International

27-08-2021 WASHINGTON/ KABUL: President Joe Biden has promised to hunt down the jihadists behind an attack in Kabul which killed at least 90 people – including 13 US troops. Biden warned the US would “not forgive” the perpetrators. The twin blasts, claimed by a local branch of Islamic State (IS), …

27-08-2021 BEIJING/WASHINGTON: China has criticized the United States of “politicizing” efforts to trace the origin of the coronavirus, demanding without any evidence that American labs be investigated, ahead of the release of a U.S. intelligence report on the virus. The U.S. report is intended to resolve disputes among intelligence agencies …

27-08-2021 BERLIN: Angela Merkel, the leader of the free world, is wrapping up a historic 16 years in power with an uncertain legacy at home and abroad. In office so long she was dubbed Germany’s “eternal chancellor”, Merkel, 67, leaves with her popularity so resilient she would likely have won …

27-08-2021 By SJA Jafri + Bureau Report + Agencies KABUL/ ISLAMABAD/ WASHINGTON: Suicide bombers struck the crowded gates of Kabul airport with at least two explosions on Thursday, causing a bloodbath among civilians, killing four US marines among 73 and effectively shutting down the Western airlift of Afghans desperate to …

26-08-2021 By SJA Jafri + Bureau Report + Agencies KABUL/ ISLAMABAD/ WASHINGTON: At least 13 people have been killed in two powerful explosions outside Kabul’s international airport, a Taliban official has said, amid a huge and chaotic evacuation effort from Afghanistan. A “complex attack” on Thursday at the airport in …

26-08-2021 TOKYO: Japan has suspended the use of 1.63 million doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine after reports of contamination in several vials, drug-maker Takeda and the health ministry has said. Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, which is in charge of sales and distribution of the Moderna shot in Japan, on Thursday said …

26-08-2021 By SJA Jafri + Bureau Report + Agencies KABUL/ ISLAMABAD: Afghans on Thursday hurried to escape Taliban rule, but Western officials said the group had made assurances that some evacuations would be permitted after next week’s US withdrawal deadline. Over 80,000 people have been evacuated since August 14, but …

26-08-2021 CALIFORNIA: WhatsApp has rolled out yet another feature for app users, WABetaInfo reported Monday. This updated feature is the new sound effects for recording WhatsApp voice messages. A Twitter post by WABetaInfo, containing an acknowledgement for the changes by a WhatsApp user, shows a comparison of the new and old …

25-08-2021 Bureau Report MELBOURNE: Victorians aged 16 to 39 are now able to get the Pfizer vaccine with the website to book appointments crashing in the face of high demand. It comes as Victoria recorded 45 new locally acquired cases over the last 24-hour reporting period to midnight. Of the 45 …

25-08-2021 LONDON: An emergency meeting of the G7 leaders on Tuesday agreed that the Taliban will be held accountable for their actions in Afghanistan on protecting women’s rights and preventing terrorism. “We reaffirm that the Taliban will be held accountable for their actions on preventing terrorism, on human rights, in …