Afghan peace deal: Biden admin supports talks aimed at finding political settlement
Washington: The Biden administration is having a hard look at the extent to which the Taliban are complying with the conditions of the peace agreement and supports the negotiations between the stakeholders to find a durable political settlement to the long-standing conflict in Afghanistan, a top US official has said. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan […]
Banned militant group Lashkar-e-Islam picks its new leader
Peshawar: Pakistan’s banned terrorist group Lashkar-e-Islam has named Zala Khan Afridi as its new head, days after the outfit’s fugitive leader Mangal Bagh was killed in a roadside bomb blast in southern Afghanistan. Afridi, a close associate of Bagh, was named as the new head after members of the group held a meeting at Bander […]
Daniel Pearl’s murder case: Blinken dials Pak FM Qureshi, seeks accountability
Washington/Islamabad: US Secretary of State Tony Blinken has spoken over phone with Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and discussed the accountability of convicted terrorists responsible for the brutal murder of American journalist Daniel Pearl, according to the State Department. Pearl, the 38-year-old South Asia bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal, was abducted and […]
Wanted militant killed in bomb explosion in Afghanistan
Peshawar: A fugitive militant leader from Pakistan who carried a USD 3 million US bounty for alleged terrorist activities was killed by a roadside bomb in neighbouring Afghanistan along with two associates, an Afghan official said Friday. The commander, Manghal Bagh, led an outlawed militant group called Lashkar-e-Islam, or Army of Islam. The group had […]
US outraged’ over Pak SC acquitting Daniel Pearl’s killers: White House
Washington: The White House has expressed outrage over Pakistan Supreme Court’s decision acquitting those involved in the sensational kidnapping and murder of Daniel Pearl in 2002 and said that the judgement is an “affront” to terrorism victims everywhere. Pearl, the 38-year-old South Asia bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal, was abducted and beheaded while […]
Need to regulate social media companies: UN chief
Says am worried about the power they enjoy
United Nations: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said he is “worried about the power of social media companies and called for creating a global mechanism to regulate them. Guterres, addressing a press conference on Thursday following his informal briefing to the UN member states on Priorities for 2021′, said he does not think we can […]
UNSC permanent membership reforms
China calls for 'package solution' acceptable to all members
Beijing: China, which has been blocking India’s efforts to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council, has called for evolving a package solution acceptable to all UN members to reform the top global governing body. The reform should reflect the leadership of UN member states, adhere to extensive democratic consultations and gradually accumulate […]
Daniel Pearl’s murder: Pak SC orders release of Omar Saeed Sheikh
Islamabad: Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the release of British-born al-Qaeda militant Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, the prime accused in the beheading of American journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002 in Karachi. The apex court dismissed the Sindh provincial government’s appeal against the Sindh High Court’s (SHC) decision to overturn the conviction of Sheikh for […]
China’s Anal swab tests prove an embarrassment
Beijing: Amid a flare-up of COVID-19 cases across the country, Chinese citizens may have to undergo an embarrassing anal swab test for virus detection, prompting some of them to vent their ire on social media. Beijing has rolled out the anal swab tests for key groups, focusing on persons returning from abroad and living in […]
Pakistan gets Geographical Indicator tag for Basmati rice
Islamabad: Pakistan has received the Geographical Indicator (GI) tag for its Basmati, paving the way for creating a local registry for the particular strain of rice and making a case in the international market, as the country fights a case in the EU against India’s move to get Basmati rice registered as its product. A […]