International

LONDON: Russia said on Wednesday it had conducted a first test launch of its Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, a new addition to its nuclear arsenal which President Vladimir Putin said would give Moscow’s enemies something to think about. Putin was shown on television being told by the military that the missile had been launched from Plesetsk in the country’s northwest …

ISLAMABAD: US Rep Ilhan Omar’s visit to Islamabad — the first by an American legislator since the new government took office last week — was dominated by a controversy over her meeting with ex-premier Imran Khan who claims Washington had conspired to dislodge his government. Ms Omar met a range of Pakistani leaders, including President Arif Alvi, Prime Minister Shehbaz …

WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden used his Ramazan message to emphasise the need for rebuilding communities shattered by the Covid-19 pandemic. Besides, Secretary of State Antony Blinken regretted that the pandemic was still forcing some Muslim communities to continue virtual gatherings and digital interactions during the holy month. President Biden noted that in Ramazan, Muslims in America “come together … …

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrived in India on Thursday touting job-creating investment but facing long odds to get his reluctant counterpart Narendra Modi to back Western action against Russia. Johnson arrived in western Gujarat — Modi’s home state — where he is scheduled to meet business leaders and take a cultural tour of the historic Ahmedabad city, the ancestral …

At least 14 people were killed by bomb blasts in Afghan cities on Thursday — including 10 at a mosque in Mazar-i-Sharif, the second attack against a Shia target this week. The number of bombings in Afghanistan has dwindled since the Taliban returned to power in August, but the militant Islamic State group has claimed several since then. The group …

ISLAMABAD: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday forecast Pakistan’s economic growth rate at four per cent, and higher than estimated inflation and current account deficit during the ongoing fiscal year. The growth forecast is generally in line with similar estimates by other development lenders — such as the World Bank’s 4.3pc and Asian Development Bank’s 4pc — and credit …

PARIS: Ridges that criss-cross the icy surface of Jupiter’s moon Europa indicate there are shallow pockets of water beneath, boosting hopes in the search for extra-terrestrial life, scientists said on Tuesday. Europa has long been a candidate for finding life in our solar system due to its vast ocean, which is widely thought to contain liquid water — a key …

GENEVA: The World Health Organisation launched its Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM) at a site in India on Tuesday, aimed at unlocking its potential by blending ancient practices with modern science. The GCTM knowledge hub is intended to create a body of reliable evidence and data on traditional medicine practices and products to help inform standards and the cost-effective …

STOCKHOLM: Cases of hepatitis of unknown origin, first detected in UK children, have now been recorded in four more European countries and the US, the EU health agency said on Tuesday. On Friday the World Health Organisation said it was monitoring 84 cases of severe acute hepatitis that were reported in Britain since April 5 and said it expected more …

WASHINGTON: Ilhan Omar, who made history as one of the first two Muslim women elected to the US Congress, arrived in Islamabad early Wednesday on a four-day visit to Pakistan. Ms Omar and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, elected in 2018, are the first women to represent Muslims in Congress. Ms Omar, a Somali-born former refugee, is also the first naturalised …