BERLIN: German politicians across the political spectrum on Sunday criticised a warning by Chancellor Angela Merkel’s chief of staff that restrictions for unvaccinated people may be necessary if Covid-19 infection numbers reach new heights in the coming months. Chief of staff Helge Braun told the newspaper Bild am Sonntag that he doesn’t expect another coronavirus-related lockdown in Germany. But Braun said that …

KABUL: The United States will continue air strikes in support of Afghan forces fighting the Taliban, a top US general said on Sunday, as the insurgents press on with offensives across the country.“The United States has increased air strikes in the support of Afghan forces over the last several days, and we are prepared to continue this heightened level of …

LONDON: Around two-thirds of female veterans in the British armed forces have experienced bullying, harassment or discrimination in their careers, a parliamentary report said on Sunday. The report also said that women who reported serious sexual offences are denied justice by an inadequate military court system and complaints process. Parliament’s defence committee found that 64pc of female veterans and 58pc …

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar on Sunday said over 25 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine had been administered in the country and all major cities were aiming to vaccinate 40pc of the eligible population by the end of August. Moreover, 2,819 new cases and 45 deaths were reported in a single day, with the positivity …

Forty-six soldiers of the Afghan National Army (ANA) and Border Police were granted “refuge and safe passage” by the Pakistan Army on Sunday, according to an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement. The statement said that a local ANA commander opposite Arundu, Chitral, had requested help for the 46 soldiers — including five officers — as “they were unable to hold …

PESHAWAR: The health department is starting door-to-door Covid-19 vaccination campaign in four districts of the province on Wednesday. The inoculation drive is being launched on the recommendation of National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) in Abbottabad, Mansehra, Peshawar and Mardan on July 28 to cover at least 40 per cent target population by middle of August. Officials told this scribe …

shah LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz president Shehbaz Sharif has alleged that election code was violated and rules of transparency and impartiality were ridiculed in the elections for Azad Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Sunday. “The people will remember the way the election code was violated and transparency and impartiality were made irrelevant throughout the day,” he said in a …

RAWALPINDI: Police launched a crackdown against Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) election camps established in different parts of the district and detained 32 of the party’s activists and workers. However, they were all released after assuring police that they will not set up the camps again. In a related move, the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) police also removed election camps of TLP, …

ISLAMABAD: Sardar Tanveer Ilyas and Barrister Sultan Mahmood of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) are in the run for the office of prime minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). According to unofficial results, PTI won in 25 constituencies, followed by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in 10 constituencies and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz in six constituencies. Mr Tanveer, who is a …

RAWALPINDI: A 30-year-old woman, who was allegedly raped and later stabbed in front of her 14-month-old son, died after struggling for her life in the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital on Sunday. The victim’s son Gulfam was also stabbed at the crime scene and later passed away while being shifted to the hospital. Police registered a case against the suspect under …