International

JOHANNESBURG: The World Health Organisation (WHO) said authorities in Malawi have detected a case of polio in the southern African country’s capital, another setback in continuing efforts to eradicate the highly infectious paralytic disease globally. In a statement on Friday, the UN health agency said officials had identified wild poliovirus disease in a young child in Lilongwe, the first time …

JERUSALEM: Israel’s military said its air defences fired at a drone that had crossed into its airspace from Lebanon on Friday, the second such incident in as many days. Lebanon’s Hezbollah group said it had launched the drone on a reconnaissance mission over Israel in a statement released on Friday. The Israeli military said air raid sirens were sounded, sending …

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s state-run petroleum company has run out of cash to buy oil, and fuel shortages across the country could get worse, the energy minister said Friday. Udaya Gammanpila said the loss-making Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) continued to haemorrhage cash and could no longer afford to procure supplies from abroad. “Earlier, we were short of dollars to import oil. …

LONDON: The second major storm in three days smashed through the United Kingdom and northern Europe on Friday, killing eight people as high winds felled trees, cancelled train services and ripped sections off the roof of London’s O2 Arena. The UK weather service said a gust provisionally measured at 196 kph, thought to be the strongest-ever in England, was recorded …

VIENNA: Several world powers have indicated that a deal — at least in principle — to revive the Iran nuclear accord may be just days away, but experts warn that failure still cannot be ruled out. The 2015 accord had offered Tehran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme, but the US unilaterally withdrew in 2018 under …

KYIV: Spiking tensions in eastern Ukraine on Friday aggravated Western fears of a Russian invasion and a war in Europe, with a humanitarian convoy hit by shelling and pro-Russia rebels evacuating civilians from the conflict zone. The Kremlin declared massive nuclear drills to flex its military muscle, and President Vladimir Putin pledged to protect Russia’s national interests against what he …

AHMEDABAD: An Indian court sentenced 38 people to death on Friday over a string of bomb blasts in 2008 that killed dozens in the city of Ahmedabad, in one of the country’s biggest mass death sentences. Coordinated attacks in western Gujarat state’s commercial hub in 2008 killed 56, launching shrapnel through markets, buses and other public places. A group calling …

US President Joe Biden says he is now “convinced” Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to invade Ukraine and assault the capital, an ominous assessment that emerged as the country’s war-torn east saw more attacks that the West said could be designed to establish a pretext for an attack. After weeks of saying the US was not sure if Putin …

LONDON: Queen Elizabeth II complained Wednesday about mobility issues, as she carried out her first in-person official engagements since fears emerged that she could have contracted coronavirus last week. In video footage released of the 95-year-old monarch receiving two senior Royal Navy officers at her Windsor Castle residence, she could be heard remarking “as you can see, I can’t move” …

NEW DELHI: Indian tax officials on Wednesday conducted searches at the offices of Chinese tech giant Huawei, the firm said, days after New Delhi banned a host of Chinese apps over national security concerns. Tensions between New Delhi and Beijing have been running high since a deadly 2020 clash involving their militaries in a disputed Himalayan border area. The latest …