Crocs CEO says consumer environment is ‘concerning,’ will reduce orders in the second half

Leaders of six European nations and the EU call for more pressure on Russia before Trump-Putin summit in Alaska.

Amid a spate of terrorist and quadcopter attacks, police on Friday carried out a search and targeted operation alongside security forces in Hoveed and Wazirabad areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu, arresting “14 terrorist facilitators and destroying three hideouts”.

Over the past few months, multiple areas of KP — including Bannu, Peshawar, Karak, Lakki Marwat and Bajaur — have seen a series of attacks, particularly targeting police personnel in Bannu in July.

Bannu police spokesperson Khanzala Quraishi said in a statement: “Pakistan Army and police conducted a joint operation in Hoveed and Wazirabad areas based on intelligence inputs and arrested 14 facilitators of the banned organisation, while 3 hideouts of terrorists were demolished.”

Quraishi added that the operation was carried out on information about the presence of terrorists in Wazirabad and Tudonar along the Tuchi River, where five suspected targets were cleared. Security forces also seized three vehicles, which included two motorcycles and a rickshaw.

“Joint patrols were also conducted in Hoveed Bazaar and its surroundings to ensure the presence of security forces in the area,” the police spokesperson added.

In a statement issued earlier today, Quraishi had said: “This operation has been launched on the basis of intelligence reports, the main objective of which is to cleanse the area from the scourge of terrorism and establish lasting peace.”

The operation began at 5am on Friday, according to Quraishi, and was launched on the instructions of Regional Police Officer Sajjad Khan under the supervision of District Police Officer Saleem Abbasi Kalachi.

“During the operation, security forces and police personnel have completely surrounded the area and house-to-house searches are ongoing,” the statement said.

“In case of any suspicious activity or resistance, immediate and effective action is being taken so that the terrorists do not get any chance to escape or hide.”

A curfew was imposed in the area during the duration of the operation for the sake of public safety, and citizens were advised to cooperate with security agencies and stay indoors.

“Immediately report any suspicious person or activity to the relevant authorities,” the statement read.

“Authorities have warned that providing any kind of facility or assistance to terrorists is a serious crime, and strict legal action will be taken against such elements.”

Last week, a police constable was martyred in a terrorist attack on a checkpoint in Bannu, where an exchange of fire also left three terrorists dead and three policemen injured.

In July, ter­rorists used a quadcopter to attack a police station in Miryan, Bannu, making it the fifth such attack at the installation in a month.

Remittances from overseas Pakistani workers went up by 7.4 per cent on year-on-year basis for the month of July, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said on Friday. Every month, millions of overseas Pakistanis send money home. These remittances are now a cornerstone of Pakistan’s balance-of-payments, hitting a record $4.1 billion during March alone. “Workers’…

In the frenzy of racism and culture warring, the issue of why hotels are used gets overlooked

A broad section of Britain’s right has spent the summer behaving as if it would like a repeat of last year’s racist riots. As politicians and commentators cry “tinderbox Britain” – are they warning us, or willing it on? – far-right extremists have been actively trying to stoke violence. This year, they have pinned their hopes on asylum hotels, an issue where public fears over crime, immigration and the welfare state conveniently converge.

In some places, far-right activists have piggybacked on protests prompted by local grievances. The most significant this year was in Epping, Essex, after an alleged sexual assault by an asylum seeker led to demonstrations that turned violent when they were joined by members of various far-right groups. A similar pattern has unfolded in London’s Canary Wharf, after untrue rumours that some of the Epping hotel residents were being moved there. In other cases, far-right activists have themselves organised the protests. A call has gone out among their online networks for gatherings this weekend in several parts of England.

Daniel Trilling is the author of Lights in the Distance: Exile and Refuge at the Borders of Europe and Bloody Nasty People: The Rise of Britain’s Far Right

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