Fatemi to leave for US today on official visit

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi is scheduled to travel to the United States on an official visit from the 21st to the 28th of this month.

"Mr Fatemi is scheduled to hold meetings with senior officials in the State Department, Defence Department and the White House to exchange views on bilateral relations," Foreign Office spokesperson Tasneem Aslam told Dawn.

Turkey, US in row over Erdogan’s remarks on Israel

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s strong-worded criticism against Israel and the United States over the former’s military operations in Gaza has transformed into a diplomatic spat between Ankara and Washington, with Erdogan calling for the U.S. to be “self-critical” over its Israel policy.

“If America is still saying that ‘Israel is using its right to self-defense’ then it should be critical of itself. It’s America who is offensive,” Erdogan told TGRT on July 20 in an interview.

Five NATO soldiers killed in Afghanistan - officials

Five NATO soldiers were killed in an incident in southern Afghanistan, coalition officials said Tuesday, without giving the cause of the deaths or releasing the nationalities of the victims.

US condemns Karachi airport attack; offers help with probe

WASHINGTON: Condemning the terrorist attack on Karachi's Jinnah International Airport, the United States on Monday offered Pakistan its help in investigating the incident on the country's largest airport.

“(We) join the Pakistani people in condemning this attack. We have offered assistance to the relevant Pakistani authorities in investigating this crime,” Deputy Spokesperson at the State Department Marie Harf said, while wishing the injured speedy recovery and condoling with families of the victims.

Two arrested for throwing objects at White House

Washington:  The US Secret Service Thursday arrested two men for throwing objects at the White House, the perimeter around which was locked down for an hour as a precaution.

The suspects were identified as Evan J. Graham and Vaughn Greenbrier Lerriche, according to NBC television.

Graham threw over the north fence of the presidential mansion an object that looked like a cassette tape and Lerriche threw various papers over the south fence.

Musharraf, Osama doc to be released soon and sent abroad, claims Pak politician

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has assured the United States that former president retired General Pervez Musharraf will soon be released and allowed to go abroad.

The claim was made by former interior minister and a leader of the All Pakistan Muslim League Mian Zahid Sarfaraz.

Addressing a news conference on Sunday, Sarfaraz said that Sharif and US Secretary of State John Kerry had discussed the release of Musharraf and Dr Shakil Afridi, who had allegedly helped the US trace Osama bin Laden's hideout in Abbottabad.

Zawahri vows Al Qaeda to free Aafia, Guantanamo inmates

DUBAI: Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri said the group would spare no effort to free Aafia Siddiqui as well as the hunger striking inmates at Guantanamo Bay, according to an audio recording posted on the Internet on Wednesday.

“The (hunger) strike by our brothers at Guantanamo unmasks the true ugly face of (the United States of) America,” Zawahri said in an audio recording posted on an Islamist website and whose authenticity could not be verified.

Obama hosts Ramzan dinner at White House

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama saluted Muslim Americans on Thursday for their contributions in helping build the United States as business entrepreneurs, technology innovators and pioneers in medicine.

Obama spoke at a White House dinner he hosted to celebrate the Islamic holy month of Ramzan. The meal, or iftar, breaks the day of fasting when Muslim families and communities eat together after sunset.

US denies "rumours" of nuclear energy talks with Pakistan

The United States has flatly denied "rumours" from Islamabad that it had discussed the possibility of civil nuclear energy cooperation with Pakistan, but said it was supportive of Islamabad's efforts with its energy problems.

"We'd seen those rumours, but I can confirm there was no discussion of civilian nuclear technology," State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell told reporters Wednesday when asked about such reports from Islamabad citing official source.