Race for the UK premiership down to the final two

Former Finance Minister Rishi Sunak and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss made the final two candidates on Wednesday to become Britain’s next Prime Minister, kickstarting the last stage of the contest to replace Boris Johnson.

“Most egregious provocation”: China warns against Nancy Pelosi’s Taiwan visit in August

China has strongly opposed US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s upcoming visit to Taiwan next month amid concerns over cross-strait ties following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

France battles massive wildfires, Britain records highest ever temperature

Firefighters in southwestern France battled on Tuesday to contain massive forest wildfires and Britain recorded its highest ever temperature as a heatwave rising from the south settled over western Europe.

Peace in Ukraine will be on Moscow’s terms: Russia

A senior Russian security official said on Tuesday that peace in Ukraine when it came would be on Moscow’s terms as Russian forces struck targets across the country with missiles even as their ground offensive stuttered.

Russia seen restarting gas exports from Nord Stream 1

Russian gas flows via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline are seen restarting on time on Thursday after the completion of scheduled maintenance, two sources familiar with the export plans told Reuters.

China’s ‘zero COVID policy’ drastically affected country’s economy

China started its “zero COVID policy” with the intention to curb the spread of Covid-19 with widespread lockdowns and mass quarantines but in reality, it had slowed down the economic growth of the country.

Pakistan: Imran Khan’s PTI wins big in Punjab by-polls; former PM demands fresh general elections

Former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has registered an impressive electoral victory in the crucial Punjab assembly by-polls, dealing a major blow to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif whose son Hamza Shehbaz is all set to lose his post as chief minister. Following the poll verdict, Khan demanded fresh general elections in Pakistan.

Pakistan to receive USD 1.17 billion tranche: IMF

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said that Pakistan will receive USD 1.7 billion tranches in the coming three to six weeks, after reaching the staff-level agreement earlier this week.

Russia strikes Ukraine’s Vinnytsia, a day after grain talks breakthrough

Russian missiles struck the Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia far behind the frontlines on Thursday, a day after a breakthrough in talks between Moscow and Kyiv to unblock Ukrainian grain exports underscoring how far the two sides remain from a peace settlement.

US, Israel sign joint pledge to deny Iran nuclear weaponry

US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid signed a joint pledge on Thursday to deny Iran nuclear arms, a show of unity by allies long divided over diplomacy with Tehran. “We will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon,” Biden told a news conference following the signing of the declaration.

Fire in Beirut port revives trauma ahead of blast anniversary

A fire smouldering for days at Beirut port has revived painful memories of the explosion that devastated the Lebanese capital in 2020, with the government struggling to find a way to extinguish it as the second anniversary of the blast approaches.

Pak may face serious economic crisis amid fast-depleting forex reserves

Cash-starved Pakistan could face a serious economic problem as its foreign exchange reserves are depleting fast amid rising external debt servicing, according to a media report on Wednesday.

US ban on Xinjiang imports hits China’s supply chain

After finding out that the Chinese products are produced with forced labour, the US imposed a ban on Xinjiang imports, which hit China’s supply chain.

Afghanistan, Pakistan emerge as lethal platforms for narco-terrorism

Afghanistan and Pakistan have emerged as unsavoury joint ventures comprising several arms and narcotics traffickers, insurgent groups, Islamist entities and organized crime syndicates, according to experts.

Japan’s former PM Shinzo Abe assassinated 

Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the longest-serving leader of modern Japan, was gunned down on Friday while campaigning for a parliamentary election, shocking a country where guns are tightly controlled and political violence almost unthinkable.

Biden to sign executive order on abortion, contraception access

U.S. President Joe Biden will sign an executive order on Friday to help safeguard women’s access to abortion and contraception after the Supreme Court last month overturned the Roe v Wade decision that legalized abortion, the White House said.

PAC recommends removal of Javed Iqbal as head of missing persons commission

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said on Thursday that it had sent a recommendation to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for the removal of former justice (retired) Javed Iqbal, as the chairman of the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances.

China: Macau’s Casino Boss Alvin Chau cheats govt of USD 1 billion in taxes

Former boss of China’s Macau casino junket Alvin Chau has cheated the government of USD 1 billion in tax revenues, a media report said citing the official indictment.

‘Judgment day’: for UK’s Boris Johnson

Britain’s Boris Johnson on Wednesday vowed to fight on against a chorus of calls for him to resign as Prime Minister, but his defiant pledge to keep going was met with derision and disregard from a growing number of his own lawmakers.

Pakistan’s future is tied up with Russia: Imran Khan

Even as the Western bloc continues to impose sanctions on Moscow, former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan has said that Pakistan’s future is tied to Russia.

Pakistan: MQM leader arrested over money laundering case

Former Pakistan Minister and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Babar Khan Ghauri was arrested by Karachi police on Monday night at Jinnah International Airport, in relation to a money laundering and terror financing case.

Hajj pilgrims face financial issues as Pakistan fails to disburse promised subsidies

The dire state of Pakistan’s economy and the incompetency of the country’s government is now reflecting in the hefty Hajj packages where the country’s coalition government has failed to provide subsidies to the pilgrims, media reported.

Forces now have full control of Ukraine’s Luhansk: Russia

Russia said on Sunday its forces had taken control of Ukraine’s eastern Luhansk region after capturing the final Ukrainian holdout of Lysychansk in heavy fighting, though Ukraine did not confirm the claim.

Israel to test bullet that killed reporter

Israel said on Sunday it would test a bullet that killed a Palestinian-American journalist to determine whether one of its soldiers shot her and said a U.S. observer would be present.

Floods hit southeast Australia,

Thousands of residents were ordered to evacuate southwest Sydney, Australia’s biggest city, on Sunday with torrential rain and damaging winds pounding the east coast and floods expected to be worse than those that hit the region in the past year.

Imran Khan accuses US of regime-change conspiracy to set up military

Former Pakistan prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan on Friday accused the United States of conspiring against him to establish a military base in the country and use it to meet its foreign policy objectives in the region and beyond.

Russia kills 21 with missiles near Odesa after abandoning Snake Island

Russia flattened part of an apartment building while residents slept on Friday in missile attacks near Ukraine’s Black Sea port of Odesa that authorities say killed at least 21 people, hours after Russian troops abandoned a nearby outpost at Snake Island.

Xi hails China’s rule at 25th anniversary of HK’s handover

President Xi Jinping hailed China’s rule of Hong Kong on Friday as he led 25th anniversary celebrations of the city’s handover from Britain, insisting that democracy was flourishing despite a years-long political crackdown that has silenced dissent.

Japanese asked to save power as country’s east sizzles

The highest temperatures for the season since record-keeping began have scorched much of eastern Japan for a week, prompting the government to ask citizens to cut power use as much as possible, while running air conditioners to stay safe.

UK parliamentary committee to investigate Johnson

A British parliamentary committee set out the details on Wednesday of how it will investigate whether Prime Minister Boris Johnson misled parliament over COVID-19 lockdown breaking events at his Downing Street offices and residence.