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India's parliament on Friday failed to pass a vote on a controversial proposal to introduce a minimum quota for female lawmakers that would have also seen the Lok Sabha grow to over 800 seats. The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday proposed the amendment bills in a special session of the parliament, aimed

Donald Trump's attacks on Pope Leo XIV— and a social media post depicting the US president as an AI-generated Jesus — proved to be the breaking point for Giorgia Meloni. The Italian prime minister, head of the far-right Brothers of Italy party, has long been seen as someone who could wield influence over the right-wing Trump, a key

Pope Leo XIV, preaching to a cheering crowd of more than 120,000 attendees at a Friday open-air mass in the Cameroon port city of Douala, continued his forceful message of peace on the second leg of his current 11-day Africa tour. The US-born pontiff urged those who traveled far and wide to hear him: "Do

Iran first imposed a near-total communications blackout on the third day of the protests that swept the country in January, and the restrictions were further tightened after the war with the United States and Israel began. It is a familiar tool deployed by the clerical regime in Iran, which has a history of shutting down

"There's a very good chance we're going to make a deal" with Tehran, US President Donald Trump told reporters on Thursday amid hopes for a second round of talks between the United States and Iran this weekend aimed at ending the Middle East conflict. "They've agreed to give us back the nuclear dust," he said, referring to

Parts of rural northern India are currently exploding in color. Not just from the coming of spring, but seasonal festivals characterized by folk music, dancing, farmers in traditional dress, and dishes like sweet saffron rice.   Among them is Vaisakhi, which is an important festival date on the Sikh calendar. Held in the northern province of Punjab, it marks the successful growth of winter wheat, and crops like mustard, chickpeas, lentils, barley and sunflower seeds.  "When the crop

Skip next section Iran says it will close Strait of Hormuz unless US lifts blockade Published April 18, 2026 last updated April 18, 2026 Iran says it will close Strait of Hormuz unless US lifts blockade  Iran will close the Hormuz Strait again if the United States maintains a blockade of Iranian ports, parliament speaker

Brazil is presenting itself with confidence at the Hannover Messe, the world's largest trade fair for the manufacturing industry, opening on April 20 in Hannover, Germany. "We want to show that Brazil is not only an agricultural powerhouse, but also a global player in industrial technology," said Patricia Gomes of the Brazilian Trade and Investment

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer cannot seem to put the ongoing scandal around his appointment of Peter Mandelson behind him, despite weeks of a concerted effort to do so. On Friday, Starmer raged that he was "furious" that he had not been informed of the fact that Mandelson had failed a critical background check before

Until just a few years ago, the quiet community of Peyia on the western coast of Cyprus was known mainly for its banana plantations. Over the past decade, however, the area has undergone a rapid transformation, driven largely by developments involving foreign investors, many of whom are Russian. The most emblematic project of the development