International

KABUL: The US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, has held a meeting in Doha with the head of a new team of Taliban negotiators due to open peace talks with a team representing the Afghan government, the group said on Tuesday. The negotiations, the result of an agreement between America and the Taliban, are to begin in Doha after the …

LONDON: Britain’s government on Tuesday admitted that it may break international law by not applying parts of its Brexit divorce deal relating to Northern Ireland, as a top legal adviser quit, reportedly over the plans. The developments clouded the resumption of already tense talks with the European Union on a future trade agreement after Britain left the bloc earlier this …

JOHANNESBURG: South Africa’s ruling party on Tuesday condemned “disparaging remarks” attributed to US President Donald Trump about the country’s late first black president Nelson Mandela. In a memoir to be released this week, Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen accused the president of making racist comments about black leaders — including his predecessor Barack Obama and South African anti-apartheid icon Mandela. …

COLOMBO: A burning oil tanker began leaking diesel off Sri Lanka’s coast, naval officials said on Tuesday, fuelling fears of a major environmental disaster. The Panama-flagged New Diamond, carrying 270,000 tonnes of crude oil and another 1,700 of diesel fuel, has been burning since Thursday. A diesel oil slick was observed near the crippled vessel some 55 kilometres (34 miles) …

NEW DELHI: India’s top tourist attraction the Taj Mahal is set to reopen more than six months after it was shut, officials said on Tuesday, even as the vast nation battles soaring coronavirus infections. India, home to 1.3 billion people, on Monday overtook Brazil to become the world’s second most-infected nation with more than 4.2 million cases, behind only the …

WASHINGTON: Pakistan has a key role in the Afghan peace effort, says Afghanis­tan’s acting Foreign Mini­ster Mohammed Haneef Atmar as US and Taliban envoys resume their peace talks in Doha, Qatar. On Tuesday, US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad held a meeting in Doha with the head of the new Taliban team due to open peace talks with representatives of the …

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump accused the US military brass on Monday of wanting to fight wars to keep weapon makers happy. At a White House news conference, Trump criticised his rival Joe Biden, describing him as a proponent of “endless wars”, before turning his criticism toward military leaders who he himself appointed, saying they are interested in conflict to satisfy …

A roadside bomb in Kabul targeted First Afghan Vice President Amrullah Saleh on Wednesday morning, but he escaped unharmed, his spokesman said. The blast killed at least four people and wounded 16, a health ministry spokesman said, including some of Saleh’s bodyguards. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, which comes just ahead of long-awaited peace talks between the …

In an unfortunate incident, a teacher died of coronavirus in front of a class of students moments after she struggled to breathe during a zoom lecture. The incident occurred in Argentina and images of her last moments were shared in an online video, removed later at the request of the victim’s family. According to details, Paola de Simone, 46, who …

HONG KONG: Hong Kong will expand the size of public gatherings to four people and re-open more sports venues from Friday as the Asian financial hub relaxes strict curbs against a third wave of the coronavirus. The measures come as new daily cases have dropped into the single digits from three figures. Last week gyms and massage parlours re-opened and …