SEATTLE: Billionaire benefactors Bill and Melinda Gates, co-founders of one of the world’s largest private charitable foundations, filed for divorce on Monday after 27 years of marriage. but pledged to continue their philanthropic work together (partly reported in Tuesday’s Dawn. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has become one of the most powerful and influential forces in global public health, …

MANILA: The Philipp­ines’ foreign secretary apologised on Tuesday after tweeting an obscene phrase demanding China get out of Philippine-claimed territory in the South China Sea in an outburst that annoyed the Philippine president. Foreign Secretary Teod­oro Locsin Jr. blasted China with the profanity on Monday, when the Depar­tment of Foreign Affairs announced it had protested the Chinese coast guards shadowing, blocking, dangerous …

LONDON: The Group of Seven wealthy democracies on Tuesday discussed how to form a common front towards an increasingly assertive China in the foreign ministers’ first in-person talks in two years. Backing US President Joe Biden’s calls for a deeper alliance of democracies, host Britain invited guests, including India, South Korea and Australia, for talks in central London stretched out …

NAQOURA: After a nearly six-month pause, Lebanon and Israel on Tuesday resumed indirect talks with US mediation over their disputed maritime border. The resumption comes after a new US administration took over. Lebanon has sunk deeper into it economic and financial crisis that started in late 2019 a culmination of decades of corruption and mismanagement by the political class. The …

KANDAHAR: Thousands of Afghans started to flee their homes as fierce fighting erupted between government forces and the Taliban in Helmand province on Monday after the US military began withdrawing its remaining troops from Afghanistan, officials said. Afghan forces claimed pushing back the Taliban on multiple checkpoints in the southern province of Helmand, where the US military handed over a …

India’s coronavirus deaths rose by a record 3,780 during the last 24 hours, a day after it became the second country to cross the grim milestone of 20 million infections after the United States. Daily infections rose by 382,315 on Wednesday, health ministry data showed. Government modelling had pointed to a peak by Wednesday, a few days earlier than thought, since the …

RAWALPINDI: Residents of the city experienced record 70 incidents of street crimes in a single day on Monday, including 19 robberies, 17 motorcycle, 5 cars and other vehicles theft and 27 burglaries and mobile phone snatching. Majority of the robberies and mobile phone snatching were committed by motorcycle riders. Ms Shamila Kasur, resident of Kahuta, complained to the Civil Lines …

PESHAWAR: Police have booked two sitting members of provincial assembly for storming Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) and attacking doctors and nurses there. The FIR has been registered at Hayatabad police station against Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) lawmaker Nighat Orakzai and Shafiq Sher Afridi, Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) member from Khyber tribal district. The FIR has been registered under section 186, …

KHYBER: Gunmen killed three persons, including a woman of their family, for honour in Tirah valley of the Khyber tribal district on Tuesday. Police officials said the incident took place in Peer Mela locality of Zakhakhel. They said armed men shot dead a private schoolteacher while he was on way home on a motorcycle. Another teacher riding the pillion was …

ISLAMABAD: City managers have decided to move out a landfill site from residential I-12 while 21 Ehsaas bazaars for cart holders will be set up in various parts of the city. Capital Development Authority (CDA) officials, during a meeting, decided to move out the landfill site from I-12. It was also decided that the sector will be developed. Sources said …