Budget 2018-19

  Qureshi said Pakistan was pursuing imperatives of geo-economics and was determined to make the country a hub of trade, investment, and finance Pakistan’s Foreign Minister  Shah Mahmood Qureshi  said on Monday that his country wanted to deepen its longstanding ties with the United States. Qureshi made the remarks during his meeting with Congressman Gregory Meeks, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representative (HFAC), and Congressman Ami Bera, Chairman of the Asia Subcommittee of the HFAC, who called on him. Welcoming the Congressmen to Pakistan, Qureshi said that  Pakistan  valued its longstanding relationship with the US and wanted to further deepen and widen this relationship, according to a statement issued by Foreign Office. He emphasised that Pakistan was pursuing imperatives of geo-economics and was determined to make the country a hub of trade, investment, and finance. He invited US companies to invest in Pakistan’s IT and Healt...

  The Pentagon official said Indians want to work with the US on this issue, by sharing intelligence and cooperating India is concerned about the current situation in  Afghanistan , a top Pentagon official has told US lawmakers here. “As I’m sure you’re aware, they (Indians) are concerned about the situation in Afghanistan. They’re concerned about the intersection between instability there and their counterterrorism concerns,” Colin H Kahl, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee during a hearing on Afghanistan, South and Central Asia Security. “They (Indians) want to work with us on those issues, sharing intelligence, cooperating where we can,” he said, adding that there is a tremendous convergence between US and Indian national interests right now “It provides a lot of opportunity for us to cooperate with India, not just on Afghanistan and counterterrorism, but on broader regional security questions, in the Indian Ocean and ...

  A former senior Saudi security official who helped oversee joint US counterterrorism efforts made the claims in an interview A former senior Saudi security official who helped oversee joint US counterterrorism efforts claimed in an interview with “60 Minutes” that the kingdom’s crown prince once spoke of killing a sitting Saudi monarch before his own father was crowned king.  Saad al-Jabri  did not provide evidence to the CBS News program, which aired Sunday. The ex-intelligence official, who resides in exile in Canada, claimed that in 2014, Prince Mohammed boasted that he could kill King Abdullah. At the time, Prince Mohammed held no senior role in government but was serving as gatekeeper to his father’s royal court when his father was still heir to the throne. King Salman ascended to the throne in January 2015 after his half-brother,   King Abdullah, died of stated natural causes. Al-Jabri used the interview to warn  Prince Mohammed bin Salman  that he’...

  The Taliban’s cruelties are horrendous, but withholding international support and maintaining blanket sanctions will only hurt the long-suffering Afghan people. Afghanistan’s humanitarian situation is spiraling into catastrophe. Millions of Afghans are now facing severe economic stress and food insecurity in the wake of the Taliban’s August takeover, set off by widespread lost income, cash shortages, and rising food costs. Officials with the UN and several foreign governments are warning of an economic collapse and risks of worsening acute malnutrition and outright famine. Surveys by the World Food Program (WFP) reveal over nine in ten Afghan families have insufficient food for daily consumption, half stating they have run out of food at least once in the last two weeks. One in three Afghans is already acutely hungry. Other United Nations reports warn that over 1 million more children could face acute malnutrition in the coming year. One main cause of the crisis is that governmen...

  Pakistan has seen 35 attacks that left at least 52 civilians dead in August, the highest since February 2017, according to data compiled by the South Asia Terrorism Portal Deadly terrorist attacks in  Pakistan  have increased to the highest level in over four years as U.S. troops left Afghanistan and the Taliban took power, a sign of growing instability in the region that could hurt business and investments. Pakistan has seen 35 attacks that left at least 52 civilians dead in August, the highest since February 2017, according to data compiled by the South Asia Terrorism Portal. Most of the violence has been attributed to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, an offshoot of the Afghan militant group that has been encouraged by developments next door. The Pakistani militant group “has been emboldened further by what happened in Afghanistan,” Umar Karim, a visiting fellow at the London-based Royal United Services Institute, said over the phone. “The terrorist group had already been ...

  Khan said thousands of Pakistanis were killed because the Taliban and its affiliates saw them as an ally of the US Pakistan Prime Minister  Imran Khan  has said the US war against terrorism was “disastrous” for Pakistan as Washington used Islamabad like a “hired gun” during their 20-year presence in Afghanistan. “We (Pakistan) were like a hired gun,” Khan said in an interview with CNN. “We were supposed to make them (the US) win the war in Afghanistan, which we never could.” Khan said that the US’ invasion of Afghanistan proved to be “disastrous” for Pakistan. He said thousands of Pakistanis were killed because the Taliban and its affiliates saw them as an ally of the US. “The Taliban hold all of  Afghanistan  and if they can sort of now work towards an inclusive government, get all the factions together, Afghanistan could have peace after 40 years. But if it goes wrong and which is what we are really worried about, it could go to chaos. The biggest humanitari...

  Efforts on to resume operations at Kabul airport Afghan crisis:  Taliban and Afghan rebels loyal to local leader Ahmad Massoud claimed heavy casualties in heavy fighting in the Panjshir Valley, with some media reports suggesting 13 Taliban fighters were ambushed on Thursday. Panjshir is the last Afghan province resisting rule by the Taliban, which took control of the country two weeks ago by overthrowing the Western-backed government as the US and other foreign troops withdrew after 20 years. According to certain media reports, more than 300 fighters from both sides lost their lives during the fighting over the past few days, as the Northern Resistance Front refused to give up despite being surrounded by the Taliban from all sides. “We started operations after negotiations with the local armed group failed,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said. Taliban fighters had entered Panjshir and taken control of some territory, he said. “They (the enemy)...

  In the aftermath of the  Taliban  regaining power in Afghanistan, a former senior American diploma Nikki Haley t has said there is a need to closely watch China In the aftermath of the Taliban regaining power in Afghanistan, a former senior American diplomat has said there is a need to closely watch China as it is making a move to take over the Bagram air force base that was controlled by the United States for nearly two decades. America’s former envoy to the United Nations Nikki Haley told Fox News on Wednesday that it is time that President Joe Biden’s administration reaches out to its key friends and allies like India, Japan and Australia and assure them that the US will have their back. The first thing you should do is immediately start connecting with our allies, whether it’s Taiwan, whether it’s Ukraine, whether it’s Israel, whether it’s India, Australia, Japan, all of them, and reassure them that we will have their back and that we need them as well,  Nikki ...

  Consultations on forming an inclusive Afghan govt end in ‘consensus’ The  Taliban  and other Afghan leaders have reached a “consensus” on the formation of a new government and cabinet under the leadership of the group’s top spiritual leader, an official said. Taliban supreme commander  Haibatullah Akhundzada  will be the top leader of any governing council, Bilal Karimi, a member of the group’s cultural commission said Wednesday. Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, one of Akhundzada’s three deputies and the main public face of the Taliban, is likely to be in charge of the daily functioning of the government, Karimi added. “The consultations on forming an inclusive Afghan government within the Islamic Emirate’s leaders, with the leaders from previous government and other influential leaders have officially ended,” Karimi said. “They have reached a consensus. We’re about to announce a functioning cabinet and government in a few days, not weeks. The  Taliban  h...

  The last US troops are due to pull out of Kabul by Tuesday, after they and their allies mounted the biggest air evacuation in history, bringing out 114,000 of their own citizens and Afghans US anti-missile defences intercepted rockets fired at  Kabul airport  early on Monday, as the United States flew its core diplomats out of Afghanistan in the final hours of its chaotic withdrawal. The last US troops are due to pull out of Kabul by Tuesday, after they and their allies mounted the biggest air evacuation in history, bringing out 114,000 of their own citizens and Afghans who helped them over 20 years of war. Two US officials said the “core” diplomatic staff had withdrawn by Monday morning. They did not say whether this included top envoy Ross Wilson, expected to be among the last to leave before the final troops themselves. A US official said initial reports did not indicate any US casualties from as many as five missiles fired on the airport. Islamic State — enemies of ...

  The US withdrawal from Afghanistan is more than half done, and US officials say that while it could be completed by July 4, final exit of equipment and troops more likely will be later in the summer The US withdrawal from  Afghanistan  is more than half done, and US officials say that while it could be completed by July 4, the final exit of equipment and troops more likely will be later in the summer. As early as this week, the top US commander for the Middle East, Gen. Frank McKenzie, will give Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin a range of military options for securing the US embassy in Afghanistan and providing counterterrorism support from outside the country once the withdrawal is complete, officials said. The number of American troops needed for the overall security missions inside Afghanistan will depend on a variety of requirements, and could range from roughly a couple hundred to a bit less than 1,000, officials said. McKenzie’s deliberations are a reminder that muc...

  With millions of lives at stake amid a rapid spread of Covid-19, Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna said he hoped President Joe Biden would call the Pfizer CEO to let India produce its vaccine With millions of lives at stake amid a rapid spread of COVID-19, Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna said he hoped President Joe Biden would call the Pfizer CEO to let India produce its vaccine at least for six months or a year. Khanna, who represents Silicon Valley in the US House of Representatives, has been an ardent supporter of the move by India and South Africa at the World Trade Organization (WTO) for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) waiver of COVID-19 vaccines. “Allow India to develop that vaccine, and this is good in your own long-term interests. It’s good for the United States and our interests with the role with India and the rest of the world,” Khanna told the media. Major pharma companies like  Pfizer  and Moderna and organisations li...

  Officials see 2021 GDP growth of 6.5%, unemployment at 4.5% The Federal Reserve on Wednesday projected a rapid jump in US economic growth and inflation this year as the  Covid-19  crisis winds down, and repeated its pledge to keep its target interest rate near zero for years to come. The US central bank now sees the economy growing 6.5% this year – predicting the largest annual output growth since 1984 – and the unemployment rate falling to 4.5% by year’s end, compared to growth of 4.2% and unemployment of 5% projected at its December policy meeting. The pace of price increases is now expected to exceed the Fed’s 2% target for the year, hitting 2.4% by year’s end before falling back in 2022. “Indicators of economic activity and employment have turned up,” the policy-setting Federal Open Market Committee said in a statement that kept the benchmark overnight interest rate in a target range of zero to 0.25%. The improvement in the Fed’s economic outlook did not immediately...

  The police, outnumbered by the protesters, had a tough time in managing the crowd on Wednesday, as hundreds of protesters breached security and entered the Capitol building In an unprecedented attack on democracy, thousands of angry supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol and clashed with police, resulting in multiple injuries and interrupting a constitutional process to affirm Joe Biden’s victory in the November presidential election. The police, outnumbered by the protesters, had a tough time in managing the crowd on Wednesday, as hundreds of protesters breached security and entered the Capitol building, where members of the Congress were going through the process of counting and certifying the Electoral College votes. Both the House and Senate and the entire Capitol were placed under a lockdown. Members of the US Congress were asked to get hold of the gas masks under their seats as the police resorted to tear gas to disperse protestors. Multiple officers ha...

  Announce resignation en masse shortly after colleagues are ousted Hong Kong’s pro-democracy opposition lawmakers said on Wednesday they would resign in protest against the dismissal of four of their colleagues from the city assembly after Beijing gave local authorities new powers to further curb dissent. The Chinese parliament earlier adopted a resolution allowing the city’s executive to expel lawmakers deemed to be advocating Hong Kong independence, colluding with foreign forces or threatening national security, without having to go through the courts. Shortly afterwards, the local government announced the disqualification of four assembly members who had previously been barred from running for re-election as authorities deemed their pledge of allegiance to Hong Kong was not sincere. The moves will raise further concern in the West about the level of  Hong Kong ‘s autonomy, promised under a “one country, two systems” formula when Britain ended its colonial rule and handed H...

  Taiwan holds the world’s best virus record by far and reached the new landmark on Thursday, even as the pathogen explodes anew in Europe and the US While many countries around the world are hitting new highs in coronavirus cases, Taiwan has achieved a different kind of record — 200 days without a locally transmitted case. Taiwan holds the world’s best virus record by far and reached the new landmark on Thursday, even as the pathogen explodes anew in Europe and the US. Taiwan’s last local case came on April 12; there has been no second wave. What did this island of 23 million people do right? It has had 553 confirmed cases, with only seven deaths. Experts say closing borders early and tightly regulating travel have gone a long way toward fighting the virus. Other factors include rigorous contact tracing, technology-enforced quarantine and widespread mask wearing. Further,  Taiwan ’s deadly experience with SARS has scared people into compliance. “Taiwan is the only major count...

  The breakthrough was achieved with the help of US officials, as the two sides drew up 19 ground rules that their negotiators should observe during talks, the sources said Taliban and Afghan peace negotiators have agreed on a code of conduct to safeguard against the risk of any breakdown in talks that began last month in Qatar to bring an end to decades of war, three official sources told Reuters on Tuesday. The breakthrough was achieved with the help of US officials, as the two sides drew up 19 ground rules that their negotiators should observe during talks, the sources said. While the talks have been taking place in Qatar’s capital Doha, scores of Afghan soldiers and  Taliban  fighters have been killed in clashes and suicide attacks in which dozens of civilians have also died in recent weeks. “Firming up code of conduct was extremely crucial as it proves that both sides are willing to continue talks even as we see that violence has not reduced on the ground,” said one ...

  The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise A New Jersey-based staffing company has agreed to pay USD 345,000 to settle allegations that it has violated immigration and employment regulations concerning continuous employment and wage requirements of workers it had brought to the US on  H-1B visas . The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. H-1B visas are most sought-after among Indian IT professionals. ALSO READ:  US judge refuses to grant preliminary injunction against H-1B visa ban The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Department of Labour and the US Attorney for the District of New Jersey ordered Savantis Solutions to pay USD 345,000 to resolve allegations against H-1B relat...

  Union Minister for Atomic Energy and Space Jitendra Singh said there are 32 earth observation sensors with advanced capabilities, which are currently in orbit Union Minister for Atomic Energy and Space Jitendra Singh on Thursday said there are 32 earth observation sensors with advanced capabilities, which are currently in orbit. In a written reply in Rajya Sabha, the minister said a total of five earth observation satellites and five communication payloads were realised since January 2018. “The information support was provided for all the major disaster events like floods, cyclones and forest fires occurred since January 2020,” he said. Singh added, “About 2,51,000 value-added data products were disseminated to users since April 2020. The value-added products comprise of geophysical and remote sensing data products derived using the data from meteorological, oceanographic and land remote sensing  satellites .” The minister further said that the total number of satellites lau...

More than 4,200 sites were infected with a malicious version of a widely used tool known as Browsealoud from British software maker Texthelp Thousands of websites, including ones run by US and UK government agencies, were infected for several hours on Sunday with code that causes web browsers to secretly mine digital currencies, technology news site The Register reported. More than 4,200 sites were infected with a malicious version of a widely used tool known as Browsealoud from British software maker Texthelp, which reads out web pages for people with vision problems, according to The Register. The news comes amid a surge in cyber attacks using software that forces infected computers to mine cryptocurrencies on behalf of hackers. The prevalence of these schemes has increased in recent months as the volume of trading in bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies has surged. The tainted version of Browsealoud caused inserted software for mining the digital currency ...