International

Web Desk — A China Eastern Airlines passenger jet carrying 132 people crashed in Guangxi, southern China, on Monday afternoon. China Eastern and aviation officials in China confirmed the crash of the Boeing 737. There was no immediate information on whether anyone survived the flight, which had the code MU5735. Flight-tracking website FlightRadar24.com reported that the plane started a deep …

Denmark is the second happiest country in the world. Iceland, Switzerland, and the Netherlands are ranked third, fourth, and fifth, respectively. Afghanistan is regarded as the world’s most unhappy country. Web Desk — Saudi Arabia has climbed one spot to place 25th in this year’s World Happiness Report. Published by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, the survey measures happiness …

Web Desk — Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman’s “Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030” program is transforming the state from a traditional and conservative Islamic country to a part of the modern world. The latest example that the Kingdom is modernizing its international image came from Dubai Expo 2020 where Saudi Arabia Pavilion won the best pavilion category award besides two honorary …

Web Desk — A state of emergency was declared in Israel as major Israeli government websites went down in what appeared to be a strong cyberattack.  According to Israel’s National Cyber Directorate, the websites of the interior, health, justice, and welfare ministries and the prime minister’s office were hacked in the cyberattack. Israel’s cyber protection agency said, “In the past …

Web Desk — Russia shelled a mosque in Mariupol housing at least 80 civilians, including Turkish citizens, the Ukrainian foreign ministry said on Saturday. Russian invaders shelled the mosque of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and his wife Roxolana (Hurrem Sultan) in Mariupol, the foreign ministry said in a tweet. “There are more than 80 adults and children hiding from the …

Web Desk — British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has called on the entire G7 to ban Russia oil imports, saying the world’s leading economies should “go further and faster” in punishing Moscow for invading Ukraine. Standing alongside US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Truss also appreciated the transatlantic unity against Russian aggression, saying the strength of the alliance has “surprised” …

Web Desk — Israeli President Isaac Herzog met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Wednesday, in the first visit by an Israeli head of state to Turkey since 2008. The two countries are seeking to mend fractured relations.  Israel and Turkey are both acting as mediators between Kyiv and Moscow during Herzog’s visit, which was planned weeks …

Web Desk — Following the lifting of COVID-19-related precautionary, the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques has provided a number of interpreters inside the Grand Mosque in Makkah.  Muhammad bin Abdulaziz Al-Humaidi, the undersecretary for languages and translation, said the service was part of efforts to offer top-quality facilities to mosque visitors. The government is keen …

Web Desk — Russian authorities continue to arrest protesters and block independent news outlets as the war against Ukraine rages on. On Friday, Putin signed a bill into law that criminalizes the intentional spreading of what Moscow deems to be “fake” reports. Anyone convicted would face up to 15 years in prison. A 32-year old Vladislav Slepyshev has flown to …

Web Desk — After failing to meet some of the additional criteria, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is likely to keep Pakistan on its gray list for another four months. The government of Pakistan now aims to complete the 2021 action plan on anti-money laundering and counter-terror financing (AML/CFT) by the end of January 2023. Pakistan is on the …