International

India and France on Wednesday called for “an immediate cessation of hostilities” in Ukraine, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi again stopping short of condemning Russia’s invasion of its neighbour. India, which imports much of its military hardware from Russia, has long walked a diplomatic tightrope between the West and Moscow — notably refusing to denounce the latter or vote against it …

India should replace marriage and inheritance laws that are based on religion with a uniform civil code, the chief minister of a northeastern state said on Sunday, taking aim at rules that allow Muslim men, for example, to have four wives. Successive governments have steered clear of adopting such a code for fear of angering voters from India’s Hindu majority …

PARIS: Police fired tear gas to push back black-clad anarchists who ransacked business premises in the French capital Paris on Sunday during May Day protests against the policies of newly re-elected President Emmanuel Macron. Thousands of people joined May Day marches across France in which they called for salary increases and for Macron to drop his plan to raise the …

JERUSALEM: Three young Israelis formerly serving in military cyber units have figured out how to locate your digital footprint — and give you the tools to delete it. The company Mine, co-founded by Gal Ringel, Gal Golan and Kobi Nissan, says it uses artificial intelligence to show users where their information is being stored — like whether an online shoe …

KYIV: Dozens of civilians have left a besieged steel plant in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, Russia said on Sunday, as US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi promised to support Ukraine against Russian “bullies” after visiting Kyiv. Russia’s defence ministry said a total of 46 civilians had left in two groups on Saturday from the area around the Azovstal plant — …

MOSCOW/BERLIN: Russia suggested on Sunday that it could seize the Russian-based assets of countries it deems hostile in retaliation for a US proposal to sell off Russian oligarchs’ assets and pay the proceeds to Ukraine. “As far as companies based in Russian territory are concerned whose owners are citizens of hostile countries and where the decision has been taken” to …

SRINAGAR: Indian forces have killed 62 fighters, including 15 foreigners, in occupied Kashmir this year, a police official said on Sunday. Vijay Kumar, the occupied state’s police chief, said some of the fighters killed this year had links with Lashkar-e-Taiba. A hallmark of the group is to conduct “fedayeen” attacks where men are willing to fight to the death, but …

WASHINGTON: The fasting ended in the US on Sunday night, marking the first post-Covid Ramazan when America’s Muslim community resumed its social engagements. The Khatm-i-Quran ceremony at Adam’s Islamic Centre, Virginia’s largest, brought 1,000 to 1,500 worshippers and guests. And the centre provided iftar and dinner to all. The Diyanet Center in Lanham, Maryland, has America’s largest mosque and perhaps …

KANDAHAR: Afghanistan’s supreme leader appeared publicly for only the second time in six years on Sunday, telling worshippers celebrating Eidul Fitr that the Taliban had achieved freedom and security since seizing power last year. Speaking just two days after a bomb ripped through a mosque in Kabul, an atmosphere of heightened security surrounded the man introduced as Hibatullah Akhundzada, the …

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi headed to Europe on Monday with New Delhi’s refusal to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine set to be a key talking point in meetings with regional leaders. India, which imports much of its military hardware from Russia, has long walked a diplomatic tightrope between the West and Moscow, and has called only for an immediate …