PM Shehbaz commends Ireland’s decision to recognise Palestinian state

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday held a telephone conversation with his Irish counterpart Simon Harris. During the phone call, PM Shehbaz commended Irland’s recent decision to recognise the state of Palestine amid the ongoing Israeli aggression. Ireland, Spain, and Norway have announced to formally recognise the Palestinian state next week, a move that drew fury from Israel. The premier said Ireland’s decision would send a message of hope and solidarity to the innocent Palestinians, who were suffering Israel’s brutal atrocities. “It would also go a long way in…

Rumors around attacks on Russian Black Sea fleet warships

There are rumours around the reported attacks on Russian Navy vessels in the Black Sea Fleet. The Ukraine Defence Ministry announced that the Project 266M Akvamarin class minesweeper Kovrovets was destroyed during the night between May 18-19, off the coast of Crimea. “Another bad day for the Russian Black Sea fleet,” the ministry wrote on social media. “Great job, warriors!” Multiple sources suggest that one or two Russian warships, including the missile corvette Tsiklon and minesweeper Kovrovets, have been damaged or destroyed in recent attacks by the Ukrainian forces. The…

Defamation Bill 2024 sails through Punjab Assembly amid opposition ruckus

Amid the strong protest by the opposition, the PML-N-led government on Monday managed to bulldoze the controversial Defamation Bill 2024 in the Punjab Assembly. According to treasury benches, the bill is aimed at stopping fake news, while media bodies termed it “draconian” in its current form. Brushing aside the media bodies’ request to differ the proposed bill, Punjab’s Finance and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mujtaba Mian Shuja-ur-Rehman tabled the bill in the House. Earlier in the day, representatives of the media bodies met Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari and requested her…

Fifth phase of voting begins in India as Mumbai, Gandhi family bastions head to polls

The fifth phase of general elections commenced in India on Monday, with seats in the financial hub Mumbai and the opposition’s Gandhi family bastions set to be decided in the last few legs of the seven-phase vote. The election started on April 19 and will culminate on June 1 while votes would be counted on June 4. Monday’s phase has the least number of seats being contested, with 89.5 million voters set to choose representatives for 49 seats. Several high-profile candidates are in the fray on Monday — including defence…

Pakistani politician charged with child sex offences in UK

LONDON: Muhammad Khurram Khan, a senior Pakistani politician and scion of a well-known political family from Mansehra, Abbotabad, has gone on trial in the UK after being charged with child sex offences. Details have emerged of how Muhammad Khurram Khan, aged 60, arrived in the UK earlier this year to attend his son’s law graduation ceremony but engaged allegedly with a child for sexual purposes – and got caught by the detectives. The prosecution at the Kingston Crown Court told the judge that Khurram has been charged with two counts:…

Trump accepts debate challenge from Biden; date fixed

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are set for a debate ahead of the 2024 election. Earlier this week, Biden proposed two debates with Trump. The former president eagerly accepted the proposal, saying he was “ready to rumble.” The two presidential candidates will have a face-off at 9pm ET on June 26 when they will be hosted by CNN in Atlanta, Georgia. On Wednesday, President Joe Biden said that he would not participate in the autumn presidential debates sponsored by the nonpartisan commission. He opted for news organisations…