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Pakistan Shopping Mall Blaze Leaves Scores of Casualties

A Pakistani vendor sells dry fruits at his shop in Karachi, Pakistan, 21 November 2023. EPA/REHAN KHAN
A Pakistani vendor sells dry fruits at his shop in Karachi, Pakistan, 21 November 2023. EPA/REHAN KHAN
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Pakistan Shopping Mall Blaze Leaves Scores of Casualties

A Pakistani vendor sells dry fruits at his shop in Karachi, Pakistan, 21 November 2023. EPA/REHAN KHAN
A Pakistani vendor sells dry fruits at his shop in Karachi, Pakistan, 21 November 2023. EPA/REHAN KHAN

A fire tore through a shopping mall in the southwestern Pakistani city of Karachi, killing at least 10 people and injuring more than 20 others, police and local officials said Saturday.
The multi-story RJ Mall is in a commercial high-rise that also houses call centers and software firms.
Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab Siddiqui said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the fire had been extinguished and a cooling process was underway.
The cause of the fire was not immediately clear.
Karachi is the capital of southern Sindh province, where such incidents are common. Earlier this year in April, a fire tore through a garment factory killing four firefighters. The flames ripped through the building, eventually causing it to collapse.

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China Says US Is ‘Playing with Fire’ after Latest Military Aid for Taiwan

A Taiwan Army's paratrooper performs with a national flag during a military exercise in Pingtung County, southern Taiwan, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. (AP)
A Taiwan Army's paratrooper performs with a national flag during a military exercise in Pingtung County, southern Taiwan, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. (AP)
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China Says US Is ‘Playing with Fire’ after Latest Military Aid for Taiwan

A Taiwan Army's paratrooper performs with a national flag during a military exercise in Pingtung County, southern Taiwan, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. (AP)
A Taiwan Army's paratrooper performs with a national flag during a military exercise in Pingtung County, southern Taiwan, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. (AP)

The Chinese government protested Sunday the latest American announcements of military sales and assistance to Taiwan, warning the United States that it is “playing with fire.”

US President Joe Biden authorized Saturday the provision of up to $571 million in Defense Department material and services and in military education and training for Taiwan. Separately, the Defense Department said Friday that $295 million in military sales had been approved.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry statement urged the US to stop arming Taiwan and stop what it called “dangerous moves that undermine peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.”

Taiwan is a democratic island of 23 million people that the Chinese government claims as its territory and says must come under its control. US military sales and assistance aim to help Taiwan defend itself and deter China from launching an attack.

The $571 million in military assistance comes on top of Biden's authorization of $567 million for the same purposes in late September. The military sales include $265 million for about 300 tactical radio systems and $30 million for 16 gun mounts.

Taiwan's Foreign Ministry welcomed the approval of the two sales, saying in a social media post on X that it reaffirmed the US government's “commitment to our defense.”