WASHINGTON / UNITED NATION (Dispatches) - The United States eavesdropped on conversations of the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and other UN officials, according to a report by The Washington Post citing leaked classified intelligence documents the newspaper obtained. Guterres expressed to UN officials and world leaders his “outrage” over being denied an opportunity to visit Ethiopia’s war-torn Tigray region, The Post said in a report, citing four documents, two of them previously unreported.  The United Nations officially expresses concern to the United States about reports of Washington’s spying on the world body’s Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said, “We have made it clear that such actions are inconsistent with the obligations of the United States as enumerated in the Charter of the United Nations and the convention on the privileges and immunities of the United Nations.”

 

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LONDON (AFP) - More than half of British people do not want the upcoming coronation of King Charles III to be funded by taxpayers, a new poll conducted and published found. The YouGov poll found 51 percent of respondents believe the May 6 ceremony to crown Charles and Camilla should not be paid for by the government. Nearly a third, 32 percent, said it should, while around 18 percent did not know. It comes with the UK in the grip of a cost-of-living crisis and wide-ranging strikes by employees across the public and private sectors, as decades-high inflation eats away at earnings. The situation is seen as factoring into the muted enthusiasm seen so far for the long weekend of celebrations.

 

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 NEW DELHI (AP) — India is on track to become the world’s most populous nation as its young population soars, and will surpass China by mid-2023, according to data released Wednesday by the United Nations. While there are hopes that India’s young citizenry could drive the country’s economic growth for years to come, it also might just as easily become a demographic liability if they are not adequately employed. Economists have cautioned that even as India’s economy is among the fastest-growing as its population rises, joblessness has also swelled.

 

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WASHINGTON (BBC) -Thousands of flights have been delayed in the United States after Southwest Airlines was forced to temporarily ground all flights because of a “technical glitch”. The airline said it would work to accommodate passengers disrupted by the one-hour nationwide stoppage. Flight Aware says over 5,400 flights were delayed into our out of the U.S. More than 100 were cancelled. It’s the latest setback for the budget airline. “This morning Southwest Airlines experienced a technical issue with one of their internal systems,” the FAA said. It added that all departures had been paused at the airline’s request while the Dallas-based carrier addressed the issue.

 

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BEIJING (AP) — The death toll from a fire at a Beijing hospital rose to 29, including 26 patients, authorities said Wednesday, and a dozen people had been detained including the hospital’s head and her deputy. The fire broke out at the private Changfeng Hospital and forced dozens of people to evacuate. Some who were trapped had to escape from windows using bedsheets tied together. A nurse, a medical assistant and a family member also died in the incident, said Li Zongrong, deputy head of Fengtai district.