WORLD

 SOKOTO, Nigeria, 21 August 2026 (News Desk) — At least 50 people, mostly children, were killed after an overloaded boat capsized on Thursday in Nigeria’s northwestern Sokoto state, witnesses and officials said. The accident occurred near Gorau in the Goronyo local government area, where rescue operations were continuing, said Abdulkadir Yusuf, an area manager at the National Inland Waterways Authority.A Reuters witness saw 50 bodies, many wrapped in mats and traditional cloth, lying in the courtyard of a community mosque ahead of their burial in Gorau later Thursday.Local residents said the boat was carrying farm owners and labourers who had been hired to harvest rice. One resident estimated that more than 70 people were aboard when the boat overturned, while another said there w...

 LONDON, 21 August, 2026 (Nosheen) — Prince Harry and six other high-profile claimants, including singer Elton John, are set to learn Friday how much they will initially have to pay the publisher of Britain’s Daily Mail newspaper following their failed privacy case. The claimants lost a High Court case in London last month in which they accused Associated Newspapers Ltd., publisher of the Daily Mail, of unlawful practices including phone hacking and the use of private investigators to obtain information about their private lives. The seven claimants are expected to learn the extent of their liability for Associated Newspapers’ legal costs, which have reportedly reached around £34 million ($46 million). The claimants are believed to have insurance covering approximately half of tha...

BEIJING, 21 August, 2026 (Ghufran): China has said that US sanctions and economic pressure will not help resolve the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Washington has previously urged various governments, including China, to join its efforts to isolate Iran's economy. Responding to a question about US President Donald Trump's threats, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said sanctions and pressure would not contribute to resolving the issue. He urged all relevant parties to act responsibly and resolve the dispute through political and diplomatic means. The United States says its economic campaign will force the Iranian government to yield, while Tehran has described the pressure as "economic terrorism" and said the campaign is destined to fail.When US Treasury Secretary Scott ...

JAKARTA, 21 August, 2026(News Desk): Indonesia and China have agreed to expand defense cooperation and strengthen collaboration in food, energy and mineral security during high-level meetings in Jakarta on Friday. Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi discussed ways to advance bilateral cooperation in political, economic, security, maritime and people-to-people relations. Wang Yi said the two countries agreed to improve coordination on development and security priorities to support the modernization of both nations. He stressed the importance of opposing unilateralism and power politics while safeguarding international fairness, justice and the legitimate interests of developing countries.The two sides also discussed strengthening food, energy and mineral...

20 August 2026 (Nosheen): Yemen’s Houthi movement has claimed responsibility for separate drone attacks targeting Najran airport and a facility belonging to Saudi state oil giant Aramco in the southern Saudi region of Najran. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the two targets were attacked separately using drones in what he described as highly precise operations. According to Saree, the first operation targeted a sensitive Saudi site at Najran airport, while the second was directed at an Aramco facility in the region. The Houthi spokesperson claimed that both operations successfully struck their intended targets but did not provide details regarding possible casualties or material damage. Saudi authorities had not immediately confirmed or denied the Houthi claims, leaving it unc...

 GAZA, 20 August 2026 (Ghufran): Prices of essential goods have surged in Gaza as the smuggling of items restricted or banned by Israel has expanded, with traders, officials and residents alleging that middlemen and others are making large profits from the illicit trade. According to an investigation based on court documents and interviews with traders, truckers, officials and residents, Palestinians are paying inflated prices for groceries and batteries, while hospitals have increasingly turned to smugglers to obtain medicines and medical equipment. Cigarettes and tobacco, which have been banned from entering Gaza since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023, are reportedly among the most profitable goods for smugglers and merchants.Other products, including iPhones, s...

 KYIV, 20 August 2026 (Kamran Raja): Russia launched a massive overnight missile and drone barrage against Kyiv and the surrounding region, killing at least 16 people and injuring around 40 others, Ukrainian officials said Thursday. The attack continued for several hours and involved ballistic and cruise missiles as well as jet-powered drones, placing further pressure on Ukraine’s air defence systems.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the attack struck 28 locations across the country and described it as a massive assault aimed at causing extensive damage to civilian infrastructure. Emergency services reported that 15 people were killed in Kyiv, while another person died in the wider Kyiv region. The strikes damaged around 30 apartment buildings, a school, a children’s ho...

نئی دہلی، 20 اگست 2026 (نیوز ڈیسک): بھارتی سپریم کورٹ نے جمعرات کو نوجوانوں کے احتجاج کے دوران پولیس تشدد اور سکیورٹی اہلکاروں پر مظاہرین کے حملوں کے الزامات کی تحقیقات کے لیے ایک پینل تشکیل دے دیا۔ یہ احتجاج قومی میڈیکل کالج داخلہ امتحان کے سوالیہ پرچے لیک ہونے کے بعد شروع ہوا تھا۔ مظاہروں کا آغاز نئی دہلی سے ہوا اور بعد ازاں دیگر شہروں تک پھیل گیا، جب پارلیمنٹ کی جانب مارچ کرنے کی کوشش کرنے والے ہزاروں مظاہرین کو آنسو گیس اور لاٹھی چارج کا سامنا کرنا پڑا۔عدالت کے حکم کے مطابق تحقیقاتی پینل کی سربراہی سپریم کورٹ کے ایک سابق جج کریں گے، جبکہ پینل میں مزید دو ریٹائرڈ ججز اور دو سابق پولیس سربراہان بھی شامل ہوں گے۔ پینل ان الزامات کی بھی تحقیقات کرے گا کہ خواتین مظاہرین کو مبینہ طور پر ہدف بنا کر تشدد، ہراساں کیے جانے اور بدسلوکی کا سامنا کرنا پڑا، جبکہ دیگر مظاہرین سکیورٹی اہلکاروں کے ہاتھو...