International

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that a US military helicopter was shot down by Iran and that the United States “must” respond. The Apache helicopter is the second crewed aircraft that Washington has confirmed was shot down by Iran during the Middle East war, following the loss of an F-15 fighter plane in April. The downing of the helicopter ...

India has deported nearly 5,000 Bangladeshi citizens since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu-nationalist party swept to power in West Bengal last month, according to official statistics. Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won a sweeping victory in elections in the eastern border state of more than 100 million people, promising to “detect, delete and deport” illegal migrants. India shares a long ...

At least 15 people were feared dead in the southern Philippines on Monday after a powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck off the island of Mindanao, triggering tsunami warnings across several countries. The quake came early in the morning as schools were reopening in the Philippines after a long break, with the tremors felt strongly in a dozen provinces and 420 ...

A police complaint has been filed against Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee by an advocate, alleging that her recent public remarks critical of constitutional institutions and “linking the Union government to a political killing in Bangladesh” were “prejudicial to the nation’s sovereignty and public order”. The complaint was filed on Wednesday by advocate Rinki Chatterjee Singh of the Calcutta High ...

Israel and Lebanon agreed to implement a ceasefire to end hostilities, the Trump administration said on Wednesday, in a boost to hopes for a broader deal to end the US-Israeli war on Iran. Tehran, which had conditioned any deal with the US in part on an end to fighting between Israel and Lebanon, earlier struck Kuwait, damaging its airport and ...

Turkey’s ousted opposition leader Ozgur Ozel showed he can still command strong support on Saturday, drawing a crowd of thousands in Ankara despite a court ruling that removed him from office and dealt a blow to President Tayyip Erdogan’s challengers. After addressing supporters – estimated in the tens of thousands by the private Anka news agency and media outlets close ...

The US, UK and Australia say they will develop underwater drone technology to protect undersea cables and boost defence, under their military alliance known as Aukus, reports BBC. The uncrewed undersea vehicle (UUV) technology is expected to be ready by next year. While the project’s total cost was not stated, British defence secretary John Healey said the UK would contribute ...

EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas warned Thursday that Europeans risk walking into a Russian “trap” by getting bogged down over who should represent them in any Ukraine peace talks with Moscow. “It’s a trap that Russia wants us to walk into, that we discuss who talks to them, and they are already picking who is suitable, who is not. Let’s ...

The holy Eid-ul-Azha is being celebrated on Wednesday (27 May), with religious solemnity and festive enthusiasm in Saudi Arabia, UK, USA and other Middle Eastern countries. Devout Muslims are observing one of the largest religious festivals in the Muslim world through Eid prayers, animal sacrifices, and Hajj rituals. The Eid-ul-Azha celebrations in the Middle East officially began after the completion ...

Huge numbers of Muslims prayed on Mount Arafat on Tuesday at the climax of the hajj pilgrimage, as a punishing desert sun sent temperatures soaring towards 40C. From daybreak, thousands of white-robed worshippers recited Quranic verses on the 70-metre (230 feet) rocky hill near Mecca, where the Prophet Mohammed is believed to have delivered his last sermon. Volunteers handed out ...