International

JALALABAD: At least seven members of Afghanistan’s persecuted Hazara ethnic group were brutally murdered in the country’s restive east, officials said on Thursday, in the latest attack to target the largely Shia minority. The group of migrant Hazara labourers had their hands bound behind their backs and were shot to death on Wednesday night, according to Nangarhar provincial council member …

ISLAMABAD: The Establishment Division on Thursday suspended the Sialkot deputy commissioner (DC) and district police officer (DPO) over negligence in maintaining order during the NA-75 by-election. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Feb 25 declared the NA-75 Sialkot-IV (Daska) election after finding that presiding officers of some polling stations tempered with the results. Earlier, they disappeared along with the …

A day after Prime Minister Imran Khan criticised the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for allowing “foul play” in the recent Senate elections, the commission issued a statement rejecting the “discussion and unhappiness” over the way polls for the upper house of parliament were conducted. “It is a shocking matter that under the same staff in the same [election] under …

ISLAMABAD: Qatari land forces commander Maj Gen Saeed Hassen Mohammad Al-Khayareen on Wednesday said Pakistan’s friendly and cooperative ties with Qatar were growing and termed them mutually beneficial. He made this observation during a meeting with Army Chief Gen Qamar Bajwa at the General Headquarters. “Visiting dignitary appreciated Pakistan Army’s sincere efforts for regional peace and reiterated that Pakistan and …

SAN FRANCISCO: Google on Wednesday pledged to steer clear of tracking individual online activity when it begins implementing a new system for targeting ads without the use of so-called “cookies.” The internet giant’s widely used Chrome browser this month will begin testing an alternative to the tracking practice that it believes could improve online privacy while still enabling advertisers to …

WASHINGTON: FBI Director Christopher Wray bluntly labeled the January riot at the US Capitol as domestic terrorism on Tuesday and warned of a rapidly growing threat of homegrown violent extremism that law enforcement is scrambling to confront through thousands of investigations. Wray also defended to lawmakers his own agency’s handling of an intelligence report that warned of the prospect for …

PARIS: The French government on Wednesday banned far-right group Generation Identity, which gained notoriety through several attempts to block migrants from entering the country. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin posted the decree dissolving the group on Twitter, saying it “incites discrimination, hatred and violence” and has ties to white supremacist groups. The decree added that the group, which has branches in …

BAGHDAD: A US contractor died of cardiac failure after rocket fire hit an Iraqi base hosting coalition troops on Wednesday, the Pentagon said, just two days ahead of Pope Francis’ visit to the country. Around 10 rockets slammed into the sprawling Ain al-Assad military base in Iraq’s western desert after several weeks of escalating US-Iran tensions on Iraqi soil. “A …

ISLAMABAD: The 14th summit of the 10-member Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) will be held virtually on Thursday (today) for deliberating prospects of enhancing regional cooperation in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. Prime Minister Imran Khan will open the summit as Pakistan is the chair of the 13th summit, which was held in Islamabad in March 2017. Turkish President Recep …

The third time appeared to be the charm for Elon Musk’s Starship rocket — until it wasn’t. The latest heavy-duty launch vehicle prototype from SpaceX soared flawlessly into the sky in a high-altitude test blast-off on Wednesday from Boca Chica, Texas, then flew itself back to Earth to achieve the first upright landing for a Starship model. But the triumph …