MAJAAN

Pakistani soldiers have freed a North American family of five who were being held hostage by the Afghan Taliba n. Canadian Joshua Boyle and his US wife Caitlan Coleman were kidnapped while backpacking in Afghanistan in 2012. They had three children while in captivity. They were rescued after a US tip-off during an operation near the Afghan border, the Pakistani army said. US President Donald Trump said it was a "positive moment" for US-Pakistan ties. "Ms Coleman gave birth to the couple's three children while they were in captivity," Mr Trump said in a White House statement. "Today, they are free." He added: "The Pakistani government's co-operation is a sign that it is honouring America's wishes for it to do more to provide security in the region." Pakistan army statement that was later confirmed by US officials. The couple, American Caitlan Coleman, 31, and her Canadian husband, Joshua Boyle, 33, were kidnapped in 2012 while th...

In a televised address, he asked the region's leader Carles Puigdemont to clarify whether independence had already been declared - before the Spanish government decides how to react. Mr Puigdemont has insisted Catalans have earned the right to independence but that separatists would delay implementing it for several weeks to give dialogue with Madrid a chance. But Spain's deputy prime minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria immediately rejected any notion of talks following a referendum which was deemed illegal, saying Mr Puigdemont "doesn't know where he is, where he is going and with whom he wants to go". The cabinet is looking at a range of ways to deal with the separatist leaders and could include the "nuclear option" - suspending Catalonia's autonomy, taking over control of the region and sending in the national police. The move would be a risk for Mr Rajoy, who for the first time in a veiled threat on Wednesday said clarity was "...

Today, Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai  called the Islamic State terrorist  group a "tool" of the United States, and dismissed criticism of Russia for its ties with Taliban and efforts to bring the militant group into peace talks. After it (U.S) dropped the huge bomb(Mother of all bombs) on Afghanistan, it did not eliminate Daesh, Karzai said, referring to last week's "mother of all bombs [MOAB] attack against Islamic State. I consider Daesh their tool, Karzai told VOA's Afghan service in an exclusive interview in Kabul, using the Arabic acronym for IS. "I do not differentiate at all between Daesh and America." The United States military, in partnership with Afghan forces, has promised to eliminate IS terrorists in Afghanistan this year and contain a resurgent Taliban, citing recent battlefield successes against the two groups. IS-controlled territory U.S. military spokesman Navy Captain Bill Salvin told VOA recently that counte...

iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are splash, water, and dust resistant and were tested under controlled laboratory conditions with a rating of IP67 under IEC standard 60529. Splash, water, and dust resistance are not permanent conditions and resistance might decrease as a result of normal wear. Do not attempt to charge a wet iPhone; refer to the user guide for cleaning and drying instructions. Liquid damage not covered under warranty. 2  iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in jet black are available in 128GB and 256GB models. 3  Data plan required. LTE Advanced, LTE, VoLTE, and Wi-Fi calling are available in select markets and through select carriers. Speeds are based on theoretical throughput and vary based on site conditions and carrier. For details on LTE support, contact your carrier and see  www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/ . 4 FaceTime calling requires a FaceTime-enabled device for the caller and recipient and a Wi-Fi connection. Availability ...

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan travelled to Iran just days after Iraqi Kurdistan independent referendum on September 25. The two sides discussed regional security and reiterated on Iraq’s territorial integrity. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has arrived in the Iranian capital, Tehran, for discussions with the country’s senior officials  on issues of bilateral and regional significance. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani officially welcomed his Turkish counterpart in Tehran on Wednesday. Erdogan is accompanied by a high-ranking delegation of four Turkish cabinet ministers of economy, energy, customs and culture as well as Turkish investors and business owners. Apart from political issues, bilateral economic ties will top the agenda of the planned talks between the Iranian and Turkish officials. The two neighboring countries are key economic partners and plan to enhance their annual trade volume to $30 billion. According to the head of Iran-Turkey Com...

The presidents of Iran and Turkey say their countries will take steps to ensure that borders in the region remain unchanged following last week’s independence referendum in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region. "We will not accept changing borders in the region," Iranian President Hassan Rohani said in Tehran on October 4 at a joint news conference with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.