Posts published in “Day: July 6, 2016”

As the US Senate delegation led by John McCain, made its way back home after a high-profile visit, there are many questions regarding the real outcome of this meeting. After meeting with army chief Gen.Raheel Sharif and Adviser to PM on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, Senator McCain addressed the media and said, “We look forward to closer relations and resolving the differences we have,” and termed the Zarb-e-Azb operation “impressive”.While the perfunctory message fulfilled diplomatic…

An investigation is underway into the conduct of five generals and five other police officials involved in transferring police cadets from Wardak to Kabul last Thursday. Dozens were killed or wounded when their convoy was bombed in an apparent suicide attack. The Head of the advisory board of the Presidential Palace Nasrullah Stanikzai said all those involved in transferring the police cadets will be punished. The Attorney General Office has started investigating 10 police officials,…

At least 67 militants were killed after a major attack was launched by nearly 800 insurgents in southeastern Khost province of Afghanistan. The Ministry of Defense (MoD) said the coordinated attack was launched jointly by the local and foreign terrorists in Moosa Khel district. MoD further added that the attack was successfully repulsed by the Afghan security forces and as a result at least 67 militants, including three commanders of them were killed. At least…

The leader of Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin Hekmatyar has asked his fighters to abandon insurgency against the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF). Hekmatyar’s instructions to renounce violence is yet another gesture by the group to join peace process which comes days after he declared the peace talks with the Afghan government is effectively dead. He has conveyed the message through a statement issued on the occassion of Eid-ul-Fitr. However, Hekmatyr has asked his fighters to…

LANDIKOTAL: Heirs of the Pakistani drivers, arrested in Afghanistan four months ago, have appealed to the Prime Minister of Pakistan and the Chief of Army Staff to take up the issue with the Afghan government for the early release of the drivers as one of the driver has died last week while the others are in critical health condition, family sources said on Monday. Flanked by several other family members of the arrested six Pakistani…

The author is a reporter with the Global Times A media report saying that China is offering low-interest loans worth $9 billion to Bangladesh attracted a lot of attention on Monday, following analysts’ suggestion that Bangladesh has become a focus for the growing geopolitical rivalry between Beijing and New Delhi. Bangladesh wants to use the low-interest loans to build at least six rail projects connecting its capital Dhaka with key domestic industrial areas and the…

The number of Japanese tourists visiting Shaanxi Province has declined sharply in recent years, according to the Shaanxi Provincial Tourism Administration (SPTA) Sunday. Since 2012 when the China-Japan relationship began to deteriorate due to Japan’s unilateral decision to nationalize the Diaoyu Islands, Japanese tourist numbers in Shaanxi have fallen every year. In 2015, only 95,712 Japanese tourists visited Shaanxi, a decrease of 47.9 percent compared with 2012, statistics shows. Shaanxi, located in the hinterland of…

A Beijing chain supermarket’s ban on customers bringing in non-halal food sparked controversy, as some consumers worry that religion is becoming more involved in secular life in China. The supermarket in Beijing’s Chaoyang district posted a sign in its window that reads, “Please do not bring non-halal food into the supermarket,” because “Muslims would feel insulted if they came into our supermarket and saw non-halal foods like pork,” a supermarket employee told the Global Times…

Ling Jihua, former deputy head of China’s national political advisory body, was sentenced to life imprisonment on Monday for taking bribes, illegally obtaining State secrets and of abuse of power. Ling accepted bribes totaling 77.08 million yuan ($11.6 million) personally and through his family, according to the first-instance ruling by the First Intermediate People’s Court of Tianjin. He pled guilty and decided not to appeal, the court said. Ling served as the vice chairman of…