ADDIS ABABA: Ethiopia said on Thursday it would expel seven senior UN officials for “meddling” in its affairs, ratcheting up worries over the humanitarian response in the war-torn and famine-threatened Tigray region. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he was “shocked” by the decision, expressed full confidence in his staff in Ethiopia and said the UN was engaging with the …

The Taliban on Thursday ordered their fighters to leave private homes they had taken over during last month’s blitz when the group seized control of Afghanistan, an apparent effort to impose order among Taliban ranks. Meanwhile, in the capital of Kabul, the Taliban fired shots to disperse a women’s rally demanding equal rights while the regional chief for the International Federation of …

The first world fair to be held in the Middle East, Expo 2020 Dubai, opened on Thursday with a lavish ceremony of fireworks, music and messaging about the power of global collaboration for a more sustainable future. Stars headlining the opening ceremony, which was projected in public spaces around the UAE, included Italian tenor singer Andrea Bocelli, British singer Ellie …

MOSCOW: Russia urged Tajikistan and Afghanistan to resolve any dispute in a mutually acceptable manner, saying it had heard reports they were sending troops to their common border, TASS quoted the Russian foreign ministry as saying. “We observe with concern the growing tensions in Tajik-Afghan relations amid mutually strong statements by the leadership of the two countries,” TASS quoted ministry …

JERUSALEM: Three Palestinians were killed on Thursday by Israeli fire, including a woman who tried to stab officers in Jerusalem, a militant shot during West Bank clashes and a Gazan who approached the border fence. The violence comes days after an Israeli raid on militants in the occupied West Bank left five Palestinians dead. At dawn in Jerusalem, the sound of gunshots …

JERUSALEM: Israel and Bahrain cemented their year-old agreement to establish diplomatic ties on Thursday, with the king of the small Gulf Arab state hosting Israel’s foreign minister who for the first time opened an embassy in the capital of Manama. Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid met King Hamad bin Issa Al Khalifa on the same day as the first direct flight from …

WASHINGTON: The US military chief has informed American lawmakers that the loss in Afghanistan was a cumulative effect of 20 years of wrong decisions and bad planning and was not caused by any single factor, such as the Taliban’s alleged sanctuary in Pakistan. In their latest testimony before the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday, top US generals also blamed …

Japanese Princess Mako will marry her fiance, a former college classmate, on October 26, authorities said on Friday, after years of intense scrutiny and criticism that cast her engagement in an unflattering light. The 29-year-old niece of Emperor Naruhito became engaged to Kei Komuro, 29, in 2017, and the two initially captivated the public with their smiles at each other in a …

KABUL: Afghanistan’s health system is on the verge of collapse, a top Red Cross official warned on Thursday, saying more than 2,000 health facilities had been shuttered across the conflict-ravaged country. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) warned that a dire lack of funding was pushing Afghanistan’s health system to the brink. “People might agree …

ISLAMABAD: While the Medical and Dental Colleges Admission Test (MDCAT) concluded after one month on Thursday, a large number of students have been protesting against the Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) across the country, demanding retake of the exam on a single day to ensure transparency and merit. A delegation of students met with Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) …