News brief: Big stories of the day

There is "lots of evidence" that chemical weapons are being prepared by Syrian government forces in Idlib in northwest Syria, the new US adviser for Syria said on Thursday, as he warned of the risks of an offensive on the country's last big rebel enclave.

Jammu and Kashmir police chief S P Vaid was unceremoniously removed late Thursday and shunted as the Transport Commissioner and Director General of Prison Dilbagh Singh was directed to look after the force until a regular appointment was made.

Pakistan will never fight any other country's war in future, Prime Minister Imran Khan said Thursday, asserting that he was against the war from the very beginning and his government's foreign policy will be in the best interest of the nation.

Iran will handover the strategic Chabahar port to Indian company within a month for operation as per an interim pact, Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development Abbas Akhoundi said Thursday.

The United States on Wednesday expressed its concerns over the "continued democratic backsliding" in the Maldives and warned the island nation it would take "appropriate measures" against those undermining fair electoral process and democracy.