globe trotting

Gunbattles between rival Taliban factions kill 5

Kabul: Gunbattles between rival Taliban factions left at least five dead in southern Afghanistan, a top official with the insurgent group said today as its members meet in Pakistan to resolve a leadership crisis following the death of its former leader Mullah Mohammad Omar.

ISIS detains dozens in Iraq after street protest

Baghdad: Islamic State militants detained at least 70 people in a remote western Iraqi town on Friday following a rare street demonstration protesting the extremist group’s execution of a local resident, security officials said.

Hollande, Merkel, Putin for fresh Ukraine summit

Paris: The leaders of France, Germany and Russia discussed the Ukraine crisis over the phone on Friday and agreed to hold a new summit in the coming weeks, said the French presidency.

Rajapaksa allies to form new lanka opp alliance

Colombo: Sri lanka’s former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s allies are planning to form a new opposition alliance, breaking away from President Maithripala Sirisena’s United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) coalition, senior leftist leaders said on Friday.

US to provide attack copters to Pakistan

Islamabad: The US has decided to provide Ah-1Z Viper attack helicopters to Pakistan to sharpen up its counter-terrorism efforts, a media report said on Friday. The Department of Defence has already awarded nearly $58 million in contract to Bell Helicopter for providing the choppers to Pakistan as part of a larger $581 million deal, most of which goes to the American Navy, the Dawn reported.

ceasefire between Syria regime, rebels ends

Beirut: A brief truce between Syrian regime forces and rebel groups in three key towns ended on Friday as the warring parties resumed clashes and shelling, a monitoring group and a mediator said.

Pak bans Islamic State militant group

Islamabad: Pakistan has banned the Islamic State militant group that has overrun vast stretches of Iraq and Syria after repeatedly denying the dreaded outfit’s presence within its territory. “The Islamic State or Daesh has been banned in Pakistan,” an Interior Ministry official said.

Vatican- Palestinian rift over flags at UN hq

Vatican City: The Vatican has differed with a Palestinian request for the two observer states to the United Nations to be allowed to raise their flags at its headquarters, saying the move goes against a longheld tradition at the world body.