The pilgrimage to Mecca is becoming increasingly unaffordable for many Muslims across the world.

Nintendo UK has has launched a new Twitter account for the UK and Ireland.

North Korea has amended its constitution to bolster and expand its nuclear force, with leader Kim Jong Un pointing to the growing cooperation between the United States, South Korea and Japan as "the worst actual threat" facing the isolated nation.

SHANGHAI A U.S. lawmaker's demand for trade curbs on a Chinese memory chipmaker in response to China calling

Novak Djokovic says he is still "hungry" for Grand Slam glory as Wimbledon rivals queue up to hail him as the "greatest"...

WASHINGTON Top U.S. Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer on Friday said House Republicans would be to blame if lawmakers

Russia plans to withdraw its ratification of the 1996 treaty that prohibited the testing of nuclear weapons, the country’s envoy to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation [CTBTO] said on Friday. “Disturbed” by the move, the US denounced it as endangering "the global norm" against nuclear test blasts. The announcement by Mikhail Ulyanov on Friday added new fuel to tensions between Russia and the United States over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and arms control disputes between the world’s largest nuclear weapons powers. Mr Ulyanov, Moscow’s envoy to the CTBTO, said on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, that "#Russia plans to revoke ratification (which took place in the year 2000) of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty." "The aim is to be on equal footing with the #US who signed the Treaty, but didn’t ratify it. Revocation doesn’t mean the intention to resume nuclear tests," he said. The CTBT has been signed by 187 countries and ratified by 178 but cannot go into force until eight specific holdouts have signed and ratified it. China, Egypt, Iran, and Israel have signed but not ratified it. North Korea, India and Pakistan have not signed. While the United States signed but did not ratify the treaty, it has observed a moratorium on nuclear weapon test explosions since 1992 that it says it has no plans to abandon. "We are disturbed by the comments of Ambassador Ulyanov in Vienna today," a US State Department spokesperson said in a statement. "A move like this by any State Party needlessly endangers the global norm against nuclear explosive testing." It said that Russia should not be “wielding arms control and irresponsible nuclear rhetoric in a failing attempt to coerce other states”, in an apparent reference to Moscow’s efforts to pressurise countries into withdrawing their arms support and aid to Ukraine. Mr Ulyanov’s statement came a day after Russian president Vladimir Putin said that Moscow could look at revoking its ratification of the CTBT. He argued that Russia could mirror the stand taken by Washington. “Theoretically, we may revoke the ratification,” he said, after Moscow successfully tested an experimental nuclear-powered cruise missile. Moscow last tested a nuclear weapon in 1990, before the collapse of the Soviet Union a year later. It ratified the global test ban in 2000. Many Russian hawks have spoken in favour of resuming the tests, since its invasion of Ukraine, in February last year. Mr Putin said that while some experts have talked about the need to conduct nuclear tests, he hasn’t yet formed an opinion on the issue. “I’m not ready to say yet whether it’s necessary for us to conduct tests or not,” he said. "It would be concerning and deeply unfortunate if any State Signatory were to reconsider its ratification of the CTBT," Robert Floyd, the executive director of the CTBTO, which monitors compliance with the pact, said in a statement. "The Russian Federation has consistently reaffirmed its strong support of the CTBT since its very inception, helping to negotiate the Treaty in the Conference on Disarmament, signing the day it opened for signature on 24 September 1996, and ratifying it in June 2000," he added. Russian withdrawal could be a blow to the treaty since, like the eight key holdout countries, it is one of the "Annex 2" countries that must all ratify the treaty it for it to enter into force. "I look forward to continued close cooperation with the Russian Federation and all States that have committed to creating a world free of nuclear testing," Mr Floyd said. Read More Ukraine-Russia war – live: Putin’s ‘inhuman’ missile strike hit area with no military targets, says Kyiv Ukraine village reels after deadly missile strike: ‘Everything was burning’ ‘You can still smell the blood’: Inside the village where more than 50 were killed by a Russian missile The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary

Atlanta Braves ace Max Fried has taken a big step in his rehab by facing hitters as he inches closer to returning to the rotation from a forearm strain.The Atlanta Braves have been missing their ace since Max Fried hit the injured list in early May with a strained left forearm. The latest update...

Two cargo ships have arrived in one of Ukraine’s ports this weekend, using a temporary Black Sea corridor established by the government

Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah will miss the United States’ Copa América qualifiers against Trinidad and Tobago because of hamstring- injuries, joining captain Tyler Adams on the sidelines

Southampton suffered Premier League relegation after Aleksandar Mitrovic returned from his eight-match ban with a bang to help Fulham secure a 2-0 win at St Mary’s. Second-half finishes from Carlos Vinicius and substitute Mitrovic inflicted a club-record 24th defeat of the season on the division’s bottom club to leave them eight points from safety with just two fixtures remaining. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak – a Saints fan – was among those in attendance on the south coast as the hosts’ 11-season stay in the top flight ended in tame fashion. He witnessed a team lacking confidence, ideas and urgency produce another feeble performance of a miserable campaign featuring three managers and just two home league wins. Vinicius broke the deadlock in the 48th minute, before Mitrovic, who was handed the lengthy suspension for grabbing referee Chris Kavanagh in his side’s FA Cup loss at Manchester United on March 19, condemned Saints to the Sky Bet Championship by heading home his 13th goal of the season. Boos and chants of “you’re not fit to wear the shirt” from home supporters greeted the full-time whistle. Southampton began the day in the perilous position of needing to win each of their final three fixtures to stand any chance of survival following Monday’s damaging 4-3 loss at fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest. Pockets of empty red seats suggested plenty of Saints fans were already resigned to the club’s fate, albeit the reduced crowd was boosted slightly by the presence of Southampton-born politician Sunak. Unchanged Fulham dominated possession from the first whistle but created little in a forgettable opening period of few chances. Brazilian forward Vinicius saw a close-range effort blocked for the away side, moments after recalled Saints striker Paul Onuachi fired tamely at Bernd Leno from range following a mistake from Issa Diop. Fulham then had passionate penalty appeals waved away after Harry Wilson’s inswinging cross struck the arm of Southampton defender Lyanco, prompting visiting players to surround referee Thomas Bramall at the next break in play. Willian came closest to a first-half breakthrough when his 41st-minute volley was headed off the line by Lyanco following fine work from Wilson and Harrison Reed’s ball across the box. A dismal contest desperately requiring a goal burst into life immediately after the restart. Carlos Alcaraz momentarily thought he had fired Southampton ahead, only for his confident, slotted finish to be flagged offside, before Fulham quickly compounded that disappointment to suck the life out of home supporters. Vinicius claimed the simple opener, tapping home unmarked from close range after the industrious Reed diverted the ball across goal with a crunching, sliding challenge on Lyanco. The party mood among the away end was heightened by the long-awaited return of Mitrovic 25 minutes from time, with a host of Serbia flags unfurled on the terraces. And the Cottagers’ top scorer wasted little time in reintroducing himself. The lively Wilson was once again Southampton’s tormentor-in-chief, producing a pinpoint cross from the right for Mitrovic to stoop and nod beyond goalkeeper Alex McCarthy. Victory for Fulham was a club-record 15th of a Premier League campaign and a first away to Southampton since 1935 to lift them to ninth place. Beleaguered Saints, meanwhile, are left to contemplate a first season in the second tier since 2011-12 and, following games against Brighton and Liverpool, an uncertain summer of transition. Read More Marco Silva wants assurances over Fulham ambition before discussing new deal Fulham boss Marco Silva talks up ‘top quality player’ Tom Cairney Aleksandar Mitrovic ban ‘really tough’ for whole club – Fulham boss Marco Silva Nottingham Forest inch toward survival as Chelsea fall short again Aston Villa beat Tottenham as Unai Emery keeps up charge for top six Ten Hag finally within sight of matching a past United great...no, not that one

The chief executive of SBB, the company at the center of Sweden’s property crisis, says more capital will