Peace hopes suffer setback as Taliban-Afghan talks derailed
Doha, Apr 19: Hopes for a breakthrough in a push to end Afghanistan’s gruelling conflict suffered a major setback Friday after a key summit between the Taliban and Afghan officials was indefinitely postponed. The so-called intra-Afghan dialogue, due to take place in Doha this weekend, fell apart at the last minute in a row over […]
UNSC urges Taliban to call off spring offensive
WASHINGTON, Apr 18 : The UN Security Council has unanimously condemned the Taliban’s spring offensive, saying the move will “only result in more unnecessary suffering and destruction for the Afghan people”. The Taliban launched their annual offensive on the battlefield on April 12, days before the scheduled resumption of talks in Doha, Qatar. If the […]
North Korea demands Pompeo’s removal from US nuclear talks
Seoul, Apr 18 : North Korea on Thursday demanded the removal of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo from talks over its banned nuclear programme, hours after the isolated state claimed to have tested a new kind of weapon. Describing Pompeo as “reckless” and immature, the foreign ministry said it wanted him replaced by another […]
Indonesia warns against unrest as Widodo rival rejects results
Jakarta, Apr 18 : Indonesian authorities warned Thursday against unrest as a firebrand ex-general rejected unofficial election results that appeared to hand President Joko Widodo another term as leader of the world’s third-biggest democracy. National Police Chief Tito Karnavian said Wednesday’s “smooth and safe” polls would not be disrupted by demonstrations, and warned of arrests. […]
Netanyahu expected to receive formal nod Wednesday to remain PM
Jerusalem, Apr 16 : Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to receive formal backing to remain premier for a fifth term Wednesday, but tough negotiations to form a coalition government await following last week’s elections. Israeli President Reuven Rivlin must choose who will form the next government and is expected to pick Netanyahu to do […]
Muslim-majority Indonesia votes in its biggest-ever election
Jakarta, Apr 17 : Indonesia kicked off one of the world’s biggest one-day elections Wednesday, pitting president Joko Widodo against ex-general Prabowo Subianto in a race to lead the Muslim-majority nation. More than 190 million Indonesians are set to cast a ballot as polls opened shortly after 7:00 am local time in restive Papua. The […]
Sudan’s Bashir moved to prison as protesters rally
Khartoum, Apr 17 : Sudan’s military rulers have transferred ousted president Omar al-Bashir to prison, a family source said Wednesday, as demonstrators keep up their sit-in outside the army complex calling for a swift transfer to civilian government. Following the dramatic end to Bashir’s rule of three decades last week, he was moved late Tuesday […]
US asks its citizens to reconsider travel plans to Pakistan
Washington, Apr 16 : The US has advised its citizens to reconsider their travel to Pakistan due to terrorism and asked them not to travel to restive Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Pakistan-administered-Kashmir (PaK), identified as the most dangerous areas due to terror attacks. While Pakistan in general has been placed in “Level Three” category in […]
Fire at Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem
Jerusalem, Apr 16 : A small fire broke out at a guard’s booth in the courtyard at the flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem but was extinguished and the site remains open, authorities said Tuesday. The blaze broke out on Monday evening around the same time as Paris’s Notre-Dame cathedral burned. The fire was “quickly […]
Madrid skyscraper housing embassies evacuated over bomb threat
Madrid, Apr 16: A skyscraper in Madrid that houses the British, Dutch, Australian and Canadian embassies was being evacuated on Tuesday over a bomb threat, police said. “A bomb threat was received…. Evacuation has started, we have to work and do checks,” a police spokesman told AFP. With a height of 235 metres, the 57-story […]
