WASHINGTON: In a significant display of bipartisan support, the US House of Representatives has passed a resolution expressing robust support for democracy in Pakistan by an overwhelming 368-7 vote. Lawmakers supporting resolution HR 901, titled ‘Expressing support for democracy and human rights in Pakistan’, claimed that the approval highlighted the United States’ commitment to promoting democratic values globally. The resolution — …

SYDNEY: Julian Assange was on his way home to Australia as a free man on Wednesday after a plea deal ended years of legal drama for the WikiLeaks founder, who had long been wanted for revealing US state secrets. Assange, who from 2010 published hundreds of thousands of confidential US documents on the whistleblowing website, was released this week from a high-security British prison. The 52-year-old …

WASHINGTON: The US State Department said on Thursday that Washington supports direct talks between India and Pakistan but will not tell them how to conduct those discussions. At the regular news briefing in Washington, spokesperson Matthew Miller also emphasised a strong counterterrorism partnership with Pakistan, stating that both countries are committed to maintaining this relationship. “We value our important relationships …

BEIJING: The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday urged the United States to revoke its plan to sell arms to China’s Taiwan region and stop arming the region with weapons.  Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the ministry, voiced China’s strong condemnation and firm opposition in response to reports that the U.S. State Department has approved $360 million in weapons …

BEIJING: China on Thursday denounced the U.S.’s new sanctions on over 300 entities and individuals, including dozens of Chinese enterprises, which the U.S. side claimed helped Russia sustain military production to combat Ukraine. “China firmly opposes any illegal unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction. The normal economic and trade exchanges between China and Russia should not be interfered with, nor should …

BEIJING: Song Tao, a senior Taiwan affairs official, on Thursday called on the United States to work with China to maintain cross-Straits peace and stability, oppose “Taiwan independence” and support China’s reunification. Song, head of both the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the …

UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations Security Council on Monday adopted a US-drafted resolution supporting a ceasefire plan in Gaza, as Washington leads an intense diplomatic campaign to push Hamas to accept the proposal. The text — passed with 14 votes in favour and Russia abstaining — “welcomes” the truce and hostage release proposal announced on May 31 by President Joe Biden, and …

NEW YORK: A Chinese envoy said on Wednesday that confrontation will not solve the Iran nuclear issue, and the only correct solution is to revive the Iranian nuclear deal. Li Song, China’s permanent representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), made the remarks after the agency’s 35-nation Board of Governors passed a resolution earlier that day to pressure Iran …

BEIJING: China always holds an open attitude towards space cooperation with the U.S., a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Thursday, urging the U.S. side to take practical measures to remove obstacles hindering cooperation in this field. Spokesperson Mao Ning made the remarks at a daily press briefing after NASA Administrator Bill Nelson on Wednesday congratulated the success of China’s Chang’e-6 …

BEIJING: A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Monday refuted negative remarks by the U.S., Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK), saying the three countries deliberately attacked and vilified China through their trilateral meetings. The defense ministers of three countries convened for a trilateral meeting in Singapore on Sunday. They issued a joint press statement, in which they criticized China …