A pink diamond was sold for $49.9 million in Hong Kong on Friday, setting a world record for the highest price per carat for a diamond sold at auction. The 11.15-carat Williamson Pink Star diamond, auctioned by Sotheby’s Hong Kong, sold for $392 million Hong Kong dollars ($49.9 million). It was originally estimated at $21 million. The Williamson Pink Star draws its name from two legendary pink diamonds. The first is the 23.60-carat Williamson diamond which was presented to the late Queen Elizabeth II as a wedding gift in 1947, while the second is the 59.60-carat Pink Star diamond that sold f

At least four people were killed and 25 others were wounded in a blast in the Kabul mosque, the latest in the series of targeted explosions in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. The blast reportedly took place at a mosque of the Taliban's Interior Ministry, TOLOnews reported. A Taliban spokesperson said that an investigation is underway and further details will be shared soon, the agency added. "After a bomb attack in a mosque at the Interior Ministry, EMERGENCY NGO Surgical Centre has received 20 patients - 2 were already dead on arrival," Kabul's Emergency Hospital tweeted. The hospital said this i

Common charger for mobile devices will soon be a reality as the European parliament on Tuesday passed a new law requiring USB Type-C to be the single charger for all mobile phones and tablets from 2024, a press release by the EU Parliament read. The new law, adopted by plenary on Tuesday with 602 votes in favour, 13 against and 8 abstentions, is part of a broader EU effort to reduce e-waste and to empower consumers to make more sustainable choices. This move will be benefitting the environment and the consumers. USB Type-C port will be the new standard for portable devices, offering high-qual

A California woman has been charged with killing a man by ramming her car into him after accusing him of trying to run over a cat in the street, authorities said Wednesday. Hannah Star Esser, 20, was charged with murder in the death of Victor Anthony Luis, 43, and detained on $1 million bail, the Orange County prosecutor’s office said in a statement. Esser was driving in the community of Cypress on Sunday night when she confronted Luis and accused him of trying to run over a cat, authorities said. She and Luis both got out of their vehicles and got into an argument that Esser recorded, au

The World Bank has slashed China's 2022 economic growth projection to 2.8 per cent, pointing to Beijing's "zero-COVID" policy and real estate crisis. Notably, the World Bank forecasted 5 per cent economic growth in April, The Strait Times reported. In the October update of its report on the economic prospects for East Asia and the Pacific (EAP), the World Bank project 2.8 per cent growth, which is the lowest among international institutions. It is pertinent to mention that 2022 will be the first year China's growth will fall below that of the region since 1990, according to The Strait times

Hurricane Ian's most damaging winds have begun hitting Florida's southwest coast as the storm approaches landfall. The Category Four hurricane is lashing the state with heavy rain and pushing a devastating storm surge. Deanne Criswell with the US Federal Emergency Management Agency says Ian will cause a lot of water issues. Fuelled by warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico, Ian grew to a catastrophic Category 4 hurricane overnight with top winds of 250 kilometres per hour.US President Joe Biden is warning oil and gas companies against price gouging in the middle of the storm preparations.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday congratulated Giorgia Meloni, the leader of a right-wing coalition for winning the Italian general elections. The prime minister said he looks forward to working together to strengthen bilateral relations. "Congratulations @GiorgiaMeloni for leading your party @FratellidItalia to victory in the Italian general elections. We look forward to working together to strengthen our ties," PM Modi tweeted. The right-wing coalition scored an overall victory in the country's general election to form a new parliament. Party leader Giorgia Meloni will most likely

Russian Authorities say that 15 people are dead and many others are wounded in a school shooting. The shooting took place in school No. 88 in Izhevsk, a city 960 kilometres east of Moscow. Russia's Investigative Committee says there isn't a known motive yet, but the gunman, who killed himself, was wearing a black T-shirt with ``Nazi iconography'' on it.

Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama on Thursday said that he would prefer to breathe his last surrounded by the genuine and loving people of India, a free and open democracy, rather than among "artificial" Chinese officials. He made these remarks during a two-day dialogue with youth leaders at his residence in Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh at an interaction organised by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP). "I told former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, I will live another 15-20 years, there is no question. At the time when I die, I prefer dying in India. India is surrounded by