Top News

24-07-2020 CHENGDU/ BEIJING/ WASHINGTON: China has ordered the United States to close its consulate in the southwestern city of Chengdu, retaliating against Washington’s move earlier this week to shut down the Chinese consulate in the city of Houston. The Chinese foreign ministry said on Friday the Chengdu mission’s closure was …

24-07-2020 ISTANBUL: Muslim prayers are being held in the iconic Hagia Sophia for the first time in 86 years after the reconversion of the Istanbul landmark into a mosque earlier this month. The Friday prayers took place two weeks after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan controversially declared the nearly 1,500-year-old …

23-07-2020 Bureau Report CANBERRA: Prime Minister Scott Morrison has admitted the government was preparing for “many thousands” of Australian coronavirus deaths. In a wide-ranging interview with A Current Affair host Tracy Grimshaw, Morrison urged Australians to “look forward” despite the ongoing outbreaks in NSW and Victoria. And he admitted that the current …

23-07-2020 By SJA Jafri + Bureau Report + Agencies MELBOURNE/ SYDNEY/ CANBERRA: Dozens of Australia’s former top gymnasts have spoken out to allege instances of mental and physical abuse within the nation’s elite program. In stories shared online, many argued that coaches normalized a “toxic” environment. Gymnastics Australia has acknowledged …

23-07-2020 RIYADH: Saudi authorities on Monday announced this year’s Hajj will take place on July 29 with only 1,000 pilgrims as the country battles a surge in coronavirus infections. Some 2.5 million people from all over the world usually participate in the ritual that takes place over several days, centered …

Airstrikes in Afghanistan kill 45 Taliban members 23-07-2020 KABUL/ HEART/ ISLAMABAD: ir strikes in eastern Afghanistan killed 45 people, including civilians and Taliban fighters, local officials said on Wednesday. Ali Ahmad Faqir Yar, governor of Adraskan district in the eastern Afghan province of Herat, said at least eight civilians were …

22-07-2020 ISTANBUL: The brutal murder of yet another Turkish woman has triggered widespread outrage in the country, with many taking to the streets and social media to express their anger. University student Pinar Gultekin, 27, was killed in the Aegean province of Mugla. She was reported missing last week and was found dead in …

22-07-2020 HOUSTON/ BEIJING: The United States of America (USA) has ordered the closure of China’s consulate in the city of Houston, a move Beijing called “an unprecedented escalation” that will sabotage relations between the two countries. In a statement on Wednesday, Morgan Ortagus, spokeswoman for the US Department of State, …

22-07-2020 TEHRAN: In his first public meeting since the onset of the coronavirus crisis in February, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei met with Iraq’s visiting Prime Minister Mostafa Al-Kadhimi in Tehran yesterday. During the meeting, Khamenei vowed to take revenge for former IRGC Qods Force Commander Qassem Soleimani who …

22-07-2020 By SJA Jafri STOCKHOLM/ RIYADH/ TEHRAN/ WASHINGTON/ JERUSALEM: When countries start dabbling in nuclear energy, eyebrows raise. It’s understandable, topping the spread of nuclear weapons while allowing countries to pursue civilian nuclear programs has proven a tough and sometimes unsuccessful balancing act for the global community. So when atom-splitting …