LONDON: Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon said on Monday she would start preparatory work on splitting Scotland from the rest of Britain in order to keep the option of independence available following the June 23 vote to leave the European Union. Although Britain voted to end its EU membership at the referendum, Scottish voters overwhelmingly backed remaining inside the bloc, reigniting ...

Pro-Erdogan supporters gather during a rally against the military coup at Kizilay Square in Ankara, on July 25, 2016. ─AFP ISTANBUL: Turkey ordered the detention of 42 journalists on Monday, broadcaster NTV reported, under a crackdown following a failed coup that has targeted more than 60,000 people, drawing fire from the European Union. The arrests or suspensions of soldiers, police, ...

AFGHANISTAN: The deputy military chief of the loyalists of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group has been killed during an operation in eastern Nangarhar province. Provincial governor’s spokesman Ataullah Khogyani said Saad Emarati was killed during an operation conducted by special forces of the Afghan National Army. He said the operation was conducted in Kot district ...

KABUL: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Saturday said state to state relations with Pakistan are a bigger challenge for Afghanistan than the existence of terror groups such as Al-Qaeda and Taliban. In an interview with Geo News, the Afghan President alleged that Pakistan provides sanctuaries to terrorists and trains them, making relations with Pakistan, the bigger challenge for his country. ...

KABUL: The Russian President Vladimir Putin has pledged ‘most intense’ cooperation with Afghanistan to battle terrorism following a deadly attack in Kabul yesterday. Putin made the commitment as he offered his condolences to President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani as the attack left at least 80 people dead. “The head of Russian state has vehemently condemned this cynical crime against civilians and ...

KABUL: Notorious militant commander and head of defunct Lashkar-e-Islam Chief Mangal Bagh has been killed in a US drone strike in Afghanistan Nangarhar’s province, Afghan media reported on Sunday. The death has been confirmed by intelligence agencies and the government officials. Bagh was head of the banned Lashkar-e-Islam organisation. He was wanted by Pakistani security forces for involvement in a number ...

KABUL: The deadly Kabul attack toll has increased to at least 80 dead and 231 wounded, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) said. According to a statement by MoI, the incident took place around 2:30 pm due to suicide attack among the demonstration participants in Deh Mazang area. The statement further added that the terrorists managed to use the opportunity for another ...

Pakistan has never given blessings to Kashmir, only gave terrorists, Sushma Swaraj said. INDIA: Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj today slammed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif over its remarks that Pakistan is waiting for the day Kashmir becomes its part and said that its “dangerous, though delusional” dream will never come true. Addressing a press conference on the ongoing Kashmir ...

KABUL: President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani has said he is deeply saddened by a deadly attack targeting the rally participants in Kabul city this afternoon. The Office of the President in a statement said “The President of Afghanistan has said organizing peaceful rallies is the right of every citizen of the country and the government uses all efforts to maintain security ...

KABUL: The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group has claimed responsibility behind a deadly attack in capital Kabul that left scores of people dead. According to a short statement posted by the pro-ISIS website, Amaq Agency, the attack was carried out by two suicide bombers of the terror group. The statement further added that the two ISIS ...