Washington [US], January 28 (ANI): US President Joe Biden on Thursday (local time) spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and reaffirmed the readiness of the United States along with its allies and partners to "respond decisively" if Russia further invades Ukraine.

Islamabad [Pakistan], January 28 (ANI): Providing an overview of Pakistan's policy priorities, regulatory environment, and its private sector development, a UN report warned that continued borrowing from multilateral and other sources is posing all sorts of economic and political challenges in the country.

Washington [US], January 28 (ANI/Sputnik): Several US Army Airborne divisions are among the military units placed on high alert for possible deployment to Eastern Europe should the situation over Ukraine escalates, Defense Department spokesperson John Kirby said.

Texas [US], January 28 (ANI/Sputnik): Three police officers were shot in an altercation near downtown Houston, Texas, by a suspect who fled the scene in a white Mercedes, the Houston Police Department (HPD) said in a statement.

Washington [US], January 28 (ANI): The United States is doing everything possible to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan and does not do anything to hinder the flow of such aid into the country, said State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said on Thursday (local time).

Islamabad [Pakistan], January 28 (ANI): Inciting public to raise funds for "Jihad" (holy war) is not allowed to individuals in Pakistan and is considered as treason, the Lahore High Court has ruled as it dismissed appeals of two men convicted for raising funds for proscribed outfit Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Kabul [Afghanistan], January 28 (ANI): Taliban's acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on Thursday termed the international community's call for the formation of an inclusive government as just an "excuse" and said they do not have any definition for an "inclusive government."

Washington [US], January 28 (ANI/Sputnik): The United States is trying to speed up its deliveries of the $200 million worth of security assistance approved for Ukraine in December, Defense Department spokesperson John Kirby said on Thursday.

Washington [US], January 28 (ANI): German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will meet US President Joe Biden on February 7 at the White House to discuss their shared commitment and joint efforts to deter further Russian aggression against Ukraine, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said on Thursday (local time).

London [UK], January 28 (ANI): The trial of 31-year-old British-Pakistani man Muhammad Gohir Khan, charged for conspiring to kill Netherlands-based blogger and activist, Ahmad Waqass Goraya, came to a closure on Wednesday at the Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court as both sides concluded their arguments.

New Delhi [India], January 28 (ANI): India and five Central Asian countries on Thursday discussed the evolving situation in Afghanistan and its impact on security in the region and decided to establish a joint working group on Afghanistan at the senior officials level.

Bishkek [Kyrgyzstan], January 28 (ANI/Sputnik): Tajikistan continues to pull the military and heavy equipment to the Kyrgyz border, the Kyrgyz Border Service told Sputnik on Thursday.

Balochistan [Pakistan], January 28 (ANI): Ten Pakistani soldiers were killed after terrorists attacked a security forces' checkpost in Balochistan's Kech district, local media reported on Thursday.

Washington [US], January 28 (ANI/Sputnik): President Joe Biden on Thursday promised to announce his nominee to fill the US Supreme Court vacancy after justice Stephen Breyer revealed his plans to retire.

New Delhi [India], January 28 (ANI): Leaders at the first India-Central Asia Summit emphasized on Thursday that the post-pandemic world requires diversified global supply chains that are based on trust, resilience and reliability.

New Delhi [Delhi], January 27 (ANI): Emphasising further development of mutual connectivity for enhancing trade and commerce, India and Central Asian countries on Thursday agreed that connectivity initiatives should be based on the principles of transparency and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries.

Lahore [Pakistan], January 27 (ANI): Pakistan's Punjab farmers on Thursday staged a protest over the imposition of new taxes on the electricity consumed by agriculture tube wells while calling to widen the protest against the Imran Khan government.

New Delhi [India], January 27 (ANI): G Balasubramanian has been appointed as India's next High Commissioner to Nigeria.

New Delhi [Delhi], January 27 (ANI): Indian and Central Asian leaders agreed to boost the existing counter-terrorism mechanism as noted by the Delhi declaration on the sidelines of the first Indo-Central Asian summit held virtually on Thursday.

Taipei [Taiwan], January 27 (ANI): While the 2020s has been dubbed a "decade of concern" for Taiwan, the volatile nature of Chinese politics means that 2022 is not going to be any different for Taiwan.