EU says Russian withdrawal from Ukraine key to lifting sanctions
Listen to article The withdrawal of all Russian forces from Ukraine would be one of the main conditions for lifting or amending EU sanctions, the European Commission said on Wednesday. The United States reached separate deals on Tuesday with Ukraine and Russia to pause their attacks at sea and against energy targets, with Washington agreeing to push […]
5 sentenced to death for blasphemy by Rawalpindi court – Pakistan
A Rawalpindi court sentenced five men accused of blasphemy to death, life imprisonment and a total of 100 years in prison, according to the court’s orders issued on Tuesday. Per the copy of the first information report (FIR) seen by Dawn.com, the case was filed by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) under Sections 109 (punishment […]
Nuri Aslan elected interim Istanbul mayor amid protests over Imamoglu’s arrest
Listen to article Nuri Aslan of the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has been elected interim mayor of Istanbul, following the imprisonment of incumbent Ekrem Imamoglu on corruption charges. Aslan will serve for the remainder of Imamoglu’s term as the detained mayor awaits trial, Turkish media reported on Wednesday. Local broadcaster NTV and the Anadolu news agency […]
Pentagon’s Hegseth texted planned time for targeted killing of Yemeni Houthi – World
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth texted the start time for a planned killing of a Houthi fighter in Yemen on March 15 as well as other details of imminent waves of US strikes, according to a screenshot of a text chat released by The Atlantic on Wednesday. Hegseth repeatedly denied texting war plans as President […]
PSX rallies as Pakistan reaches staff-level agreement with IMF
Listen to article Pakistan’s stock and currency markets surged on Wednesday after Islamabad reached a staff-level agreement (SLA) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), easing investor concerns and reinforcing hopes of economic stability. The IMF announced Tuesday that it had concluded a staff-level agreement on the first review under Pakistan’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF), as well as […]
Senate hearing raises concerns over Pete Hegseth’s handling of classified intel
Listen to article US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is facing tough questions following revelations that he shared sensitive military operation details via the Signal messaging app, which is generally unauthorized for government communications. During a contentious Senate hearing on Tuesday, officials examined Hegseth’s decision to disclose operational details of planned airstrikes against Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen. […]
Journalist Waheed Murad sent on 2-day physical remand by Islamabad court for posting ‘intimidating content’ – Pakistan
Journalist Waheed Murad was produced before an Islamabad court by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Wednesday and was subsequently remanded in its two-day physical custody under the country’s cybercrime laws for posting “intimidating content” online. His family had earlier filed a petition before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for his recovery, saying that he […]
ECP disqualifies 24 former lawmakers over failure to file asset declarations
Listen to article The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has disqualified 24 former members of the National and Provincial Assemblies for failing to submit their asset and liability declarations for the fiscal year 2022-2023, Express News reported on Wednesday. According to an official statement released by the ECP spokesperson, the disqualified individuals include 10 former members of […]
‘Unprecedented’ mass bleaching drains life from Australian reef – World
An “unprecedented” mass bleaching event has been recorded off Australia’s western coast, scientists said on Wednesday, turning huge chunks of a celebrated reef system a sickly dull white. A months-long marine heatwave had “cooked” the sprawling Ningaloo Reef, ocean scientist Kate Quigley said, part of a world heritage-listed marine park renowned for vibrant corals and […]
Hegseth texted plans to kill Houthi leader hours before Yemen op: report
Listen to article Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth texted plans to kill a Houthi militant leader in Yemen two hours before a military operation that would normally be a closely guarded secret, according to screenshots of a chat released by The Atlantic on Wednesday. The revelation that highly sensitive attack plans were shared on a commercial messaging app, […]