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| | Jadhav seeks mercy from Pak army chief | | | | ISLAMADAB, June 22 (Agencies): Former Indian naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav, sentenced to death for spying in Pakistan, has filed a mercy petition with the country's chief of army staff, the Pakistan military said on Thursday.
Jadhav was arrested last year in Pakistan's Southwestern Baluchistan province, the site of a long-running conflict between the Pakistan military and separatist insurgents.
"Commander Jadhav has admitted his involvement in espionage, terrorist and subversive activities in Pakistan and expressed remorse at the resultant loss of any precious lives and extensive damage to property due to his actions," Pakistan's military said in a statement, adding that he has asked for mercy on "compassionate grounds".
After Jadhav was sentenced to death in April, India asked the W... |  | |
| | | Trump's top aide Kenneth Juster to be America's new Ambassador to India | | | | WASHINGTON, June 22 (Agencies): A top aide of US President Donald Trump, Kenneth I Juster, is all set to replace Richard Verma as America's ambassador to India, the White House said .
Juster, 62, who is the Deputy Assistant to the US president for International Economic Affairs and Deputy Director of his National Economic Council, would replace Richard Verma if nominated and confirmed by the Senate.
"Ken Juster's move to Indian Ambassador is because he is extremely qualified for the position," White House deputy spokesperson Lindsay E Walters confirmed to PTI about the news which was first reported by The Washington Post today.
"Ken has a strong and positive relationship with everyone in the White House, including the president," Walters said.
The move has been welcomed by widely re... | | |
| | | Taliban car bombing at Afghan bank kills 34, wounds dozens | | | | Lashkar Gah, June 22 (Agencies): At least 34 people were killed on Thursday when a Taliban car bomb struck a bank in Afghanistan's Lashkar Gah city as people were queueing to withdraw salaries, the latest bloody attack during the holy month of Ramadan.
Dozens of wounded people were rushed to hospital on makeshift stretchers after the bombing at New Kabul Bank which upturned vehicles, left the area littered with charred debris, and sent a plume of smoke into the sky.
The attack comes as the Taliban ramp up their nationwide spring offensive despite government calls for a ceasefire during Ramadan and as the US appears set to boost its troop presence in the country.
The bomb tore through a queue of civilians and government employees who had lined up outside the bank to collect their salari... | | |
| | | China funding Pakistan's mega dam in Pak-Administered Kashmir? | | | | The Asian Development Bank, World Bank have already refused to commit funds for Pakistan’s project.
Beijing, June 22 (Agencies): China on Thursday chose to stay mum on the reports in the Pakistani media that Beijing will fund the USD 14 billion Diamer-Bhasha dam in Pakistan-Administered Kashmir and has agreed to include the project in the USD 50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
"For this specific project and including the construction of dam you mentioned, I am not aware of the details," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a media briefing here.
For long, Pakistan has been looking for USD 12 to 14 billion funding needed to build the Diamer-Bhasha dam located in Gilgit-Baltistan region of PoK but failed to secure the money as it is proposed to be built in the ... | | |
| | | China says no change in position on Masood Azhar | | | | Beijing, June 20 (Agencies): A day after saying it shared India`s concern about terrorism, China on Tuesday said it still had issues in declaring Pakistani militant Masood Azhar as an international terrorist.
"At present, some members still have a disagreement over the listing matter," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said here.
Beijing has in the past vetoed India`s proposal at the UN Security Council to add Azhar to the list of international terrorists, citing lack of solid evidence against the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief who is accused of plotting the Pathankot terror attack.
"We have talked about our position many times. We believe that the principles of objectivity and professionalism and justice shall be upheld," Geng said.
"China stands ready to remain in coor... | | |
| | | Trump administration may expand drone strikes, curb aids to crack down on Pak-based militants | | | | Washington, June 20 (Agencies): President Donald Trump`s administration appears ready to harden its approach toward Pakistan to crack down on Pakistan-based militants launching attacks in neighboring Afghanistan, US officials tell Reuters.
Potential Trump administration responses being discussed include expanding US drone strikes, redirecting or withholding some aid to Pakistan and perhaps eventually downgrading Pakistan`s status as a major non-NATO ally, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Some US officials, however, are skeptical of the prospects for success, arguing that years of previous US efforts to curb Pakistan`s support for militant groups have failed, and that already strengthening US ties to India, Pakistan`s arch-enemy, undermine chances of a breakthrough... | | |
| | | One dead in 'potential terrorist attack' near London mosque | | | | London, June 19 (Agencies): A man rammed a van into worshippers coming out of a mosque in north London after special Ramzan prayers on Monday, killing one person and injuring 10 others, in a terror incident described by police as a deliberate attack on Muslims.
The attack - the fourth terror assault to jolt Britain in four months - occurred just after midnight outside the Muslim Welfare House, which houses a mosque, on the Seven Sisters Road when a group of people were helping a man who had collapsed. The site of the incident is close to another mosque near the Finsbury Park on the same road.
One man was pronounced dead at the scene and eight others were injured. Two others were treated for minor injuries.
A 48-year-old man, the driver of the van, was detained by members of public at t... | | |
| | | One dead in 'potential terrorist attack' near London mosque | | | | London, June 19 (Agencies): A man rammed a van into worshippers coming out of a mosque in north London after special Ramzan prayers on Monday, killing one person and injuring 10 others, in a terror incident described by police as a deliberate attack on Muslims.
The attack - the fourth terror assault to jolt Britain in four months - occurred just after midnight outside the Muslim Welfare House, which houses a mosque, on the Seven Sisters Road when a group of people were helping a man who had collapsed. The site of the incident is close to another mosque near the Finsbury Park on the same road.
One man was pronounced dead at the scene and eight others were injured. Two others were treated for minor injuries.
A 48-year-old man, the driver of the van, was detained by members of public at t... | | |
| | | Pak court defers verdict till July 3 | | | | LAHORE, June 19 (Agencies): Mumbai terror attack mastermind and Jamaat-ud-Dawah chief Hafiz Saeed and his four aides will have to celebrate Eid in custody as Pakistan's Lahore High Court on Monday deferred its verdict till July 3 in their detention case.
"As a division bench headed by Justice Abdul Sami Khan today held the court to announce the verdict a government law officer requested it (bench) to defer it as the deputy attorney general was not present in the court," a court official told reporters outside the courtroom.
Accepting the government's request, the bench deferred the announcement of its verdict in Saeed's house arrest case till July 3, the official said.
The court official gave no further reason for deferring the announcement. "The bench will again sit on July 3 and anno... | | |
| | | One of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks mastermind, Abdul Rehman Makki, has urged the Pakistani media to foster unrest in Kashmir. | | | | ISLAMABAD, June 19 (Agencies): One of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks mastermind, Abdul Rehman Makki, has urged the Pakistani media to foster unrest in Kashmir.
While addressing reporters in Faislabad, Makki urged journalists to wield the power of pen and experience and join the cause of Kashmir.
J&K has been on the boil since the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani in July last year.
Kashmir has been witnessing frequent clashes between security forces and stone-pelting mobs since then. Makki is brother of Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief Haifz Saeed and carries a USD 2 million bounty on his head.
Makki was given the charge of the head of JuD after the Mumbai terror attack mastermind was put under the house arrest by Pakistan’s Punjab government in March this year.
India has ... | | |
| | | Gen VK Singh in Beijing; both sides discuss CPEC, NSG among host of issues | | | | Beijing, June 18 (Agencies): India and China have held talks here on a host of issues, including the CPEC corridor project and NSG membership, with New Delhi expressing its willingness to boost strategic partnership and mutual dialogue with Beijing.
The talks were held between visiting Indian Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Both leaders met on the sidelines of the BRICS foreign ministers' meeting being held here to finalise the agenda for this year's BRICS summit to be held in September in China's Xiamen city.
They discussed steps to strengthen strategic relations on the directions laid down by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping during their meeting at Astana recently.
Wang referred to the fruitful and ... | | |
| | | At least 62 killed in forest fire still raging in Portugal | | | | Lisbon, June 18 (Agencies) : A huge forest fire raging since Saturday in central Portugal has killed at least 62 people, the government said on Sunday, in what is possibly the deadliest-ever forest blaze in the Atlantic coastal country, used to the woods burning almost every summer.
"The dimension of this fire was such that we don`t have memory of such a human tragedy," Prime Minister Antonio Costa said as he arrived in Pedrogao Grande, a mountainous area some 200 km northeast of Lisbon.
He said it was vital to focus on the prevention of new fires, amid a continuing heat wave, strong winds and lack of rain. He also warned that the death toll could still increase. The government declared three days of mourning and sent two army battalions to help the emergency services. The European Uni... | | |
| | | China includes CPEC in scientific expedition to Tibet | | | | Beijing, June 18 (Agencies): China has included the controversial USD 50 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor in its second scientific expedition to the 4,000-metre-high Qinghai-Tibet plateau to study changes in climate and environment over the past decades in the region.
The expedition will take scientists to a pass linking to South Asia, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
The expedition will also take scientists to the CPEC which passes through the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) over which India has conveyed its protests to China. The area covers the Karakoram mountain ranges including the Siachen glacier.
The last expedition of similar scale in Qinghai-Tibet plateau, regarded as roof of the world, was conducted in the 1970s.
This time, the expedition will last five to 10 y... | | |
| | | Qatar says blockade by Arab states is collective punishment | | | | Geneva, June 17(Agencies): The head of Qatar's human rights committee on Saturday denounced moves by several Arab states to isolate his country, calling it "collective punishment" that affects families, students and those in ill health even as three other Gulf countries defended the measures and announced steps to ease the impact on "our brotherly Qatari people."
Speaking in Geneva as the diplomatic dispute rages among Gulf Arab states, Ali Bin Samikh Al-Marri appealed to United Nations experts to investigate the impact of the blockade.
Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have accused Qatar of supporting terrorism and last week, they severed ties with Doha and banned Qatari planes from the Arab nations' airspace.
Qatar denies the allegations but its ties to Iran a... | | |
| | | British PM Theresa May tries to quell public anger after deadly London fire | | | | London, June 17(Agencies): British Prime Minister Theresa May`s government sought on Saturday to quell anger over a deadly tower block fire by pledging to support the victims of the blaze after protesters jeered her when she visited local residents.
May was rushed away from a meeting with residents on Friday under heavy police guard as protesters shouted "Shame on you" and hundreds stormed a local town hall calling for justice.
After a botched snap election that lost her party its majority in parliament, May is facing criticism for her response to the blaze which engulfed the 24-storey apartment block of social housing on Wednesday, killing at least 30 people.
Residents of the destroyed tower said May was far too slow to visit the stricken community, that the building had been unsafe a... | | |
| | | Donald Trump says in tweet no proof of his ''collusion with the Russians'' | | | | Washington, June 16 (Agencies): President Donald Trump said on Friday that after months of investigations into possible collusion by his campaign with Russia in the 2016 presidential election campaign, "nobody has been able to show any proof."
Trump said in a tweet: "After 7 months of investigations & committee hearings about my `collusion with the Russians,` nobody has been able to show any proof.... | | |
| | | Wreckage of missing Malaysian fighter jet found | | | | Kuala Lumpur, June 16 (Agencies): The wreckage of a Malaysian fighter jet which crashed a day ago was found on Friday, the air force said on Friday.
The Hawk 108 fighter jet took off at 11am Thursday and contact was lost 30 minutes later when the plane was believed to be near the border of the Malaysian states of Pahang and Terengganu.
In a statement the air force said that the wreckage was found in a Terengganu forest.
The jet`s two pilots were found dead Thursday in a swampy area in in Chukai, a town in Terengganu.
"We will conduct a thorough investigation of this crash to see it from all angles," Malaysia`s defence minister Hishammuddin Hussein was quoted as saying by state news agency Bernama.
There have been other recent cases of military plane incidents in Malaysia.
In Decemb... | | |
| | | United States accuses Chinese company of money-laundering for North Korea | | | | Washinton, June 16 (Agencies): The United States has accused a Chinese-based company of acting as a front for laundering money on behalf of a sanctioned North Korean bank and has filed a complaint seeking $1.9 million from it, US prosecutors said on Thursday.
Mingzheng International Trading Limited has facilitated prohibited dollar transactions through the United States on behalf of the Foreign Trade Bank, a North Korean bank, and laundered the proceeds, the U.S. Attorney`s Office in the District of Columbia said in a statement.
The $1.9 million forfeiture action "represents one of the largest seizures of North Korean funds by the Department of Justice," it said.
The sum was transacted in 2015 by Mingzheng, based in the Chinese city of Shenyang, via wire transfers, using their Chinese ... | | |
| | | Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi likely killed in Russian air strike: Reports | | | | Moscow, June 16 (Agencies): Russia`s Defence Ministry said on Friday it was checking information that a Russian air strike near the Syrian city of Raqqa may have killed Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in late May, Russian news agencies reported.The air strike, targeted a meeting of IS leaders and was carried out on May 28, the agencies cited the ministry as saying. "According to the information which is now being checked via various channels, Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who was eliminated by the air strike, was also present at the meeting," RIA news agency quoted the ministry as saying.... | | |
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