Outrage as far-right religious and political groups seek Rohingya-like mass murder and exodus of Indian Muslims, in presence of the leaders of ruling BJP, in a three-day Hindutva conclave held in northern Haridwar city. Leaders of several far-right groups with ties to the ruling Narendra Modi’s government have called for ethnic cleansing of minorities in … Read more
India has appointed a senior diplomat, who can speak Chinese fluently and with rich experience in diplomatic negotiations, to be its new ambassador to China, and this might be a positive sign for China-India relations, experts said, but stressed that “know China well” doesn’t necessarily mean “be friendly to China” because Indian diplomats’ behavior is … Read more
Nepal’s largest stupa, one of the holiest pilgrimage sites in Tibetan Buddhism, was festooned with biodegradable prayer flags after devotees replaced the more common synthetic version with a greener alternative. Colourful prayer flags, which have auspicious symbols and prayers inscribed on them, are an integral part of Buddhist rituals. At the white-domed Boudhanath stupa, prayer … Read more
The turbocharged racist agenda of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government carry on as an Indian man of minority group went to court to complain about Modi promoting himself as the face of the nation’s Covid vaccination drive, but walked away with a fine for wasting the judge’s time. The move gives the impression of … Read more
The James Webb Space Telescope, the most powerful space observatory ever built, is now tentatively set for launch on Christmas Day, after decades of waiting. An engineering marvel, it will help answer fundamental questions about the Universe, peering back in time 13 billion years. Here are five things to know. Giant gold mirror The telescope’s centerpiece is … Read more
Since Narendra Modi began his second term as India’s prime minister in 2019, one of the defining features of India’s foreign strategy has been upgrading relations with the US, Japan and Australia as well as promoting the “Indo-Pacific” strategy to balance China. Due to excessively close relations between India and the US, the India-Russia relationship … Read more
The death toll from Malaysia’s worst floods in years rose to 27 on December 22, as a clean-up operation gathered pace and residents assessed the damage unleashed by the disaster. Days of torrential rain caused rivers to overflow at the weekend, swamping cities, cutting off major roads, and forcing tens of thousands of people to flee their … Read more
“White-knuckle” — That’s how Rusty Whitman describes the month ahead, after the launch of the historic James Webb Space Telescope, now tentatively set for Saturday. From a secure control room in Baltimore, Maryland, Whitman and his colleagues will hold their breath as Webb comes online. But that’s just the beginning. For the first six months … Read more
Camille Abbey was two months away from giving birth to twins when she sensed something wasn’t right. “I felt strange all week. I had swelled enormously. I had a lot of trouble moving,” said the 33-year-old French journalist. Abbey’s midwife found her blood pressure spiking and sent her to hospital where doctors confirmed she had … Read more
Brighton, on England’s south coast, has been described as Britain’s hippest city, and is a haven for tourists, especially Londoners keen to escape the capital. But surfer Stu Davies says the waters off Brighton and along the Channel coast are less attractive, describing them as an “open sewer”. Human faeces, wipes and tampons are regularly discharged … Read more
The UK Supreme Court on ruled that a dispute over control of 31 tonnes of Venezuelan gold deposited with the Bank of England should be heard again by a lower court. The judges said the Commercial Court should look at whether rulings by Venezuela’s Supreme Court should apply in deciding the long-running case, which pits … Read more
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced pressure to tighten coronavirus restrictions to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant even how reeling from a rebellion by 100 of his MPs in a parliamentary vote over coronavirus measures after the stunning loss of a 23,000-majority seat in a by-election. Even the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was … Read more
Archaeologists conducting excavations at the Suyang relics site in Henan Province, central China, have found evidence of exchanges between different cultures in remote antiquity. During the course of six months, relics were unearthed showing that Yangshao Culture was dominant at the site, but the Qujialing Culture and Hongshan Culture were also present, illustrating their interaction … Read more
Turkey will send 15 million Covid-19 vaccine doses to Africa, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced at a major summit of the continent’s leaders, adding that the low vaccination rates there were a blot on humanity. Ankara has invested heavily in developing trade and diplomatic ties with the world’s poorest continent during Erdogan’s rule as prime … Read more
A defiant rejection of his massive social spending bill by a single US senator, a fellow Democrat, and a surge in Covid cases are imperiling Joe Biden less than a year into his presidency. Returning to the White House from a weekend at his family home in Delaware, the 79-year-old president, wearing a black face … Read more
When he inherited power in North Korea 10 years ago, Swiss-educated basketball fan Kim Jong Un seemed open to foreign ideas and market reforms, but is increasingly shutting down outside influences as he enters his second decade in office. North Korea has long been one of the world’s most isolated countries, with authorities seeking to … Read more
Genocide charges against a Cambodian ex-Khmer Rouge commander were dropped by the United Nations-backed court set up to try leaders of the brutal regime, according to a statement issued last week. The Khmer Rouge, also known as the Communist Party of Kampuchea, sought to transform Cambodia into an agrarian utopia, but instead killed as many … Read more
North Korea marked the 10th anniversary of the death of leader Kim Jong Il with a memorial service attended by thousands, including his son Kim Jong Un, state television footage showed. Kim Jong Il ruled North Korea for 17 years until his death in December 2011, passing on power to his son. The current leader … Read more
As rescuers comb the ash-covered landscape looking for people after Indonesia’s Mount Semeru erupted earlier this month, volunteers are searching for even more vulnerable survivors: cats, cows and other animals. The disaster killed 48 people, according to the latest toll, and rescuers are still seeking bodies in the mud and rubble. As deadly ash destroyed villages … Read more
Russia space agency to continue growing its tourism mission A Japanese billionaire returned to Earth, after 12 days spent on the International Space Station where he made videos about performing mundane tasks in space including brushing teeth and going to the bathroom. Online fashion tycoon Yusaku Maezawa and his assistant Yozo Hirano parachuted onto Kazakhstan’s steppe … Read more
Mazen Shaiban has been composing 3D paintings about life in old Damascus for over 25 years. With an aspiration to become an internationally-renowned artist, he began to create artworks about world landmarks, including the Great Wall of China. Over the last two decades, Shaiban has created a remarkable collection of artworks using various materials, such … Read more
Egypt sentenced Alaa Abdel Fattah, a leading figure in the 2011 revolution, to five years in jail, with two others receiving four years, his sister and a judicial source said. A computer programmer, blogger and high-profile activist who mobilised youths in the uprising that unseated autocrat Hosni Mubarak, Abdel Fattah had been in pre-trial detention … Read more
Left in ruins by militants, Iraq’s once-celebrated Mosul museum and its 2,500-year-old treasures are being given a second life thanks to restoration efforts backed by French experts. Ancient artefacts in the museum were smashed into little pieces when Daesh group fighters seized the northern city of Mosul in 2014 and made it their seat of … Read more
Libya is to hold its first ever presidential elections but the lack of a final list of candidates and bitter political divisions have cast doubt on whether they will take place. Polling, set for December 24, was intended to mark a transition towards peace, but many now fear it could instead reignite civil war. The “elections … Read more
Hong Kong’s leader hailed the outcome of a “patriots only” legislature election that saw a record low voter turnout and government loyalists sweep every seat. The financial hub selected new lawmakers on December 19 under fresh rules imposed by Beijing that dramatically cut directly elected seats and controlled who could stand for office after huge … Read more
Pakistan cricket remains a study of unpredictability over the years where it is hard to guess which team will show up on a given day. It is that uncertainty that makes the Pakistan team a treat to watch for cricket lovers all over the world. However, one thing that the Men-in-Green have stayed consistent with … Read more
The phrase common prosperity has gained prominence this year, as China is determined to bring better lives to more people. After winning the anti-poverty fight and completing the first centenary goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, China now has favourable conditions for promoting common prosperity. “China’s level of economic development has … Read more
Pakistan had a quiet Asian Hockey Championship Trophy as they finished on the fourth spot on the table. The arch-rivals India defeated the Green Shirts by 4-3 in a closely fought encounter for the third position in the tournament on Wednesday. Though the Men-in-Green finished on the fourth spot in the five-team event and only … Read more
