Compensation for families of slain Sikh couple in Pakistan
Peshawar, June 23: Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has announced a grant of PKR four crore for a gurdwara in the province and PKR 10 lakh each for the families of a Sikh couple who were shot dead inside the place of worship. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Minister for Religious and Minority Affairs Sahibzada Adnan Qadri visited the gurdwara in Mardan district on Monday and expressed solidarity with the Sikh community while condemning the killings. Announcing the financial assistance of PKR 4 crore for the gurdwara and PKR 10 lakh each for the families of the victims, Qadri said the provincial government stood with the bereaved families and shared their grief over the incident. (PTI)
Taliban to hold talks with EU officials on deportations
Brussels, June 23: A delegation from the Afghan Taliban is travelling to Brussels on Tuesday for closed-door talks with European Union staff, expected to focus on deportations, said a Taliban official. Afghans make up one of the largest groups of migrants seeking asylum in the European Union, but a growing number of governments in the 27-nation bloc want to speed up and increase deportations for those whose claims are rejected or who commit crimes in their host countries. Rights groups said Tuesday’s meeting undercuts the EU’s human rights obligations and could endanger people in Europe and Afghanistan. (AP)
Nepal e-passport scam: Officials, German firms charged
Kathmandu, June 23: Nepal’s anti-corruption body filed a case against two German companies and 16 people, including government officials and company executives, in an electronic passport printing scam involving alleged losses of NRs 1,013 crores. The two German companies are Muehlbauer ID Services and Veridos GmbH, which were contracted to print the e-passports. Director General of the Department of Passport under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tirtha Raj Aryal, is among the 10 government officials named as defendants in the case. (PTI)
2 more held in planned attack on Trump’s UFC show
Washington, June 23: Two more people in Missouri and Washington have been arrested in connection with what authorities say was a planned attack targeting US President Donald Trump’s UFC show at the White House earlier this month. William Lee Spartacus Falkner of Belfair, Washington, was arrested Friday and charged with conspiracy to commit murder. Jordan W Rincker, 28, was arrested Sunday and charged with conspiracy to commit murder. Law enforcement officials learned about the possible threat on June 10, four days before the mixed martial arts extravaganza on the White House’s South Lawn. Five people were initially arrested on federal charges. Officials say the group members harboured fringe conspiracy theories and hoped the attack would destabilise the government. (AP)
