Latest news with #MuhammadFarhan
Barnama
26-06-2025
- Business
- Barnama
Top News Headlines In Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand & Vietnam: June 26, 2025
The central government is not yet ready to fully reopen Husein Sastranegara Airport in Bandung, despite repeated calls from Bandung Mayor Muhammad Farhan to restore the airport's operations to pre-pandemic levels. The government is rushing to roll out the Red-White Cooperatives programme by July 19, even as the Cooperatives Law revision is still being deliberated at the House of Representatives. Japan will provide scholarships worth RM11 million (US$2.6 million) to strengthen Laos' human resource development. Academic studies cover agriculture, environmental science, public administration, economics and international relations. More than 500 government staff have benefited from Japanese assistance. 2. COMBATING HUMAN TRAFFICKING WITH US SUPPORT -- VIENTIANE TIMES Laos and the United States of America (US) pledged to combat human trafficking. About RM7 million (US$1.58 million) will be used to assist vulnerable groups in accessing education, vocational skills and to create awareness to reduce the risk of human smuggling. MYANMAR 1. ELIGIBLE VOTERS WILL BE GIVEN CHANCE TO VOTE -- THE GLOBAL NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR The government has assured that all eligible voters have the chance to cast their votes in the election in December this year. Free and fair elections will be held and all ethnic rights and political demands will be addressed accordingly. 2. FORUM TO STRENGTHEN PEACE IN MYANMAR -- THE GLOBAL NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR The Peace Forum 2025 began in Nay Pyi Taw where local and international participants are debating ways to promote peace. The forum will focus on enhancing peace dialogues, building trust and cooperation, addressing humanitarian assistance and strengthening international collaboration for development. SINGAPORE 1. MULTILATERALISM CAN EVOLVE TO BE MORE 'FLEXIBLE', SAYS PM WONG AT WEF EVENT -- THE STRAITS TIMES With global rules weakening and economic nationalism on the rise, Singapore is proposing a workaround of getting like-minded countries to cooperate on specific issues, while leaving the door open for others to join in the future. 2. MORE ATTEMPTS BY COUNTRIES TO 'WEAPONISE ECONOMIC INTERDEPENDENCIES': PM WONG -- CNA Amid current geopolitical contests and rivalries, there have been "more and more attempts" by countries to "weaponise economic interdependencies", Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on Wednesday (Jun 25). THAILAND 1. GOVT DELAYS ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX BILL AMID PUBLIC CONFUSION OVER CASINO CONTENT -- THE NATION The government has postponed the entertainment complex bill, clarifying that casinos form only 10% of its content, while most provisions focus on economic promotion. 2. DON'T RUSH CENSURE BID, BJT TOLD -- BANGKOK POST The opposition People's Party (PP) appears reluctant to join the Bhumjaithai Party's swift move in seeking a no-confidence debate against embattled Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra immediately after parliament reconvenes on July 3. VIETNAM 1. DEATH PENALTY FOR EIGHT CRIMINAL CASES ABOLISHED -- VIETNAM NEWS The government has abolished the death penalty for eight criminal offences, including embezzlement and bribery. The new legislation that takes effect on July 1 is part of the government's efforts to reform Vietnam's criminal legal system. 2. ALARMING RISE IN OBESITY AMONG KIDS -- VIETNAMPLUS Vietnam is experiencing a 38 per cent rise in overweight and obesity rates. The National Institute of Nutrition reported that such cases among school-aged children five to 19 years old have more than doubled in one decade. -- BERNAMA BERNAMA provides up-to-date authentic and comprehensive news and information which are disseminated via BERNAMA Wires; BERNAMA TV on Astro 502, unifi TV 631 and MYTV 121 channels and BERNAMA Radio on FM93.9 (Klang Valley), FM107.5 (Johor Bahru), FM107.9 (Kota Kinabalu) and FM100.9 (Kuching) frequencies. Follow us on social media : Facebook : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatv, @bernamaradio Twitter : @ @BernamaTV, @bernamaradio Instagram : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatvofficial, @bernamaradioofficial TikTok : @bernamaofficial
Express Tribune
17-03-2025
- Express Tribune
Poultry trader deprived of Rs2.5m
Armed robbers snatched Rs2.5 million from a poultry businessman, Muhammad Farhan, in Korangi at gunpoint and fled after opening fire on resistance. The trader's security guard, Amir Ahmed, was seriously injured by the robber's firing. He was rushed to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) in critical condition with a bullet to the head. Upon receiving information, SSP Korangi Tariq Nawaz reached the spot and called in the crime scene unit to collect the evidence. SSP Nawaz said that Farhan, who runs a poultry farm business, was going to deposit Rs2.5 million in a bank in a car with his friend Bashir and a security guard when unidentified suspects in a car intercepted them near the Matkay Wali Pulya in Korangi No 2. Farhan, however, resisted the robbers bid to snatch his money on which they opened fire. One of the bullets hit Faran in the thigh and another struck Ahmed in the head. The SSP said that the police have obtained CCTV footage from the spot, evidence is being collected from the crime scene and the police have also done geo-fencing of the crime scene and an investigation has been started through technical and human intelligence.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Dozens of passengers taken hostage by militants in Pakistan train hijack
Militants hijacked a passenger train in Pakistan, taking dozens of people hostage and threatening to execute them if security forces did not withdraw. The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist group, took responsibility for the attack and issued a 48-hour ultimatum, demanding a prisoner exchange with Pakistan authorities. The Jaffar Express, carrying over 400 passengers in nine coaches, was travelling from Quetta to the northern city of Peshawar when it came under attack in the mountainous Bolan district of Balochistan in southwestern Pakistan. Shahid Rind, a Balochistan government spokesman, said rescue efforts were under way despite difficult terrain. An emergency has been declared at major hospitals in Sibi, a city 100 miles south-east of Quetta, after reports of 'intense firing' at the train. At Quetta railway station, anxious families huddled together, desperate for any news of their loved ones. Among them was Muhammad Farhan hoping for a message that had yet to come. 'My brother was on that train. We haven't heard a word from him since morning,' he said, his voice trembling. 'We don't know if he's safe, if he's even alive. No one from the government is telling us anything. We are just left here, waiting in the dark,' said Mr Farhan. A senior official told The Telegraph that the BLA terrorists have killed many passengers and also abducted several of them, without disclosing the exact numbers. The BLA claimed to have killed 30 security personnel and taken 214 passengers hostage. 'Under the rules of war, these 214 hostages are considered prisoners of war and BLA is prepared for a prisoner exchange. The occupying state of Pakistan is given 48 hours to immediately and unconditionally release Baloch political prisoners, forcibly disappeared persons and national resistance activists,' the BLA said. The 214 Pakistani personnel including military, paramilitary, police and intelligence officers are being held under full security and in accordance with the rules of war, the BLA said. 'If our demands are not met within the stipulated period or if the occupying state attempts any military action during this time, all prisoners of war will be neutralised and the train will be completely destroyed. The Pakistani army will bear full responsibility for the consequences,' the BLA added. The 994-mile train journey from Quetta to Peshawar takes more than 30 hours to complete. The train service resumed in October after a two-month halt due to a BLA-claimed attack on the track in Balochistan. The BLA, which seeks independence for Balochistan, a region bordering Afghanistan and Iran, said their militants detonated an explosive on the railway track, forcing the train to stop. They then opened fire on the locomotive, wounding the driver, before taking control of the train inside a tunnel. State-owned media outlets Radio Pakistan and PTV News reported that the militants have taken passengers, including women and children, as hostages while remaining in communication with their foreign 'facilitators'. The attackers were receiving instructions from Ustad Majeed, a BLA commander based in Zaranj, in Afghanistan's Nimroz province, officials told The Telegraph. They said that the security forces had surrounded the area and launched a clearance operation that would continue until the aggressors were eliminated. The remote location, with no internet access, has complicated rescue efforts, an official in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government said. Pakistan military has sent in gunship helicopters and deployed ground troops to rescue the hostages. Mohsin Naqvi, Pakistan's interior minister, said: 'Those who fire on innocent passengers deserve no mercy.' Our fighters have carried out a meticulously planned operation in Mashkaf, Dhadar, Bolan. The railway track was blown up, forcing the train to halt, and all passengers were taken hostage,' said Jeeyand Baloch, the militant group's spokesman. 'If the occupying forces attempt an incursion, all hostages will be executed, and the responsibility for the bloodshed will lie solely with them,' the BLA said in a statement sent to journalists and posted on Telegram. The BLA claimed to have killed six of Pakistan's military personnel, but Pakistan authorities have not confirmed these claims. It said Pakistan security personnel were among those taken hostage and warned of retaliation if security forces carried out an operation. Muhammad Kashif, a senior railway official in Quetta, confirmed the hostage crisis. 'The train was stopped by armed men in Tunnel No 8. We are trying to contact the passengers and staff,' Mr Kashif said. Rana Muhammad Dilawar, a police official, said a relief train and additional security had been sent to the site. The attack follows a surge in militant violence in Pakistan, with the Islamabad-based Centre for Research and Security Studies reporting more than 1,600 fatalities from militants in 2024 – the deadliest year in a decade. Last week, 18 people, including children, were killed and dozens more wounded after a group of gunmen and suicide bombers launched a coordinated attack on a Pakistani army base at Bannu in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies reported terror incidents increased by 42 per cent in January compared to the previous month. Balochistan remains a hotspot, with separatist attacks rising by 119 per cent in 2024, driven by groups such as the BLA and the Balochistan Liberation Front. A railway official told The Telegraph that 80 passengers including 11 children and 26 women were rescued as the operation continued in Bolan. Talal Chaudhry, the minister of state for interior, said: 'Many passengers have been taken off the train to the mountainous area and women and children are being used as a shield [by the terrorists].' The security forces were treading carefully because of the lives involved, saying that the operation was still under way with most of the people to be rescued soon, he said. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Dozens of passengers taken hostage by militants in Pakistan train hijack
Militants hijacked a passenger train in Pakistan, taking dozens of people hostage and threatening to execute them if security forces did not withdraw. The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist group, took responsibility for the attack and issued a 48-hour ultimatum, demanding a prisoner exchange with Pakistan authorities. The Jaffar Express, carrying over 400 passengers in nine coaches, was travelling from Quetta to the northern city of Peshawar when it came under attack in the mountainous Bolan district of Balochistan in southwestern Pakistan. Shahid Rind, a Balochistan government spokesman, said rescue efforts were under way despite difficult terrain. An emergency has been declared at major hospitals in Sibi, a city 100 miles south-east of Quetta, after reports of 'intense firing' at the train. At Quetta railway station, anxious families huddled together, desperate for any news of their loved ones. Among them was Muhammad Farhan hoping for a message that had yet to come. 'My brother was on that train. We haven't heard a word from him since morning,' he said, his voice trembling. 'We don't know if he's safe, if he's even alive. No one from the government is telling us anything. We are just left here, waiting in the dark,' said Mr Farhan. A senior official told The Telegraph that the BLA terrorists have killed many passengers and also abducted several of them, without disclosing the exact numbers. The BLA claimed to have killed 30 security personnel and taken 214 passengers hostage. 'Under the rules of war, these 214 hostages are considered prisoners of war and BLA is prepared for a prisoner exchange. The occupying state of Pakistan is given 48 hours to immediately and unconditionally release Baloch political prisoners, forcibly disappeared persons and national resistance activists,' the BLA said. The 214 Pakistani personnel including military, paramilitary, police and intelligence officers are being held under full security and in accordance with the rules of war, the BLA said. 'If our demands are not met within the stipulated period or if the occupying state attempts any military action during this time, all prisoners of war will be neutralised and the train will be completely destroyed. The Pakistani army will bear full responsibility for the consequences,' the BLA added. The 994-mile train journey from Quetta to Peshawar takes more than 30 hours to complete. The train service resumed in October after a two-month halt due to a BLA-claimed attack on the track in Balochistan. The BLA, which seeks independence for Balochistan, a region bordering Afghanistan and Iran, said their militants detonated an explosive on the railway track, forcing the train to stop. They then opened fire on the locomotive, wounding the driver, before taking control of the train inside a tunnel. State-owned media outlets Radio Pakistan and PTV News reported that the militants have taken passengers, including women and children, as hostages while remaining in communication with their foreign 'facilitators'. The attackers were receiving instructions from Ustad Majeed, a BLA commander based in Zaranj, in Afghanistan's Nimroz province, officials told The Telegraph. They said that the security forces had surrounded the area and launched a clearance operation that would continue until the aggressors were eliminated. The remote location, with no internet access, has complicated rescue efforts, an official in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government said. Pakistan military has sent in gunship helicopters and deployed ground troops to rescue the hostages. Mohsin Naqvi, Pakistan's interior minister, said: 'Those who fire on innocent passengers deserve no mercy.' Our fighters have carried out a meticulously planned operation in Mashkaf, Dhadar, Bolan. The railway track was blown up, forcing the train to halt, and all passengers were taken hostage,' said Jeeyand Baloch, the militant group's spokesman. 'If the occupying forces attempt an incursion, all hostages will be executed, and the responsibility for the bloodshed will lie solely with them,' the BLA said in a statement sent to journalists and posted on Telegram. The BLA claimed to have killed six of Pakistan's military personnel, but Pakistan authorities have not confirmed these claims. It said Pakistan security personnel were among those taken hostage and warned of retaliation if security forces carried out an operation. Muhammad Kashif, a senior railway official in Quetta, confirmed the hostage crisis. 'The train was stopped by armed men in Tunnel No 8. We are trying to contact the passengers and staff,' Mr Kashif said. Rana Muhammad Dilawar, a police official, said a relief train and additional security had been sent to the site. The attack follows a surge in militant violence in Pakistan, with the Islamabad-based Centre for Research and Security Studies reporting more than 1,600 fatalities from militants in 2024 – the deadliest year in a decade. Last week, 18 people, including children, were killed and dozens more wounded after a group of gunmen and suicide bombers launched a coordinated attack on a Pakistani army base at Bannu in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies reported terror incidents increased by 42 per cent in January compared to the previous month. Balochistan remains a hotspot, with separatist attacks rising by 119 per cent in 2024, driven by groups such as the BLA and the Balochistan Liberation Front. A railway official told The Telegraph that 80 passengers including 11 children and 26 women were rescued as the operation continued in Bolan. Talal Chaudhry, the minister of state for interior, said: 'Many passengers have been taken off the train to the mountainous area and women and children are being used as a shield [by the terrorists].' The security forces were treading carefully because of the lives involved, saying that the operation was still under way with most of the people to be rescued soon, he said.
