International

NAYPYIDAW: At least three people were killed, 13 injured and more than 1,000 buildings were damaged when Cyclone Mocha pummelled western Myanmar, state-run media said on Monday. But refugee camps in southeast Bangladesh for Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar escaped the worst of the storm, although many bamboo huts were damaged, residents of the region said. It was Myanmar’s strife-torn Rakhine …

Dr. Sobia’s Islamic Calligraphy Art Exhibition Showcased on International Heritage Day Organized by Dallas Police By: Raja Zahid Khanzada Dallas: Renowned Dallas physician, pakistani American Dr. Sobia Taimoor, who has served the community through various platforms, was recently honored by the Dallas Police Department Office of Community Affairs at the AT&T Performing Arts Center in celebration of Asian American Pacific …

NEW YORK: As people brace for the disruptive impact of artificial intelligence on jobs and everyday living, those in the world of audio books say their field is already being transformed. AI has the ability to create human-sounding recordings — at assembly-line speed — while bypassing at least part of the services of the human professionals who for years have …

BELEDWEYNE: Flash flooding in central Somalia has killed 22 people and affected over 450,000, the UN’s humanitarian agency OCHA said on Sunday, after the Shabelle River burst its banks, forcing tens of thousands out of their homes. Heavy rainfall earlier in the week sent water gushing into homes in Beledweyne town in Hiran region, submerging roads and buildings as residents …

WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden’s administration again warned on Sunday of ‘catastrophic’ consequences for the US economy including huge job losses if the country defaults, as negotiations to forge a debt deal are expected to resume this coming week. For weeks US policymakers, bankers and the White House have warned that the United States is on the precipice of default, a …

BANGKOK: Thailand’s two major opposition parties dominated Sunday’s national elections, with voters rejecting nearly a decade of military-backed government. But in a kingdom where coups and court orders have often trumped the ballot box, fears persist the military could seek to cling on, raising the prospect of fresh instability. The election campaign played out as a clash between a young …

TEHRAN: Banned from using popular Western apps, Iranians have been left with little choice but to take up state-backed alternatives, as the authorities tighten internet restrictions for security reasons following months of protests. Iranians are accustomed to using virtual private networks, or VPNs, to evade restrictions and access prohibited websites or apps, including the US-owned Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. The …

Turkiye braced on Monday for its first election runoff after a night of high drama showed President Recep Tayyip Erdogan edging ahead of his secular rival but failing to secure a first-round win. Erdogan sounded triumphant as he emerged before a sea of supporters shortly after midnight to proclaim himself ready to lead the nation for another five years. Almost …

UNITED NATIONS: Syria has extended for three months humanitarian aid access into quake-stricken rebel-held areas from Turkiye via two border crossings, a United Nations representative said on Saturday. The Syrian foreign minister conveyed the decision “to allow the UN to continue using the Al Ra’ee and Bab Al-Salam crossings for an additional three months,” Eri Kaneko, spokesperson for the UN Office for …

ISTANBUL: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan led Saturday prayers at Istanbul’s iconic Hagia Sophia mosque, ahead of a battle for his political life against a secular rival as he braces for Sunday’s parliamentary and presidential ballot. Erdogan has never faced a more energised or united opposition than the one led by retired civil servant Kemal Kilicdaroglu and his disparate alliance …