BOSTON: A US appeals court on Thursday upheld Harvard University’s use of race in undergraduate admissions, rejecting a challenge by affirmative action opponents who said the Ivy League school’s policy discriminates against Asian-Americans. Opponents of the decision by an appeals court in Boston promised to appeal to the Supreme Court, where legal experts believe the 6-3 conservative majority could use …

SYDNEY: Australia on Thursday moved to prosecute alleged war crimes by its special forces deployed in Afghanistan, years after harrowing reports emerged of civilians and prisoners being killed. Prime Minister Scott Morrison — citing allegations of “serious and possibly criminal misconduct” — appointed a special investigator, a move to forestall any prosecution at the International Criminal Court. After the September …

ACCRA: Ghana’s former president Jerry Rawlings, a member of the radical and charismatic generation of figures who emerged in West Africa in the 1980s, died on Thursday aged 73. The former air force flight lieutenant led two coups in 1979 and 1981, railing against corruption and stamping his authority on the nation before ushering in democracy. Under his uncompromising command, …

YEREVAN: Thousands massed in Armenia’s capital on Thursday to protest the terms of a ceasefire agreement that gave territorial concessions to Azerbaijan in the long-running conflict over the separatist territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. The rally marked the third straight day of demonstrations triggered by the truce to halt more than six weeks of deadly fighting between the two ex-Soviet nations. Nagorno-Karabakh …

Aung San Suu Kyi’s ruling party secured an absolute majority in Myanmar’s election, official results showed on Friday, in a poll disputed by the military-aligned opposition and criticised by rights groups. Her National League for Democracy (NLD) had already declared a landslide victory based on its own tallies, prompting street celebrations by supporters. But official figures were still being returned …

China congratulated United States President-elect Joe Biden on Friday nearly a week after he was declared winner of the American election. “We respect the choice of the American people. We express our congratulations to Mr Biden and Ms Harris,” said foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin at a regular press briefing, referring to incoming vice president Kamala Harris. Wang said China …

There is no evidence of compromised ballots or corrupt voting systems in the United States election, officials said on Thursday, as a top Democrat accused Republicans who refuse to accept President-elect Joe Biden’s win of “poisoning” democracy. Their messages came hours after President Donald Trump once again cried foul, tweeting a baseless claim that an election equipment maker “deleted” 2.7 million …

KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan leaders on Thursday slammed the Sindh government for carving out the seventh district out of Karachi and approached the Sindh High Court against the creation of Keamari district. They contended that it was not an administrative decision, but an attempt to divide the city on ethnic lines and strengthen the political position of the Pakistan …

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday received four amended review petitions in which petitioners have questioned the majority judgement in presidential reference against Justice Qazi Faez Isa. The amended review petitions, however, adopted the reasoning and conclusions drawn by Justice Maqbool Baqar and Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah who dissented from the majority judgement endorsed by seven judges of the …

QUETTA: Prime Minister Imran Khan will reach Turbat on a daylong visit on Friday (today). Official sources said that during his stay in the headquarters of Makran division, the prime minister would announce a special development package for southern Balochistan, including Kech, Awaran, Washuk, Lasbela and Kharan districts. Mr Khan had indicated during his last visit to Quetta about announcing …