International

KHARTOUM: Thous­ands of Sudanese protesters rallied in the capital on Sunday to demand an end to military rule and tribal clashes that have killed over 100 people, correspondents said. “Down with Burhan,” they chanted, referring to General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the army chief who last year led a military coup that upended a transition to civilian rule following the 2019 …

The first ship to set sail from Ukraine with grain exports since the beginning of the Russian invasion is due to leave on Monday under a guaranteed safe passage agreement, Turkey’s defence ministry said, adding that more will follow. The Sierra Leone-flagged ship Razoni will set off from Odesa port for Lebanon with its cargo of corn, the ministry said. …

Iran has the technical capability to produce an atomic bomb but has no intention of doing so, Mohammad Eslami, head of the country’s atomic energy organisation, said on Monday, according to the semi-official Fars news agency. Eslami reiterated comments made by Kamal Kharrazi, a senior adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in July. Kharrazi’s remarks amounted to a rare suggestion that …

ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday expressed their grief over the loss of lives during the havoc caused by floods in the United Arab Emirates. President Alvi expressed sorrow over the loss of lives in the UAE, five Pakistanis among them, and prayed that the affected families bear their losses with fortitude. He also prayed for …

BAGHDAD: Thousands of supporters of Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr stormed Baghdad’s fortified government zone and broke into parliament on Saturday for the second time in a week, leaving at least 125 people injured and escalating a political stand-off. Protesters rallied by Sadr and his Sadrist Movement tore down concrete barriers and entered the Green Zone, which houses government departments and …

WASHINGTON: The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) could upgrade Pakistan’s safety rating to Category 1, allowing direct flights from Pakistani airports, the US media reported on Saturday. There have been no direct flights between the two countries since 2017 when the FAA downgraded Pakistan to Category 2 due to concerns over Pakistan’s aviation safety record. Simple Flying, a niche news …

LONDON: Around 5,000 train drivers across almost a quarter of Britain’s rail network went on strike on Saturday, as part of a campaign for higher pay after the country’s inflation rate hit its highest in 40 years. The 24-hour strike organised by train drivers’ union ASLEF is the second significant industrial action this week on Britain’s rail network, after 40,000 …

WASHINGTON: A lucky US lottery player has won a Mega Millions jackpot worth more than $1.3 billion, one of the highest prizes ever, a US lottery official confirmed on Saturday. The official Mega Millions site said a single ticket holder in the Midwestern state of Illinois — who has yet to be identified — had the six magic numbers and …

ROME: Pope Francis said on Saturday the decades-long abuse of indigenous schoolchildren across Canada amounted to “genocide”, as he warned upon his return to Rome that he needed to slow down his travel pace — or resign. During his six-day “penitential pilgrimage” across Canada this week, the 85-year-old pope offered a historic apology to the First Nations, Metis and Inuit …

WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden again tested positive for Covid-19 on Saturday, according to a statement from the White House physician, although he is experiencing no symptoms and feels “quite well.” Biden, who tested positive for the disease nine days ago but then tested negative twice earlier this week, will resume isolation procedures, and his positive test is believed to be “rebound” …