World

Mohamed Al Fayed, the Egyptian business tycoon whose empire of trophy properties and influence in Europe and the Middle East was overshadowed by the 1997 Paris car crash that killed his eldest son, Dodi, and Diana, the Princess of Wales, died Wednesday. He was 94. His death was confirmed Friday in a statement by the Fulham Football Club in Britain, of which Al Fayed was a former owner. It did not

Beijing, Aug 29: China on Monday officially released the 2023 edition of its “standard map” incorporating the disputed areas including its claims over Arunachal Pradesh, Aksai Chin region, Taiwan and the disputed South China Sea. “The 2023 edition of China's standard map was officially released on Monday and launched on the website of the standard map service hosted by the Ministry of Natural

The government of France has decided to ban school students attending state-run facilities from wearing the abaya, a loose-fitting, full length dress some Muslim women wear. Education Minister Gabriel Attal, who was only promoted to his role earlier in the summer, made the announcement late on Sunday in an interview with French television channel TF1. "When you walk into a classroom, you shouldn't

Johannesburg, Aug 25: China’s Foreign Ministry said early on Friday that President Xi Jinping told Prime Minister Narendra Modi in talks on Wednesday that both sides “should bear in mind the overall interests” of ties and “handle properly the border issue”. Beijing also said the meeting at the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg came “at the request” of Prime Minister Modi. Neither side

Johannesburg, Aug 24: Leaders of the BRICS group of developing nations have invited Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt, Argentina and the United Arab Emirates to join, in a move aimed at growing the clout of a bloc that has pledged to champion the "Global South". Expansion could also pave the way for dozens of interested countries seeking admission to BRICS - currently Brazil, Russia, India

An Embraer Legacy 600 executive jet, believed to have carried Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin to his death on Wednesday, showed no sign of a problem until a precipitous drop in its final 30 seconds, according to flight-tracking data. Rosaviatsia, Russia's aviation agency, said Prigozhin, who led an aborted mutiny in June, was one of 10 people on board the downed plane. It was travelling

Johannesburg, Aug 23: China wants to integrate Pakistan into the BRICS alliance (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa), and Chinese President XI Jinping’s attempt has triggered a diplomatic complexity. This development arises as China argues that the BRICS coalition should expand its membership to include more developing nations, using this rationale to advocate for Pakistan's inclusion. Earlier

The Hague, Aug 19: A Dutch far-right miscreant trampled on and tore up a copy of the Qur’an at a demonstration outside the Turkish embassy in The Hague on Friday, infuriating dozens of counter-protesters. The Dutch government had already condemned the holding of the demonstration ahead of the event, but said it had no legal powers to prevent it. Edwin Wagensveld, who leads the Dutch branch of the

Islamabad, Aug 17: Police arrested around 13 suspects in overnight raids from an area in eastern Pakistan where a mob angered over the alleged desecration of the Quran by a Christian man attacked churches and homes of minority Christians, prompting authorities to summon troops to restore order, officials said Thursday. There were no casualties as Christians living in a residential area in the city

Fatalities from wildfires on the Hawaiian Island of Maui have climbed to 93, making them the deadliest to grip the US in more than a century, according to the National Protection Association. Meanwhile, anger at the government response to the deadliest wildfire in recent US history is mounting. Residents have raised questions over various aspects of the government response, from warnings during