world

Washington / Islamabad: The U.S. State Department has updated its travel advisory for Pakistan, urging American citizens to think twice before planning a trip. The advisory places Pakistan in a high-risk category, highlighting crime, civil unrest, terrorism, and kidnapping threats across the country. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief General Asim Munir, often seen as close to Washington, are now facing the reality that U.S. warnings consider the nation extremely unsafe for visitors. The advisory, updated on January 26, categorizes countries and regions into four levels of risk. Pakistan has been placed in Level 3 – High Risk, indicating the possibility of terrorist attacks without warning. Common targets may include transportation hubs, hotels, markets, shopping ma...

Bogotá: A small plane crash in northeastern Colombia has claimed the lives of all 15 people on board, including a sitting lawmaker, officials confirmed on Wednesday. The flight was operated by the state-run airline, Satena. The accident occurred in a rural area of Norte de Santander province. According to Satena, local authorities in the Curásica region reported the crash site, prompting a rescue team to be dispatched to assess the situation. Among the victims were two crew members and 13 passengers, including Congressman Diógenes Quintero. The Colombian Ministry of Transport later confirmed that no survivors were found at the crash site. The aircraft, registered HK4709, had departed from Cúcuta Airport at 11:42 AM local time, bound for Ocaña, a city surrounded by mountainous terr...

Ottawa: India’s view of Canada as merely “America’s little brother” is changing, according to India’s High Commissioner to Canada, Dinesh Patnaik. Relations between the two countries had hit a low in 2023, when former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau repeatedly leveled unsubstantiated allegations against India, including over the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. At that time, the U.S. appeared to side with Canada. However, the dynamics have shifted. Former U.S. President Donald Trump not only shook India-U.S. relations but also disrupted the long-standing “brotherly” ties between the U.S. and Canada. Patnaik told Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail that under Prime Minister Mark Carney’s leadership, Canada is taking a more independent stance. Trude...

New Delhi / Islamabad: Following the detection of two Nipah virus cases in India, authorities in Pakistan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Malaysia have intensified screening measures at airports to prevent the spread of the highly infectious virus. Nipah virus, which spreads from fruit bats and pigs to humans, can cause fever and severe brain inflammation. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies it as a priority pathogen, with a mortality rate ranging between 40 and 75 percent. Currently, no approved vaccine or specific treatment exists, making prevention the most effective measure. India has confirmed the two cases in West Bengal, both involving healthcare workers who are receiving treatment in a local hospital. Indian authorities have traced 196 contacts of the infected...

Dhaka: The feared election-related violence in Bangladesh has turned deadly. A local leader of Jamaat-e-Islami was killed during clashes with BNP supporters at a political event in Sherpur district, police confirmed. Over 50 people were injured in the incident. The clash occurred on Wednesday in Jhenaigati Upazila of Sherpur while a political program was underway for candidates to read out their election manifestos. Supporters of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami reportedly began arguing over seating arrangements, which quickly escalated into violent confrontation. The deceased has been identified as Rezaul Karim, General Secretary of the Shribardi Upazila unit of Jamaat-e-Islami. He sustained serious injuries during the clash and later died while being trans...

Riyadh: Rapid developments are unfolding in Middle Eastern geopolitics. Recently, India signed a ‘Letter of Intent’ for a strategic partnership with the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Now, India and Saudi Arabia held a high-level meeting on January 28 to discuss defense cooperation, signaling Riyadh’s effort to rebuild confidence with India following its recent security agreement with Pakistan. While India-Saudi relations have strengthened over the past few years, the India-UAE defense deal reportedly caused some concern in Riyadh. The senior officials from both countries met in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, for a key session reviewing ongoing security cooperation and discussing threats posed by terrorist groups globally and regionally. The meeting, the third of the joint Security Working ...

Tel Aviv: As tensions between Iran and the United States escalate toward a potential military confrontation, the arrival of the American aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in waters close to Iran has intensified regional anxieties. In the event of a U.S.-led strike on Iran, Israel is widely expected to play a supporting role, raising the possibility of Iranian retaliation against Israeli targets—particularly at sea. Military analysts believe that Israeli naval vessels could be among Iran’s first targets in any counterattack. This has sparked an important question: Are Israeli warships capable of defending themselves against Iranian missile barrages in the same way as a U.S. carrier strike group? USS Abraham Lincoln: A Floating Fortress The USS Abraham Lincoln is not merely a war...

Paris/Washington: A serious geopolitical crisis is brewing between the United States and Europe over Greenland, as former US President Donald Trump signals a renewed push to bring the strategically vital Arctic island under American control—even if it means using military pressure. Trump’s aggressive stance has alarmed European allies and raised unprecedented questions about the future of NATO, the world’s most powerful military alliance comprising 32 nations. European capitals are responding with rare unity. France has reportedly moved its aircraft carrier closer to Greenland, while countries such as Germany, Britain, Italy and France have issued sharp warnings to Washington. With Greenland administered by Denmark—a NATO member—any unilateral American military action could strike at th...

Beijing: China’s most secretive and feared air-to-air missile, the PL-17, has been seen up close for the first time, sparking intense discussion among global defence analysts. Believed to be the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF)’s longest-range air-to-air missile, the PL-17 is considered significantly more dangerous than the widely known PL-15 missile due to its massive size, advanced guidance system, and an estimated range of nearly 400 kilometres. The PL-17 is an air-to-air missile similar in role to the PL-15, but with far greater reach and strategic intent. While the missile has existed for years, China has never officially disclosed its specifications. Its sudden appearance in a close-up image has therefore attracted global attention—especially in the United States, which ...

Islamabad: Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan is facing a serious risk to his eyesight while in prison, according to warnings issued by his political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Khan has been incarcerated since August 2023 and is currently serving multiple sentences totaling over 60 years. Khan is imprisoned in Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi, in connection with the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case. Reports indicate his health has deteriorated over the past few months. Last month, following protests, his family was temporarily allowed to meet him, but currently no one has access to him, including his lawyers. Serious Eye InfectionSources inside Adiala Jail revealed that Khan suffers from severe eye infections and allergies, aggravated by Rawalpindi’s harsh winter and lack of...