Dawn.com, , Washington
The United States offered an olive branch to the new Taliban leader when it asked him to join the Afghan reconciliation process, says the US State Department.
“Our olive branch would be simply that we have long said that we support an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned peace process and reconciliation process, and we would welcome any efforts by the new Taliban leadership.
Pakistan fails to seal F-16 fighter jets deal with US
PTI, Islamabad
Pakistan seems to have failed to seal the $700 million deal for the purchase of eight F-16 fighter jets from the US following a row between the two countries over their financing, a media report said today.
The Pakistani government was required to provide the Letter of Acceptance for purchase of the jets by May 24, but Dawn News reported that the document was not issued leading to expiry of the offer.
Journalist shot dead in Manila
AFP, Manila
A crime journalist has been shot dead in Manila, police and colleagues said today, the latest addition to a lengthening list of unsolved murders of media workers in the Philippines.
Alex Balcoba, 56, was attacked in central Manila late Friday outside a watch repair shop owned by his family, the country’s National Press Club said in a statement.
