International

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in a meeting with his UAE counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan emphasised the need to “remove impediments that hamper travel between the two countries”, the Foreign Office said in a statement on Tuesday. His comments came a day after Qureshi raised the issue of visa restrictions for Pakistanis in his meeting with the Emirati Minister …

UNITED NATIONS: “We are on the verge of the abyss,” Secretary General António Guterres warned on Monday as a UN report included South Asia among the regions adversely impacted by climate change. The change caused “abnormally high rainfall at various times of the year 2020 in the Sub-continent and neighbouring areas,” like China, warned the report the UN chief launched …

Queen Elizabeth II on Saturday bid farewell to her late husband, Prince Philip, at a royal funeral like no other, restricted by coronavirus rules but reflecting his long life of military and public service. The Duke of Edinburgh, who died on April 9 at age 99, was interred in the Royal Vault at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle after …

British warships will sail for the Black Sea in May amid rising tensions between Ukraine and Russia, the Sunday Times newspaper reported, citing senior naval sources. The deployment is aimed at showing solidarity with Ukraine and Britain’s NATO allies, the newspaper reported. One Type 45 destroyer armed with anti-aircraft missiles and an anti-submarine Type 23 frigate will leave the Royal Navy’s …

In a shocking incident, a man recorded his video blaming his wife for allegedly poisoning him hours before he was found dead. The incident occurred in Ranchi, the capital of India’s Jharkand state, where a video of a businessman went viral on the same day he was poisoned to death. Premjit Prasad, a hotelier at the Naga Baba Khatal area …

The French community in Pakistan is torn between disbelief, fear and annoyance in reaction to their embassy’s call for them to leave the country after rioting this week by the recently proscribed Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP). Most, it seems, have decided to stay put. In a terse three-line email, accompanied by the words “urgent”, the embassy in Islamabad on Thursday recommended its nationals …

MANILA: Philippine authorities said on Saturday they have seized some 200 tonnes of illegally harvested giant clam shells worth nearly $25 million in one of the biggest known operations of its kind in the country. Conservationists have expressed alarm over the surging illicit trade in the endangered creatures, which are used as a substitute for ivory following a global crackdown …

TEHRAN: Iran named a suspect on Saturday in the attack on its Natanz nuclear facility that damaged centrifuges there, saying he had fled the country hours before the sabotage happened. While the extent of the damage from the April 11 sabotage remains unclear, it comes as Iran tries to negotiate with world powers over allowing the US to re-enter its …

ISLAMABAD: Amid reports that the United Arab Emirates has been mediating between India and Pakistan for reducing fears of a conflict in South Asia for the past few months, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi embarked on a three-day official visit to the Gulf state on Saturday. During the visit, the foreign minister will meet his counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed …

WASHINGTON: Yasar Bashir, a Pakistani-American commander, has been appointed Assistant Chief of Houston Police as head of the family violence department, said an official announcement. Mr Bashir, who also appeared in a National Geographic feature on Muslims in America in 2018, will be the first Muslim assistant chief of police in the United States. Born near Lahore, he came to the United …