Pakistan on Monday dispatched the third consignment of relief goods for Palestinians facing Israeli aggression in the Gaza Strip. Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani sent off the cargo carrying medicines, surgical/medical items, hygiene kits, and dry ration with a special Pakistan Air Force (PAF) aircraft at Nur Khan Airbase in Islamabad, a press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs read. After arrival at Al Arish Airport in Egypt, the consignment will be handed over to the Red Crescent for onward distribution.
Read MoreChina’s Xi hails ‘resilient’ economy in bullish New Year speech
BEIJING: President Xi Jinping said on Sunday the Chinese economy had grown “more resilient and dynamic” in 2023, despite financial figures continuing to disappoint as the post-Covid recovery stalls. He also promised in a bullish New Year’s address to the nation that China would “surely be reunified” — a reference to the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own and has pledged to seize. Xi has endured a challenging 2023 at the helm of the world’s second-largest economy, with his administration struggling to sustain an economic rebound…
Read MorePTI to challenge rejection of nomination papers in Supreme Court
Erstwhile chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has announced challenging rejection of nomination papers of top party leaders in the Supreme Court (SC). While talking to Geo News programme ‘Naya Pakistan’ on Sunday, he slammed the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decisions on rejection of nominations papers of PTI top leaders ahead of the general elections. At the same time Barrister Gohar admitted that the nomination papers of some candidates were rejected on a technical basis, however, mostly the PTI leaders faced rejection in the scrutiny process on Saturday.…
Read MoreRussia’s ‘most massive’ missile attack kills 30 in Ukraine
At least 30 people were killed and over 160 were left injured in the early hours of Friday as Russia launched its largest missile bombardment of the war so far, on Kyiv, Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, and Lviv. Russia “used nearly every type of weapon in its arsenal”, with homes and a maternity hospital hit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said. Ukraine’s air force said it had never seen so many missiles launched at once, amid a drastic improvement of Russia’s air defences, which were overwhelmed on Friday, the BBC reported. An Air Force…
Read MoreSecurity forces kill five terrorists in N Waziristan IBO: ISPR
RAWALPINDI: In an intelligence-based operation (IBO), security forces have wiped out five terrorists in the Mir Ali area, North Waziristan, the military’s media wing said on Saturday. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), a terrorist commander was also included in the slain militants who were “sent to hell”. It said security forces conducted the IBO on December 29, 2023, on the reported presence of terrorists. “During the conduct of the operation, after intense fire exchange, five terrorists, including Terrorist Commander Rahzaib aka Khuray, were sent to hell. The killed…
Read MoreAfter Colorado, Maine state also disqualifies Trump from 2024 primary ballot
The top election official of the Maine state has declared former US president Donald Trump ineligible for the state elections, removing him from the 2024 primary ballot over his involvement in the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack. Maine becomes the second state to disqualify Trump from office, after the Colorado Supreme Court removed the former president from the ballot earlier this month, reported CNN. The development is a significant victory for Trump’s critics, who, citing the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, say they’re trying to enforce a constitutional…
Read MoreShehbaz terms PHC verdict on PTI poll symbol ‘attack on ECP’
Strongly reacting to the Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) ruling that restored the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) iconic electoral bat symbol, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif Thursday called the court’s order an “attack” on the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) authority. The ECP last week stripped the Imran Khan-led party of its bat symbol and declared the PTI’s internal elections void. However, the PHC Tuesday suspended the electoral watchdog’s declaration. “Keeping in view the urgency, that a political party has been denuded of its symbol, meaning hearby that aspirants from…
Read MoreModi govt ‘targeted’ prominent journalists with Israeli spyware
The Indian government has been using Pegasus spyware to target prominent journalists, according to a joint investigation by Amnesty International and The Washington Post released on Thursday. The spyware, developed by Israeli firm NSO Group and sold to governments worldwide, allows access to a phone’s messages, emails, photos, call recordings, location data, and even the phone’s camera. The spyware used both “IP addresses as well as domain names to reach its targets,” according to the National Herald, an Indian newspaper. There has been enough research published in the field of cyber security since a…
Read MoreNew Year’s celebrations banned across Pakistan in solidarity with Gaza
All New Year’s celebrations will remain banned across the country as Pakistan will stand in solidarity with Gazans, being oppressed by Israel, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar announced Thursday. In a televised address, Kakar said: “Pakistani nation is in a sad state […] so keeping in mind the situation, the Government of Pakistan has decided to ban all celebrations related to New Year’s.” “I appeal to all Pakistanis: show solidarity with the oppressed Palestinians and observe simplicity with the dawn of the new year,” Kakar said, noting that the situation…
Read MorePak vs Aus: Aussies take control of second Test as Pakistan flounder
Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon put Australia in the driving seat of the second Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Wednesday to leave Pakistan tottering at 194-6, still 124 runs behind on day two. At stumps, Mohammad Rizwan was on 29 and Aamer Jamal not out two after Cummins took the crucial wickets of Abdullah Shafique (62) and Babar Azam (one), then Agha Salman (five). Lyon chipped in by removing Imam-ul-Haq (10) and Shan Masood (54), while Josh Hazlewood bowled Saud Shakeel for nine as Pakistan’s dream of a…
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