International

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has discussed the Taliban-led Afghanistan joining the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) infrastructure project, the Pakistan’s ambassador to the country said on Monday. “Regional connectivity is an important element of our discussion with Afghan leadership and our way forward for our economic interaction with Afghanistan,” said Mansoor Ahmad Khan, Pakistan’s envoy to Kabul, in an interview with Reuters. “This …

BAGHDAD: Representatives from Iran and Saudi Arabia have held a new round of talks in Baghdad, two Iraqi officials said on Monday, in the first such meeting between the regional foes since President Raisi was sworn in in Tehran. The meeting held last week discussed pending issues between the two countries according to a previously agreed on roadmap, including diplomatic …

R. Kelly, the R&B superstar known for his anthem ‘I Believe I Can Fly,’ was convicted Monday in a sex trafficking trial after decades of avoiding criminal responsibility for numerous allegations of misconduct with young women and children. A jury of seven men and five women found Kelly, 54, guilty of all nine counts, including racketeering, on their second day …

President Joe Biden’s top military leaders are expected to face some of the most contentious hearings in memory this week over the chaotic end to the war in Afghanistan, which cost the lives of US troops and civilians and left the Taliban back in power. The senate and house committees overseeing the US military will hold hearings on Tuesday and Wednesday, …

LYON: A man pelted French President Emm­anuel Macron with an egg while he was visiting a restaurant and hotel trade fair in the south-eastern city of Lyon on Monday. The egg hit his shoulder, but bounced off without breaking. The assailant was quickly subdued and removed from the room, with Macron saying he would try to speak with him later. …

The Taliban have banned barbershops in a southern Afghanistan province from shaving or trimming beards, claiming their edict is in line with Islamic, law. The order in Helmand province was issued on Monday by the provincial Taliban government’s vice and virtue department to barbers in Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital. “Since I have heard (about the ban on trimming beards) I am heartbroken,” said …

Pakistan’s national flag, which was carried to China’s space station onboard the Shenzhou-12 spacecraft, was handed over to the Embassy of Pakistan in Beijing at a ceremony at the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST). The national flags of Pakistan and China were sent by China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) to outer space to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of …

Millions of people will begin converging on Dubai this week as the Covid-delayed Expo 2020, the world’s biggest event since the pandemic, finally unveils its gleaming pavilions in the desert. The Expo site in the dusty Dubai suburbs has remained strictly off-limits during its year-long postponement but the wraps will come off on Thursday at an opening ceremony attended by …

BIDDU: Israeli forces clashed with Hamas militants in the West Bank on Sunday in several fierce gun battles that left five Palestinians dead and two Israelis seriously wounded, officials said. The violence started after Israeli army troops and special police units launched an overnight operation reportedly to dismantle a Hamas cell and arrest suspected militants, Israel’s army said. The raids, …

WASHINGTON: The US Treasury Department has issued licenses to facilitate humanitarian aid and financial assistance to the people of Afghanistan, while upholding sanctions on the Taliban. “Treasury is committed to facilitating the flow of humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan and other activities that support their basic human needs,” Andrea Gacki, director of the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign …