• Japan vows to watch Chinese warplane activity closely - International - World

    Japan's top government spokesman warned China on Monday against expanding its military activity to the skies over disputed East China Sea islands after eight Chinese warplanes flew near the area over the weekend. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said that Japan scrambled at least one fighter jet after the planes passed over the Miyako Strait on Sunday, east of the Japanese-controlled Senkaku islands, which China also claims and calls the Diaoyu. The aircraft, believed to be two fighter jets, four bombers and two reconnaissance aircraft, did not violate Japanese airspace during a long-distance roundtrip flight, Suga said, but it was the first time Chinese warplanes had flown that route.

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  • British Ambassador performed Haj

    Saudi Gazette report According to a report in the BBC, the British ambassador to Saudi Arabia has performed the Haj pilgrimage after converting to Islam. The report stated that Simon Collis made the holy trip with his Syrian wife Huda Mujarkech, and he was the first British ambassador to perform Haj. Collis was pictured wearing the white robes, or ihram. The photograph was posted on the twitter account of Saudi Arabian writer and university professor, Fawziah Albakr, who wrote in Arabic, “First British ambassador to the Kingdom undertakes the Haj following his conversion to Islam. Simon Collis with his wife Huda in Mecca, praise be to God.”  On Twitter, Collis thanked well-wishers and revealed

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  • Love Island will return for a third series

    Good news for fans of Love Island - ITV has announced it will be back next year. Bosses have ordered a third season of one of the summer's most talked about shows. Its second run is thought to have doubled last year's viewing figures, with an average of 1.3 million people watching each episode. "We can't wait to do it all again next year," said ITV Studios creative director Richard Cowles. Although the series officially finished last night with Nathan Massey and Cara De La Hoyde crowned champions, it will return for a special episode on Sunday 17 July. Love Island: Heading Home will follow the islanders as they're reunited at the wrap party. Which will no doubt mean clashes as exes come face-to-face

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  • Two Muslim Women Kicked Off JetBlue Flight for ‘Staring’ at Flight Attendant

    In what would have been a shocking but is now an all-too-familiar Islamophobic incident, two Muslim women were led off a passenger plane as a flight attendant did not like the way the women ‘stared’ at her, according to DailyMail. On Saturday, two Muslim women in hijabs onboard JetBlue Flight 487 between Boston and Los Angeles were escorted out of the airliner by police as one of the flight attendants was concerned about the way the two women were looking at her. A video showing the two women being escorted out for questioning was posted on YouTube on Monday by Mark Frauenfelder, taken by his friend Sharon Kessler. In regards to the incident, Kessler told DailyMail that "it was a terrible moment

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  • Everyone is Talking About the Egyptian Olympian Facing an Israeli Opponent

    News of Egyptian Judo player, Islam el-Shehaby, competing against Israeli Or Sasson, is becoming a source of uproar social media.  The reactions in Egyptian social media ranged from some objecting and demanding his withdrawal, and some challenging this view and asserting that he should go through with it. Those who object believe it is a choice the Egyptian judoka should not even contemplate, because according to them, it is a given that relations with Israel must be avoided, even in international sports arenas. As for those who believe he should go through with it, they are certain that el-Shehaby is strong enough to take the Israeli judoka down – a win that will metaphorically represent Egypt,

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  • Rouhani uses UN to hit US over nuclear deal - Region - World

    Iran used the UN General Assembly on Thursday to accuse the United States of failing to meet its commitments under a historic nuclear deal. President Hassan Rouhani complained that America is dragging its feet on its side of the bargain. "The lack of compliance (with the deal) on the part of the United States in the past several months represents a flawed approach that should be rectified forthwith," Rouhani told the world body. The agreement between Tehran, Washington and five other major powers came into force in January. Iran accepted curbs to its nuclear program in exchange for their lifting sanctions. While observers say Iran has met its commitments, Tehran accuses Washington of continuing

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  • Meet the world's richest young billionaires as Hugh Grosvenor inherits £9bn

    He had three daughters but only one son, 25-year-old Hugh Grosvenor, who is heir to the dukedom. Hugh has now inherited "half of London" after his father's estate covers most of Belgravia and Mayfair - the most expensive area on the Monopoly board. He hasn't had to work for his father's money. But he does have a job as an account manager for Bio-bean - a green technology company. According to the 2016 Forbes Rich List there are nine other under-30s worth more than $1bn - so we thought we'd find out who some of them are. At 20 and 21, Alexandra and Katharina Andresen are the youngest Johan, a Norwegian industrialist and investor, transferred his fortune to his two daughters in 2007. Norway is

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  • Italian driver races China daredevil road in record time

    An Italian driver has raced up China's Tongtian Road, considered one of the world's most dangerous, in record time. Fabio Barone covered the nearly 11km (6.8 mile) route in just 10 minutes 31 seconds, on 21 September. The road has 99 sharp turns on its way up Tianmen Mountain, rising from 200 to 1,300 metres above sea level. He had his Ferrari specially modified for the attempt, shaving crucial kilos off its weight by swapping metal for carbon fibre parts. Mr Barone is not new to racing hairy mountain roads, having set another speed record last year on the Transfagarasan mountain road in the Transylvanian Alps in Romania. Tianmen Mountain is no stranger to extreme motor sports either, having

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  • India needs more than Rafale to match China - Just spent billions of dollars

    NEW DELHI: India may have just spent billions of dollars on hi-tech French fighter jets, but experts say it needs to do a lot more if it is going to face up to an increasingly assertive China. The world’s top defense importer has signed several big-ticket deals as part of a $100-billion upgrade since Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi took power in 2014. But it has been slow to replace its dwindling fleet of Russian MiG-21s-dubbed “Flying Coffins” because of their poor safety record. An agreement to buy 36 cutting edge Rafale jets from France’s Dassault aims to fix that. “It will give the air force an arrowhead. Our air force has old aircraft, 1970s and 1980s generation aircraft and

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  • Team Clinton: Trump's Gennifer Flowers tweet 'indicative of kind of leader he would be'

    Hillary Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook discusses Trump's tweet inviting woman Bill Clinton had an affair with, Gennifer Flowers, to the debate

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  • 23 Absurdly Fab Photos from Karim El Chiaty & Victoria's Secret Model Ana Beatriz Barros' Wedding

    You might have noticed people making the move to Sahel, Gouna, and other such dreamy beachy lands during the Eid weekend, but what about the mysterious case of Mykonos? Why were our social media feeds suddenly flooded with images of the Greek tropical island? A coincidence? We think not. Everyone in the country (or world) has been buzzing – about what can only be described as the biggest, most glam wedding of the year where Brazilian Victoria’s Secret supermodel Ana Beatriz Barros tied the knot with Egyptian-Greek billionaire Karim El Chiati. You could say a few celebrities made an appearance. Nothing special. A slew of luxurious villas held over 400 guests who flew from all over the world for

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  • Deputy crown prince among world’s most influential 50

    JEDDAH: Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been named on the list of Bloomberg’s 50 Most Influential People in the World of Finance.Bloomberg notes that almost eight decades after oil was discovered in Saudi Arabia, the 31-year-old has drawn up a plan to transform the world’s biggest crude exporter into a diversified economy fit for the next era. “He is readying the state oil company (Saudi Aramco) for an IPO, so he can pump the proceeds into other industries,” said Bloomberg. UK Prime Minister Theresa May took the top spot. US presidential candidates, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, are tied up in the second place. At No. 4 is Chinese President Xi Jinping. “The importance of Xi Jinping

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  • Celebrity photographer Matt Irwin took his own life, his family says

    Celebrity photographer Matt Irwin took his own life, it's been revealed by those closest to him. His family has put out a statement describing him as "an extraordinary, beautiful man who will be terribly missed". The 36-year-old photographed and became friends with One Direction, as well as taking pictures of some of the biggest stars in the entertainment and music industries. He was found dead last week. Matt began capturing images when he was 15 after a friend gave him a camera, which he still used until his death. In a statement his family said: "We are tremendously proud of Matt. He pursued his goals with passion, enthusiasm and warm-heartedness. "We are devastated that he took his own life.

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  • Egyptian Girl Sold Into Slavery at the Age of 8 Publishes Her Memoirs

    Despite having been heavily covered by western media, the sad saga of an Egyptian girl who was robbed of her childhood in the cruelest way possible is only just beginning to become known here in Egypt after one Facebook user took to the social network to share her story, which is rapidly going viral  Although born in 1991, Shyima Hall’s life didn’t really begin until 2002 when she was freed from the shackles of slavery her own parents had sold her into for the mere price of $30. Born in grinding poverty, little Shyima lived with her parents and ten siblings in an Alexandria slum until she was traded to a rich family for whom her older sister used to work as a maid. The wealthy employers accused

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  • Why the rise of populism may be Obama’s legacy

    In his final address to the United Nations, United States president Barack Obama warned the assembled leaders that the liberal world order was under threat from what he called "crude populism". In words which could apply equally to Donald Trump, the Republican candidate to succeed him as president, and Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Mr Obama said that some were arguing that the future favours the strong man. "History shows that strong men are then left with two paths: permanent crackdown, which sparks strife at home, or scapegoating enemies abroad, which can lead to war." In some ways Mr Obama is ending his two terms in the White House in the same way he began. He set out to open a new page in the

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  • Blake Lively doesn't want you praising her post-baby body

    Blake Lively says new mums shouldn't feel pressure to lose weight straight after having a baby. She's been on Australian breakfast show Sunrise, where she was complimented on how great she looked in a bikini in her new film The Shallows. The presenter commented on how the film was shot just months after Blake had her first baby. But the 28-year-old called it unfair that slimming down after birth is "so celebrated". "It's like, this is what someone looks like after having a baby," she said. "I think a woman's body after having a baby is pretty amazing. You gave birth to a human being. I would really like to see that celebrated." The ex-Gossip Girl star's now expecting her second child with husband

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  • The War Widows of Afghanistan

    Lisa and Jacqui live in Britain, Tajbibe and Marzia live in Afghanistan. Their lives are very different but they have one thing in common - they were all widowed by the same war. Their husbands were among the estimated 13000 Afghan soldiers and 453 British soldiers who have died in the war against the Taliban, which began in 2001 and which draws to an official close with the withdrawal of NATO troops from Afghanistan this year.

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  • India needs more than Rafale to match China: experts – Peninsula OnQatar Daily Star

    New Delhi: India might have only spent billions of dollars on hi-tech French warrior jets, though experts contend it needs to do a lot some-more if it is going to face adult to an increasingly noisy China. The world’s tip counterclaim importer has sealed several big-ticket deals as partial of a $100-billion ascent given Hindu jingoist Prime Minister Narendra Modi took energy in 2014. But it has been delayed to reinstate a shrinking swift of Russian MiG-21s — dubbed “Flying Coffins” since of their bad reserve record. An agreement to buy 36 slicing corner Rafale jets from France’s Dassault aims to repair that. “It will give a atmosphere force an arrowhead. Our atmosphere force has aged aircraft,

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  • Manchester hit-and-run: Footage shows woman struck by car

    CCTV footage has been released of the moment a driver fled the scene of a hit-and run after a 67-year-old woman was struck by a car. The woman was crossing Chapel Street in Levenshulme, Manchester, when a silver Honda Civic, which was waiting at the junction, reversed and hit her on 13 August. The driver got out, saw the woman on the ground and returned to the car before leaving, Greater Manchester Police said. The woman was taken to hospital where she was treated for a broken ankle and a fractured arm. Officers said they were looking for a man of large build, in his 20s or 30s with short black hair.

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  • Saudi Arabia vs Dubai: The 2020 Race For The World’s Tallest Tower

    It seems like Dubai is bored of smashing Guinness World Records, as flagship developer Emaar Properties announces plans to construct the world’s tallest tower, surpassing the Burj Khalifa that currently holds the current world record, but will Saudi Arabia steal the title? The race is on as property developer Emaar has announced plans to build a new tower, with an estimated cost of $1 billion, that will stand a ‘notch’ taller than 830-metre Burj Khalifa. The proposed project expects completion by 2020, which coincidentally will be the same year that Dubai will host the World Expo Trading Fair. The announcement explained that Spanish-Swiss architect Santiago Calatrava Valls is expected to devote

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