Major terror bid foiled in Pakistan
Lahore: Pakistani counter-terrorism officials on Saturday claimed to have foiled a major terror plot to target key installations in the Punjab province by arresting five suspected terrorists from banned terror outfits. The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of the Punjab police said it conducted 179 intelligence-based operations in different districts of the province this week, in which five terrorists were arrested. The CTD said that it foiled a major terror plot by arresting the terrorists linked to the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) militant groups as the militants had planned sabotage across the province and wanted to target important installations. “The arrest of these terrorists was carried out during intelligence-based operations in Sahiwal, Pakpattan, Bahawalpur and Rawalpindi,” the CTD said in a statement.
Sunak shares Diwali, Bandi Chhor greetings
London: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, a “devout Hindu”, issued his greetings for Diwali and Bandi Chhor Divas on Saturday expressing hope for a brighter tomorrow. The 43-year-old leader referenced his Indian heritage in the customary festive message from 10 Downing Street for Hindus and Sikhs in the UK and around the world. “Happy Diwali to all those celebrating around the world and across the UK, and a very happy Bandi Chhor Divas to our friends in the Sikh community,” said Sunak. “With the lighting of the diyas, let this be a moment we can look to the future with hope. My guiding light as Prime Minister is the determination to change things for the better, and as a symbol of the triumph of light over darkness, I believe Diwali is a poignant representation of the endeavour for a brighter tomorrow,” he said.
4 wounded in Alabama shootout
Birmingham: A confrontation over an allegedly stolen car in Birmingham, Alabama, ended on Friday in a shootout on a busy interstate that wounded four people, including two who had life-threatening injuries, police said. The shooting took place shortly after 4:30 pm on southbound Interstate 59 near the 20th Street Ensley exit, police said. “We believe that a group of individuals saw their stolen vehicle, or alleged stolen vehicle, and they began following that vehicle,” Officer Truman Fitzgerald said at a news conference. “This party sees their possible stolen vehicle and they took it upon themselves to confront this group. A shootout ensued between both groups,” Fitzgerald said.
Call for parliament’s dissolution in Vanuatu
Tokyo: Government ministers in the Pacific nation of Vanuatu are asking the president to dissolve parliament, adding to political disarray after lawmakers introduced a no-confidence against the prime minister, local media said on Saturday. National elections would be held if President Nikenike Vurobaravu, the largely ceremonial head of state, dissolved the parliament and the government headed by Prime Minister Charlot Salwai. Vanuatu, which gained independence in 1980, has had three prime ministers since August and Salwai would be removed if legislators adopted the no-confidence motion filed earlier in the week. The stability of the government is increasingly important as China and the United States jockey for influence in the region.
Pope forcibly removes Texas bishop
Rome: Pope Francis on Saturday forcibly removed from office the bishop of Tyler, Texas, a conservative active on social media who has been a fierce critic of the pontiff and some of his priorities. A one-line statement from the Vatican said Francis had “relieved” Bishop Joseph Strickland of the pastoral governance of Tyler and appointed the bishop of Austin as the temporary administrator. Strickland has emerged as a critic of Francis, accusing him in a tweet earlier this year of “undermining the deposit of faith”, and particularly his recent meeting on the future of the Catholic Church.