NEW DELHI: Leaders of the five-nation BRICS club (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday called for settling the situation in Afghanistan through peaceful means. The declaration at the virtual summit held through video conference said the leaders also sought an “inclusive intra-Afghan dialogue so as to ensure stability, civil peace, law and …

The United States on Thursday praised the Taliban as businesslike and cooperative in facilitating the first evacuation of Americans from Afghanistan since the US military withdrawal. The departure from Kabul to Doha on a chartered Qatar Airways flight on Thursday marked “a positive first step” with the new regime, National Security Council spokesperson Emily Horne said. “The Taliban have been cooperative in facilitating …

KABUL: Some 200 passengers, including US citizens, left Kabul airport on Thursday, on the first flight carrying foreigners out of the Afghan capital since a US-led evacuation ended on Aug 30. The flight to Doha comes as the Taliban continue their transition from insurgents to governing power, less than a month after they marched into Kabul and ousted former president …

BERLIN: Police on Thursday searched the German finance and justice ministries in connection with an investigation into hushed-up reports of money laundering, in a potentially damaging case ahead of this month’s election. The raids were part of a probe into the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), the anti-money laundering section of Germany’s customs authority, prosecutors in the city of Osnabrueck said …

SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook and iconic eyewear brand Ray-Ban on Thursday launched their new smart glasses, the latest effort in a tricky, niche market but which the social media giant sees as a step toward its future. The “Ray-Ban Stories” shades can take pictures and video upon the wearer’s voice commands, and the frames can connect wirelessly to Facebook’s platform through …

NEW YORK: Two decades after its destruction in the Sept 11 attacks, the work to rebuild the World Trade Centre complex remains incomplete. Two planned skyscrapers, a performing arts centre and a church are still unfinished at the site, which plays host on Saturday to the annual ceremony honoring nearly 3,000 people killed in the attacks. Visitors to the commemoration …

A district court in Lahore on Friday cancelled arrest warrants for actor Saba Qamar and singer Bilal Saeed in a case pertaining to the alleged desecration of Wazir Khan mosque. Judicial Magistrate Jowaria Munir Bhatti had issued the warrants on Wednesday, while setting the bail at Rs30,000 each when the two did not appear for a court hearing. The two submitted an …

ISLAMABAD: Voting is set to take place on two key election bills that have raised many eyebrows when the Senate Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs meets today (Friday) for the fourth time in five days. Informed sources told Dawn that a clause-by-clause discussion had already been done and an understanding reached on unanimous passage of as many as 23 amendments proposed in …

ISLAMABAD: Restric­tions imposed on educational institutions, gatherings and public transport in 24 districts of the country with a view to curbing the spread of Covid-19 have been extended till Sept 15. The National Command and Control Centre (NCOC) through a notification on Thursday night confirmed that educational institutions would remain closed until Sept 15. The restrictions imposed on gymnasiums and …

ISLAMABAD: Instead of targeting the government, the country’s three major opposition parties on Thursday held each other responsible for the disintegration of their Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) alliance, damaging the opposition’s cause and providing clandestine support to the government. It all started when Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari in his speech at a workers’ convention at Rahim Yar …