Pakistan

.

Law enforcement agencies are tightening controls on drug smuggling via courier and parcel services

.

Mexico is set to become the world’s only country to let voters elect all of their judges, sparking sharp disagreement about whether the reforms will diminish or strengthen criminal influence over the courts. The government says the unprecedented popular vote for judges and magistrates at all levels — including the Supreme Court — is needed to address rampant corruption and impunity. Critics argue it will undermine the judiciary’s independence and warn the participation of controversial candidates — such as a former lawyer for notorious drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman — means it is doomed to backfire. On Sunday, voters will choose several thousand federal, district and local judges and magistrates. Another election for the remainder will be held in 2027. Not just anybody can run for one of these jobs. Candidates must have a law degree, experience in legal affairs, what is termed “a good reputation,” and no criminal record. Opponents, including judicial workers, have held a series of mass street protests in...

Hailey Bieber sells her skincare brand Rhode to e.l.f. Beauty for $1B and steps in as chief creative officer.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar says Pakistan's victory in the Marka-e-Haq against Indian aggression has elevated its stature in the whole world.

Five police officers were martyred on Wednesday when their van plunged into a ravine on Atoli Peer Road in Azad Kashmir’s Bagh area.

Donald Trump has commuted the sentence of Gangster Disciples leader Larry Hoover, who was serving six life terms.

A new Instagram photo shared by Marvel Cinematic Universe star Olga Kurylenko has caused fans to wonder if Taskmaster might be returning from the dead in the upcoming film, Avengers: Doomsday. The actress, who first played Taskmaster in Black Widow and most recently in Thunderbolts, posted an image of herself in Bahrain with the caption […]

Investors buy bonds worth $8.9b, highest for any month since last August

Deborra-Lee Furness has spoken out for the first time since officially filing for divorce from Hugh Jackman, and her words suggest deep pain and a sense of betrayal. The 69-year-old Australian actress, who separated from Hugh Jackman two years ago, gave an emotional statement to DailyMail.com, revealing how hard the experience has been. Many were […]

The Kremlin on Wednesday rebuffed a call by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for a three-way summit with counterparts Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin as Kyiv seeks to force Moscow to halt its more than three-year-long invasion. Moscow said any meeting involving Russian President Putin and Zelensky would only happen after “concrete agreements” had been struck between negotiators from each side. Putin rejected calls to meet Zelensky in Turkey earlier this month, when Russia and Ukraine held their first direct peace talks in three years. Putin has repeatedly said he does not see Zelensky as a legitimate leader and called for him to be toppled. US President Trump, meanwhile, has expressed frustration at both leaders for not yet striking a deal to end the war. The two sides have traded waves of massive aerial attacks in recent weeks, with Ukraine unleashing one of its largest-ever drone barrages on Russia overnight, according to the defence ministry in Moscow. “If Putin is not comfortable with a bilateral me...

The Saudi government on Wednesday announced that its 937 Health Call Centre was now offering multilingual support to Haj pilgrims around the clock, including in Urdu. Haj, one of the fundamental pillars of Islam, is performed each year by millions of Muslims worldwide. Pakistan receives one of the highest Haj quotas from Saudi Arabia. According to a press release from the Saudi Embassy, the call centre “plays a vital role in the Kingdom’s healthcare response during Haj.” “The centre is designed to enhance access to health services, offer medical guidance, and ensure [a] timely response to emergencies,” the press release read. “Available 24/7, the centre provides a wide range of services including real-time medical consultations, emergency assistance, handling of complaints, guidance on accessing health facilities, and support in locating missing or hospitalised pilgrims.” The press release stated that the call centre operates in seven major languages: Urdu, Arabic, English, French, Indonesian, Farsi, and Turk...

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has reiterated the call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

JERUSALEM: Israeli air strikes blew up the last remaining plane at rebel-held Yemen’s international airport, Israel and a Yemeni official said on Wednesday, weeks after an earlier attack inflicted major damage. An air raid involving multiple strikes hit the Yemenia Airways plane and the runway at Sanaa airport, the Houthi militants’ Al Masirah TV channel […]

Peace and Culture Organization Chairperson Mushaal Hussein Mullick and wife of jailed Kashmiri Hurriyat leader Muhammad Yasin Malik, raised the Pakistani forces, describing them as a ‘steel wall’ against enemies.

Cricket star Hassan Ali’s mother was allegedly mugged on Wednesday in Gujranwala, a senior police official told Dawn.com. Incidents of snatchings by armed suspects are commonplace nationwide. According to a statement from Gujranwala City Police Officer Muhammad Ayaz Saleem’s office, Hassan’s mother was waiting on the road for her other son, Khurram to pick her up to take her to the bazaar. “A robber snatched her purse and fled the scene,” the CPO said. “Khurram Ali said that the purse contained Rs230,000.” The CPO added that a case had been registered and sought a report from Gujranwala Safe City. According to a copy of the first information report — seen by Dawn.com — the unidentified suspect were charged under Sections 356 (assault or criminal force in attempt to commit theft of property carried by a person) and 379 (punishment for theft) of the Pakistan Penal Code. “Police teams have been formed under the supervision of SP (superintendent of police) City Division to arrest the suspect,” CPO Saleem said. “G...

KARACHI: Police in the port city of Pakistan have apprehended a man pretending to have a physical disability. The video of the incident is now going viral on social media, ARY News reported. According to reports, the beggar, who is now going viral, was arrested along with his accomplices during an operation in the Garden […]

Kuwait lifted a 19-year visa ban on Pakistani citizens and resumed issuing a wide range of visas to Pakistani nationals, the government said on Tuesday. The country had stopped issuing visas in 2011 to citizens of Pakistan, Iran, Syria and Afghanistan, citing difficult security conditions in the countries. Since then, Pakistan made several attempts to get visas restored for Pakistani citizens but to no avail. Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, during his visit to Kuwait in 2017, had also pleaded Pakistan’s case and requested for restoration of visas for Pakistani citizens. In May 2021, Kuwait decided to resume granting visas to Pakistani families and businessmen. It was also decided during the meeting that Kuwait would issue technical visas for Pakistani workers in medical and oil fields. According to a post on X by the government, Kuwait has now resumed the issuance of work, family, visit, tourist, and business visas, which it termed “a major diplomatic achievement and a step towards deeper bilateral cooper...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday reiterated Pakistan’s willingness to hold talks with India on the Kashmir dispute and counterterrorism, stressing New Delhi wanted the same “in all sincerity”. The prime minister participated in the Pakistan-Turkiye-Azerbaijan Trilateral Summit alongside presidents Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ilham Aliyev. The meeting comes as the premier continued his tour to friendly countries to appreciate their support for Pakistan during the recent conflict with India. Speaking at the summit, PM Shehbaz said: “I have said in all humility that we want peace in the region […] and that requires talks on the table on issues which need urgent attention and amicable resolution, that is the issue of Kashmir according to the resolutions of the United Nations and the Security Council and as per the aspirations of the people of Kashmir.” The premier also touched upon the issue of terrorism: “I have said in all earnest that if India wants to talk on countering terrorism in sincerity of purpos...