KABUL:Atleast three policemen were killed and 18 others wounded in a suicide attack on Police HQ in Kandahar province on Wednesday morning, a security source said.

BEIJING:Rescue operations are underway after a landslide caused by heavy rainfall swept away nine people on Wednesday in central China's Hubei province.

SRINAGAR:A 63-year-old woman was killed and two civilians were injured in Pakistani firing in the Mendhar sector near the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch.
According to details, Pakistani forces resorted to ceasefire violation in the Mendhar and Balakote sectors on Tuesday night in which Rasham Bi (63) was killed and two civilians were injured.

LONDON:Chinese short-video making app TikTok has said it will quit Hong Kong after China imposed a new national security law.
TikTok's decision to stop operations in Hong Kong of its popular video app looks unusual but is strategic, reports BBC.

WASHINGTON:Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray has said that acts of espionage and theft by China's government pose the "greatest long-term threat" to the future of the US.

TOKYO:The death toll due to the torrential rain in Japan's Kyushu region increased to 52 on Tuesday, with the government issuing its highest alert as the Chikugo river in Oita prefecture overflowed.

SACRAMENTO:A COVID-19 outbreak in the California Legislature has indefinitely delayed a session of the state Assembly, highlighting the rapid spread of the virus in a state that has imposed new restrictions on bars and restaurants following a surge in the number of infections and hospitalizations, a media report said.

WASHINGTON:US President Donald Trump's job approval rating was hovering near the low point of his presidency as core groups that propelled his 2016 run were dissatisfied with his performance in office, according to a new poll.

ISLAMABAD:Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has inaugurated the country's first indigenous ventilators' manufacturing facility.
It is a landmark achievement for the country and I congratulate the entire team," Dawn news quoted Khan as saying on Monday after inaugurating the ventilators factory at the National Radio and Telecommunications Corporation (NRTC) in Haripur.

KABUL:The Afghan government has suspended the release of the last batch of Taliban inmates over their involvement in serious crimes, it was reported on Tuesday.
The Afghan government on Monday once again stated its firm stance of not releasing nearly 600 Taliban prisoners who are reportedly guilty of serious crimes beyond membership in the Taliban, Tolo news said in a report.

PARIS:The French presidency has unveiled a reshuffled government of mixed profiles with old and new faces to embark on a new path that President Emmanuel Macron pledged for the country's reconstruction in his remaining two years in office.

BAGHDAD:Hisham al-Hashimi, a well-known Iraqi political and security expert, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in the capital Baghdad, an Interior Ministry source said.
The incident took place on Monday in Zaiyouna district when the gunmen on two motorcycles opened fire at al-Hashimi's car near his house, the source told Xinhua news agency.
Al-Hashimi was shot more than 20 times and was transferred to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, the source said.

RAMALLAH:The two Palestinian rival groups, President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party and Islamic Hamas movement, have agreed to resume meetings in an effort to end the internal division.

OTTAWA:An armed man was arrested last week near Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's residence for threatening to harm him, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

WASHINGTON:US President Donald Trump is expected to refile paperwork this week to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that offers protections for thousands of young immigrants and work lawfully.

NEW YORK:New York City, once the epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US, has entered phase three of reopening, but without resuming indoor dining.
Personal care services, such as nail salons and massage parlours, were allowed to reopen on Monday after nearly four months of closure, reports Xinhua news agency.

DUBLIN:Restrictions on international travellers to Ireland will remain in place until at least July 20, according to RTE, the national radio and TV broadcaster.
The RTE report on Monday quoted Prime Minister Micheal Martin as saying that a "green list" of countries with virus levels similar to or lower than Ireland will be published by the government on July 20, reports Xinhua news agency.

KARACHI:At least seven people were killed and several others injured in Pakistan's Karachi city in separate rain-related incidents.
After weeks of extremely hot weather, the residents of Karachi on Monday found solace when the first monsoon rain in the ongoing summer season hit the port city of over 20 million people, but at the same time the unfortunate incidents of electrocution, roof collapse and uprooting of trees and billboards claimed seven lives, reports Xinhua news agency.

NEW YORK: Mahatma Gandhi has been caught up in the anti-racism movement's campaign for removing statues and memorials and the White House has decried the targeting of the Father of India.

WASHINGTON:US President Donald Trump will hold an outdoor 'Make America Great Again' rally in New Hampshire on Saturday, his re-election campaign announced Sunday.
The campaign said on Sunday that the rally at the Portsmouth International Airport will provide attendees with "ample access to hand sanitizer" and "a face mask that they are strongly encouraged to wear", The Hill news website reported.

ISLAMABAD:: Pakistani journalists held a rally to protest against the suspension of transmission of private TV channel ‘24, it was reported on Monday.
Rallying in front of the press club in Kandhkot city, Sindh province, the protesters on Sunday raised slogans against the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) and said they would not accept its action, reports Dawn news.

ISLAMABAD:The Aurat Foundation, a non-governmental organisation working for womens rights in Pakistan, has said that the COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected women in the country.

ISLAMABAD:Abdullah Abdullah, the head of Afghan peace council, will soon pay an official visit to Pakistan as part of efforts to advance the peace process that has entered a crucial phase, it was reported on Monday.

KABUL:Afghanistan on Monday will host a virtual meeting of 19 representatives from nations as well as international organizations to discuss peace and build consensus on the reconciliation process in the country.

WASHNGTON:US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Stephen Hahn has declined to back President Donald Trump's claim that 99 per cent of COVID-19 cases were "totally harmless".

TEHRAN:The value of Iran's trade with the US stood at $20 million during the first five months of 2020, a more than 50 per cent decline, a news report revealed.
The figure registered a 51.1 per cent decline compared with the corresponding period of 2019, Xinhua quoted the Eghtesad Online news as saying on Sunday.

CHICAGO:At least 17 people were killed and 63 others injured in Chicago over the Independence Day holiday weekend as a result of gun violence.
The victims included a seven-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy, reports Xinhua news agency.

NEW YORK:New York City will enter phase three of reopening on Monday as scheduled, but without the resumption of indoor dining, New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo said.

KATHMANDU: The ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) has postponed its Standing Committee meeting till Monday in an attempt to reconcile differences among party co-chairs, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal and senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal.

NEW DELHI: Banned pro-Khalistan group Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) on Saturday launched its much-publicised online voter registration for 'Referendum 2020' for people in Punjab through a Russian portal.

ISLAMABAD:Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan vowed that the government would complete the ambitious China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project at any cost and pass its benefits to the nation.

ISLAMABAD:UAE's Emirates airline has resumed passenger services to Pakistan's four main cities of Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Sialkot after a temporary suspension, but with a condition that passengers will be required to carry a negative COVID-19 report from a specified laboratory.

MOSCOW:The text of the Russian Constitution containing amendments adopted as a result of a nationwide popular vote was uploaded to the online portal of legal information on Saturday.

NEW DELHI: The government said on Friday that 14 Indians have been killed while 88 others have been injured by Pakistan in over 2,400 unprovoked ceasefire violations along the Line of Control in the last six months.

ISLAMABAD:Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan launched an initiative to preserve nature by protecting and promoting 15 national parks in an effort to increase the country's forest cover.