Baba Umar

Turks in US mobilise in large numbers to collect aid for quake victims

As aid continues to pour into the Turkish embassy in Washington, DC, volunteers and Turkish officials express gratitude for public generosity.

US says Russia set to hold 'sham' referendums in Ukraine regions

"We expect Russia to manipulate the results of these referendums and falsely claim Ukrainians want to join Russia," says a senior Biden administration official and warns the "land grab" will not go unchallenged.

US maintains Western sanctions working despite Russia's battlefield gains

Sanctions against Moscow are "having an impact … and we will continue to raise costs for Russia," says Doug Jones, US deputy assistant secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs.

US sees no signals of diplomacy ending Russia-Ukraine conflict soon

"Negotiation table unfortunately is not around the corner. There is no evidence that Russia today wants to engage in good faith negotiations," Karen Donfried, assistant secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs, tells media in Washington, DC.

Concerns grow over Musk's 'control' of online speech after Twitter buyout

Billionaire Elon Musk buys one of the most influential social media platforms with millions of active users, sparking anxieties over unfettered online hate speech and "having so much power in the hands of one individual."

Q&A: New Pakistan PM will be 'more receptive to conversations' with the US

We ask South Asia expert Michael Kugelman if Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will be able to get Pakistan out of the political and economic crisis, repair ties with the US, and start negotiations with rival India over the Kashmir dispute.

In pictures: US cherry blossoms offer respite to Covid-battered country

The US marks 110 years since Japan gifted the fruit trees, with thousands of people rushing to Washington DC to celebrate the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

How Ethiopia war is sowing discord 13,000-km away among US immigrants

The Ethiopian diaspora in the United States is divided over which side is fighting for the just cause – the government forces or the Tigrayan rebels. Such are the inter-community tensions that friendships are falling apart.

India's Himalayan disaster puts dams, ignored warnings under spotlight

Experts may be divided on whether a landslide or a glacier burst caused deadly flooding in Uttarakhand, but there is a consensus that ignoring warnings against building mega-projects in the vulnerable area contributed to the losses.

Sogut, 'the first Ottoman capital', resurrected as a tourist hot spot

Thanks to a popular Turkish television series beamed around the world, this once-forgotten town is experiencing a tourism boom.

Indian polls: Modi's rhetoric on national security obscures local issues

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking to boost the popularity of the Bharatiya Janata Party by harping on national security issues and decades-old disputes with nuclear rival Pakistan. Will it help the party earn electoral dividends?

Is the timidity of India's main opposition Congress helping embattled Modi?

The grand old party shows a vacillating leadership and seems unable to capitalise on right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party's failures in government.