Author: News Desk

News Desk MOSCOW: Russia has accused Ukraine of launching an attack on President Vladimir Putin’s official residence, a claim firmly denied by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. According to Russian news agencies, Moscow alleged that Ukrainian forces targeted the Russian president’s residence located in the Novgorod region. It was not confirmed whether Putin was present at the residence at the time of the alleged attack. Following the incident, Russia said it was reviewing its approach to ongoing peace talks with Ukraine. Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov claimed that Ukraine attempted to strike the president’s residence using long-range drones. Lavrov said that…

News Desk ISLAMABAD: A supreme court judge has questioned the unrestricted use of mobile phones by children while hearing a bail plea in a case involving the posting of obscene and abusive content against women on social media. The remarks were made by Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail during proceedings before a two-member bench of the supreme court, comprising Justice Mandokhail and Justice Musarrat Hilali, as it heard a bail application filed by the accused, Tayyab Dar. During the hearing, the complainant’s counsel, Rizwan Abbasi, told the court that the offensive material allegedly circulated by the accused was still available online.…

News Desk DHAKA: Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Imran Haider, paid a courtesy call on Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Sunday. The meeting took place at the State Guest House in Dhaka. Both sides discussed ways to expand cooperation in trade, investment and aviation. They also explored options to scale up cultural, educational and medical exchanges to further strengthen bilateral relations between the two South Asian countries. He said bilateral trade had recorded a 20% increase compared with last year. He noted that business communities in both countries were actively exploring new investment opportunities. The Pakistani high commissioner also…

News Desk BANGKOK: Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to a 72-hour temporary ceasefire in an effort to halt escalating border clashes that have claimed dozens of lives, officials said on Sunday. According to a news agency report, authorities from both countries committed to suspending all armed activities during the ceasefire period. The agreement applies across the entire border region and covers military targets, civilian populations and critical infrastructure. In a joint statement, the two sides said the ceasefire was intended to de-escalate tensions and create space for further dialogue. Thailand and Cambodia also agreed to cooperate in countering sabotage, cybercrime…

News Desk BENGALURU: Hundreds of Muslim families have been left homeless in the Indian city of Bengaluru after the Karnataka government demolished more than 200 houses in a pre-dawn operation, forcing residents to spend nights on the streets amid unusually cold weather. The demolition drive was carried out early on 22 December in Fakir Colony and Aroosim Layout in Kogilu village, according to local media reports. The operation began around 4am and resulted in the displacement of nearly 400 families, many of them migrant workers. Officials said the action was conducted by Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited and was accompanied…

News Desk PERTH: England ended a 14-year wait for a Test victory over Australia with a four-wicket triumph in the fourth Ashes Test on Saturday. Chasing a target of 175 in the Boxing Day Test, England reached the score with six wickets down. Jacob Bethell top-scored with 40 runs, while Zac Crawley added 37. Ben Duckett contributed 34 and Joe Root 15, with brief contributions from Brydon Carse (6) and Ben Stokes (2). Australia had posted 152 in their first innings and 132 in the second, with the match concluding in just two days. Despite losing the fourth Test, Australia…

News Desk TEHRAN: Iranian authorities have seized a foreign oil tanker allegedly carrying a large quantity of smuggled fuel, state media reported on Sunday. According to Iranian outlets, the tanker, intercepted in the Gulf, was transporting approximately 4 million liters of smuggled fuel. Following the operation, 16 crew members were taken into custody. Officials did not disclose the identity of the vessel or its crew. The seizure follows a similar incident last week in the Gulf of Oman, when Iranian authorities reported confiscating another foreign tanker carrying around 6 million liters of smuggled diesel. In that case too, details about…

News Desk ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s UK chapter has quietly deleted a social media statement in which it had distanced itself from a controversial speech delivered by a woman during a protest rally in Britain, marking an apparent reversal of its earlier position. The now-deleted tweet had said that PTI UK had no connection with the woman who spoke about a field marshal during the protest, stressing that she was not a party office-bearer. The statement further claimed that her views, language and manner of speech did not reflect the party’s official stance. However, the tweet was later removed from PTI…

News Desk WASHINGTON: A Sikh-led advocacy organization has proposed the creation of a new homeland for Christians in northeastern India, suggesting it be named “Trumpland” in honor of US president Donald J. Trump. Sikh for Justice, which campaigns internationally for the Khalistan referendum, said the proposal is grounded in the United Nations-recognized right to self-determination. The group released a map outlining a territory in the region commonly known as the Seven Sisters States—Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Manipur, Tripura and Assam—areas with significant Christian populations. Grupton Singh Pannu, a leader of Sikh for Justice, called for direct intervention from Trump, arguing that…

China condemned Washington’s approval of its largest-ever arms package for Taiwan, framing the move as a serious escalation and warning of consequences News Desk BEIJING: China has imposed sanctions on 20 US defence companies and 10 individuals in response to American arms sales to Taiwan, escalating tensions between Beijing and Washington over the self-governed island. According to report, the Chinese foreign ministry said the measures were taken after the US approved what it described as the largest-ever weapons package for Taiwan, a move that prompted strong protests from Beijing. The sanctions target US defence companies and individuals involved in supplying…