Monday, 17 Mar, 2025

International

Amidst moves towards political rapprochement in J&K, drone attacks by terrorists have serious implications

The past few days have seen a spurt of activities relating to Jammu & Kashmir (J&K), some of which carry the potential to have a significant bearing on how the coming months and years pan out in the troubled region. The drone attack on a defense installation in Jammu, which

Japan landslide: 20 missing in Atami city

Some 20 people are missing after a huge landslide hit Atami city in central Japan, officials say. TV footage showed a torrent of mud plummeting down a hillside in the city southwest of Tokyo. Several houses were destroyed or buried. The incident follows days of heavy rain in the

Last US, Nato forces leave key Afghanistan's Bagram base

The last US and Nato forces have left Afghanistan's Bagram airbase, the centre of the war against militants for some 20 years, US officials say. The pull-out could signal that the complete withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan is imminent. President Joe Biden has said US

Nearly 200 unmarked graves found near Canada residential school

An Indigenous nation in Canada said it has found the remains of 182 people near the grounds of a former residential school in British Columbia. The Lower Kootenay Band said it is too early to say if the remains belonged to former students of the school. But the discovery adds to a

China won't be bullied, says Xi on 100th anniversary 

China's President Xi Jinping has warned that foreign powers will "get their heads bashed" if they attempt to bully or influence the country. He delivered a defiant speech at an event marking the centenary of the ruling Communist Party on Thursday. Mr Xi also said

Ex-US defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld dies aged 88

Donald Rumsfeld, the two-time US defence secretary who was one of the main architects of the Iraq war, has died at the age of 88. Serving under President George W Bush, he was a key proponent of the so-called "war on terror" after the 9/11 attacks. US forces invaded Iraq

US general warns of civil war after Afghan pullout

Afghanistan risks sliding into civil war as the last American troops withdraw from the country, a top US commander has said. Fighting has surged since the US began leaving last month, with the Taliban seizing swathes of territory. All remaining US troops are expected to withdraw by an

Canada weather: Dozens dead as heatwave shatters records

Dozens of people have died in Canada amid an unprecedented heatwave that has smashed temperature records. Police in the Vancouver area have responded to more than 130 sudden deaths since Friday. Most were elderly or had underlying health conditions. They said the heat was a

US air strikes in Iraq and Syria target Iran-backed militia

The US has launched air strikes against an Iran-backed militia in Iraq and Syria, the Pentagon announced. The strikes hit "operational and weapons storage facilities", in response to drone attacks by the militia on US forces, a statement said. "President Biden has

5 die in US hot air balloon accident

A hot air balloon hit a power line and crashed onto a busy street in Albuquerque in the US state of New Mexico on Saturday (Jun 26), killing all five people on board, police said. The crash happened around 7am in the city's west side, police spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said. Police

Three killed in knife attack in Germany’s Wuerzburg

A man armed with a long knife killed three people and seriously injured five others in an attack in the southern German city of Wuerzburg on Friday, authorities said. Police stopped and arrested the attacker by firing a bullet through his thigh. They said his injuries were not

Floyd murder: Derek Chauvin sentenced to over 22 years

The US white ex-police officer convicted of murdering African-American man George Floyd in Minneapolis in May 2020 has been sentenced to 22 years and six months in jail. The judge said Derek Chauvin's sentence was based "on your abuse of a position of trust and authority, and

European Union Has Certain Redlines in Its Relationship With China: Portugal Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva

Portugal Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva has said that the European Union has certain redlines in its relationship with China and cannot be silent concerning human rights violations in Xinjiang, squeezing of democratic space in Hong Kong and cannot accept any change in the South

Explosion near JuD chief Hafiz Saeed residence in Lahore, 2 killed

Lahore: A major explosion has occurred near the Lahore residence of Hafiz Saeed, co-founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the chief of Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD), killing 3 people and injuring 21 others. The explosion took place in a residential area near Allah Hu Boulevard on Wednesday

Amazon bans 3 more Chinese brands amid crackdown on fake reviews

Amid e-commerce giant Amazon's ongoing crackdown on attempts by sellers to solicit positive consumer reviews, three more Chinese consumer brands have been banned from selling on the platform, dealing a fresh blow to the "made in China, sold on Amazon" community. Citing

Pakistan should be held accountable for hosting dreaded, listed terrorists: India at UN

Asserting that should be held "accountable for aiding and abetting terrorism", India on Tuesday said Islamabad continues to provide pensions to dreaded and listed terrorists and hosts them on its territory as its state policy. Exercising its right to reply following

Chinese envoy to US to be replaced after 8 years amid strained ties

China's longest-serving ambassador to the United States, Cui Tiankai, on Tuesday confirmed that he would be leaving Washington, at a time when tensions between the two countries have heightened. Cui has held the post for over eight years. He is expected to replace by Qin Gang, a

Pakistan should look at alternatives to China, G7 initiative on global investments is historic opportunity, says expert

Pakistan should look at alternatives to its alliance with China and not miss a historic opportunity of ‘Build Back Better World (B3W) initiative’ launched at the G-7 June 2021 Summit and which aims to influence, broadly within a decade, 40 trillion dollars-worth of worldwide

US government blocks Iran-affiliated news websites

The US has taken down dozens of Iranian and Iran-linked news sites, which it accused of spreading disinformation. Many sites were offline on Tuesday, with notices explaining they have been "seized" by the US - alongside seals of the FBI and Department of Commerce. They

Spain pardons Catalan leaders over independence bid

The Spanish government has formally pardoned nine Catalan separatists who were convicted over a failed independence bid in 2017. The leaders were imprisoned after being found guilty of sedition in 2019. Three others were convicted of disobedience but not jailed at the same time. The