International

The Taliban’s spokesman says they will crack down on the the militant Islamic State (IS) group’s attacks and expects them to end once foreign forces leave the country. “We hope that those Afghans who are influenced by IS […] will give up their operations on seeing the formation of an Islamic government in the absence of foreigners,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah …

WASHINGTON: The United States said on Monday it had completed the withdrawal of its forces from Afghanistan following a chaotic airlift nearly 20 years after it had invaded the country in the wake of the Sept 11, 2001, attacks. More than 122,000 people have been flown out of Kabul since Aug 14, the day before the Taliban regained control of …

NAIROBI: The use of leaded petrol has been eradicated from the globe, a milestone that will prevent more than 1.2 million premature deaths and save world economies over $2.4 trillion annually, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) said on Monday. Nearly a century after doctors first issued warnings about the toxic effects of leaded petrol, Algeria — the last country to …

NEW ORLEANS: At least one person died and power was out across the US states of Louisiana and Mississippi on Monday as officials warned residents against venturing out on roads littered with downed power lines and debris from Ida, which remained a powerful storm. “Virtually no one in the state has electricity and many water systems are also out,” Louisiana …

US Senator Chris Van Hollen on Tuesday thanked Pakistan among other countries for helping evacuate American nationals and others stranded in Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover of the country. “Even as the last US troops leave Afghanistan I’ll continue to do everything in my power to bring home all Americans and provide asylum to our Afghan partners endangered by their support to …

Celebratory gunfire echoed across Kabul as Taliban fighters took control of the airport before dawn on Tuesday following the withdrawal of the last US troops, ending 20 years of war that left the group stronger than it was in 2001. Shaky video footage distributed by the Taliban showed fighters entering the airport after the last US troops took off a minute before …

DOVER BASE: US President Joe Biden shut his eyes and tilted his head back as the flag-draped cases carrying the remains of 11 American service members killed in a suicide bomb attack in Afghanistan emerged on Sunday from a military plane at a base in Delaware. Biden, his wife, Jill, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and senior military officials stood somberly …

LONDON: The UK government on Sunday faced a torrent of criticism after its hurried withdrawal from Afghanistan ended, leaving hundreds eligible for relocation behind. Prime Minister Boris Johnson hailed a mission “unlike anything we have seen in our lifetimes” after the UK airlifted over 15,000 people in the last two weeks. Troops landed back at Brize Norton airbase in southern …

KABUL: The Taliban’s supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada — who has never made a public appearance and whose whereabouts have largely remained unknown — is in Afghanistan, the hardline Islamist group confirmed on Sunday. “He is present in Kandahar. He has been living there from the very beginning,” said Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid. “He will soon appear in public,” added deputy …

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Sunday categorically rejected Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s terrorism-related allegations against Pakistan as completely baseless. The Foreign Office spokesperson said in a statement that Pakistan had shared incontrovertible evidence with the international community of India’s state sponsorship of terrorism and subversion against Pakistan. “India uses terrorism as an instrument of state policy. This year alone, India has …