Police arrest six in child marriage case

MULTAN (Pakistan) • Police have arrested six people accused of arranging the marriage of a seven-year-old boy and six-year-old girl in eastern Pakistan, officials said.

The fathers of both children, the cleric performing the ceremony, and three witnesses were charged under the Child Marriage Restraint Act on Saturday after being arrested in Punjab province on Friday, senior police official Saifullah Khan said.

They face six months' imprisonment and/or a fine of 50,000 rupees (S$675).

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Tiger killed in road accident 'pregnant'

PETALING JAYA • A Malayan tiger that was run over on the East Coast Expressway Phase 2 was pregnant, the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) has confirmed.

Perhilitan Terengganu director Mohd Hasdi Husin said a post-mortem performed on the tiger found two dead foetuses.

The tiger was hit by a car heading to Kuala Terengganu at about midnight. It died on the spot.

THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

Push for talks between Taleban, Afghan govt

ISLAMABAD • Officials from the four nations seeking to end Afghanistan's 15-year-old war agreed on Saturday to press for direct talks between the Taleban and the US-backed government in Kabul by the end of the month.

Afghanistan, Pakistan, the United States and China have, for weeks, been trying to lay the groundwork for talks with the Taleban, which has made gains since the withdrawal of Nato troops from Afghanistan in 2014.

Rival factions competing for leadership of the Islamist militant group have expressed different views on whether to join the process, but officials appeared hopeful that, at least, some groups would be willing to participate.

REUTERS