International

KARACHI: The federal government has issued a special permit to a United Arab Emirates national — who is under probe on charges of money laundering — to hunt the internationally protected bird houbara bustard, it has been learnt. According to sources, Nasir Abdullah Lootah is being pursued by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for his alleged involvement in a mega-money …

GILGIT: A Canadian citizen hunted the highest-rated Astore markhor on Sunday, paying 58,000 US dollars to the Gilgit-Baltistan wildlife and parks department. Conservator GB parks and wildlife department Yaqoob Ali told Dawn on Monday that Canadian citizen, Adam, had obtained permit for hunt of Astore markhor. The foreign hunter with support of a Pakistani guide and Astore conservation community members …

GILGIT: Another American citizen hunted the highest rated Astore Markhor in Jutial conservancy near Gilgit on Sunday. According to officials of GB wildlife department, the American citizen, Dianda Christopher Anthony, had paid 105,000 US dollars to the department for obtaining hunting licence of the rare species. The horn size of the animal was 48 inches and the hunter fired at …

DAMASCUS: The Syrian government on Saturday condemned Turkey’s military presence in northern Syria as a violation of a 1998 protocol between the two countries. Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has insisted the Adana Protocol gives his country the right to intervene militarily in the neighbouring country. Turkey and its Syrian rebel proxies control part of northern Syria, and Ankara has …

MANILA: A predominantly Muslim area of the southern Philippines has returned a resounding “Yes” in this week’s referendum on greater autonomy, boosting hopes for peace in one of Asia’s most conflict-torn regions. The plan to create a self-administered area for the Muslim-dominated parts of Mindanao was backed by 85 per cent of voters, the election commission said late on Friday, …

GAZA CITY: Qatar said on Saturday it will no longer fund salaries of Hamas employees in Gaza but will still give aid to poor families, after the Palestinian enclave’s Islamist rulers refused to accept wage payments over conditions allegedly attached by Israel. We “will not pay the salaries of the Hamas employees”, said Qatar’s ambassador to the Gaza Strip Mohammed …

NEW YORK: The United States pressed all nations on Saturday to “stand with the forces of freedom” in Venezuela, encouraged by a tougher European line as Russia stood in the minority in backing embattled leader Nicolas Maduro. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a forceful case at a special session of the United Nations Security Council, where he described …

A painting in homage to terror victims by famous street artist Banksy has been stolen from the Bataclan concert hall in Paris, where 90 people were killed in 2015 in a militant attack. The white stencilled oeuvre showing a sad-faced girl on one of the emergency doors of the famed Parisian venue was cut out and taken away. “Banksy’s work, …

Thousands of “yellow vest” protesters returned to the streets of France on Saturday to protest against President Emmanuel Macron’s policies, clashing with police in several cities in a challenge to his bid to quell the movement. Police fired tear gas and water cannon to push back protesters at Place de la Bastille in Paris, one of the regular protest areas, …

Nine Japanese companies, including drugmakers and a newspaper, have received blackmail letters containing white powder suspected to be cyanide, police and local media said Sunday. The letters were sent under the names of executed members of the Aum Shinrikyo — the Japanese doomsday cult behind the deadly 1995 sarin gas attack in Tokyo — and demanded 35 million won ($31,000) …