World news

Pakistani prime minister in Afghanistan to ease tensions

Pakistan’s prime minister arrived in Afghanistan on Friday for a day-long visit many see as an effort to ease strained relations between the two neighbors and revive a push for peace talks with the Taliban. Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was welcomed by Afghan President Asharf Ghani and the two inspected an h

Pakistani court bars government from 'harassing' Hafiz Saeed

ISLAMABAD: The Lahore High Court on Thursday ordered government authorities to not "harass" banned Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief and 2008 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed and allow him to continue his "social welfare activities". The founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) alleged in a petition

Children feared dead as Afghan airstrikes targeting Taliban hit graduation

KABUL, Afghanistan — Dozens of Afghan civilians, including children, were feared dead Wednesday after government airstrikes hit a religious school graduation in the north of the country, witnesses told NBC News. In the hours after Monday’s bombing, the Afghan Ministry of Defense insisted that the

China slaps retaliatory duties, strikes at signature U.S. exports

China hit back quickly on April 4 against the Donald Trump administration’s plans to slap tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese goods, retaliating with a list of similar duties on key U.S. imports, including soybeans, planes, cars, beef and chemicals. The speed with which the trade tussle between Was

India welcomes US designation of Pakistan’s MML as terror outfit

India on Tuesday welcomed the US designating Pakistan-based Milli Muslim League (MML), an alias of Lashkar-e-Taiba, as a foreign terror organisation, saying the decision reflects rejection of the attempts being made in Pakistan to mainstream terrorist individuals and entities. Reacting to the US mov

Toughest ever H-1B visa process begins today

The process of filing petitions for H-1B, one of the most sought after American work visas among highly skilled Indian professionals, begins Monday amid unprecedented scrutiny by the Trump administration. From April 2 (Monday), the USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) will o

US visa applicants to be asked for social media history: State Department

In a broad expansion of the information gathered from applicants for US visas, the federal government is proposing to collect social media identities from nearly everyone who seeks entry into the United States, according to a State Department filing on Friday. The proposal, if approved by the Off

Minibus carrying migrants crashes in eastern Turkey, killing 17

A minibus packed with migrants from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran crashed and burst into flames in eastern Turkey, killing 17 people, state-run Anadolu news agency said on Friday. The bus, designed to carry 14 people, was carrying more than 50 foreign nationals when it hit a lamp post and caught

68 killed in fire as riot erupts at Venezuela in prison break attempt

At least 68 people have been killed in a fire that erupted during a riot at a jail in the Venezuelan city of Valencia, according to a government official. The blaze at the police station's lockup was reportedly sparked by prisoners setting mattresses alight in a jailbreak attempt on Wednesday. Ma

Nobel winner Malala Yousafzai in tears on emotional return to Pakistan

ISLAMABAD:  Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai broke down in tears during an emotional return to her native Pakistan on Thursday, six years after she was shot in the head by Taliban gunmen for advocating greater education of girls. Yousafzai, travelling with her father and younger brother,

Cannot ignore India's role in Sri Lanka elections

A lawyer, a member of Parliament and the son of one of Sri Lanka's most powerful politicians. These are amongst the titles that 31-year-old Namal Rajapaksa, son of former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa balances. Namal belongs to a political family accused of carrying out some of the most

Delhi court orders attachment of Vijay Mallya's properties in PMLA case

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Tuesday ordered attachment of properties of businessman Vijay Mallya, who was declared a proclaimed offender for evading summons in a money laundering case related to FERA violation. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Deepak Sherawat directed the attachment through the Police

Russia shopping mall fire kills 64, investigators find safety violations at site: All you need to know

A massive fire swept through a busy Russian shopping centre packed with children and their parents on Sunday leaving at least 64 people dead. There are many feared to be still missing. The fire at the Winter Cherry mall in Kemerovo, a city about 3,000 kilometers (1,900 miles) east of Moscow, was ext

Malaysia proposes 10 years' jail for 'fake news'

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian government on Monday proposed a "fake news" law which would carry a maximum 10-year jail term, including for articles published abroad, sparking fears of a crackdown on dissent as elections loom. Governments in several countries, emboldened by US President Donald Trump

Demand to declare Bhagat Singh national hero raised in Pakistan on 87th death anniversary

Freedom fighter Bhagat Singh’s 87th death anniversary was observed in Lahore by two groups of people who demanded declaring him a “national hero” of Pakistan. Singh was hanged at the age of 23 in Lahore on March 23, 1931 along with Rajguru and Sukhdev. The capital punishment had inspired thousand

1 dead, Several injured in suicide attack on shiite mosque in Afghanistan's Herat: Officials

HERAT: Two suicide attackers struck a Shiite mosque in Afghanistan on Sunday, killing at least one person and wounding eight others, officials said, in the latest assault against the Muslim minority. The men stormed the grounds of the mosque in the western city of Herat, but security guards shot

A father gets 60 years in prison for trying to sell his daughter for sex. She was 4.

A Wisconsin man who authorities said posted an advertisement on Craigslist to sell his then-4-year-old daughter for sex has been sentenced to 60 years in prison. Andrew James Turley was sentenced Friday after a jury in Harris County, Texas, convicted him of trafficking a child and compelling pros

India is a Brother, but China a long lost cousin found: Maldives Envoy

BEIJING:  India is a brother, but China is like a long lost cousin found, Maldives Ambassador to China Mohamed Faisal has said, asserting that his country would push ahead with Chinese projects despite New Delhi's concerns. The Maldives will further embrace Chinese investment but is aware it risk