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23-07-2020 RIYADH: Saudi authorities on Monday announced this year’s Hajj will take place on July 29 with only 1,000 pilgrims as the country battles a surge in coronavirus infections. Some 2.5 million people from all over the world usually participate in the ritual that takes place over several days, centered …

Airstrikes in Afghanistan kill 45 Taliban members 23-07-2020 KABUL/ HEART/ ISLAMABAD: ir strikes in eastern Afghanistan killed 45 people, including civilians and Taliban fighters, local officials said on Wednesday. Ali Ahmad Faqir Yar, governor of Adraskan district in the eastern Afghan province of Herat, said at least eight civilians were …

22-07-2020 ISTANBUL: The brutal murder of yet another Turkish woman has triggered widespread outrage in the country, with many taking to the streets and social media to express their anger. University student Pinar Gultekin, 27, was killed in the Aegean province of Mugla. She was reported missing last week and was found dead in …

22-07-2020 HOUSTON/ BEIJING: The United States of America (USA) has ordered the closure of China’s consulate in the city of Houston, a move Beijing called “an unprecedented escalation” that will sabotage relations between the two countries. In a statement on Wednesday, Morgan Ortagus, spokeswoman for the US Department of State, …

22-07-2020 TEHRAN: In his first public meeting since the onset of the coronavirus crisis in February, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei met with Iraq’s visiting Prime Minister Mostafa Al-Kadhimi in Tehran yesterday. During the meeting, Khamenei vowed to take revenge for former IRGC Qods Force Commander Qassem Soleimani who …

22-07-2020 By SJA Jafri STOCKHOLM/ RIYADH/ TEHRAN/ WASHINGTON/ JERUSALEM: When countries start dabbling in nuclear energy, eyebrows raise. It’s understandable, topping the spread of nuclear weapons while allowing countries to pursue civilian nuclear programs has proven a tough and sometimes unsuccessful balancing act for the global community. So when atom-splitting …

21-07-2020 By SJA Jafri + Bureau Report + Agencies LONDON/ ISLAMABAD: Veteran British Pakistani Barrister Iftikhar Ahmad has filed a petition against the British government over 14 days’ mandatory quarantine policy for those coming from countries like Pakistan – terming it as his unlawful house arrest in breach of fundamental …

20-07-2020 TEHRAN/ WASHINGTON/ JERUSALEM: Iran on Monday executed a former translator convicted of spying for the US and Israel, including helping to locate a top Iranian general killed later by the Americans, the judiciary said. The killing of Major General Qasem Soleimani in a US drone strike near Baghdad airport in …

20-07-2020 TOKYO/ DUBAI: A United Arab Emirates spacecraft rocketed away Monday on a seven-month journey to Mars, kicking off the Arab world’s first interplanetary mission. The liftoff of the Mars orbiter named Amal, or Hope, from Japan marked the start of a rush to fly to Earth’s neighbor that includes …

19-07-2020 DAMASCUS: Syrians voted Sunday to elect a new parliament as the Damascus government grapples with international sanctions and a crumbling economy after retaking large parts of the war-torn country. More than 7,400 polling stations opened across government-held parts of Syria — including, for the first time, in former opposition …