Zelenskiy wants Democrats to win US elections: Trump

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said on Monday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy wanted the Democrats to win the 2024 US elections in which the former US president faces Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump also said if he wins the election, he will call Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelenskiy and urge them to reach a deal to end the Russia-Ukraine war. “I think Zelenskiy is the greatest salesman in history. Every time he comes into the country, he walks away with 60 billion dollars,” Trump said in a…

PM Shehbaz stresses need for political stability, continuity of policies

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stressed the need for political stability and continuity of policies in the country. The prime minister expressed these views while addressing a dinner hosted in the honor of parliamentarians from the coalition parties in Islamabad on Monday night. Speaking on the occassion, the PM strongly condemned the “inappropriate language” used at the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) power show in Islamabad on Sunday. A day earlier, the Imran Khan-founded PTI staged a much-hyped power show featuring fiery speeches in Islamabad. During the rally, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister reportedly…

Turkey restores Instagram after nine days

Turkey, on Saturday, announced that it had restored access to Instagram after the platform agreed to cooperate with authorities to address the government’s concern, Reuters reported.  Turkey had blocked Instagram on August 2 for not adhering to the country’s “laws and rules” and public sensitivities. A high-ranking Turkish official had accused Instagram of blocking posts expressing condolences for the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of the Palestinian group Hamas.

US elections: Trump and Harris to debate on September 10

In a major development, US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and Democratic opponent Kamala Harris will debate on September 10 on ABC, setting up the first face-to-face matchup between the rivals in what polls show is an extremely close race. In a rambling news conference at his Palm Beach, Florida, residence, Trump said he wanted additional debates on September 4 and 25 that would air on Fox and NBC. Harris said in a post on X that she was looking forward to the September 10 debate after Trump “finally committed.” She told reporters…

Pakistan seeks more details about US-foiled assassination plot

ISLAMABAD: In response to queries regarding media reports of the alleged involvement of a Pakistani national in connection with a foiled assassination attempt in United States, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that they were in contact with the authorities in Washington and awaiting further details. In a statement, FO spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said: “We have seen the media reports. We are in touch with the US authorities and await further details.” The spokesperson said that they have also noted the statements by US officials that this is…

More than 30 killed in Somalia beach attack

An Al-Shabaab suicide bomber and gunmen attacked a busy beach in the Somali capital Mogadishu, killing 32 people and wounding scores more, in one of the deadliest attacks in months, police said on Saturday. The Al-Qaeda-linked militants have been waging an insurgency against the internationally backed federal government for more than 17 years and have previously targeted the Lido beach area, popular with business people and officials. Unverified videos shared online in the immediate aftermath of the attack showed people scattering along a street, with a number of clips purporting…

BRT project development work prompts closure of roads in Karachi

KARACHI: Commuters of Karachi’s main University Road must brace themselves for some difficulties on the road as the traffic police of port city announced Monday that two tracks will remain closed for traffic. According to the traffic police, tracks of main University Road from Safura to Samama are closed for traffic.  The closure of these roads comes amid development work that is underway for the Karachi Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service which will soon be available for more routes. However, for the convenience of commuters, alternative routes have also been…

New Zealand to apologise after inquiry reveals widespread child abuse

WELLINGTON: Some 200,000 New Zealanders held in care were abused over decades, a public inquiry has revealed, prompting an apology from the country’s prime minister who vowed reform. The authors of the report described widespread abuse in state care and faith-based institutions as an “unthinkable national catastrophe” that caused “unimaginable harm”. Throughout the six-year investigation, dozens of victims gave harrowing testimony about physical, sexual and mental abuse suffered in orphanages, foster homes, psychiatric hospitals and other institutions. The “Abuse of Care” royal commission found that “of the estimated 655,000 children,…

Hardik Pandya announces separation with wife Natasa

ndian all-rounder Hardik Pandya confirmed separation with his wife, Natasha Stankovic, after “four years of being together”, saying that it was a mutual decision on their part.  Taking to his Instagram account, the star cricketer said that he and his wife had “decided to mutually part ways” . “We tried our best together and gave it our all, and we believe this is in the best interest for the both of us. This was a tough decision for us to make, given the joy, mutual respect and companionship we enjoyed…

Human cases of bird flu climb to 8 in US

Four farm workers, who work at the same poultry farm, were infected with bird flu on Monday, increasing the total number of cases to eight, according to officials Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States. The cases come, simultaneously, with a worrisome outbreak of the virus among cattle, which has also resulted in human infections. A fifth case is also suspected but must still be analysed to be confirmed. The risk for the American population is still “low,” the CDC said. The infected workers reported facing conjunctivitis…