Indonesia denies reports of recognizing Israel, vows to stay at forefront defending Palestine JAKARTA: Jakarta has denied plans to establish diplomatic ties with Tel Aviv, following viral Israeli media reports claiming it was part of a deal to smooth Indonesia’s entry into the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Indonesia is the first Southeast Asian … Read more
Kabul: The Taliban’s hyper-reclusive supreme leader made a rare public appearance Wednesday, an Afghan government spokesman said, berating the international community in a speech for criticizing his rule.Hibatullah Akhundzada has made only a handful of public appearances since inheriting the leadership of the Taliban in 2016 and leading the movement back to power with the … Read more
BERLIN: German soccer and Adidas are breaking up. American sportswear giant Nike will supply all of Germany’s national teams with its apparel and equipment from 2027, the German soccer federation (DFB) surprisingly announced Thursday. The new deal extends to 2034 and ends Germany’s long-standing relationship with Adidas, which goes back some 70 years and had … Read more
Saudi Haramain High Speed Railway gears up to transport 1.3m Umrah pilgrims during Ramadan RIYADH: The Haramain High Speed Railway has announced plans to operate more than 2,700 trips while providing seating capacity exceeding 1.3 million passengers to meet the increasing demand for transportation between Makkah and Madinah during Ramadan. Saudi Arabia Railways, in coordination … Read more
BERLIN: German police detained on Tuesday two Afghan citizens accused of planning to attack police near the Swedish parliament in response to the burning of copies of the Qur’an, the Muslim holy book, federal prosecutors said. The suspects, identified only as Afghan citizens Ibrahim M.G. and Ramin N., were detained in the eastern city of … Read more
MUENSTER, Germany: A German court is due to rule this week on whether security services can treat the far-right Alternative for Germany and its youth wing as suspected extremist organizations, a decision that could cost the party dearly in upcoming European elections. If the higher administrative court in Muenster confirms a lower court finding, the … Read more
DHAKA: Mohammad Hanif Pappu has spent his life painting film stars — first on posters and then on rickshaws, a moving medium that over the past few decades has earned him legendary fame in Dhaka. But it was only recently that he and his fellow craftsmen received global recognition, when the UN cultural agency, UNESCO, … Read more
LEVERKUSEN,Germany: Jonathan Tah scored in the 90th minute to send Bayer Leverkusen through to the German Cup semifinals with a 3-2 win at home over Stuttgart on Tuesday. League leaders Leverkusen twice came from behind against an impressive Stuttgart side, securing victory in the dying moments for the third time in their past five matches. … Read more
NEW DELHI: A powerful Hindu group said several mosques in India were built over demolished Hindu temples, apparently hardening its stance in a decades-long sectarian dispute just days after a huge temple was inaugurated on the site of a razed mosque. The comments from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological parent of Prime Minister … Read more
PARIS/KYIV: Ukraine has managed to boost its Black Sea grain exports to a level not seen since before Russia’s invasion, although the Red Sea shipping crisis poses a new challenge to its crucial agricultural trade.Kyiv’s success in replacing a UN-backed Black Sea export deal with its own shipping scheme has brought relief for Ukrainian farmers … Read more