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07-03-2023 TAIPEI CITY: Taiwan must be on alert this year for a “sudden entry” by the Chinese military into areas close to its territory as tensions rise across the Taiwan Strait, its defence minister warned. China has stepped up its military activities around Taiwan in recent years, including almost daily …

06-03-2023 By SJA Jafri + Bureau Report QUETTA/ KARACHI: A suicide bomber riding a motorcycle has rammed into a police truck in Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan, martyring at least nine soldiers and wounding another 13. Agha Samiullah, the deputy commissioner of Balochistan’s Kachhi district, told media the attack took …

06-03-2023 TEHRAN: Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has called for the perpetrators of schoolgirl poisonings to be punished as attacks spread across the country. Speaking on the sidelines of an annual tree-planting ceremony on Monday, Khamenei said the poisonings are a “major and an unforgiveable crime” and the perpetrators …

06-03-2023 By SJA Jafri + Bureau Report ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s media regulator has banned television channels from broadcasting speeches and news conferences by Imran Khan, accusing the former prime minister of attacking the state’s institutions and promoting hatred. The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) imposed the ban late on Sunday …

06-03-2023 Bureau Report + Agencies KABUL/ ISLAMABAD: Male students trickled back to their classes Monday after Afghan universities reopened following a winter break but women remain barred by Taliban authorities. The university ban is one of several restrictions imposed on women since the Taliban stormed back to power in August …

06-03-2023 By SJA Jafri + Bureau Report ISLAMABAD/ LAHORE: Officers have arrived at the residence of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in a bid to arrest him in a case related to the purchase and sale of gifts. In a series of tweets on Sunday, the police said Khan was …

06-03-2023 TEHRAN: Iran and the UN nuclear agency issued a joint statement after Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi’s trip to Tehran, agreeing on closer cooperation to settle the outstanding issues pertaining to the Safeguards Agreement. The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) and the UN …

06-03-2023 DOHA/ DAMASCUS: Qatar’s emir says he was puzzled by the delay in delivering aid to victims in Syria of last month’s earthquake, adding that it was wrong to abuse humanitarian aid for political purposes. Qatar was among several regional states that backed rebels in Syria’s civil war, which has …

06-03-2023 SANTA MONICA: Everything Everywhere All at Once swept the Independent Spirit Awards Saturday, taking home wins in nearly every major category and solidifying its Oscar frontrunner status. The kinetic, multiverse-spanning, family opus won numerous awards, including Best Film, Best Director and Best Editing. Comedian Hasan Minhaj hosted the star-studded …

06-03-2023 BEIJING: Xi Jinping is set to deepen his control of China’s government and economy, as lawmakers meet in Beijing to pass far-reaching reforms. The National People’s Congress (NPC), a rubber-stamp parliament, will confirm Xi’s third term as president, and the appointments of his top team. They will also name …