MADRID: Spain declared a national state of emergency on Sunday to tackle a second coronavirus wave as the World Health Organisation reported a third straight day of record new infections across the world. The WHO has warned that some countries are on a “dangerous track”, with too many witnessing an exponential increase in cases, and called on countries to take …

KABUL: Afghan forces have killed a top Al Qaeda militant wanted by the United States, as the government on Sunday accused the Taliban of still keeping close ties with the militant group. Abu Muhsin al-Masri, an Egyptian national believed to be the group’s number two in the subcontinent, was targeted in eastern Ghazni province, Afghanistan’s intelligence agency said in a …

• Writes to Facebook seeking a ban on such statements • Says France needs a healing touch as given by Nelson Mandela • FO alarmed at statements of politicians justifying such acts ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday denounced French President Emmanuel Macron’s remarks on blasphemous caricatures, calling them “encouragement of Islamophobia”. He was referring to comments made on Wednesday by …

ISTANBUL: The backlash against President Emmanuel Macron’s comments on Islam intensified on Sunday, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan again urging him to have “mental checks” and many Muslims demanding boycotts of France. Speaking after teacher Samuel Paty was beheaded for showing sketches of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to pupils in a lesson on free speech, Macron vowed France would “not …

TEHRAN/BAKU: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Sunday they have deployed troops along the border with Azerbaijan and Armenia, following stray fire from the fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh. “Units of (the Guards) ground forces have been dispatched to and stationed in the region,” their commander Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour said, quoted by state news agency IRNA. Their mission was “to protect national interests …

UNITED NATIONS: An international treaty banning nuclear weapons has been ratified by a 50th country, the UN said, allowing the “historic” text to enter into force after 90 days. While nuclear powers have not signed the treaty, activists who have pushed for its enactment hold out hope that it will nonetheless prove to be more than symbolic and have a …

KARACHI: Amid an ongoing anti-government campaign by the opposition, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has decided to take up the challenge “politically” by marking Karachi and other parts of Sindh as their battleground, where it is set to launch a campaign that would see rallies, demonstrations and massive mobilisation to build Islamabad’s narrative on the issues, sources and party leaders said on …

NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a date for war with Pakistan and China, according to a senior official of the Bharatiya Janata Party quoted by the Press Trust of India on Sunday. The news agency said the BJP’s Uttar Pradesh chief, Swatantra Dev Singh, told a meeting of party functionaries that Mr Modi had decided when the country …

Armenia and Azerbaijan accused each other of violating a new ceasefire to halt fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh shortly after it had been due to take effect on Monday. Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry said Armenian forces had shelled the town of Terter and nearby villages in “gross violation” of the truce, which was announced by Washington on Sunday. Armenia’s defence ministry said Azerbaijani …

KARACHI: The keel-laying ceremony of the second Milgem Class Corvette for Pakistan Navy was held at the Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works (KS&EW) on Sunday. The Milgem Class Corvettes are to be the most technologically-advanced stealth surface platforms of the Pakistan Navy fleet. The vessel is equipped with state of the art weapons and modern sensors, including surface-to-surface and surface-to-air …