The woman is young, perhaps 18, with olive skin and dark bangs that droop onto her face. In the Facebook photo, she attempts to smile but doesn't look at her photographer. The caption mentions a single biographical fact: She is for sale. "To all the bros thinking about buying a slave, this one is $8,000," begins the May 20 Facebook posting, which was attributed to an Islamic State fighter…

Beijing: A drone flying over an airport in southwest China has grounded 55 flights, official media reported today. The unmanned aerial vehicle, spotted at 6:20 pm yesterday above Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport of Sichuan Province, caused the eastern runway to halt operation, leaving 55 flights delayed, state-run Xinhua news agency was quoted as saying by airport staff. It is the first…

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…

Pakistan has banned airing advertisements of contraceptives on television and radio after complaints that such “undesired” commercials make children inquisitive about the use of the family planning products.   Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) imposed the ban last week after it received complaints from parents against commercials of contraceptive, birth control…

There is no reason for “jealousy” in China about a milestone deal signed between India and Iran to develop the strategic Chabahar port as improvement of infrastructure in Central Asia will also provide opportunities for Chinese firms, official media here said on Saturday.   “China is unlikely to engage in strategic confrontation with India. It is clear that the improvement of…

The World Health Organization (WHO) has played down concerns over the spread of the Zika virus, amid calls for the Rio Olympics to be postponed.   The WHO's Bruce Aylward told the BBC risk assessment plans were in place.   He admitted that the WHO could "do a better job" at communicating what was being done, but reiterated that there was no need to postpone the Games.  …

The Islamic State group's commander in the besieged Iraqi city of Falluja is among 70 militants killed in coalition air strikes, the US military says.   Colonel Steve Warren said more than 20 strikes have been carried out in the past four days, destroying IS positions.   The raids are in support of Iraqi forces who are trying to retake Falluja from IS.   Meanwhile there are dire…

More than 100 leading scientists say the Rio Olympics should be moved or postponed over the Zika outbreak.   The group says new findings about the virus make it "unethical" for the games to go ahead in an open letter to the World Health Organization.   They call on the WHO to revisit its guidance on Zika, which is linked to serious birth defects.   The International Olympic…

Brazilian police are hunting more than 30 men suspected of raping a teenage girl in Rio de Janeiro, and of putting video of the attack on social media.   The girl, 16, believes she was doped after going to her boyfriend's house on Saturday and says she woke up in a different house, surrounded by the men.   Arrest warrants have been issued, including one for the boyfriend.   The…

WASHINGTON: Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has said he would "cancel" the Paris climate deal.   More than 195 countries pledged to reduce carbon emissions in a landmark agreement last year.   The billionaire businessman has said before there is no evidence that humans are responsible for climate change.   During a speech at an oil industry conference in North…

Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee was on Friday sworn-in as West Bengal’s chief minister for the second time. Forty-one others also were sworn-in as her ministers. Banerjee was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi before a galaxy of political leaders and thousands of common people at the Indira Gandhi Sarani (Red Road). Banerjee, the state’s…

BANGKOK: A Thai man is recovering from a bloody encounter with a 3-meter (10-foot) python that slithered through the plumbing of his home and latched its jaws onto his penis as he was using a squat toilet. Attaporn Boonmakchuay was smiling as Thai television stations interviewed him in his hospital bed about the intimate intrusion, and doctors said he would recover. But photos of his blood-splattered…

The US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has reached the number of delegates needed to secure the party's presidential nomination, Associated Press reports.   Its delegate count has him reaching the quota thanks to a small number of the party's unbound delegates, who told AP they would support him at July's convention.   Trump now has reached 1,238 delegates-- one…