International

29-12-2022 UNITED NATIONS/ KABUL: The UN Security Council on Tuesday called for the full, equal and meaningful participation of women and girls in Afghanistan, denouncing a ban by the Taliban-led administration on women attending universities or working for humanitarian aid groups. In a statement agreed by consensus, the 15-member council …

28-12-2022 JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu has moved one step further towards establishing a government after parliament approved divisive legislation that will benefit his far-right and ultra-Orthodox coalition partners. One of the highly controversial amendments on Tuesday will allow an Israeli politician to serve as a government minister despite …

28-12-2022 BEIJING: Chinese people, cut off from the rest of the world for three years by COVID-19 curbs, flocked to travel sites on Tuesday ahead of borders reopening, even as rising infections further strained the health system and roiled the economy. Zero-tolerance measures from shuttered borders to frequent lockdowns have …

28-12-2022 MANILA: The death toll from Christmas day rains and flooding in the southern Philippines has risen to 13, according to the country’s disaster management council, with a further 23 people still missing. Most of the deaths were caused by flash floods after two days of heavy rains over Christmas, …

28-12-2022 MOSCOW: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has given Ukraine an ultimatum: Fulfil Moscow’s demands including surrendering Ukrainian territory that Russia now controls or the Russian army will decide the fate of Ukraine. Speaking a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin once again said he was open to peace talks …

28-12-2022 NEW YORK: The death toll from a devastating winter blizzard that left much of the United States in a deep freeze has risen to at least 25 in a hard-hit region of western New York state, authorities said, as tens of thousands remain without power. During a news conference …

28-12-2022 BELGRADE: The Serbian army says it is at its “highest level of combat readiness” after weeks of escalating tensions between Serbia and Kosovo. President Aleksandar Vucic says he will “take all measures to protect our people and preserve Serbia”. The saber-rattling is louder than ever and follows media claims …

28-12-2022 SEOUL: South Korean officials have lifted an import ban on adult-sized sex dolls. The decision comes after years of debate over whether the government was interfering in people’s private lives. The revised guidelines allow adult-shaped dolls through customs, but child-like dolls resembling minors are still prohibited, the Korea Customs …

28-12-2022 TAIPEI CITY: Taiwan will extend mandatory military service from four months to one year, President Tsai Ing-wen has said. The decision comes amid growing tensions with China, which claims the self-ruled island as its territory. Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, President Tsai announced new plans to bolster …

27-12-2022 TEHRAN: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi decried the West and US’ hypocritical approach to the country, saying they demand to hold talks with Iran while trying to portray the Islamic Republic as weak. In an address at the funeral of 200 unidentified martyrs, held in Tehran on Tuesday, Raisi called …