President el-Sisi grants clemency to 3,157 people, including ex-policeman jailed for murder of singer Suzanne Tamim. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has pardoned more than 3,000 prisoners, in a move coinciding with the Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. No activists, journalists or political prisoners, however, were among the 3,157 […]

Muslims around the world celebrate Eid under lockdown restrictions after a month of Ramadan fasting amid fears of a new spike in coronavirus cases Three-day holiday is traditionally a time of travel, family get-togethers and lavish daytime feasts But this year many can only celebrate at home with close family due to coronavirus cases worldwide […]

Almost 200 political figures from around the world have added to increasing condemnation of Beijing’s proposed national security laws for Hong Kong. Signatories include 17 members of the US Congress, as international tensions grow over the proposal to set up Chinese government intelligence bases in the territory. China also wants to prevent a repeat of […]

Muslims globally find online alternatives to celebrate Eid amid the COVID-19 pandemic. As the Muslim holy month of Ramadan comes to a close, most countries around the world are set to celebrate Eid al-Fitr on Sunday. However, this Eid is very unlikely to resemble that of previous years as the coronavirus pandemic continues to paralyse human […]

The New York Times has dedicated its entire Sunday front page to naming — and humanizing — U.S. coronavirus victims. The unusual, chilling, text-only front page includes heartbreakingly sweet, one-line anecdotes of the lives lost to the virus — some of them young and just finding their footing in life, and others of advanced age […]

Following a cooler couple of days after an atypically warm string of days, temperatures are set to go back up during the Bank holiday. After a wet and windy start to the bank holiday for much of the UK warmer temperatures are set to return. On Monday, temperatures could reach highs of 26C in London. Coastal […]

It’s obvious that a lack of schooling has increased inequalities, says France’s Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer. “Social emergency” is the term he uses to describe the need to unlock the country’s schools. France started reopening its education system after lockdown with primary schools, because it was even more important for young people than for older […]

Joe Biden had yet another sad event the other night, a Yahoo-sponsored virtual town-hall gathering that made zero news. His failing memory continued to show, as he stumbled over the name “coronavirus,” forgot the size of the 2009 stimulus bill he claims he shepherded through (he was off by a factor of 10) and muttered, […]

In New York City, you can’t hurry love. There is a four-month wait to get an online marriage-license appointment with the New York City Clerk’s office, which has already booked 3,000 appointments after it began offering the virtual service this month. “People want to get married very badly,” said City Clerk Michael McSweeney. Before the […]

Thousands of people in Spain are protesting against the government’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak. The far-right Vox party urged supporters to drive through major cities without leaving their vehicles in order to maintain social distancing. Protesters in the capital, Madrid, drove in convoy and waved Spanish flags as they called for socialist Prime Minister […]