International News

A bomb hidden in the vehicle of Afghan district governor, Noor Agha Kamran, killed him and injured six people including two of his bodyguards Saturday in eastern Afghanistan, police said. The bodyguards were also seriously wounded, the police added.

Dozens of ships and aircraft from 10 countries Monday scoured the seas around Malaysia and south of Vietnam on the third day, as Malaysia’s civil aviation chief described the disappearance of its jetliner as an "unprecedented mystery". Questions now mount over possible security lapses and whether a bomb or hijacking attempt could have brought down the Boeing 777-200ER airliner.

The US on Monday announced that it has received the sufficient number of applications for its much coveted H-1B work visas to meet the Congressional mandated cap of 65,000. This is the second consecutive year that the cap has been reached in the first five days.

The International Cricket Council banned England all-rounder Moeen Ali from wearing his wrist-bands which had 'Save Gaza' and 'Free Palestine' printed on them. “Whilst he is free to express his views on such causes away from the cricket field, he is not permitted to wear the wristbands on the field of play", mentioned the statement.

India may move up after Nigerian weightlifter Chika Amalaha’s A dope sample returned positive. Santoshi Matsa’s bronze and Swati Singh's 4th position may be upgraded in women’s 53kg. “We shouldn’t presume anything just yet, once she has provided a B sample that is when we can decide on the re—awarding of medals and appropriate actions" said CWG-Federation chief-executive Mike Hooper.

Samsung has delayed the launch of its smartphone, Samsung Z, which operates on the Tizen OS, in order to "enhance the Tizen ecosystem", it said in an emailed statement. The phone was to launch in Russia, in June. Tizen is an open source, Linux-based system that the South Korean company is using to end its reliance on Google's Android OS.

Theodore Van Kirk, also referred to as 'Dutch', died at 93 in Georgia today. He was the last to die from the team that dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima during the World War II, on Aug-6,1945. He flew about 60 bombing missions in all. A funeral service has been fixed at his hometown Northumberland, Pennsylvania, on Aug-5.

Researchers from the University of Bradford have developed a universal blood test that can help detect cancer, rooting out the need for time-and-money-consuming procedures like biopsies and colonoscopies. Lead researcher Diana Anderson said that the basis of the test is the fact that cancer-affected people have DNA that is damaged easily by UV-light. The test needs a little more research.

The Palestinian leadership, along with Hamas and Islamic Jihad, is willing to observe a 24-hour ceasefire in the war-torn Gaza Strip, a senior Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) official said on Tuesday. Following the persistent fighting, the death toll in Gaza rose to over 1,100, most of them civilians and on the Israeli side it was 56 people, mostly soldiers.

Aiming at shoring up support in Nepal where China is making inroads, PM Narendra Modi offered Nepal $1 billion concessional loan for infrastructural development during a visit on Sunday. He promised to help Nepal in field of hydropower, infrastructure, space technology and agriculture. Modi is on Nepal visit to help speed up negotiations on power trade pact.

Defying West African government’s orders and their attempt to curb the deadly Ebola disease, relatives of the victims in Liberia dumped infected bodies in the streets. According to the Information minister, the Africans resorted to this step as many regard the government’s move of Ebola isolation wards as death traps as only few of those infected survive the disease.

In a respite from the Israel-Palestinian war, a Gaza truce was holding on its second day, on Wednesday as Egyptian mediators pursued talks with representatives of both sides on an enduring end to the war. According to Egyptian and Palestinian sources, an initial response by Israel to Palestinian demands is expected.

Edward Snowden, a former U.S intelligence contractor has been given three-year residence permit by Russia, said his Russian lawyer. He fled to Hong Kong and then Moscow last year after leaking details of secret state surveillance programmes. He is wanted in the US on espionage charges. Snowden is believed to have taken 1.7 million digital documents with him.

Preparing Americans for an extended air-stike against militants in Iraq, US President Obama said on Saturday that air-strikes he ordered could continue for months as the Iraqis build a new government. ‘I don’t think we’re going to solve this problem in weeks’ Obama said. He repeated his insistence that they would not send ground combat troops back to Iraq.

As politicians wrangle over disputed election results, a suicide attacker targeted a NATO convoy in Kabul on Sunday, killing four civilians and wounding at least seven others, officials said. The NATO force made no immediate comment after the attack, which came as foreign troops rapidly. A Taliban spokesperson said the insurgents claimed responsibility for the attack.

An Indian-origin MP of the Britain’s Conservative party, Priti Patel said India has secured its place as one of the world’s most remarkable and dynamic countries. Indians could be proud of their country’s important role in shaping the new world, she further added. Celebration of Indian culture and heritage is at the heart of our Independence Day festivities, Patel said.

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who is on a visit to the US, has promised to take action against "United Nations-designated terrorist individuals and entities" in the country. A joint statement was issued between Sharif and US President Barack Obama saying, “Prime Minister Sharif reaffirmed that Pakistan’s territory will not be used against any other country.”

A US federal court on Thursday charged four men, including two Indian brothers, with providing money, equipment and other assistance to slain Yemeni al-Qaida leader Anwar al-Awlaki. The Indian brothers, Yahya Farooq Mohammad (37) and Ibrahim Zubair Mohammad (36), face an additional charge on the count of conspiring to commit bank fraud worth thousands of dollars.

Opposing the blockade imposed by the Madhesi community in the Indo-Nepal border, thousands of students staged a protest in Nepal's capital, Kathmandu on Friday. The blockade has caused an increase in food prices, shortage of fuel and shutting down of schools. The Indian-origin Madhesis have been protesting against Nepal's Constitution which they claim doesn't protect their rights.