Category: World

KABUL: Afghan authorities prepared Saturday to retake a key border crossing seized by the Taliban in a sweeping offensive that the insurgents claim has helped capture a vast swath of the violence-wracked nation. As US troops continued their withdrawal, the Taliban said its fighters had seized two crossings in western Afghanistan — completing an arc…

ISLAMABAD: The World Population Day will be marked on July 11 (Sunday) across the globe including Pakistan which aimed to increase people’s awareness about various population issues like importance of family planning, gender equality, poverty, maternal health, and human rights. The day is celebrated worldwide by business groups, community organizations, and individuals in many ways.…

NEW YORK: Amid the rapidly deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, U. S. officials in Kabul are developing plans to reduce the large contingent of contractors and other personnel at the massive U. S. Embassy complex, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported Saturday. Citing embassy officials and contractors, the newspaper said in a dispatch from Kabul…

WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden on Friday nominated Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, an ambitious star in his Democratic Party, to be ambassador to India, with which the United States has an increasingly close relationship. Garcetti, who has led country”s second-largest city since 2013 with a focus on improving transportation and sustainability, declined to run for…

WASHINGTON: The US and French defense chiefs signed a new “roadmap” for cooperation between their Special Operations Forces as both seek to build international efforts to counter non-state threats like Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group. French Defense Minister Florence Parly signed the pact at the Pentagon with her counterpart Lloyd Austin, on a visit…

DIYARBAKIR: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday said Turkey and the US agreed on the “scope” of how to secure Kabul airport under the control of Turkish forces after Washington´s withdrawal from Afghanistan. Turkey promised to provide security for the airport once the troops leave next month, in a move hailed as an example…

WASHINGTON: The era of space tourism is set to soar, with highly symbolic flights by rivals Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin scheduled just days apart. Virgin Galactic — founded by flamboyant British billionaire Richard Branson — is planning for a July 11 space flight. Blue Origin — started by Jeff Bezos of Amazon fame —…

PARIS: World hunger rose steeply in 2020, with six times more people living in “famine-like conditions” than in 2019, rights group Oxfam said Friday. The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated existing crises sparked by conflict and climate change — the “three lethal Cs” — according to the group. “Since the Covid-19 pandemic began, vulnerable communities around…

RupgAnj, Bangladesh: A massive blaze tore through a Bangladesh factory killing at least 52 people trapped by flames that forced workers to leap for their lives from upper floors, emergency services said on Friday. About 30 people were injured in the fire, and hundreds of distraught relatives and other workers waited anxiously outside the food…

CAIRO: Jihan al-Sadat, the second wife of assassinated Egyptian president Anwar Sadat, has died at the age of 87, the presidency said on Friday. “The presidency. . weeps with immense sadness for Jihan al-Sadat, the wife of president Anwar Sadat, a hero of war and peace,” an official statement said. She was “a model for…