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North Korea's Kim Yo Jong has said her country's military spy satellite will soon enter into orbit and vowed to ramp up military surveillance efforts, state media KCNA reported on Thursday. "Enemies are most afraid of the DPRK's access to excellent reconnaissance and information means including reconnaissance satellite and, accordingly, we are aware that we should direct greater efforts to developing reconnaissance means," Kim, a powerful government official and sister of leader Kim Jong Un, said in a statement carried by the news agency. Her remarks come after Pyongyang's satellite launch on Wednesday ended in failure. In her statement, Kim also said the wide criticism of her country's satellite launch was "self-contradiction" as the U.S. and other countries have already launched "thousands of satellites." (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) from NDTV N...

North Korea's Kim Yo Jong has said her country's military spy satellite will soon enter into orbit and vowed to ramp up military surveillance efforts, state media KCNA reported on Thursday. "Enemies are most afraid of the DPRK's access to excellent reconnaissance and information means including reconnaissance satellite and, accordingly, we are aware that we should direct greater efforts to developing reconnaissance means," Kim, a powerful government official and sister of leader Kim Jong Un, said in a statement carried by the news agency. Her remarks come after Pyongyang's satellite launch on Wednesday ended in failure. In her statement, Kim also said the wide criticism of her country's satellite launch was "self-contradiction" as the U.S. and other countries have already launched "thousands of satellites." (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) from NDTV N...

The Pentagon announced a new $300 million arms package for Ukraine on Wednesday, including air defense systems and tens of millions of rounds of ammunition. The Defense Department said the latest shipments will bring the total value of US security assistance to Ukraine since Russia's February 2022 invasion to $37.6 billion. "The United States will continue to work with its allies and partners to provide Ukraine with capabilities to meet its immediate battlefield needs and longer-term security assistance requirements," the Pentagon said in a statement. The United States has been leading an unprecedented effort by NATO and other allied countries to supply Ukraine with weaponry and other aid. The latest arms shipments come as Ukraine prepares a counter-offensive aimed at driving Russian forces back from swaths of occupied territory in the east and south of the country. The Pentagon said the $300 million package includes munitions for Patriot air defense systems, AIM-7 a...

The Pentagon announced a new $300 million arms package for Ukraine on Wednesday, including air defense systems and tens of millions of rounds of ammunition. The Defense Department said the latest shipments will bring the total value of US security assistance to Ukraine since Russia's February 2022 invasion to $37.6 billion. "The United States will continue to work with its allies and partners to provide Ukraine with capabilities to meet its immediate battlefield needs and longer-term security assistance requirements," the Pentagon said in a statement. The United States has been leading an unprecedented effort by NATO and other allied countries to supply Ukraine with weaponry and other aid. The latest arms shipments come as Ukraine prepares a counter-offensive aimed at driving Russian forces back from swaths of occupied territory in the east and south of the country. The Pentagon said the $300 million package includes munitions for Patriot air defense systems, AIM-7 a...

The European Union and United States said Wednesday they expect to draft a voluntary code of conduct on artificial intelligence "within weeks" with the hope that fellow democracies will sign on. After talks with EU officials in Sweden, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the Western partners felt the "fierce urgency" to act following the emergence of the technology, in which China has been a growing force. The voluntary code "would be open to all like-minded countries," Mr Blinken told reporters. "There's almost always a gap when new technologies emerge," Anotony Blinken said, with "the time it takes for governments and institutions to figure out how to legislate or regulate." European Commission Vice President Margrethe Vestager added that a draft would be put forward "within weeks." "We think it's really important that citizens can see that democracies can deliver," she said. She voiced hop...

The European Union and United States said Wednesday they expect to draft a voluntary code of conduct on artificial intelligence "within weeks" with the hope that fellow democracies will sign on. After talks with EU officials in Sweden, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the Western partners felt the "fierce urgency" to act following the emergence of the technology, in which China has been a growing force. The voluntary code "would be open to all like-minded countries," Mr Blinken told reporters. "There's almost always a gap when new technologies emerge," Anotony Blinken said, with "the time it takes for governments and institutions to figure out how to legislate or regulate." European Commission Vice President Margrethe Vestager added that a draft would be put forward "within weeks." "We think it's really important that citizens can see that democracies can deliver," she said. She voiced hop...

One person was killed and two others injured on Tuesday in a Ukrainian bombardment on a centre for displaced people in the border region of Belgorod, the regional governor said. "Ukrainian armed forces fired artillery at a centre for displaced people housing elderly civilians and children... a security guard was killed and two people were injured," the governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Telegram. The two people injured are in intensive care in a "serious condition", he said. In the post Gladkov added photographs of a damaged building with shattered windows, one showing a hole in the ground apparently caused by the impact of a strike, and another showing adults and children being loaded onto buses. The Belgorod region, bordering Ukraine, has in recent weeks been hit by dozens strikes from across the border and seen attempted incursions from armed groups. The Russian capital Moscow was itself targeted by drones early Tuesday morning in the first such attack sinc...

One person was killed and two others injured on Tuesday in a Ukrainian bombardment on a centre for displaced people in the border region of Belgorod, the regional governor said. "Ukrainian armed forces fired artillery at a centre for displaced people housing elderly civilians and children... a security guard was killed and two people were injured," the governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Telegram. The two people injured are in intensive care in a "serious condition", he said. In the post Gladkov added photographs of a damaged building with shattered windows, one showing a hole in the ground apparently caused by the impact of a strike, and another showing adults and children being loaded onto buses. The Belgorod region, bordering Ukraine, has in recent weeks been hit by dozens strikes from across the border and seen attempted incursions from armed groups. The Russian capital Moscow was itself targeted by drones early Tuesday morning in the first such attack sinc...

In an incident that seems straight out of a movie, three women in China teamed up to expose a man who posed as a love interest and cheated them of 100,000 yuan (Rs 11,67,982), South China Morning Post reported. As a result of the police investigation, the Shanghai man has received two years and six months in jail. It all started when the three women went to a police station in Shanghai's Yangpu District on February 10 to report He Shiwei of deceiving them. The women claimed that Shiwei borrowed money from them, but never returned it. One of the women, Chen Hong, said that she began to get suspicious of Shiwei and checked his phone after he fell asleep drunk. She found multiple messages from another woman asking him why he was rejecting her calls. Chen then contacted a woman named Xiao Fan and found out that she lived with Shiwei, who usually came to her flat to sleep every night. Chen and Xiao found that Shiwei had told both of them he wanted to marry them. ...

The Pakistan government on Tuesday faced flak after two women workers belonging to former prime minister Imran Khan's party were brought to an anti-terrorism court in Lahore on Tuesday with their heads covered with 'shopping bags' for their alleged role in torching a senior military officer's house in the city. Police presented the two Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf workers --Ayesha Masood and her young daughter Maha -- before the anti-terrorism court (ATC) in connection with the attack on Lahore Corps Commander House known as Jinnah House on May 9 following Khan's arrest in a corruption case. The court sent both women to jail for seven days for an identification parade, a court official said. In a video clip, both women can be seen brought to the ATC with their heads covered with shopping bags. As the video went viral on social media, the government and establishment faced scathing criticism for 'humiliating women'. "Women have been used as a weapon by ...

The Pakistan government on Tuesday faced flak after two women workers belonging to former prime minister Imran Khan's party were brought to an anti-terrorism court in Lahore on Tuesday with their heads covered with 'shopping bags' for their alleged role in torching a senior military officer's house in the city. Police presented the two Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf workers --Ayesha Masood and her young daughter Maha -- before the anti-terrorism court (ATC) in connection with the attack on Lahore Corps Commander House known as Jinnah House on May 9 following Khan's arrest in a corruption case. The court sent both women to jail for seven days for an identification parade, a court official said. In a video clip, both women can be seen brought to the ATC with their heads covered with shopping bags. As the video went viral on social media, the government and establishment faced scathing criticism for 'humiliating women'. "Women have been used as a weapon by ...

A 26-year-old British tourist died after he was reportedly hit by lightning while paddleboarding in Greece, as per Guardian.   The unnamed man was in the sea during a thunderstorm in Agia Agathi, Rhodes, as his girlfriend filmed him from the beach, according to local media. Greek newspaper  Rodiaki  reported that lightning struck the water near the man shortly before 1.30 pm local time on Tuesday, causing him to fall into the water injured. Soon after the incident, emergency services dashed to the scene, and the man was taken to the shore. Rescuers frantically tried to save his life, following which medics took him to a local hospital before he was declared dead. Though the Port Authority of Rhodes confirmed the man's age and that he was a British national, they gave no further information. An investigation is now underway into the incident.  A spokesperson said, ''This is an active case so we cannot give more details at the moment.'' The Foreign and Commo...

US President Joe Biden said that in a call on Monday Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan repeated Ankara's desire to buy F-16 fighter jets from the United States, while Biden responded that Washington was keen to see Ankara drop its objection to Sweden's joining NATO. The exchange took place when Biden called Erdogan to congratulate him on his victory in Turkey's presidential election on Sunday. "I spoke to Erdogan. I congratulated Erdogan. He still wants to work out something on the F-16s. I told him we wanted to deal with Sweden, so let's get that done. And so we'll be back in touch with one another," Biden told reporters before departing the White House for Delaware. "We're going to talk more about it next week," he added. Bids for NATO membership must be approved by all NATO members. Both Turkey and Hungary have yet to approve Sweden's bid. Turkey has sought to buy $20 billion worth of F-16s and nearly 80 modernization kits from the...

Beijing has declined a US invitation for a meeting in Singapore between Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Chinese counterpart Li Shangfu, the Pentagon said Monday. "Overnight, the PRC informed the US that they have declined our early May invitation for Secretary Austin to meet with PRC Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu in Singapore this week," Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder said in a statement, refering to the People's Republic of China. "The PRC's concerning unwillingness to engage in meaningful military-to-military discussions will not diminish (the Defense Department's) commitment to seeking open lines of communication with the People's Liberation Army," Ryder said. A senior US defense official described the declined invitation as "just the latest in a litany of excuses," saying that since 2021, China has "declined or failed to respond to over a dozen requests from the Department of Defense for key lead...

Beijing has declined a US invitation for a meeting in Singapore between Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Chinese counterpart Li Shangfu, the Pentagon said Monday. "Overnight, the PRC informed the US that they have declined our early May invitation for Secretary Austin to meet with PRC Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu in Singapore this week," Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder said in a statement, refering to the People's Republic of China. "The PRC's concerning unwillingness to engage in meaningful military-to-military discussions will not diminish (the Defense Department's) commitment to seeking open lines of communication with the People's Liberation Army," Ryder said. A senior US defense official described the declined invitation as "just the latest in a litany of excuses," saying that since 2021, China has "declined or failed to respond to over a dozen requests from the Department of Defense for key lead...

Russian President Vladimir Putin once again congratulated Turkey's leader on his re-election and said it opened up new "new avenues" for cooperation between Ankara and Moscow, the Kremlin said Monday. "The support expressed by the Turkish people for their leader opens new avenues for development of bilateral ties in a number of sectors," Putin said in a call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan according to the Kremlin. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/vYIgq6R

Russian President Vladimir Putin once again congratulated Turkey's leader on his re-election and said it opened up new "new avenues" for cooperation between Ankara and Moscow, the Kremlin said Monday. "The support expressed by the Turkish people for their leader opens new avenues for development of bilateral ties in a number of sectors," Putin said in a call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan according to the Kremlin. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/vYIgq6R

Two women employees in the US have claimed they were fired by their employers after they called the police to report a robbery at the store, New York Post  reported. The incident happened at a Lululemon store in Atlanta, where masked robbers were captured on camera, taking merchandise from displays near the front of the store. Meanwhile, Jennifer Ferguson and Rachel Rogers, the two employees in question, were seen yelling at and chasing masked robbers out of their store before calling the police. They reported the robbery to the Gwinnett Police Department, who later tracked down the thieves and charged them with felony robbery charges. However, instead of appreciating them for their bravery, Lululemon fired them for "breaking the company policy" of not interfering with a robbery. The employees claimed that they were questioned by a regional manager on their decision to call the police before they were fired from the store. The women also claimed they were...

Two women employees in the US have claimed they were fired by their employers after they called the police to report a robbery at the store, New York Post  reported. The incident happened at a Lululemon store in Atlanta, where masked robbers were captured on camera, taking merchandise from displays near the front of the store. Meanwhile, Jennifer Ferguson and Rachel Rogers, the two employees in question, were seen yelling at and chasing masked robbers out of their store before calling the police. They reported the robbery to the Gwinnett Police Department, who later tracked down the thieves and charged them with felony robbery charges. However, instead of appreciating them for their bravery, Lululemon fired them for "breaking the company policy" of not interfering with a robbery. The employees claimed that they were questioned by a regional manager on their decision to call the police before they were fired from the store. The women also claimed they were...

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has urged the country's top judiciary to take suo motu notice of the alleged abuse, including " reports of rape ", of its female party workers and supporters who were arrested following the May 9 riots, Pakistan based The Express Tribune newspaper reported. The Express Tribune is a daily English-language newspaper in Pakistan. Imran Khan's allegations come hours after Pakistan Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah claimed in a press conference that intelligence agencies had intercepted a call revealing a plot to stage a fake encounter and rape incident by members of the PTI. The minister claimed that among the plans revealed during the intercepted call was a plot to raid and open fire at a PTI worker's house, resulting in casualties that could be shown to the world as gross human rights violations. The second plan was to stage an act of rape, the recording of which would be shared with global media outlets to propag...

US President Joe Biden and Republican leader Kevin McCarthy said they were confident Sunday of pushing a debt crisis deal through Congress and avoiding a cataclysmic default, despite skepticism from some lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. The tentative agreement reached Saturday after weeks of intense talks offers a path back from the precipice, but getting it through both houses of Congress before the government starts running out of money will be a tough task. Biden said he would speak to McCarthy at 3:00 pm (1900 GMT) "to make sure all the Ts are crossed and the Is are dotted." Asked if there were any sticking points, the president replied: "None." "I think we're in good shape," he told reporters. The next step would be a legislative text that can be scrutinized by party members before a vote in the House of Representatives that McCarthy has scheduled for Wednesday. But all the while the clock is still ticking down to the June 5 "X-dat...

US President Joe Biden and Republican leader Kevin McCarthy said they were confident Sunday of pushing a debt crisis deal through Congress and avoiding a cataclysmic default, despite skepticism from some lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. The tentative agreement reached Saturday after weeks of intense talks offers a path back from the precipice, but getting it through both houses of Congress before the government starts running out of money will be a tough task. Biden said he would speak to McCarthy at 3:00 pm (1900 GMT) "to make sure all the Ts are crossed and the Is are dotted." Asked if there were any sticking points, the president replied: "None." "I think we're in good shape," he told reporters. The next step would be a legislative text that can be scrutinized by party members before a vote in the House of Representatives that McCarthy has scheduled for Wednesday. But all the while the clock is still ticking down to the June 5 "X-dat...

US President Joe Biden and Republican leader Kevin McCarthy said they were confident Sunday of pushing a debt crisis deal through Congress and avoiding a cataclysmic default, despite skepticism from some lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. The tentative agreement reached Saturday after weeks of intense talks offers a path back from the precipice, but getting it through both houses of Congress before the government starts running out of money will be a tough task. Biden said he would speak to McCarthy at 3:00 pm (1900 GMT) "to make sure all the Ts are crossed and the Is are dotted." Asked if there were any sticking points, the president replied: "None." "I think we're in good shape," he told reporters. The next step would be a legislative text that can be scrutinized by party members before a vote in the House of Representatives that McCarthy has scheduled for Wednesday. But all the while the clock is still ticking down to the June 5 "X-dat...

US President Joe Biden and Republican leader Kevin McCarthy said they were confident Sunday of pushing a debt crisis deal through Congress and avoiding a cataclysmic default, despite skepticism from some lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. The tentative agreement reached Saturday after weeks of intense talks offers a path back from the precipice, but getting it through both houses of Congress before the government starts running out of money will be a tough task. Biden said he would speak to McCarthy at 3:00 pm (1900 GMT) "to make sure all the Ts are crossed and the Is are dotted." Asked if there were any sticking points, the president replied: "None." "I think we're in good shape," he told reporters. The next step would be a legislative text that can be scrutinized by party members before a vote in the House of Representatives that McCarthy has scheduled for Wednesday. But all the while the clock is still ticking down to the June 5 "X-dat...

Nepal on Sunday decided to allow India's Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) Limited to develop a second hydropower project in the country. At present SJVN is developing a 900-MW Arun -III hydroelectric project, a run-of-river located on the Arun River in Eastern Nepal, scheduled to be completed in 2024. A meeting of the Investment Board Nepal (IBN) chaired by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal "Prachanda" approved the draft project development agreement (PDA) to be signed with India's state-owned SJVN to develop the 669-megawatt (MW) Lower Arun Hydropower project in eastern Nepal, an official statement said. The development comes days before Prime Minister Prachanda's visit to India starting Wednesday. The draft needs to be endorsed by the Council of Ministers before it gets implemented. The previous meeting of the IBN had approved Rs 92.68 billion investment for the development of the project. "The development of this 669-MW transformative project will prov...

Nepal on Sunday decided to allow India's Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) Limited to develop a second hydropower project in the country. At present SJVN is developing a 900-MW Arun -III hydroelectric project, a run-of-river located on the Arun River in Eastern Nepal, scheduled to be completed in 2024. A meeting of the Investment Board Nepal (IBN) chaired by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal "Prachanda" approved the draft project development agreement (PDA) to be signed with India's state-owned SJVN to develop the 669-megawatt (MW) Lower Arun Hydropower project in eastern Nepal, an official statement said. The development comes days before Prime Minister Prachanda's visit to India starting Wednesday. The draft needs to be endorsed by the Council of Ministers before it gets implemented. The previous meeting of the IBN had approved Rs 92.68 billion investment for the development of the project. "The development of this 669-MW transformative project will prov...

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on instructions of party chief Imran Khan, constituted a seven-member negotiation committee for talks with the incumbent government over elections, Pakistan-based ARY News reported. The party (PTI) while taking to Twitter, said that the seven-member committee, which will be headed by Shah Mahmood Qureshi, will decide the plan of action with the government regarding the elections. The committee comprises party vice chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Pervez Khattak, Asad Qaiser, Hammad Azhar, Haleem Adil Sheikh, Murad Saeed and Aon Abbas Buppi. The development came after the PTI suffered major blows as prominent leaders, Fawad Chaudhry, Shireen Mazari and Maleeka Bokhari, announced to quit the party. PTI lawmakers and members have, following the May 9 violence, parted their ways from the party. During the violence, military installations including General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi and Corps Commander House Lahore were attacked after the arrest of...

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on instructions of party chief Imran Khan, constituted a seven-member negotiation committee for talks with the incumbent government over elections, Pakistan-based ARY News reported. The party (PTI) while taking to Twitter, said that the seven-member committee, which will be headed by Shah Mahmood Qureshi, will decide the plan of action with the government regarding the elections. The committee comprises party vice chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Pervez Khattak, Asad Qaiser, Hammad Azhar, Haleem Adil Sheikh, Murad Saeed and Aon Abbas Buppi. The development came after the PTI suffered major blows as prominent leaders, Fawad Chaudhry, Shireen Mazari and Maleeka Bokhari, announced to quit the party. PTI lawmakers and members have, following the May 9 violence, parted their ways from the party. During the violence, military installations including General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi and Corps Commander House Lahore were attacked after the arrest of...

Egypt unearthed human and animal mummification workshops as well as two tombs in the ancient burial ground of Saqqara, officials said on Saturday, marking the latest in a string of discoveries that the country hopes can help revive its vital tourism industry. Mostafa Waziri, the head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, told reporters that the two large "embalming workshops" date back to the 30th dynasty (380-343 BC) and the Ptolemaic (305-30 BC) eras. A view of the embalming workshop site for animals at the newly discovered site. (File) The discovery was made after a year-long excavation near the sanctuary of the goddess Bastet, which is home to the catacombs of mummified cats in Saqqara, some 30 kilometres (18.6 miles)south of Cairo. It was the same spot where hundreds of mummified animals and statues were uncovered in 2019. "We found embalming workshops, one for humans and one for animals. We found all the tools that they used (in mummification) in a...

Egypt unearthed human and animal mummification workshops as well as two tombs in the ancient burial ground of Saqqara, officials said on Saturday, marking the latest in a string of discoveries that the country hopes can help revive its vital tourism industry. Mostafa Waziri, the head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, told reporters that the two large "embalming workshops" date back to the 30th dynasty (380-343 BC) and the Ptolemaic (305-30 BC) eras. A view of the embalming workshop site for animals at the newly discovered site. (File) The discovery was made after a year-long excavation near the sanctuary of the goddess Bastet, which is home to the catacombs of mummified cats in Saqqara, some 30 kilometres (18.6 miles)south of Cairo. It was the same spot where hundreds of mummified animals and statues were uncovered in 2019. "We found embalming workshops, one for humans and one for animals. We found all the tools that they used (in mummification) in a...

A 19-year-old woman tragically died in a house fire in US' Wisconsin just hours before she was set to walk down the aisle, the Independent reported. Paige Ruddy was asleep on the second story of a Reedsburg home when it became engulfed in flames on May 23 around 4 am. She suffered a fatal brain haemorrhage caused by smoke inhalation and died in the hospital the next day. Notably, she had already exchanged vows with her husband-to-be Logan Mitchell-Carter on Monday and was planning a small ceremony with her close friends and family at the Sauk County Courthouse the next day. However, on Tuesday, her family woke up to the terrible news. Local fire department Chief Craig Douglas said Ms. Ruddy couldn't navigate through the smoke to safety.  The house, in which the couple was staying, belonged to the groom's grandparents and reportedly lacked any working smoke detectors. The Sauk County Coroner's office confirmed to WMTV that its preliminary investigation shows that...

A 19-year-old woman tragically died in a house fire in US' Wisconsin just hours before she was set to walk down the aisle, the Independent reported. Paige Ruddy was asleep on the second story of a Reedsburg home when it became engulfed in flames on May 23 around 4 am. She suffered a fatal brain haemorrhage caused by smoke inhalation and died in the hospital the next day. Notably, she had already exchanged vows with her husband-to-be Logan Mitchell-Carter on Monday and was planning a small ceremony with her close friends and family at the Sauk County Courthouse the next day. However, on Tuesday, her family woke up to the terrible news. Local fire department Chief Craig Douglas said Ms. Ruddy couldn't navigate through the smoke to safety.  The house, in which the couple was staying, belonged to the groom's grandparents and reportedly lacked any working smoke detectors. The Sauk County Coroner's office confirmed to WMTV that its preliminary investigation shows that...

Former Pakistan Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Friday appealed for immediate talks with state officials. This comes as pressure mounts on him amid a crackdown on his top aides and supporters that saw thousands arrested as well as many leaving his party, Pakistan based The Express Tribune newspaper reported. The clampdown started earlier this month when Imran's supporters were involved in violent protests following his brief arrest on May 9. "I would like to appeal for talks because what is currently happening is not a solution," Imran said in a live talk streamed on YouTube, warning that the country was headed towards anarchy, as per The Express Tribune. The political unrest worsened as Pakistan faced its worst economic crisis in decades. Inflation was at record highs, economic growth was anaemic, and there were fears that the country could default on external debts unless the International Monetary Fund unlocked delayed disbur...

Former Pakistan Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Friday appealed for immediate talks with state officials. This comes as pressure mounts on him amid a crackdown on his top aides and supporters that saw thousands arrested as well as many leaving his party, Pakistan based The Express Tribune newspaper reported. The clampdown started earlier this month when Imran's supporters were involved in violent protests following his brief arrest on May 9. "I would like to appeal for talks because what is currently happening is not a solution," Imran said in a live talk streamed on YouTube, warning that the country was headed towards anarchy, as per The Express Tribune. The political unrest worsened as Pakistan faced its worst economic crisis in decades. Inflation was at record highs, economic growth was anaemic, and there were fears that the country could default on external debts unless the International Monetary Fund unlocked delayed disbur...

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told China's special envoy Li Hui on Friday that there were "serious obstacles" to resuming peace talks, blaming Ukraine and Western countries. "The Russian foreign minister reaffirmed Moscow's commitment to a political-diplomatic resolution of the conflict, noting the serious obstacles to the resumption of peace talks created by the Ukrainian side and its Western mentors," the foreign ministry said. During the meeting with Mr Li, who was China's ambassador in Russia between 2009 and 2019, Mr Lavrov also praised Beijing's "balanced" position on Ukraine. While China says it is a neutral party in the Ukraine conflict, it has been criticised for refusing to condemn Moscow for its offensive. "Both sides expressed readiness to further strengthen Russian-Chinese foreign policy cooperation, invariably aimed at maintaining peace and stability in the region and on the planet as a whole," the Russi...

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told China's special envoy Li Hui on Friday that there were "serious obstacles" to resuming peace talks, blaming Ukraine and Western countries. "The Russian foreign minister reaffirmed Moscow's commitment to a political-diplomatic resolution of the conflict, noting the serious obstacles to the resumption of peace talks created by the Ukrainian side and its Western mentors," the foreign ministry said. During the meeting with Mr Li, who was China's ambassador in Russia between 2009 and 2019, Mr Lavrov also praised Beijing's "balanced" position on Ukraine. While China says it is a neutral party in the Ukraine conflict, it has been criticised for refusing to condemn Moscow for its offensive. "Both sides expressed readiness to further strengthen Russian-Chinese foreign policy cooperation, invariably aimed at maintaining peace and stability in the region and on the planet as a whole," the Russi...

Hari Budhamagar, an ex-British Gorkha soldier, who lost both his legs during the Afghan war, on Friday said he "cried like a baby" after conquering Mt. Everest. The 44-year-old mountaineer scripted a world record as he became the world's first double above-the-knee amputee to summit the 8,848.86-metre peak on May 20. He lost both his legs while fighting on the side of the UK Government in war-torn Afghanistan. “My eyes were full of tears as I reached just 100 metres below the peak,” he said, adding that “the tears turned into ice” before they fell on the ground. The mountaineer described the moment of extreme joy he experienced while fulfilling his highest dream in life. “After I reached the top, I cried like a baby,” he told reporters in Kathmandu describing his success story. “I did never cry when in grief, but I cried in joy sometimes,” he said. After putting his artificial legs on top of the world, he embraced the supporting Sherpa team on Mt. Everest. Mr Budha...

Three Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders, on Thursday announced quitting the Imran Khan-led party. With this, a huge list of leaders have deserted the party following the May 9 riots, Geo News reported. Maleeka Bokhari in a press conference in Islamabad, said: "I condemn the events that transpired on May 9. For every Pakistani, the events that took place on May 9 are very painful." Announcing her "dissociation" from the party, Bokhari said she wasn't under duress and "no one forced me into making this decision". "As a lawyer, I want to play a positive role in Pakistan. I also want to spend time with my family," she said, according to Geo News. Bokhari quit the party hours after her release from Adiala Jail, where she was sent after being arrested under Section 4 of the Maintenance of Public Order. Bokhari in a presser, backed the authorities' decision to investigate the May 9 events and said the people behind the violent events s...

South Korea launched its homegrown Nuri rocket on Thursday, officials said, a day after it was forced to postpone due to a technical glitch just hours before lift-off. It marks the third launch of the Nuri, which successfully put test satellites into orbit last year after a failed 2021 attempt saw the rocket's third-stage engine burn out too early. Wednesday's launch was called off over a computer communication error which was resolved by Thursday, allowing the launch -- a key step forward for the country's burgeoning space programme -- to go ahead. The three-stage rocket, more than 47 metres (155 feet) long and weighing 200 tonnes, soared into the sky from the Naro Space Center in South Korea's southern coastal region, leaving a huge trail of white smoke. "Flight normal," said a female announcer on the official government livestream of the launch, as Nuri soared into the sky. In previous tests, the rocket carried payloads mainly designed for verifying th...