WASHINGTON: American Federal and State agencies are allegedly investigating two Pakistani American businessmen and their associates over suspected money-laundering, wire fraud and tax evasion for setting up dodgy company structures to launder the proceeds of purported black money, according to the investigators involved in the case. Federal investigating authorities in the US have reportedly confirmed that two companies, Riceland Investment …

Netanyahu instructs army to prepare to distribute humanitarian aid in Gaza, instead of international organizations, Israeli media says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sparked concerns about a possible reoccupation of the Gaza Strip and a return to military rule, a significant shift since the 2005 withdrawal from the Palestinian enclave. These concerns were intensified by Netanyahu’s insistence on maintaining …

TEHRAN: A senior ally of President Vladimir Putin arrived in Tehran on Monday for talks with Iranian leaders including the president and top security officials as the Islamic Republic weighs its response to the killing of a Hamas leader. Russia has condemned the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, leader of Hamas, in Iran last week and called on all parties to refrain from …

DHAKA: Bangladesh’s army chief Wakeruz Zaman said on Monday he will form an interim government after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled Dhaka in the face of overwhelming protests. “We will form an interim government,” Zaman said in a broadcast to the nation on state television, adding Hasina had resigned. Since July, Bangladesh has been engulfed by protests and violence that has so far …

ontrary to the pessimistic views perpetuated by some U.S. politicians and the U.S. media, a series of indicators showed China’s foreign trade has maintained a steady upward momentum. It is an inevitable result of China’s continuous pursuit of high-level opening-up, which creates fresh opportunities and a new driver for global economic growth. China’s trade in goods has ranked first in …

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday said that Pakistan fully supported Iran’s call for an “extraordinary meeting” of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) after the killing of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in a strike in Tehran, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a press release. The Islamic Republic’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had earlier threatened a “harsh …

TEHRAN: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in the early hours of Wednesday morning in Iran, Palestinian group Hamas said, drawing fears of a wider escalation in a region shaken by Israel’s offensive in Gaza and a worsening conflict in Lebanon. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards confirmed the death of Haniyeh, hours after he attended a swearing-in ceremony for the country’s new president, and …

TEHRAN: Iranian reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian was sworn before parliament on Tuesday as the Islamic republic’s ninth president at a ceremony attended by foreign dignitaries. Pezeshkian won a runoff race against ultraconservative Saeed Jalili on July 5 to replace president Ebrahim Raisi who died in a helicopter crash in May. Tuesday’s ceremony came two days after Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei officially endorsed Pezeshkian and …

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Turkmenistan on Tuesday agreed to intensify joint efforts to further expand and deepen bilateral cooperation in defence, economic and political domains. The two countries also agreed to develop closer economic engagement in priority areas of trade and investment, energy, connectivity and information technology. The understanding was reached at the third round of Pakistan-Turkmenistan bilateral political consultations held …

ISLAMABAD: In a rare move, the Foreign Office on Sunday summoned the German ambassador in Islamabad to lodge a strong protest over the vandalism of Pakistan’s diplomatic mission in Frankfurt by Afghans. The incident happened on Saturday when Afghan nationals protested outside the Pakistani Consulate in Frankfurt. Some of the protesters, as visible in social media videos, scaled the walls …