BEIJING: A special train believed to be carrying Kim Jong-un departed Beijing on Wednesday after a two-day visit by the North Korean leader to the Chinese capital. Kim could not be seen, but he was presumed to be on board the long train as it crossed on elevated tracks over a busy Beijing street and headed towards eastern China and …

LONDON: British MPs voted on Wednesday to force Prime Minister Theresa May to quickly set out an alternative plan for Brexit if she loses a crucial vote on her EU withdrawal deal next week, in a second parliamentary defeat in 24 hours. The House of Commons voted to reduce the time the government has to outline a “plan B” from …

WASHINGTON: The US military is drafting plans to withdraw a few thousand troops from Afghanistan, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday, adding that the reduction will not affect major missions. The drafting follows instructions from US President Donald Trump to send him options for pulling out from a war, the longest in American history. The Post reported that the Pentagon …

KABUL: Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah said on Wednesday that the Taliban’s refusal to involve the government in peace talks means the end to a conflict that has lasted 17 years can only remain a dream. Abdullah’s remarks came a day after the Taliban called off a fourth round of talks with US officials in Qatar, due to start this …

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump used a prime-time address to the nation on Tuesday to insist on $5.7 billion for a steel wall along the Mexican border that he said would stop the shedding of “American blood” by illegal immigrants. The nine-minute speech from the storied Oval Office in the White House contained no concessions to Democrats refusing to fund construction …

Chinese President Xi Jinping offered North Korean leader Kim Jong Un firm backing in deadlocked nuclear talks with the United States, insisting the two sides should meet “halfway”, state media said on Thursday. Kim visited Beijing by train this week for two days of talks that reasserted China’s role in the process, and were seen as a strategy session ahead of …

ISLAMABAD: Official representation from the government of Sindh was absent at the first meeting of the National Curriculum Council (NCC) on Wednesday, held to develop a consensus on introducing a uniform system of education in the country. Neither the Sindh education minister nor the education secretary attended the meeting, and sources in the PPP have said the move to convene …

KARACHI: While not ruling out extremism as a motive, the police authorities on Wednesday hinted at narrowing down the scope of investigation into last month’s murder of Ali Raza Abidi, former MNA and leader of a faction of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, when they claimed to have found leads suggesting that the party’s London- and South Africa-based members were in the …

KARACHI: An antiterrorism court on Wednesday dismissed an application seeking to halt the proceedings of Perween Rahman’s murder trial until an order was passed by the Supreme Court on her sister’s plea for re-investigation of the case by the Federal Investigation Agency. Earlier, the same court had dismissed an application moved by the slain activist’s sister pleading to summon and …

CHARSADDA: As part of the ongoing efforts to find a political settlement to the four decades long war in Afghanistan, a delegation of Afghan government called on Awami National Party president Asfandyar Wali Khan here on Wednesday. Afghanistan’s High Peace Council Chairman Mohammad Omar Daudzai was heading the delegation that also included Afghan Ambassador Atif Mashal, said a statement issued …