Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

UN adds Pakistani militant chief Masood Azhar to terror list

THE UNITED Nations on Wednesday (1) added Masood Azhar, the leader of a Pakistan-based Islamist group, to its list of global terrorists after China lifted its objections to the move.

The UN sanctions committee on the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda announced in a press release the designation of Azhar, leader of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), over his ties to Al-Qaeda.


JeM has claimed responsibility for the February 14 attack in Kashmir that killed 40 Indian troops and stoked tensions between India and Pakistan.

Considered the founder of JeM, Azhar was hit by an international assets freeze, a ban on global travel and an arms embargo. JeM itself has been on the UN terror list since 2001.

China had blocked three previous attempts at the sanctions committee to blacklist Azhar and put a technical hold on a fourth request from Britain, France and the United States in March.

UN diplomats said the request was again submitted to the committee last week and that China had not opposed the move to blacklist Azhar by the Wednesday deadline. Any decision to add individuals or groups to the UN terror list is taken by consensus in the committee.

India applauded the move which came after its air force in February carried out air strikes on a JeM militant camp inside Pakistan.

Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, who is campaigning for re-election, told a rally on Wednesday that the decision was "late, but it's the right thing", and described it as a "success of India's long-term fight against terrorism".

Pakistan stressed that the designation of Azhar had nothing to do with the Pulwama attack in February. Islamabad has denied any involvement in the suicide bombing, one of the deadliest attacks on Indian security forces.

Pakistani foreign ministry spokesman Muhammad Faisal told reporters in Islamabad that it would be "false and baseless" for India to claim that the sanctions on Azhar were a victory.

- India-Pakistan tensions -

Tensions between India and Pakistan have soared since the February attack in Kashmir that prompted tit-for-tat air raids, fueling fears of an all-out conflict between the two nuclear-armed countries.

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British colonial rule in 1947. Both claim the Himalayan territory in full and have fought two wars over it.

The decision to blacklist Azhar came after Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan last week on the sidelines of a summit of the Belt and Road Initiative in Beijing.

France, which slapped unilateral sanctions on Azhar in March, also welcomed the decision and stressed it had pushed for many years for the JeM leader to be put on the list.

In March, the United States had ratcheted up pressure on China by putting forward a draft Security Council resolution to blacklist Azhar -- a move that would have forced Beijing to use its veto to block the measure.

"After 10 years, China has done the right thing," a US administration official said. Beijing seems to have "understood that it was increasingly important that its actions on the international stage on terrorism match its rhetoric."

Azhar is linked to terrorism for "participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing, or perpetrating of acts or activities" carried out by JeM, according to the sanctions committee.

Azhar founded JeM after he was released from prison in India in 1999 in exchange for 155 hostages held on an Indian Airlines flight that had been hijacked to Kandahar.

More For You

Deadly Pakistan floods force over two million to flee their homes

Residents sit in a rescue boat as they evacuate following monsoon rains and rising water levels in the Chenab River, in Basti Khan Bela, on the outskirts of Jalalpur Pirwala, Punjab province, Pakistan, September 10, 2025. REUTERS/Quratulain Asim

Deadly Pakistan floods force over two million to flee their homes

OVER two million people have been forced to leave their homes as devastating floods continue to sweep across Pakistan's eastern regions, authorities announced.

The worst-hit area is Punjab province, where more than two million residents have been evacuated. An additional 150,000 people have fled Sindh province, according to national disaster management chief Inam Haider Malik, who warned that the "number may rise over the coming days".

Keep ReadingShow less
Nepal-unrest-Getty

Army personnel patrol outside Nepal's President House during a curfew imposed to restore law and order in Kathmandu on September 12, 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Nepal searches for new leader after 51 killed in protests

Highlights:

  • Nepal’s president and army in talks to find an interim leader after deadly protests
  • At least 51 killed, the deadliest unrest since the end of the Maoist civil war
  • Curfew imposed in Kathmandu, army patrols continue
  • Gen Z protest leaders demand parliament’s dissolution

NEPAL’s president and army moved on Friday to find a consensus interim leader after anti-corruption protests forced the government out and parliament was set on fire.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK weather alert 80mph winds

Winds could reach 70–80mph in the most exposed coastal areas

iStock

Met Office issues weekend alert as UK braces for 80mph winds

Highlights:

  • Met Office issues yellow warning from 8pm Sunday to 6pm Monday
  • Winds could reach 70–80mph in the most exposed coastal areas
  • Travel disruption and risk of falling debris expected
  • Residents urged to secure outdoor items ahead of stormy conditions

Strong winds expected across southern and western UK

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning ahead of the weekend, with winds of up to 80mph forecast to affect large parts of the UK. The alert will be in place from 8pm on Sunday until 6pm on Monday.

The warning covers much of west and southwest England and Wales, along with the entire southern coast of England. It also extends up the west coast towards Manchester. Gusts of 60mph are likely inland, rising to 70–80mph in exposed coastal areas and hilltops.

Keep ReadingShow less
US Congressman condemns attacks on Hindu temples

Suhas Subramanyam speaks during the House Oversight And Government Reform Committee meeting at the US Capitol on March 25, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)

US Congressman condemns attacks on Hindu temples

INDIAN AMERICAN Congressman Suhas Subramanyam has strongly condemned recent attacks on Hindu temples across the US, saying that every American should be able to practise their faith without fear.

Speaking on the floor of the House of Representatives, Subramanyam said: “Hate has no place in our communities, and that’s why I condemn the recent hateful attacks on Hindu temples and mandirs all across the country.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Charlie Kirk assassination: Manhunt, misinformation and a country unravelling

Charlie Kirk shot dead at Utah Valley University

Getty Images

Charlie Kirk assassination: Manhunt, misinformation and a country unravelling

Highlights:

  • Charlie Kirk, 31, shot dead at Utah Valley University during a student event; shooter still at large.
  • FBI falsely announced an arrest, later retracting the claim, raising questions about investigation handling.
  • Retired Canadian Michael Mallinson wrongly accused online as the shooter; misinformation spread rapidly on social media.
  • Security at the event was minimal, with no bag checks.

The assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk during a student event at Utah Valley University has left the nation shaken and investigators scrambling. The 31-year-old was fatally shot in the neck while answering questions under a campus tent, in what officials are calling a sniper-style attack. The shooter remains at large, and the aftermath has exposed investigative missteps, rampant misinformation, and a dangerous level of political vitriol that threatens to push an already polarised America closer to the edge.

Charlie Kirk shot dead at Utah Valley University Getty Images

Keep ReadingShow less