International

08-08-2021 BARCELONA: Lionel Messi fought back tears as he began a press conference at which he confirmed he is leaving Barcelona, the football club where he has played his entire career. He was emotional before he even made an opening statement. “These recent days, I’ve been giving lots of thought …

08-08-2021 NEW YORK/ WASHINGTON: The United States is now averaging 100,000 new COVID-19 infections per day, returning to a milestone last seen during the winter surge as health officials urge people to get vaccinated to stem a surging spread of the Delta variant. Across the country, 70.6 percent of adults …

08-08-2021 Beirut BEIRUT/ DAMASCUS/ JERUSALEM:  The head of Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement, Hassan Nasrallah, has promised a “suitable and proportionate” response to any Israeli air strikes on Lebanon after a flare-up at the border this week. Israel carried out its first air raids on Lebanese soil in years on Thursday, prompting …

08-08-2021 RIYADH: Saudi Arabia says it will begin receiving Umrah pilgrimage requests from vaccinated foreign worshippers starting on August 9. The announcement on state media early on Sunday came about 18 months after the kingdom closed its borders to foreign pilgrims due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Saudi Press Agency said …

07-08-2021 KABUL: The Taliban say they have taken control of the city of Sheberghan in the northern Afghan province of Jawzjan. It is the second regional capital to fall to the militants, after Zaranj in the south-western province of Nimroz fell on Friday. It is a major blow to security …

07-08-2021 ATHENS: Thousands of tourists and residents have been evacuated from towns north of the Greek capital, Athens, as wildfires spread across the country. Strong winds and high temperatures are making it difficult to control the blazes, which have killed at least two people, including a firefighter. Huge clouds of …

07-08-2021 JERUSALEM/ GAZA CITY: Israeli aircraft bombed Hamas sites in the Gaza Strip on Saturday in response to incendiary balloons launched from the Palestinian enclave, Israel’s military said. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from the attack that targeted what the Israeli military said was a rocket …

07-08-2021 Bureau Report MELBOURNE: Additional funding will be provided to Victoria businesses as they struggle through another COVID-19 lockdown. The new package follows the $400 million package announced last week. Minister for Industry Support and Recovery Martin Pakula said the latest payments were being funded by the federal and state governments. “It means …

07-08-2021 By SJA Jafri + Bureau Report + Agencies KABUL/QUETTA/ ISLAMABAD: Demanding a complete dismissal or leniency in the visa requirements for Afghans by Pakistan, the Taliban on Friday closed a major frontier with Pakistan. “No one would be allowed through until Islamabad dropped or relaxed its visa requirements for …

07-08-2021 LONDON: Hundreds of fully vaccinated people in England have been hospitalized with the highly contagious Delta coronavirus variant, scientists said on Friday. In its latest COVID-19 update, Public Health England (PHE) also warned there were early signs that people who have been inoculated may be able to transmit the …