The Dalai Lama on Monday apologised to a boy, his family and friends for the "hurt his words may have caused", after a video clip purportedly showing the Tibetan spiritual head asking him to suck his tongue sparked a row. In the two-minute-five-second video, the Dalai Lama

Saudi and Omani delegations have held talks with Houthi officials in the Yemeni capital Sanaa as part of international efforts to find a settlement to Yemen’s nine-year conflict, Houthi-run media reported. The visit indicates progress in the Oman-mediated consultations between

China said it was simulating "sealing off" Taiwan in a third day of drills as it appeared to use an aircraft carrier to launch jets towards the island. Taiwan said it had detected jets to its east while China said its Shandong aircraft carrier had taken part. Beijing began

Two British-Israeli sisters who were shot dead in an attack in the West Bank on Friday were named on Saturday as Maya and Rina Dee Di Mafart. Their mother, Leah, remains in a critical condition in hospital, according to local media. The sisters, aged 16 and 20, were killed at the

The Organ­isation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) adopted a joint resolution on Saturday, emphasiSing that Muslims have an exclusive right to pray inside the Al Aqsa mosque. In Doha, Qatar announced that it has started mediation to reduce tensions in Israel and the occupied

China launched military drills around Taiwan on Saturday, in what it called a "stern warning" to the self-ruled island's government following a meeting between its leader and a ranking US official. Dubbed "United Sharp Sword," the three-day operation will run

Saudi officials arrived in Iran to discuss procedures for reopening Riyadh’s embassy in Tehran and consulate in Mashhad, the Saudi foreign ministry said on Saturday. Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to end their diplomatic rift and reopen their diplomatic missions in March, after

At least 74 people were killed in Nigeria's Benue state in two separate attacks by gunmen this week, local officials and police said on Saturday, the latest clashes in an area where violence between pastoralists and farmers is common. Violence has increased in recent years as

President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on April 7 that Ukraine was beginning a new tradition of hosting official iftar meals during Ramadan, Ukrinform reported. In Islam, iftar is the meal breaking the daily fast during the month of Ramadan. Zelensky announced it as he participated

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said any Ukraine peace talks must focus on creating a “new world order” and take into account “Russian interests, Russian concerns”. Russia has long said it was leading a struggle against the United States’

An Italian tourist has been killed and seven other people wounded in a suspected car ramming attack near a beach in Tel Aviv, Israeli medics say. Italy's foreign minister said Israel had identified the man killed as Italian citizen Alessandro Parini. Footage from the scene

Thousands of people have fled across the border to Thailand amid fierce fighting between Myanmar’s armed rebel groups and the military, according to Thai officials. Myanmar was plunged into turmoil when the military seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in

The Israeli military has struck besieged Gaza and southern Lebanon following a day of rocket fire from the Palestinian territory and from Lebanon in reaction to Israel's back-to-back military incursions into the Al Aqsa Mosque — Islam's third-holiest site. Hamas, which

Gunmen have killed at least 50 people during two attacks on a village in north-central Nigeria, authorities said Thursday. Ruben Bako, chairman of the Otukpo local government where the massacre happened, said that gunmen killed 47 people on Wednesday in Umogidi village in Benue state.

A continued slowdown in almost all the world's advanced economies is expected to drag global growth below three percent this year, the International Monetary Fund's managing director warned on Thursday. "With rising geopolitical tensions and still-high inflation, a robust

The foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia have met in Beijing in the first formal meeting of the two countries’ top diplomats in seven years. Saudi Arabia’s state-run broadcaster Al Ekhbariya released brief footage of the meeting on Twitter on Thursday showing Prince

France is bracing for another day of protests and strikes on Thursday to denounce President Emmanuel Macron's pension reform after talks between the government and unions ended in deadlock. There have been signs that the two-and-a-half month protest movement is starting to lose

Violence resumed for a second straight night in Jerusalem on Wednesday when Palestinian worshippers barricaded themselves inside Al-Aqsa Mosque at the Old City’s sensitive compound and Israeli police used force to remove dozens of worshippers. The unrest was less intense than the

French President Emmanuel Macron landed in China on Wednesday for a three-day visit. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was also expected to join the trip. The leaders will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping with the objective of repairing ties with Beijing —

Israeli police have attacked dozens of worshippers in Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque compound injuring seven people, according to witnesses. The raid took place before dawn on Wednesday with Israeli police claiming they were responding to “rioting”. The Palestinian Red