean and US forces will hold their largest-ever live-fire exercises in June in a show of force to North Korea, which has ratcheted up tension with numerous missile launches, South Korea’s defence ministry said on Wednesday.The exercises are part of a series of events marking the 70th anniversary of the alliance between the…

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Explainer: What you need to know about Thailand’s elections

BANGKOK: Thailand dissolved its parliament on Monday, paving the way for what could be a bitterly-fought election in May between rival political forces at the heart of a tumultuous 18-year struggle for power.Below are some key issues around the election. WHICH PARTIES ARE THE MAIN CONTENDERS? The opposition Pheu Thai party, controlled by the billionaire…

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Nowruz: Google celebrates spring festival of Nowruz with colourful doodle

NEW DELHI: Nowruz, also known as the Persian New Year, is an important holiday celebrated on the vernal equinox, typically around March 20th or 21st. It is a time of renewal and new beginnings, and is celebrated by people of Iranian and Central Asian descent.Google is celebrating Nowruz today with a doodle artwork that represents…

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‘North Korea’s Kim led drills simulating a nuclear counterattack’

SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un led two days of military drills “simulating a nuclear counterattack”, including the firing of a ballistic missile carrying a mock nuclear warhead, state news agency KCNA reported Monday.Kim expressed “satisfaction” over the weekend drills, which were held to “let relevant units get familiar with the procedures and processes…

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Ruling party likely to sweep Kazakh parliamentary election

ALMATY: Kazakhstan voted in a snap parliamentary election on Sunday widely expected to cement President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev‘s grip on power and complete a reshuffle of the ruling elite that began after he fully assumed leadership last year. By the time polling stations across the country closed, 54.2% of voters had cast their ballots, the Central…

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North: North Korea launches missile into sea amid US-South Korea drills

SEOUL: North Korea launched a suspected missile toward the sea on Sunday, its neighbours said, as the North ramps up testing activities in response to US-South Korean military drills that it views as an invasion rehearsal. Japan’s Defence Ministry and coast guard said what appeared to be a North Korean missile was fired Sunday morning….

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Russia: Russia, Ukraine extend grain deal to aid world’s poor

KYIV: An unprecedented wartime deal that allowed grain to flow from Ukraine to countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia where hunger is a growing threat and high food prices are pushing more people into poverty was extended just before its expiration date, officials said Saturday.The United Nations and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan…

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