World

Portugal’s Parliament has approved a Bill banning face veils worn in public for “gender or religious” reasons. The legislation was proposed by the far-right Chega party and would prohibit coverings such as burqas and niqabs. A burqa is a full-body garment that covers a woman from head to foot. Niqabs are veils that cover the face but leave space around …

India’s financial capital, Mumbai, one of the world’s most densely populated cities, finally has a second airport after decades of delays. For those travelling by air, the newly opened Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMI) brings with it a promise of more flights, shorter lines, and a smoother overall flying experience. No less than an engineering feat, NMI will finally take …

The word “businessman” has been branded offensive by an international economics organisation. The Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) also recommends avoiding use of the words “sportsmanship”, “ladies and gentlemen” and “gentleman’s agreement” in a guide on inclusive language. Instead, policy wonks are being encouraged to use gender-neutral language, which “removes assumptions” about gender identity, roles and relationships. …

Pakistan and Afghan officials were holding peace talks in Qatar on Saturday, a day after Islamabad launched air strikes that killed at least 10 people in Afghanistan and broke a ceasefire that had brought two days of calm to the border. The strikes targeted what Pakistan security sources said was a militant group linked to the Pakistani Taliban in the …

The delegations for the Qatari-mediated negotiations will be led by the defense ministers of the Asian neighbors Kabul and Islamabad will hold talks in the Qatari capital of Doha on Saturday, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry has said. The negotiations, which are being brokered by the Qatari government, come after Pakistan carried out airstrikes in Afghanistan’s Paktika border province that claimed …

A secret CIA code on a sculpture outside the agency’s Virginia headquarters has finally been cracked after 35 years. The fourth and final code etched into the Kryptos artwork was cracked by friends and amateur codebreakers Jarret Kobek and Richard Byrne. Its first three codes had been deciphered for at least 25 years but the final one had continued to …

The US is up to something in Venezuela. But what exactly? Since early September, the US military has carried out at least five lethal strikes on civilian boats in the Caribbean, alleged by the Trump administration to be piloted by members of Venezuelan drug cartels that the US government has designated as terrorist organizations. Twenty-seven people have been reported killed …

Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District cancelled a gay-themed play set to be staged at its Xiqu Centre less than two hours before tickets went on sale on Saturday, citing complaints the piece promoted confrontation and defamed the city. The author of We Are Gay, Candace Chong Mui-ngam, was also attacked in a 1,000-word opinion piece in the pro-Beijing Wen …

These actions are the latest installments in a mounting campaign the U.S. launched in early September, signaling a shift from isolated interdictions into sustained military pressure. On September 2, U.S. forces struck a vessel in international waters, killing 11 people, and claimed that it belonged to the Tren de Aragua gang and was laden with narcotics. Just over a week …

These actions are the latest installments in a mounting campaign the U.S. launched in early September, signaling a shift from isolated interdictions into sustained military pressure. On September 2, U.S. forces struck a vessel in international waters, killing 11 people, and claimed that it belonged to the Tren de Aragua gang and was laden with narcotics. Just over a week …