International

India on Tuesday rejected Chinese objections to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s weekend visit to Arunachal Pradesh, saying the northeastern border state has always been “an integral and inalienable part of India”. The Indian foreign ministry’s comments came a day after Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Beijing was firmly opposed to Modi’s activities in the disputed region and has …

ISLAMABAD: Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) Emir Sirajul Haq on Sunday announced that his party will carry out a ‘million march’ on the Gaza situation on the 27th of Ramazan towards the US embassy to express solidarity with the Palestinian people. During a function, Mr Haq said that the JI working committee discussed the prevailing political situation and the war in Gaza. He …

LISBON: Voters in Portugal went to the polls on Sunday in an early election that could see the country join a shift to the right across Europe after eight years of Socialist rule. Final opinion polls published on Friday put the centre-right Democratic Alliance (AD) narrowly ahead of the Socialist Party (PS) but short of an outright majority in parliament, …

RAWALPINDI: A new engine was airlifted to Muscat on Sunday as Pakistan International Airlines (PIA)’s Boeing 777 is currently being repaired there. The aircraft landed at Muscat International Airport on Wednesday following an engine failure during a commercial flight from Madina to Islamabad. According to sources, a C-130 cargo plane took the replacement engine to Muscat for installation on Sunday. …

BAGHDAD: The bell of a new church built near Iraq’s ancient city of Ur chimed for the first time last week as part of a push to lure back pilgrims to a country that is home to one of the world’s oldest Christian communities. The church is part of a complex that rises from a desert plain in the shadow …

WASHINGTON: Since his tumultuous takeover of Twitter, Elon Musk has made an unabashed turn to the right politically, defying the orthodoxy that Silicon Valley is a citadel of well-heeled liberals beholden to Democrats. Long considered non-identifiable ideologically, Musk’s politics are now hardline right wing as he uses his platform (now called X) to stoke the themes cherished by Fox News, …

GAZA STRIP: Deadly fighting rages on in Gaza, with no truce in sight on the eve of holy month of Ramazan and a dire humanitarian crisis gripping the besieged Palestinian territory. Egypt said on Sunday it was in contact with senior Hamas and Israeli figures, as well as other mediators, in an effort to restart negotiations for a truce, two …

LAHORE: The Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) has failed to desilt major drains of Lahore, ignoring the instructions of the Punjab government to ensure cleanliness under the ongoing ‘Suthra Punjab drive’ launched on the orders of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. The situation is worsening in various localities by the day as sewage level in the drains, including the trunk sewer, …

PORT PRINCE: With Haiti’s capital spiralling deeper into violence, the United States said on Sunday it has airlifted American staff from its embassy in Port-au-Prince and brought in additional personnel to boost security at the compound. Residents of beleaguered neighbourhoods were scrambling for safety on Saturday, following the latest spasm of unrest, with a UN group warning of a “city under …

JERUSALEM: Along with cumbersome border checks and relentless Israeli bombardment, the humanitarian response in war-ravaged Gaza faces a new challenge: a de facto freeze on visas for many international aid workers. Israeli authorities have stopped issuing new visas or renewing old ones for foreign employees of international NGOs, most of whom occupy senior positions, according to three senior humanitarian officials …