Prince William, Princess Kate reiterate request for privacy
London, March 24: Britain’s Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Catherine, have reiterated their request for privacy after Kate Middleton had revealed she is in the early stages of “preventative chemotherapy” after being diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer. In a statement released by Kensington Palace on Saturday night, the royal couple said they were “enormously touched” by the messages of support pouring in from across the UK, Commonwealth and around the world. They expressed being “extremely moved” and grateful for the public’s support and repeated the 42-year-old Princess’ request to be allowed to heal in private with their three children – Princes George, 10, and Louis, 5, and Princess Charlotte, 8. (PTI)
Nearly 300 abducted schoolchildren in Nigeria freed
Abuja, March 24: Nearly 300 Nigerian schoolchildren were released more than two weeks after they were seized in the northwestern state of Kaduna and marched into the forests, officials said Sunday. At least 1,400 students have been kidnapped from Nigerian schools since 2014, when Boko Haram militants kidnapped hundreds of schoolgirls from Borno state’s Chibok village. In recent years, abductions have been concentrated in the country’s northwestern and central regions, where dozens of armed groups often target villagers and travellers for ransom. At least 17 other schoolchildren in northern Sokoto state were also rescued two weeks after they were taken hostage, according to a statement issued Saturday by the Sokoto state government. The statement suggested that the rescue operation, like that of the Kaduna students, was coordinated by the office of Nigeria’s national security adviser. (AP)
‘Pakistan to consider restoring trade ties with India’
Islamabad, March 24: Pakistan will “seriously” consider restoring trade ties with India that remained suspended since August 2019, Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar has said, indicating a potential shift in diplomatic stance towards the neighbouring nation. made these remarks during a press conference in London following his participation in the Nuclear Energy Summit in Brussels, Geo News reported. He highlighted the eagerness of cash-strapped Pakistan’s business community to resume trade activities with India. “Pakistani businessmen want trade with India to resume,” the foreign minister said on Saturday. Pakistan will consider restoring trade ties with India, he said. “We will seriously look into matters of trade with India,” Dar was quoted as saying by the Express Tribune newspaper. His remarks indicated a potential shift in diplomatic stance towards India. Pakistan downgraded its diplomatic ties with New Delhi after the Indian government abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution, revoking the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcating the State into two Union Territories. (PTI)