Tag: US

  • Putin allows Russian forces to enter Ukraine rebel regions

    Putin allows Russian forces to enter Ukraine rebel regions

    Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian troops on Monday to “maintain peace” in two rebel regions of eastern Ukraine.

    The development came forward hours after Putin recognised pro-Moscow separatist regions Donetsk and Luhansk as independent entities in a televised national address, reports Reuters.

    “I consider it necessary to take a long-overdue decision to immediately recognise the independence and sovereignty of the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Luhansk People’s Republic. I ask the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation to support this decision, and then to ratify the treaties of friendship and mutual assistance with individual republics,” Putin announced despite West’s warnings.

    Putin termed United States-backed Ukraine as a failed state and “puppet” of the West, repeatedly kept suggesting that it is essentially part of Russia. He said, “Ukraine never had a tradition of genuine statehood.”

    He demanded an immediate cessation of hostilities in Kyiv and warned, saying, “Otherwise, all responsibility for the possible continuation of the bloodshed will be entirely on the conscience of the regime ruling on the territory of Ukraine.”

    Talking about North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) the Russian President stated, “US strategic planning documents contain the possibility of a so-called preemptive strike against enemy missile systems. And who is the main enemy for the US and NATO? We know that too. It’s Russia. In NATO documents, our country is officially and directly declared the main threat to North Atlantic security.”

    “We will never compromise our sovereignty, national interests, and our values,” he said while adding that the country has every right to take retaliatory measures to ensure its security. That is exactly what we will do.

    Responding to the news, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed his nation and said that the country had initiated an emergency meeting with the Normandy Four (Germany, Russia, Ukraine, and France), reports CNN.

    In a video address, Zelensky said the move was a violation of Ukraine’s “national integrity and sovereignty.”

    Ukraine is deeply divided, with a large Russian and Russian-speaking minority. Since fighting broke out in eastern Ukraine in 2014, separatist rebels of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics have been accused of being proxies for Russian interests.

    Several leaders of the state across the globe have condemned the act. The US is reportedly coordinating with allies and will announce new sanctions against its long rival Russia

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan is set to visit tomorrow (Wednesday). In August, Putin and PM Khan talked over the phone and exchanged views on the evolving situation in Afghanistan and bilateral relations.

  • Petrol price likely to go up by Rs13 today, price at Rs160 per litre

    Petrol price likely to go up by Rs13 today, price at Rs160 per litre

    Petroleum prices are expected to increase across Pakistan from today (Tuesday) in the wake of Russia-Ukraine hostilities, reports Geo News.

    The price of petrol and fuel are likely to increase by Rs13 per litre and diesel by Rs18 per litre. The current price of petrol is Rs147.83 per litre, the price of High-Speed Diesel (HSD) stands at Rs144.62 and Light Diesel Oil (LDO) at Rs114.54 per litre.

    According to Reuters, oil prices jumped to a seven-year high on Monday when the United States (US) warned that Russia could soon invade Ukraine.

    Russia is one of the world’s largest oil and gas producers, and fear that Russia could invade Ukraine has driven the rally in oil closer to $100 per barrel, a level not seen since 2014.

    However, no official notification by the government has been released yet.

    Last month, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan rejected the summary of increasing prices of petroleum products in the public interest.

  • US becomes friendly when in need, later abandons Pakistan: PM Khan

    US becomes friendly when in need, later abandons Pakistan: PM Khan

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan said that the United States (US) has also been “a good friend of Pakistan” but it hasn’t been an “all-weather friend” like China.

    In an interview with Dr Eric Li, Director of the Advisory Committee of the China Institute of Fudan University, PM Khan said: “There have been times when the US has been very friendly but then when they think Pakistan is not of use to them, then we get abandoned. Then they again sort of become friendly.” PM said that Pakistan became a frontline state against the Soviets in Afghanistan, Pakistan became a friend of the US, and “they even helped us and they were good to us”. He added that the moment the Soviets left, “they slapped sanctions on Pakistan”.

    “Ten years later when 9/11 happened, they [the US] again became very good to us but then when they could not win against Afghanistan, then we [Pakistan] were blamed for this debacle,” said PM Khan.

    PM Imran Khan said that with China, our relationship has been consistent for seven decades regardless of the government in power. “It’s a people-to-people friendship.”

    “When you have no clear aims why you invaded a country, it is going to be a failure. Anyone who thinks of controlling the Afghan people has not read their history,” said PM Khan when asked about the situation after the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan. He added that the whole mission of the US in Afghanistan was “based on a false premise”.

    On Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis, PM said, “If Afghanistan descends into chaos because of the sanctions, as its 75 percent economy depends on foreign aid, this will be the biggest manmade human disaster.”

    https://twitter.com/appcsocialmedia/status/1491987521630355456
  • Wordle saves woman’s life when she didn’t post her score

    Wordle saves woman’s life when she didn’t post her score

    An 80-year-old woman in the US, who was being held hostage by an intruder, was saved because she had not texted her daily Wordle score to one of her daughters. Wordle is a popular word game, which has recently been bought by the New York Times.

    According to media reports, Denyse Holt was woken up by a naked man with a knife in the middle of the night. The 32-year-old intruder also disconnected her phones and took two knives from her kitchen before taking her to the basement and locking her there for 17 hours without food or medication. “I didn’t think I was going to live,” she told CBS Chicago.

    Her daughter in Seattle thought something was off when her mother did not text her daily Wordle score. “I didn’t send my older daughter a Wordle in the morning and that was disconcerting to her,” said Holt.

    Read more- ‘Imran Khan is nothing without you’: Jemima Goldsmith reacts to Twitter follower’s comment

    Friends and family alerted the police, who found a broken window on the first floor of the home and blood when they arrived at Holt’s home. Police told CBS Chicago that the intruder, James H. Davis III, was taken into custody and is facing felony charges. He continued to refuse to surrender but was eventually caught by the police. Davis was charged with home invasion, aggravated kidnapping while armed with a weapon and two counts of aggravated assault against a peace officer.

    Read more- President plays popular game Wordle, shares score on Twitter, deletes later

  • ‘Anyone who understood Afghanistan’s history would never have done what Americans did’: PM Khan

    ‘Anyone who understood Afghanistan’s history would never have done what Americans did’: PM Khan

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has spoken about the invasion in Afghanistan by the United States (US) for the “war on terror”, which continued for 20 years, terming it as a failure.

    In an interview with the Director of the Advisory Committee of China Institute of Fudan University Dr Eric Li, PM Khan said, “Anyone who understood the history of Afghanistan would never have done what the Americans did.” He argued that after the killing of former Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, American forces didn’t know what they were doing there.

    “They [Americans] were never clear on what they were trying to achieve in Afghanistan. Was it nation-building; was it democracy; was it liberating the Afghan women? They had no clear aims,” the premier posed several questions during his interview.

    Since the ousting of the Ashraf Ghani-led government, the prime minister has been supporting to unfreeze the Taliban-run country’s assets.

    He said joining the “war on terror” and the corruption of the past rulers badly affected Pakistan. Furthermore, he highlighted that the country lost about 80,000 people and over $100 billion in the war.

    Talking about the recent treatment of Indian Muslims in India, the prime minister criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government for marginalisation of minorities, including Muslims, and termed it a “tragedy” for the Indian nation.

  • Israeli star Gal Gadot’s ‘Death on the Nile’ gets banned in Kuwait

    Israeli star Gal Gadot’s ‘Death on the Nile’ gets banned in Kuwait

    Kuwait’s government has banned the upcoming Hollywood film Death on the Nile starring Israeli actress Gal Gadot. This film is the adaptation of whodunnit written by Agatha Christie.

    The decision was made after the outcry on social media over the casting of Israeli actress Gal Gadot who served two years in the Israel Defense Forces as a soldier.

    A spokesperson for Information Ministry, Anouar Mourad, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that cinemagoers will not be able to watch Death on the Nile.

    This film will be released on February 11 in the United States (US) which is directed by and co-starring Kenneth Branagh.

    An Indian film actor, Ali Fazal is also starring along with Game of Thrones star Rose Leslie alongside Gadot and other lead actors.

  • Taliban fighters no longer allowed to carry weapons in amusement parks

    Taliban fighters no longer allowed to carry weapons in amusement parks

    Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid announced on Wednesday that Taliban fighters will no longer be allowed to carry their weapons in amusement parks in Afghanistan.

    In a tweet, Mujahid said, “Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate are not allowed to enter amusement parks with weapons, military uniforms and vehicles. They are obliged to abide by all the rules and regulations of amusement parks.”

    Taliban fighters have spent most of their lives in a 20-year insurgency against the United States (US) and its backed government in Afghanistan.

    After their takeover, Reuters spoke to Taliban fighters and they revealed that they had never been to Kabul until the Taliban took control of the capital [Kabul] on August 15. Some were eager to visit amusement parks before returning to duties around the country.

    In October, some pictures of the Taliban with machine guns in an amusement park went viral on social media.

  • Man’s dead body found surrounded by 124 snakes

    Man’s dead body found surrounded by 124 snakes

    A dead body of a man was found inside his home surrounded by 124 snakes in Maryland, United States (US).

    According to the police, the deceased man had kept the snakes in a cage inside his home, some of which were venomous.

    A neighbour reported to the police after he peeped into the house through a window to check on the man as he had not been seen by the neighbour for the whole day.

    Police said that the cause of death has yet to be found and added, “No obvious signs of foul play have been found so far.”

    “Inside the house, more than 100 venomous and non-venomous snakes of different varieties were discovered in tanks situated on racks,” said the Charles County Sheriff’s Office.

    The man had kept snakes as pets, including pythons, rattlesnakes, cobras, and black mambas.

    The police official further added, “Charles County Animal Control is coordinating rescue efforts relating to the reptiles with assistance from reptile experts from North Carolina and Virginia.”

    The law of Maryland forbids people to keep snakes as pets in their residence.

  • Turkish President Erdogan says open to fix ties with Israel

    Turkish President Erdogan says open to fix ties with Israel

    After years of a fraught relationship, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has indicated mending ties with Israel.

    A joint pipeline to bring eastern Mediterranean Sea gas to Europe was started by Turkey’s rival Greece and Israel which was backed by then-President Donald Trump’s administration. At the time, Turkey strongly opposed the project but last week it was reported that Washington no longer backed the pipeline project.

    Following this, Erdogan said he was in talks with Israel on an old idea to bring Mediterranean gas to European clients via Turkey. “We can still do that,” he said.

    This is not the first time that Turkey has expressed the desire to be on good ties with Israel. In 2020, the President said the country would like to have better ties with Israel but it is impossible to accept their Palestine policies.

    In recent years, Ankara has repeatedly condemned Israel’s occupation in the West Bank and its treatment of Palestinians.

    Erdogan and Israeli Prime Minister (PM) Benjamin Netanyahu have often exchanged angry remarks, but both countries continue to trade with one another.

  • Usman Mukhtar reveals why Mahira becomes a ‘dangerous creature’ after 40 minutes

    Usman Mukhtar reveals why Mahira becomes a ‘dangerous creature’ after 40 minutes

    Actor Usman Mukhtar has recently shared a behind the scene (BTS) picture from the sets of drama serial Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay. The picture features Usman, Mahira Khan, Kubra Khan and Zainab Qayoom.

    Sharing the picture on Instagram, Usman revealed that Mahira becomes a ‘dangerous creature’ if she does not get food after every 40 minutes.

    “While it may seem that @mahirahkhan expression is that of pain, it is actually that of Hanger. It’s been 40 mins without food. Hunger has turned this docile and calm human into a dangerous creature,” he wrote.

    Comparing Kubra with fish, he added: “Fish sleep with their eyes open. @thekubism seems to be following the same sleeping patterns.”

    Commenting on Zainab’s pose in the picture, Usman hilariously said that the actor is singing her unreleased song “Cool it”.

    While the actor also commented on two boys standing in the back. He said that they are dicussing the biryani and if its better with aloos (potatoes) or without them.

    Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay recieved mix response from the fans. The drama is produced by Nina Kashif and was written by famous novelist Umera Ahmad.