Author: News Desk

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…

News Desk DUSHANBE: Five people have been killed in an armed clash along the Tajikistan–Afghanistan border, Tajik authorities said, amid growing concern in Dushanbe over a rise in cross-border violence. According to a statement by Tajikistan’s state committee for national security, carried by the state news agency Khovar, three men crossed into Tajik territory late on Tuesday night in the Shamsiddin Shohin district of the southwestern Khatlon region. The suspects were tracked down the following day. The statement said the men refused to surrender when confronted by Tajik border guards and instead opened armed resistance. Authorities claimed the group intended…

News Desk TAFTAN: Nine people were killed and ten others injured after an oil tanker collided with a bus near Tozgi in Taftan, Balochistan, officials confirmed. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Chagai said all passengers aboard the bus were Afghan nationals travelling through unpaved routes in the remote border area. According to the SSP, authorities were investigating the circumstances of the accident, and the collision appeared to have occurred under challenging road conditions. Rescue teams were dispatched to the site to provide immediate medical assistance to the injured and manage the aftermath of the crash. Chagai added that the bodies…

News Desk DHAKA: Following the killing of student leader Osman Hadi in Bangladesh, another young political leader has reportedly come under threat from Indian operatives. Bengali youth leader Hasnat Abdullah has allegedly received threats from a former Indian army major, warning him, “You are next,” while a former Indian colonel has reportedly threatened to shoot him in the neck. Pakistan has repeatedly exposed India’s state-backed terrorism on the international stage. In recent incidents, Indian citizens were confirmed to be involved in the Sydney attack, while in 2020, Australia expelled officials linked to Indian intelligence over espionage activities. Similarly, attacks on…

News Desk MUMBAI: Senior Congress leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithvi Raj Chauhan sparked controversy on Tuesday by openly acknowledging what he described as a decisive setback for India during the initial phase of Operation Sandor. Speaking to international media outlets, Chauhan asserted that Indian forces had suffered substantial losses on the first day of aerial operations, with multiple Indian jets reportedly downed over the course of the four-day conflict. According to Chauhan, within the first thirty minutes of the air campaign on 7 May, Indian forces were effectively neutralized. Chauhan explained that the Indian Air Force, fearing further…

News Desk SYDNEY: Indian police said on Tuesday that one of the two gunmen behind the Bondi Beach mass shootings in Australia, Sajid Akram, was an Indian citizen who had left the country 27 years ago. Akram and his son Naveed, listed on Australian immigration records as an Australian citizen, opened fire on people celebrating the Jewish festival of Hanukkah on Sunday, killing 15. “Sajid Akram is originally from Hyderabad, India. He migrated to Australia in search of employment approximately 27 years ago, in November 1998,” police in Telangana, a southern state, said in a statement. The statement added that…

News Desk NEW DELHI: Former Indian cricket captain and Congress leader Mohammad Azharuddin has sharply criticised Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for forcibly pulling the veil of a Muslim woman doctor, calling for stringent action against the incident. Speaking to Indian media, Telangana’s Minister for Minority Welfare, Azharuddin described the act as “deeply shameful and ignorant,” saying he was at a loss for words. “As a Chief Minister, he should have exercised restraint and not committed such an act,” he added, emphasising the need for accountability. The incident occurred on Sunday in Patna during a public event, where Nitish Kumar,…

News Desk NEW DEHLI: India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) formally charged militant groups and six individuals over the false flag Pahalgam attack in Indian-Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir that left 26 people dead and triggered some of the most severe military clashes between India and Pakistan in decades. The attack, which mostly targeted Hindu tourists in the Pahalgam region, prompted New Delhi to accuse Pakistan of supporting the assault, an allegation that Islamabad has consistently denied. According to the NIA, the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and its offshoot, The Resistance Front (TRF), were directly involved in “planning, facilitating, and executing”…

News Desk THE HAGUE: Appeals judges at the International Criminal Court on Monday rejected one in a series of legal challenges brought by Israel against the court’s investigation into its conduct during the war in Gaza. On appeal, judges declined to overturn a lower court ruling that allowed the prosecutor’s investigation into alleged crimes under the court’s jurisdiction to include events following the deadly Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023. The decision meant the investigation would continue and that arrest warrants issued last year for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister Yoav Gallant would…

By Amjad Qaimkhani WASHINGTON: The United States has formally approved a $686 million package of advanced technology and support services for Pakistan’s F-16 fighter jets, a move aimed at bolstering Islamabad’s aerial capabilities and sustaining its operational readiness for years to come. According to US defence sources, the Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress on 8 December that the sale would include Link-16 data link systems, cryptographic equipment, avionics upgrades, as well as training and comprehensive logistical support for Pakistan’s existing fleet. Officials described the initiative as part of a broader strategic effort to ensure Pakistan can respond effectively…