International

A Taliban delegation is expected to hold talks with Norwegian officials and Afghan civil society representatives in Oslo next week, the Norwegian foreign ministry said on Friday. The visit is scheduled from Sunday to Tuesday, and “the Taliban will meet representatives of the Norwegian authorities and officials from a number of allied countries” for talks on the humanitarian situation in …

India’s defence ministry said on Thursday a 17-year-old Indian youth was “reportedly captured” by the Chinese military after going missing near the countries’ shared border. The Indian army has contacted its Chinese counterpart to locate and return the teenager, Miram Tarom, according to a statement on the defence ministry’s Twitter account. In a separate tweet, Tapir Gao, a lawmaker for …

ISLAMABAD: Chinese Ambassador Nong Rong met Chief of the Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Wednesday to discuss the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), regional security, measures to enhance bilateral cooperation and other matters of mutual interest, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement. The meeting, held at Pakistan Army’s General Headquarters, came ahead of Prime Minister Imran …

LONDON: Britain’s embattled prime minister on Wednesday vowed to fight on as leader to the next general election, despite moves by his own MPs to oust him due to public fury over lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street. Boris Johnson insisted he would win any vote of no confidence called by Conservative MPs, many of whom are furious at revelations that his staff …

GENEVA: The past seven years have been the hottest on record, the United Nations confirmed on Wednesday, adding that 2021 temperatures remained high despite the cooling effect of the La Nina weather phenomenon. “The warmest seven years have all been since 2015,” the UN’s World Meteorological Organisation said in a statement. And despite the fact that two consecutive La Nina …

WASHINGTON: US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman called Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla on Wednesday to discuss Russia’s ‘concerning’ military build-up on Ukraine’s borders. A brief readout, issued by the US State Department in Washington, said the conversation also involved other regional issues and the two officials agreed to “remain closely coordinated on shared goals and priorities.” They also …

MOSCOW: Russia maintained a tough posture amid the tensions over its troop buildup near Ukraine, with a top diplomat warning on Wednesday that Moscow will accept nothing less but watertight US guarantees precluding Nato’s expansion to Ukraine. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, who led the Russian delegation at the security talks with the US in Geneva last week, reaffirmed that Moscow has …

LONDON: The defendant in the murder plot trial under way at the Kingston-upon-Thames crown court took the stand on Wednesday, giving evidence about his relationship with the Pakistan-based middleman who allegedly hired him to kill the Netherlands-based blogger, Ahmad Waqass Goraya. On the fifth day of the trial, the prosecution closed its arguments, and the testimony of the intended target, Mr Goraya, …

JERUSALEM: Israeli police demolished the home of a Palestinian family and arrested at least 18 people as they carried out a controversial eviction order in the sensitive east Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah early on Wednesday. The looming eviction of other families from Sheikh Jarrah in May last year partly fuelled an 11-day war between Israel and armed Palestinian factions …

KABUL: Afghanistan’s prime minister called on Muslim nations on Wednesday to be the first to officially recognise the Taliban government, as the aid-dependent country faces economic collapse. No country has yet recognised the Taliban, with most watching to see how the group — accused of human rights abuses during their first stint in power — restrict freedoms. Although the group …