International

BAYANMUNKH SUM: More than two million animals have died in Mongolia so far this winter, a government official said on Monday, as the country endures extreme cold and snow. The landlocked country is no stranger to severe weather from December to March, when temperatures plummet as low as minus 50 degrees Celsius (minus 58 Fahrenheit) in some areas. But this …

THE HAGUE: Arab states urged international judges on Monday to rule the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories illegal and Turkiye described the occupation as “the real obstacle to peace” on the final day of hearings in a case examining its legal status. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has been hearing arguments from more than 50 states following a request …

WARSAW: Allies of late Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny said on Monday that a deal to free him as part of a prisoner swap had nearly been reached when he died in prison. The 47-year-old Kremlin critic died on Feb 16 in an Arctic prison after spending more than three years behind bars, prompting outrage and condemnation from Western leaders and his supporters. Russian …

The world’s trade ministers are set for tough negotiations on Tuesday at a World Trade Organisation (WTO) meeting in Abu Dhabi, with fisheries and agriculture taking centre stage. The closed talks will take place on the second day of the WTO’s 13th ministerial conference which is scheduled to run until Thursday but could go into over-time amid divisions. There is …

WARSAW: Polish farmers on Sunday blocked a major highway into Germany in the latest such protest against EU regulations and taxes. Farmers across Europe have been protesting for weeks over what they say are excessively restrictive environmental rules, competition from cheap imports from outside the European Union and low incomes. On Sunday, farmers from Poland blocked the A2 motorway near Slubice, in …

MOSCOW: Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who has held power since 1994, said on Sunday he intended to seek re-election next year, which could extend his rule to 36 years. He was speaking on the day Belarus, a neighbour and ally of Russia, held parliamentary elections decried as a sham by the opposition and the West. “Tell them I will run …

DOHA: An Austrian far-right extremist who visited Afghanistan reportedly to prove it was a safe country was released on Sunday after nine months in detention there. Herbert Fritz, 84, who according to Austrian media has close links to the far-right extremist scene, arrived in the Qatari capital Doha after being freed by Taliban authorities. Fritz was arrested in May after …

PORT SUDAN: Before the Suda­nese army and paramilitary fighters turned their guns on each other last year, Ahmed used to sell one of Sudan’s main exports: gum arabic, a vital ingredient for global industry. Now he’s out of business, and his story encapsulates the broader economic collapse of Sudan during 10 months of war. Since combat between two rival generals began on …

DURBAN: At least nine supporters of South Africa’s ruling ANC were killed in a bus crash as they were travelling home after attending a key electoral rally, police said on Sunday. Road and traffic authorities said about 70 people were aboard the vehicle when it lost control and rolled over near the eastern town of Paulpieters­burg. Eight people were killed …

SAO PAULO: Brazil’s ex-president Jair Bolsonaro takes his legal woes to the street on Sunday, calling for a mass protest from supporters amid accusations he plotted a coup to stay in power. The 68-year-old former army officer has urged his backers to attend a “peaceful rally in defence of the democratic rule of law” in the economic capital Sao Paulo …