International

American soldier who bolted to N Korea returns


San Antonio: The American soldier who sprinted into North Korea across the heavily fortified border between the Koreas more than two months ago was whisked to a Texas Army base Thursday for medical checks and interviews after his return to the U.S., according to the Pentagon. North Korea abruptly announced a day earlier that it would expel Pvt. Travis King....

IMF says Sri Lanka needs to boost reforms for its bailout funding package


Colombo, Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka has so far failed to make enough progress in boosting tax collection and other economic reforms for the International Monetary Fund to release a second tranche of $330 million in the country’s $2.9 billion bailout from bankruptcy, the IMF said. The IMF said in a statement that discussions would continue...

“Will continue to raise voice in support of Afghanistan”: India at UN


New York: India's permanent representative to the United Nations, Ruchira Kamboj has reiterated the country's steadfast dedication to peace, stability and humanitarian support for Afghanistan. In a UN Security Council briefing on Afghanistan this week, Kamboj highlighted key observations regarding the situation in Afghanistan while drawing upon India's historical and civilizational ties with the Afghan...

Ex Pak PM Imran Khan moved to prison with better facilities


Islamabad: Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan has been shifted to the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi from Attock prison, a day after the Islamabad High Court ordered authorities to relocate him to the high-security jail. Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Aamer Farooq ordered the authorities to shift 70-year-old Khan to Adiala Jail where all accused being...

US envoy to Pakistan makes ‘secret’ visit to Gilgit Baltistan in PoK


New Delhi: US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome’s secret visits to the Gilgit Baltistan region and the Gwadar port this month have stoked controversy in the country, with political leaders questioning the envoy’s “suspicious” motives and accusing the West of neo-colonialism. Blome went on a six-day visit to Gilgit Baltistan and Hunza Valley last week. However,...

China engaging in largest military buildup since WW-II: Aus envoy


Washington: A top Australian envoy has claimed China is putting together the “largest” conventional military build-up since the Second World War, without clarifying the strategic purpose behind the exercise. Australia has sought to stabilize its relationship with China after a “difficult period”, he said. “China is engaging in the largest conventional military buildup that the world...

Canada parliament speaker resigns amid row over Nazi veteran


Ottawa: The speaker of Canada's parliament resigned this week, days after publicly celebrating a Ukrainian veteran who fought for the Nazis during World War II. During a visit to parliament by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky last week, Anthony Rota hailed an elderly Ukrainian immigrant from his district as a hero, prompting a standing ovation. But Rota...

Putin ‘hates democracy’, will interfere in US elections again: Hillary Clinton


Washington: Democratic Party leader and former US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, has warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin could once again interfere in the upcoming presidential elections in 2024. She also alleged that the Russian leader "hates democracy." In an interview with MSNBC last week, Clinton stated that she firmly believes Putin will attempt to...

Pakistan’s general elections to be held in Jan 2024


Islamabad: The Election Commission of Pakistan Thursday announced that general elections in the country would be held in the last week of January 2024. Initially scheduled for October this year, the polls have been pushed back by the early exit of the Shehbaz Sharif government and a subsequent census. The elections will be scheduled for a 54-day...