Asian countries have voiced concern about the potentially devastating impact of a U.S.-China trade war, with Ministers calling for the acceleration of talks for a gigantic Beijing-backed free-trade deal that excludes the United States. Fear that a simmering trade spat between the world’s top two economies could spiral into a …

“National tragedy.” That is how Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera described the problem of prevalent household indebtedness in Sri Lanka, when he recently announced the government’s decision to write off debt of LKR 1 lakh or less, incurred by 75,000 women in 12 drought-affected districts across the country. The move, aimed …

At the stroke of midnight on July 3, 1954, members of the London Housewives’ Association held a ceremony in central London to mark the end of food rationing in Britain that had commenced 14 years before, after the start of the Second World War. Rationing covered goods from meat and …

Of the many delights of living in Paris is the ability to enjoy history, art and culture, thanks to the city’s outstanding museums. The Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay and the Centre Georges Pompidou are some of the world’s most popular museums located in the French capital. But there are others …

Venezuela’s controversial Constituent Assembly (CA) marked its first anniversary on Saturday as the embodiment of President Nicolas Maduro’s entrenchment in power despite an economic crisis that has crippled the country’s public services and destroyed its currency. The assembly’s very creation last year was largely responsible for four months of street …

North Korea has pressed ahead with its nuclear and missile programmes and continues to evade UN sanctions through increased illegal ship-to-ship transfers of oil products at sea, a UN report said on Friday. In a 62-page report sent to the Security Council, the UN panel of experts also listed violations …

the Treasury Department imposed sanctions on a Russian bank accused of helping North Korea with weapons-related activities. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo listed stringent preconditions for any engagement with Iran. And the administration’s top intelligence and law enforcement officials vowed to combat Russian interference in the midterm elections, while Senate …

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday reviewed the preparations for the launch of the health protection programme, Ayushman Bharat. The scheme will provide a health insurance cover of up to Rs. 5 lakh per family and will cover over 10 crore poor families. Top officials of the Ministry of Health …

India said on Saturday that delayed higher tariffs against some goods imported from the U.S. would go into force on September 18. New Delhi, incensed by Washington’s refusal to exempt it from new tariffs, decided in June to raise import tax from August 4 on some U.S. products, including almonds, …

India’s benchmark equity index, the 30-share Sensex, is on a record-breaking spree this year. The recent past saw the index regularly touching a new high with ease as it breached the 37,000-mark for the first time ever on July 26. Incidentally, the index took only 13 trading sessions to clock …