WASHINGTON: Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said the United States is willing to provide Pakistan funds to enhance border security for preventing cross-border attacks from Afghanistan. Responding to queries from Dawn, the foreign minister said that during his visit to the US Congress last week, two senior senators — Bob Menendez from New Jersey and Lindsey Graham from South Carolina — told him that they were provided “funding in the 2023 budget to help us with border security”. Senator Menendez chairs the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations while Senator Graham, a senior Republican, heads the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Mr Bhutto-Zardari said, while emphasising the strong standing of the two lawmakers. Responding to a question about the US offer of help to improve relations with India, Mr Bhutto-Zardari said: “They never brought up India other than in public statements.” On Washington’s offer to mediate with India, FM says relations with Delhi ‘not discussed in meetings, only public statements’ At a news briefing in Washington on Dec 19, US State Department’s Spokes­person Ned Price noted Afghanistan-based terrorist groups like the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan have recently increased attacks on Pakistani targets and offered help to Islamabad to deal with the “increasingly dangerous threat”. “We have partnered with our Pakistani friends to help them take on this challenge. We stand ready to assist, whether with this unfolding situation or more broadly,” Mr Price said. During the foreign minister’s visit to the UN headquarters in New York last week, both India and Pakistan engaged in a war of words over occupied Kashmir and other issues. Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar called Pakistan “the hub of terrorism” that “hosted Osama bin Laden”. In his riposte, Mr Bhutto-Zardari reminded that India Prime Minister Narendra Modi was once called “the butcher of Gujarat” and that while bin Laden was dead “Mr Modi lives and is India’s prime...

Zelensky in US: Joe Biden pledged that the United States would lend its support against "Russian aggression" for as long as it takes. Washington:  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday won vows of long-term US support including a new missile defense system during his first foreign trip since Russia's invasion, with President Joe Biden promising him, "You will never stand alone." Three hundred days after Russian leader Vladimir Putin attacked Ukraine with hopes of swift conquest, Zelensky enjoyed a hero's welcome on a lightning trip to Washington, but he also made clear he would not accept any pressure to compromise. Zelensky -- whose media savvy and rugged demeanor have helped rally the world to Ukraine's cause -- kept his trademark military fatigues rather than switching to a suit as Biden rolled out the red carpet, affectionately putting his hand over the wartime leader's shoulder as they entered the White House. "You will never stand alone," Biden told him at a joint news conference. "The American people are with you every step of the way and we will stay with you -- we will stay with you -- for as long as it takes." Biden said that Americans "understand in our bones that Ukraine's fight is part of something much bigger." "Together I have no doubt we'll keep the flame of liberty burning bright and the light will remain and prevail over the darkness." Zelensky will later deliver an address to Congress, which is finalizing a new $45 billion package for Ukraine heading into the new year, before flying back with barely half a day on the ground. - More military aid - Zelensky flew in secret to the United States straight after a risky visit to the frontline in Bakhmut, where Ukrainian and Russian troops have both endured heavy tolls in shooting and shelling over the past two months. Zelensky presented Biden with an award that he said was handed to him on the ground by a "real hero" -- a captain on the ground of a HIMARS rocket system that has been a...

India's foreign minister has said that the country has scaled up troop deployment along a disputed border with China to an unprecedented level. S Jaishankar added that India wouldn't let China "unilaterally change" the status quo at the border. His comments came days after Indian and Chinese forces clashed in a disputed area along the border in Arunachal Pradesh state. India said that the encounter began due to "encroachment" by Chinese troops. China's foreign ministry has said that according to their knowledge, the situation on the border was "generally stable" and the two sides were maintaining dialogue on the issue. India-China border dispute explained in 400 words Shadow of 60-year-old war at India-China flashpoint India and China share a disputed 3,440km (2,100 mile) long de facto border - called the Line of Actual Control, or LAC - which is poorly demarcated. Soldiers on either side come face to face at many points, and tensions sometimes escalate into skirmishes or clashes. Both sides have been trying to de-escalate since a violent brawl in June 2020 in the Galwan Valley in the Ladakh region much further to the west - 20 Indian soldiers and at least four Chinese soldiers died in the battle. The latest flare-up - the first in more than a year - occurred on 9 December, and resulted in minor injuries to a few soldiers. Both sides immediately disengaged from the area, the Indian army said. Mr Jaishankar was answering questions about the incident while speaking at an event organised by media company India Today on Monday. "Today, you have a deployment of the Indian Army on China border that we never had. It is done to counter Chinese aggression. The Indian Army today is deployed to counter any attempt to unilaterally change LAC," he said. China hasn't responded to the comments yet. The latest clash had led to a political uproar in India last week, with opposition parties walking out of parliament after their demand for an immediate discussion of the border...

President also talks with Cote d'Ivoire leader, pledges to enhance cooperation China and Germany are partners in dialogue, development and cooperation that jointly deal with global challenges, President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday, calling on the two sides to proceed with practical cooperation and guide the healthy development of China-European Union ties. In a phone conversation with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Xi said that China-Germany relations had positively moved forward over the past five decades with solid public support and amid broad common interests. Xi pointed out that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of China-Germany diplomatic relations, and that this is a significant year in bilateral ties. He suggested that the two nations should build and expand their consensus through dialogue, manage their differences in a constructive manner and continue to enrich their partnership. Noting that bilateral trade has increased 870 times over the past 50 years, Xi called on the two countries to reinforce their complementary advantages in terms of markets, capital and technology, and explore the potential of cooperation in areas such as service trade, intelligent manufacturing and digitization. China treats German enterprises investing in China equally and hopes that Germany will provide a fair, transparent and nondiscriminatory business environment for Chinese companies in Germany, Xi said. Speaking of China's relationship with the EU, the president said China supports EU strategic autonomy and hopes the EU will consider China and the EU as strategic partners that respect and accommodate each other for mutually beneficial cooperation. China also hopes the bloc will maintain that China-EU relations should not target, depend on or be subject to any third party, Xi said. He expressed his hope that Germany will continue to play an active role and work with China to promote the steady development of China-EU relations in the long...

With the ease of COVID-19 containment measures, and given the resilience and potential of its economy, analysts believe China's economy will revive next year and continue to be a reliable and important driving force of the global economy in 2023. The good expectation is further fortified by the annual Central Economic Work Conference in Beijing ended on Friday with principles for next year's economic development set and priorities for next year's economic work arranged, including expanding domestic demand, accelerating the construction of the modern industrial system, consolidating public sector and supporting private business, attracting more foreign investment, as well as preventing major economic and financial risks. The meeting set the tone for China's economy next year and pointed out that the economy next year is expected to witness an overall rebound despite global and domestic challenges. The Qianwan container terminal of Qingdao Port in east China's Shandong Province, December 14, 2022. /CFP Observers predict a good performance of China's economy With medical systems fortified, new variants getting tamer and 90 percent of the population armed with vaccines, China recently announced new measures to optimize its epidemic control measures. Noting the recent measures to ease COVID-19 restrictions, Liang Guoyong, a senior economist with the UN Conference on Trade and Development, said that although the change will inevitably bring some pains in the short term, the adjustment is beneficial for the revitalization of economic activities and business confidence, pushing the economy back on a healthy growth track. Looking forward to 2023, China's economy is expected to show a strong recovery, with growth momentum considerably strengthened, Liang said. "This will provide an important impetus for the growth of the world economy and contribute to its overall stability." Recently, reports from several global banks predicted that the Chinese economy will have a good...