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China says peace talks advance between Afghanistan, Pakistan

Negotiations between Afghanistan and Pakistan are advancing steadily, China said on Friday, following reports that ​the neighbours were meeting there to ‌try to end their worst conflict since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. China, which shares a western border with ​both nations, has been trying to mediate between ​the allies turned foes, holding telephone calls with ⁠their foreign ministers and sending a special envoy ​on visits in March. "Both Pakistan and Afghanistan attach importance ​to, and welcome, China's mediation, and are willing to sit down for talks again, which is a positive development," foreign ministry ​spokesperson Mao Ning told a daily press conference. #FMsays China has been mediating Afghanistan-Pakistan peace talks, with consultations progressing steadily, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Friday, adding that both Pakistan and Afghanistan value and welcome China's mediation efforts. #Afghanistan #Pakistan pic.twitter.com...
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US Army chief of staff fired by Pete Hegseth, sources say

US Army Chief ​of Staff Randy George was fired on Thursday by War Secretary Pete Hegseth, three US defence officials told Reuters, in ‌the latest purge among the Pentagon's most senior ranks. Even as Hegseth, a former Fox News host, has moved quickly to reshape the department, firing a general during wartime is nearly without precedent. The Pentagon confirmed that George, who had more than a year left in his term, "will be retiring from his position as the 41st Chief ​of Staff of the Army effective immediately." The Pentagon said in a statement it was grateful for George's decades of service. "We wish ​him well in his retirement," it said. Two of the officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Hegseth has ⁠also fired General David Hodne, who leads the Army's Transformation and Training Command, and Major General William Green, head of the Army's Chaplain ​Corps. The department did not give a reason for George's departure, which comes as the US military builds up its forces in the Middle East ​while carrying out operations against Iran. The US strikes in the region are largely being carried out by the Navy and Air Force, although US Army soldiers have been dispatched to the Middle East for air defence systems. The Army is the largest branch of the US military, with about 450,000 active-duty soldiers. Thousands of soldiers from the US Army's ​elite 82nd Airborne Division have also started arriving in the Middle East, potentially for ground operations in Iran. Latest upheaval at Pentagon There had been no ​public signs of friction between Hegseth and George, even as Hegseth pursued controversial moves such as firing the Army's top lawyer and arranging a massive military parade ‌to celebrate ⁠the Army's 250th birthday, which coincided with Trump's birthday. Earlier this week, Hegseth also reversed an Army decision to investigate Army pilots who were flying attack helicopters near singer Kid Rock's house, in an apparent show of support for the vocal Trump backer. CBS News, which first reported the dismissal, said it was not related to the Kid Rock incident. One of the officials said Hegseth's former military aide and Army vice chief of staff, General Christopher ​LaNeve, will take over George's role ​in an acting capacity. Another of ⁠the officials added that senior Army leadership learned about George's firing at the same time it was made public. George, an infantry officer who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, was confirmed to the top Army post in ​2023. Terms in that role usually run for four years. Before holding the top job, George was ​the vice chief of ⁠the Army and, before that, the senior military adviser to then-Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin. He was considered close to Army Secretary Dan Driscoll. The two worked together to take on large defence companies in the Army's drive to speed up weapons development and drive down costs. George's removal adds to recent upheaval at ⁠all levels ​of leadership at the Pentagon, including the firing last year of the previous chairman of ​the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force General C.Q. Brown, as well as the chief of naval operations and Air Force vice chief of staff. The office for George did ​not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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