International

28 December, 2019 By SJA Jafri + Agencies DOHA/ KABUL/ ISLAMABAD: The Taliban has freed 27 members of an activist group urging peace, two days after abducting them and taking them to an undisclosed location. The Taliban has released 27 members of a peace group a day after they were …

27 December, 2019 MOSCOW/ BEIJING/ TEHRAN/ DUBAI: Russia, Iran and China began their joint naval drills in the northern waters of the Indian Ocean on Friday, the deputy commander of the Iranian Navy announced. Speaking to reporters at a press conference, Admiral Gholamreza Tahani said the northern part of the Indian Ocean …

Dec 27’2019 China’s Defence Ministry has said the military relationship between India and China is improving due to the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping. Addressing the media in Beijing yesterday, Defence spokesperson Col. Wu Qian (Chian) said two countries maintain strategic dialogues and conduct practical …

27 December, 2019 ALMATY: A plane carrying 95 passengers and five crew members crashed near Almaty in southeastern Kazakhstan. Initial reports indicate there are survivors and emergency services have responded at the crash site. An airplane crashed with 100 people on board on Friday morning in southeastern Kazakhstan, according to …

26 December, 2019 COLOMBO/ NEW DELHI/ RIYADH: People across Asia are witnessing an annular solar eclipse, which is also known as a “ring of fire”. Crowds have gathered to watch the natural phenomenon in a number of countries, including Sri Lanka, Indonesia, India and Saudi Arabia. In an annular eclipse, …

26 December, 2019 By SJA Jafri DAMASCUS/ NEW YORK/ MELBOURNE: Five more pro-Iran fighters were killed by unidentified missiles on Wednesday evening in Syria’s eastern province of Deir Ezzor, but the missile was attacked by Israeli forces, sources and a war monitor said. “Missiles of unidentified origin targeted the headquarters …

25 December, 2019 By SJA Jafri COLOMBO/ MELBOURNE: Sri Lanka has marked Christmas on a sombre note, with tight security in places around churches after bombings at several hotels and places of worship on Easter Sunday killed 268 people. Police officers, backed by armed forces, were positioned around all churches that …

25 December, 2019 TEHRAN: In a message released on Christmas Eve, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei called for adherence to the teachings of Jesus Christ (PBUH), which requires righteousness and abhorrence of anti-righteous powers. “The honor Muslims attribute to Jesus Christ (pbuh) is no less than …

25 December, 2019 BURKINA FASO/ MELBOURNE: Suspected Islamist militants have killed 35 people, nearly all women, in an attack on a military base and a town in Burkina Faso, local officials say. They say seven soldiers and 80 militants were killed as the army repelled Tuesday’s attack in Arbinda, the …

25 December, 2019 By SJA Jafri VATICAN CITY/ MELBOURNE: Pope Francis has ushered in Christmas by saying God loves everyone – “even the worst of us”. He was speaking to thousands of people during Christmas Eve Mass in St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. “You may have mistaken ideas, you …