Author: News Desk

News Desk TEL AVIV: Israeli President Isaac Herzog has turned down a request from US President Donald Trump to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to Arab media reports, Netanyahu has been facing corruption charges for the past five years. President Herzog said he respects Trump’s friendship and opinion, but Israel is a sovereign nation, and its legal system must be fully upheld. He described the pardon request as “highly unusual” and stressed that the welfare of the Israeli public remains his top priority. Reports indicate that Trump’s letter argued the corruption allegations against Netanyahu were politically motivated and unfair.

News Desk HARIPUR: The district administration in Haripur ordered electricity supplies to Afghan refugee camps to be disconnected, marking a new phase in the government’s push to remove undocumented migrants from the area. Officials said operations had begun across the district to facilitate the departure of Afghan families who did not possess legal documents. As part of the effort, authorities directed the Hazara Electric Supply Company to dismantle power infrastructure inside the camps. Teams began removing transformers and electricity meters from several sites on Monday, a move that effectively cut off power to thousands of residents. Local officials said nearly…

News Desk WASHINGTON: The European Union fined Elon Musk’s social media platform X $140m after finding the company in breach of strict digital content rules designed to curb illegal and harmful material online. The penalty followed a two-year investigation by the European Commission, which concluded that X had failed to take “effective action” against unlawful posts and disinformation circulating on the platform. Officials said the company did not put in place the systems required under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), one of the bloc’s toughest regulatory regimes for tech firms. Musk responded by defending X’s approach to free expression,…

News Desk CANBERRA: Australia imposed financial and travel sanctions on Afghanistan’s chief justice and three senior ministers, citing their direct role in worsening the country’s human rights crisis under Taliban rule. Foreign minister Penny Wong said the measures were introduced in response to “the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian and human rights situation”, particularly the sweeping restrictions placed on women and girls since the Taliban retook power. She accused the four officials of limiting education, employment, freedom of movement and participation in public life for millions of Afghan women. Wong said the move formed part of a new Australian sanctions framework designed…

News Desk KARACHI: Amnesty International has revealed the presence of an advanced Israeli-made spyware system, known as Predator, being used inside Pakistan, despite the absence of formal diplomatic relations between the two countries. The findings emerged from the “Intellexa Leaks”, an investigation led by Amnesty that documented how the spyware targeted a human rights lawyer from Balochistan. The lawyer approached Amnesty in the summer of 2025 after receiving a suspicious WhatsApp link. Analysis by Amnesty’s Security Lab confirmed the link as a Predator attack, marking the first publicly reported case of its kind in Pakistan. According to the report, Predator…

News Desk RAJSHAHI, BANGLADESH: A special guest lecture on the enduring poetry and philosophy of the renowned subcontinental poet and visionary Allama Muhammad Iqbal was held at the University of Rajshahi on 16 November 2025. The event, hosted at the Dean’s Complex Conference Room, focused on the theme, “The Relevance of Iqbal’s Poetry for the New Generation in the 21st Century.” Professor Dr Baseera Ambreen, Director of the Institute of Urdu Language and Literature at Punjab University Oriental College, Pakistan, and former Director of the Iqbal Academy Pakistan, delivered the keynote address. She highlighted Iqbal’s emphasis on education, moral integrity,…

News Desk COLOMBO: The Pakistan Navy ship PNS Saif, docked in Colombo for the International Fleet Review 2025, provided humanitarian assistance to areas of Sri Lanka devastated by a recent sea storm and heavy rains. According to the military’s media wing, ISPR, the storm caused widespread destruction across several regions of the island nation. PNS Saif delivered essential relief supplies to Sri Lankan authorities to support affected communities. The aid included food, dry rations, first aid kits, medicines, and other critical items. ISPR added that the Pakistan Navy would continue providing assistance to the most affected areas in the coming…

News Desk NEW DEHLI: India’s Defence Secretary, Rajesh Kumar, said Russian President Vladimir Putin’s upcoming visit to India is not expected to produce any major announcements on defence matters. Speaking to international media, Kumar said there was no anticipated progress on the delivery of the S-400 missile defence system during the trip. He added that the Indian government would focus on advancing defence cooperation with Russia and seek clarification over delays in the S-400 shipments. Kumar said discussions during the visit might include the possibility of ordering additional S-400 units, but the primary concern remained addressing delays in the supply…

News Desk ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has issued a detailed written judgment condemning custodial torture and extrajudicial killings by law enforcement officials, affirming that the state is constitutionally bound to protect every citizen’s right to life. The seven-page ruling, authored by Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, emphasized that any form of torture, inhuman or degrading treatment—including actions that undermine personal dignity—is unequivocally unlawful. The court noted that in some instances, police resort to such practices under the presumption of immunity, attempting to bring alleged offenders to justice, which can tragically lead to extrajudicial killings. To prevent such abuses, the…

News Desk DUBAI: For the first time, Pakistani construction companies have participated in the Big 5 Global exhibition 2025, held at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The Pakistani pavilion was inaugurated by Pakistan’s Consul General in Dubai, Hussain Muhammad, marking the country’s debut at the internationally renowned construction and infrastructure trade event. Organized under the auspices of the Pakistan Trade Development Authority, nine Pakistani companies are showcasing their products and services at the exhibition. They are presenting advanced building and construction technologies, alongside high-quality construction materials, to an international audience. The Big 5 Global 2025 exhibition has attracted more than…