International

RIYADH: US government officials have not been invi­ted to a Saudi investment co­­nference planned for later this month, its org­aniser told AFP on Monday, saying he did not want the gathering “to become a political platform”. The decision not to invite American officials, a departure from previous years, comes as tensions rise betw­een longtime partners Wash­­ington and Riyadh over the Saudi-led OPEC+ cartel’s recent …

BRUSSELS: Nato on Monday launched its regular nuclear deterrence drills in western Europe, after tensions soared with Russia over President Vladimir Putin’s veiled threats in the face of setbacks in Ukraine. The 30-nation alliance has stressed that the “routine, recurring training activity” — which runs until October 30 — was planned before Moscow invaded Ukraine and is not linked to …

WASHINGTON: A growing number of US lawmakers are urging the Biden administration to grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Pakistani nationals currently residing in the US due to this year’s unprecedented floods. Implementing TPS would allow Pakistani nationals to remain in the US. Two democratic senators — Diane Feinstein of California and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York — initiated the …

KYIV: At least six people were killed by Russian attacks on civil infrastructure in the Ukraine’s capital and the eastern region of Sumy, Ukraine officials said Monday, after dozens of drones were launched at Kyiv. Russia launched the fresh attack using what the Ukrainian president’s office said were “kamikaze drones”. The strikes claimed at least three lives in the capital …

French trade unions began a nationwide strike on Tuesday, asking for higher salaries amid decades-high inflation and posing President Emmanuel Macron one of his stiffest challenges since his re-election in May. The strike, which will primarily affect public sectors such as schools and transportation, is an extension of the weeks-long industrial action that has disrupted France’s major refineries and put …

Australia on Tuesday reversed a decision of the previous government to recognise West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, saying the status of the city should be resolved through peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian people. Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said Australia “will always be a steadfast friend of Israel” and was committed to a two-state solution in which Israel …

LAHORE: Hundreds of students from Pushtun and Baloch Councils of Punjab University have been protesting against the police and administration for arresting the Pashtun Educational Development Movement (PEDM) president for two days. The students had been blocking entry and exit gates of the university since Sunday night to protest against the arrest of PEDM president Riaz Khan from the hostel. …

ISLAMABAD: Senator Azam Khan Swati of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) filed a petition on Monday seeking post-arrest bail after a judicial magistrate sent him to Adiala Jail on 14-day judicial remand in a case related to a controversial tweet against the top military hierarchy. On the other hand, the opposition PTI disrupted proceedings of the upper house, demanding release of Mr Swati. …

ISLAMABAD: The National Flood Res­ponse Coordination Centre (NFRCC) on Mon­day announced that a joint survey of damages caused by the catastrophe has been completed in 46 districts of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A meeting of the NFRCC, held with Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal in the chair, was informed that out of the 46 districts where the …

The United States has said that it is confident of Pakistan’s ability to keep its nuclear assets safe and secure, dismissing speculations stirred by President Joe Biden’s off-the-cuff remarks about the country’s nuclear programme. “The United States is confident of Pakistan’s commitment and its ability to secure nuclear assets,” US State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel told journalists in Washington shortly after a meeting between …