World

For years, China’s empty subway stations became some of the internet’s favourite examples of “ghost cities” and questionable urban planning. Images of polished platforms, escalators and station entrances surrounded by fields appeared to show infrastructure built far ahead of demand. Among the most famous examples was Caojiawan Station in Chongqing, which seemed to stand alone…

US President Donald Trump (PTI file photo) TOI correspondent from Washington: US President Donald Trump on Thursday accused China of carrying out “the largest compromise of American election data in history,” alleging Beijing illicitly acquired 220 million US voter files in a sweeping espionage operation that he described as an unprecedented threat to American democracy.“China’s…

A depiction of Cassiodorus, 1493, from the Nuremberg Chronicles by Michel Wolgemut and Wilhelm Pleydenwurff (Public Domain) War does more than destroy buildings. It can also wipe out knowledge collected over centuries. In Italy during the sixth century, battles across the region damaged cities, schools and libraries that had once been centres of learning.At a…

Kamprad reused tea bags and ate at IKEA cafeterias, avoiding expensive dining options. (AP file photo) Ingvar Kamprad built one of the world’s biggest furniture brands, but his personal life looked very different from what many would expect of a billionaire.The IKEA founder, whose fortune was once estimated at $58.7 billion, was known for living…

Deep within the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest, scientists discovered a fungus with an extraordinary ability that could offer new clues in the fight against plastic pollution. Known as Pestalotiopsis microspora, the fungus can break down polyester polyurethane, a widely used type of plastic, and use it as a source of carbon. Even more remarkably, laboratory research…

In New Jersey, farmland is helping researchers explore whether livestock farming and solar power can successfully share the same land. At the centre of the project is a small herd of beef cattle grazing among rows of vertical solar panels, which have been installed without replacing the grass beneath them. While the cows continue their…

The issue has become increasingly urgent because Japan’s imperial family has very few male heirs. Japan’s parliament on Friday approved changes to the country’s imperial succession law, introducing measures aimed at preserving the shrinking royal family but stopping short of allowing women to inherit the Chrysanthemum Throne despite strong public support for such a change.The…

Syed Sohail Uddin survived the attack but suffered more than 15 stab wounds and remains hospitalised as he undergoes treatment for severe injuries. WASHINGTON: An Indian man was allegedly stabbed 15 times inside a shopping mall near Salt Lake City in the US state of Utah because of his religion, media reports said. Syed Sohailuddin,…

US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Thursday arrested Indian-origin man Nitish Kaushal in Vermont, days after adding him to its Most Wanted list as part of its crackdown on transnational organised crime.The FBI said Kaushal was arrested as authorities closed in on the Bhagwanpuria gang.According to the agency, Kaushal is allegedly involved in murder,…

MIAMI: The Trump administration is reviving a rule that could deny green cards to immigrants who use public benefits that could include food stamps, Medicaid, housing vouchers and others. The policy, known as “public charge,” appeared Thursday in the Federal Register and will be formally published on July 20.The policy was implemented in Feb 2020…