Moscow, India, others rally behind Afghanistan amidst Bagram airbase tussle
The 7th Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan has concluded in Russia with participants issuing a joint statement heavily hinting at a joint oppo...
An early morning explosion in Lahore has heightened uncertainty in South Asia, coming at a time of rising diplomatic and military strain between India and Pakistan.
A blast was reported in Lahore, eastern Pakistan, on Thursday morning, according to Geo TV and a Reuters witness. The incident occurred a day after Indian missile strikes targeted multiple locations in Pakistan, prompting widespread concern over a possible escalation in hostilities between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
There was no immediate explanation for the blast.
India said its strikes targeted “terrorist infrastructure” in Pakistan, two weeks after blaming the country for a deadly assault in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 people, mostly Hindu tourists. Islamabad denied any involvement in the attack and pledged retaliation, later claiming to have downed five Indian aircraft. India dismissed these reports as “misinformation”.
Casualties have been reported on both sides. Pakistan stated that 31 civilians were killed and around 50 injured in the Indian strikes and subsequent cross-border shelling. India reported 13 civilian deaths and 43 injuries.
Though cross-border fire has slightly decreased overnight, Indian officials say military readiness remains high. Blackout drills have been conducted in areas near the Pakistan border, including Amritsar, home to the Sikh faith’s Golden Temple.
Pakistan has seen a partial return to normal life, with schools reopening in some cities. However, Punjab province remains on high alert, with hospitals and emergency services on standby.
Despite pledges of retaliation, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told The New York Times that Islamabad is prepared to de-escalate. India, meanwhile, warned it would respond to any further actions from Pakistan.
Global leaders have urged both sides to ease tensions. U.S. President Donald Trump expressed hope that the countries could “work it out” and offered support in facilitating peace efforts.
India and Pakistan, both of which gained independence in 1947, have a long history of conflict, having fought three wars—two over the disputed region of Kashmir.
The escalation comes as Pakistan continues its economic recovery. The nation narrowly avoided default in 2023 after securing IMF support amid a financial crisis that battered its $350 billion economy.
Video from the USGS (United States Geological Survey) showed on Friday (19 September) the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii erupting and spewing lava.
At least eight people have died and more than 90 others were injured following a catastrophic gas tanker explosion on a major highway in Mexico City’s Iztapalapa district on Wednesday, authorities confirmed.
At least 69 people have died and almost 150 injured following a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Cebu City in the central Visayas region of the Philippines, officials said, making it one of the country’s deadliest disasters this year.
A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on 13 September with no tsunami threat, coming just weeks after the region endured a devastating 8.8-magnitude quake — the strongest since 1952.
Authorities in California have identified the dismembered body discovered in a Tesla registered to singer D4vd as 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who had been missing from Lake Elsinore since April 2024.
A 29-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a devastating wildfire that killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes in Los Angeles earlier this year.
The 7th Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan has concluded in Russia with participants issuing a joint statement heavily hinting at a joint opposition to any foreign military infrastructure in Afghanistan.
Former FBI Director James Comey pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to criminal charges, and his lawyer said he would file a barrage of legal challenges to the first prosecution by the Justice Department against one of President Donald Trump's political enemies.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to attend a ministerial meeting in Paris on Thursday with representatives of Europe, the Arab world and other nations to discuss Gaza's post-conflict transition, according to three diplomatic sources.
Germany will grant police the power to shoot down rogue drones like those that have disrupted airports across Europe and that some European leaders have attributed to a hybrid war being waged by Russia.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment