China tells U.S. to close consulate in Chengdu in growing spat
BEIJING — China ordered the United States on Friday to close its consulate in the western city of Chengdu, ratcheting up a diplomatic conflict at a time when relations have sunk to their lowest level in decades. The move was a response to the Trump administration’s order this week for Beijing to close its consulate […]
Erdogan joins thousands at Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia for first prayers
Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan joined thousands of worshippers at Hagia Sophia on Friday for the first prayers there since he declared the monument, revered by Christians and Muslims for almost 1,500 years, a mosque once again. Erdogan and his top ministers, wearing white facemasks as a precaution against COVID-19, knelt on blue carpets at the […]
Chinese researcher charged with US visa fraud is in custody
SAN FRANCISCO – A Chinese researcher accused of concealing her ties to the Chinese military on a visa application she submitted so she could work in the U.S. was booked Friday into a Northern California jail and was expected to appear in federal court Monday. Sacramento County jail records show Juan Tang, 37, was being held on […]
Two Indian schoolgirls spot Earth-bound asteroid
AHMEDABAD: Two schoolgirls from Gujrat in India have discovered an Earth-bound asteroid while they were going through images from a University of Hawaii telescope. The asteroid is presently near Mars and its orbit is expected to cross that of Earth in about one million years’ time, said SPACE India, a private institute where the two […]
Trump wears mask, voices hope on COVID-19 vaccine in North Carolina
MORRISVILLE, N.C. (Reuters) – President Donald Trump wore a mask and talked up the possibility of a coronavirus vaccine by the end of the year on Monday as he looked to show voters in the battleground state of North Carolina that he is responding to the pandemic. Trump, whose job approval ratings have dropped as […]
Turkey passes controversial bill tightening grip on social media
ISTANBUL: The Turkish Parliament on Wednesday passed a controversial new law regulating social media to comply with any demands by the government to block or remove content. Under the new law, social media giants such as Facebook and Twitter have to ensure they have local representatives in Turkey and to comply with court orders over […]
India: Dalit woman’s body taken off funeral pyre in Uttar Pradesh
The body of a Dalit woman was taken off a funeral pyre in Uttar Pradesh by a group of upper-caste men who said she could not be cremated on communal land, police said on Tuesday, a case that prompted angry calls for an end to caste discrimination. The funeral was being held last week when […]
Heathrow Airport warns of ‘quarantine roulette’
LONDON: Heathrow Airport, once Europe’s busiest airport, called on Britain to urgently back a passenger testing regime, warning that without one, the country’s strict quarantine rules will stop travel, stall the economy and lead to more job losses. Heathrow said that to avoid losing a game of global “quarantine roulette”, the government should change its […]
As virus aid talks stalemate, Trump scorns help for cities
President Donald Trump on Wednesday dismissed Democratic demands for aid to cash-strapped cities in a new coronavirus relief package and lashed out at Republican allies as talks stalemated over assistance for millions of Americans. Another lawmaker tested positive for the virus. Republicans, beset by delays and infighting, signaled a willingness to swiftly approve a modest […]
Social distancing and electronic wristbands as pilgrims attend scaled-down Haj
Dubai: Muslim pilgrims, donning face masks and moving in small groups after days in isolation, began arriving at Islam’s holiest site in Mecca on Wednesday for the start of a historically unique and scaled-down hajj experience reshaped by the coronavirus pandemic. The hajj is one of Islam’s most important requirements, performed once in a lifetime. It […]
