World

HONG KONG: China opened its powerful national security office in Hong Kong on Wednesday, turning a hotel near a city-centre park that has been one of the most popular venues for pro-democracy protests into its new headquarters. The office, which operates beyond the scrutiny of local courts or other institutions, …

BEIJING: China would “be happy to” participate in trilateral arms control negotiations with the United States and Russia, but only if the United States were willing to reduce its nuclear arsenal to China’s level, a senior Chinese diplomat said on Wednesday. Washington has repeatedly called for China to join in …

South Korea has agreed to release a part of funds belonging to Iran and frozen in the country’s banks under pressure from the United States, says a businessman leading trade between the two countries. Hossein Tanhayi, who chairs Iran-South Korea Joint Chamber of Commerce, said on Tuesday that the two …

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has warned that violence by Taliban is threatening the country’s peace process, as his administration prepares for talks with the militant group. “If the Taliban continue fighting, the Afghan peace process will face serious challenges,” Ghani told online attendees from international organizations and several nations on …

As the war in Yemen rages on, with mounting evidence of Saudi war crimes, the UK government has seen fit to resume arms sales to the Kingdom. Announcing the controversial decision in a written statement, the international trade secretary, Liz Truss, justified the restart of arms sales to the Saudi …

A public bus in southwestern China’s Guizhou Province dove straight into a reservoir on Tuesday, leaving 21 dead and 16 injured.The accident occurred at noon, when the bus suddenly made a 90-degree turn across several traffic lanes, rushing out of a guardrail, according to state broadcaster CCTV. One student was …

BERLIN: Egypt, France, Germany and Jordan on Tuesday warned Israel against annexing parts of the Palestinian territories, saying that doing so could have consequences for bilateral relations. In a statement distributed by the German Foreign Ministry, the countries, including Israel’s two leading partners in the Middle East, said their foreign …

HONG KONG: Hong Kong’s national security law does not spell “doom and gloom”, its leader said on Tuesday, as she tried to calm unease over legislation that critics say could quash freedoms that have underpinned the city’s success as a financial hub. In an illustration of worries about the law, …

SEOUL: A U.S. envoy arrived in South Korea on Tuesday in an effort to renew stalled nuclear talks with North Korea, hours after it issued a statement saying it has no intention of sitting down with the United States and told South Korea to “stop meddling”. U.S. Deputy Secretary of …

TEHRAN: A special envoy of the president of Venezuela visited Tehran to express his country’s gratitude to Iran for freighting several consignments of gasoline and supporting the Latin American nation in the struggle with the US imperialism. In a meeting with Iranian President’s Chief of Staff Mahmoud Vaezi, held in …