large explosions, gunfire in central Kabul
Kabul: At least two explosions hit the centre of Kabul on Friday, with Afghan police and the NATO-led international coalition unable to confirm the cause. Gunfire erupted as security forces rushed to the scene of the blasts, which occurred at about 4:00 pm (local time) on Friday, the first day of the Afghan weekend. The blast, however, did not damage the Indian Embassy building, which is located in the area. All embassy staff are safe, sources said.
N korean envoy delivers kim’s letter to Xi
Beijing: A top North Korean envoy delivered a letter from leader Kim Jong Un to Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday and told him Pyongyang would take steps to rejoin stalled six-nation nuclear disarmament talks, in an apparent victory for Beijing’s efforts to coax its unruly ally into lowering tensions.
‘ghosts’ keeping japan PM out of residenceIJ
Tokyo: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Cabinet formally denied months-long rumours that the premier had not moved into his official residence over fears the mansion is haunted. The conservative leader took office in December but has yet to move into the 11-room brick home in central Tokyo, the longest holdout among any of his predecessors, according to local media.
Roaches evolving to avoid sugary baits
Washington: Cockroach loses its sweet tooth! A strain of cockroaches have outsmarted human efforts to kill them by evolving taste buds that make sweet insecticide baits taste bitter, scientists have found. North Carolina State University entomologists discovered the neural mechanism behind roaches’ aversion to glucose, the simple sugar that is a popular ingredient in roach-bait poison.
Clashes in lebanon’s Tripoli kill 23
Tripoli: At least 23 people have been killed since Sunday in Syria-linked clashes between Sunni and Alawite residents of the lebanese port city of Tripoli, a security source said on Friday. Thursday was the bloodiest day yet in the clashes, with at least 11 people killed in 24 hours, the source said. At least 167 people have been wounded in the clashes pitting gunmen in the Alawite Jabal Mohsen neighbourhood against those in the adjacent Sunni Muslim Bab el-Tebbaneh district.
IMF chief grilled for 2nd day over 2007 scandal
Paris: French prosecutors began questioning IMF chief Christine lagarde for a second day to decide if she should be charged over a state payout to a disgraced tycoon during her time as finance minister. lagarde was grilled for 12 hours on yesterday over her 2007 handling of a row that resulted in $515 million being paid to controversial business figure Bernard Tapie.
MQM's Hussain faces treason charges
lahore: Exiled MQM chief Altaf Hussain was on Friday served a notice by a court in response to a petition seeking his punishment over charges of treason for demanding the secession of Karachi city from Pakistan. Fayaz Ahmad, a lawyer linked to Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf, filed the petition in the lahore HC. He asked the court to direct authorities to take action against the london-based chief of the MQM for demanding secession of the MQM stronghold of Karachi from Pakistan in a speech.