Two Indian officials said Chinese troops were laying a network of optical fibre cables at a western Himalayan flashpoint with India, suggesting they were digging in for the long haul despite high-level talks aimed at resolving a standoff there. Such cables, which would provide forward troops with secure lines of communication to bases in the rear, have recently been spotted …

Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry’s former girlfriend, British actress and model, Cressida Bonas was spotted for the first time since her wedding with Harry Wentworth-Stanley. Prince Harry, 35, who got married to Meghan Markle on May 19, 2018 and has a baby boy Archie, dated Cressida Bonas for three years until 2014. According to Daily Mail, the 31-year-old actress was spotted …

LESBOS ISLAND: Greece on Monday accused migrants of deliberately burning their overcrowded camp last week on Lesbos island, where hundreds reluctantly moved to a new temporary site with “no showers or mattresses”. Families, children, young men and pregnant women have been left wandering aimlessly since a blaze ripped through the Moria camp on the night of Sept 8, forcing its …

TOKYO: Japan’ chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga is set to become the country’s next prime minister after the ruling party on Monday elected him successor to outgoing leader Shinzo Abe. Mr Suga easily won the vote, taking 377 of the 534 valid votes cast by Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers and regional representatives, significantly ahead of his two rivals. Given his …

Scientists said on Monday they have detected in the harshly acidic clouds of Venus a gas called phosphine that indicates microbes may inhabit Earth’s inhospitable neighbour, a tantalising sign of potential life beyond Earth. The researchers did not discover actual life forms, but noted that on Earth phosphine is produced by bacteria thriving in oxygen-starved environments. The international scientific team …

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on Monday agreed on increasing the frequency of bilateral visits for strengthening the strategic relationship. The resolve was expressed during a telephone conversation between Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir. “Underscoring close Pak-Saudi fraternal ties, the FM reaffirmed commitment to further enhance this strategic relationship,” FO …

LONDON: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday a bill that would break international law by breaching parts of the Brexit divorce deal was needed because the European Union had not taken a “revolver off the table” in trade talks. Johnson accuses the EU of threatening to use the withdrawal treaty agreed in January to put up trade barriers …

DOHA: The Afghan government on Monday pressed its calls for a truce with the Taliban, reiterating its desire for a long-term ceasefire at historic talks in Qatar. The two sides are in the early stages of meetings in Doha as they try to hammer out a deal that would bring 19 years of bloodshed. The head of the peace process …

US President Donald Trump is set to preside over the signing of historic diplomatic deals between Israel and two Gulf Arab nations that could herald a dramatic shift in Middle East power dynamics and give him a boost ahead of the November election. In a White House ceremony aimed at showcasing presidential statesmanship, Trump will host more than 700 guests …

ISLAMABAD: With the United States seeking continued support for peace in Afghanistan, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Bajwa on Monday credited Prime Minister Imran Khan for Pakistan’s role in the start of intra-Afghan talks. The COAS was talking to US Special Representative for Afghan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad, who was visiting Pakistan along with his delegation. Mr Khalilzad’s latest …