Pakistan

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Accuse hotel owners of charging exorbitant rates without official categorisation

In twin cities, cherries being sold at around Rs700 per kilogramme

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United States President Donald Trump on Saturday imposed a 30 per cent tariff on imports from Mexico and the European Union beginning on August 1 after weeks of negotiations with the key trading allies failed to reach a more comprehensive trade deal. The fresh tariffs were announced in separate letters posted on Truth Social on Saturday. Earlier this week, Trump issued new tariff announcements for a number of countries, including Japan, South Korea, Canada and Brazil, as well as a 50pc tariff on copper. The EU had hoped to reach a comprehensive trade agreement with the US for the 27-country bloc. It had been bracing for the letter from Trump outlining his planned duties on the United States’ largest trade and investment partner after a broadening of his tariff war in recent days. The EU initially hoped to strike a comprehensive trade agreement, including zero-for-zero tariffs on industrial goods, but months of difficult talks have led to the realisation that it will probably have to settle for an interim agre...

A Syrian and an Israeli official are expected to meet in Baku later on Saturday on the sidelines of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s visit to Azerbaijan, a diplomatic source in Damascus with knowledge of the issue said. “There will be a meeting between a Syrian official and an Israeli official on the sidelines of the visit being conducted by Sharaa in Baku,” said the source, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue. Israel is a major arms supplier to Azerbaijan and has a significant diplomatic presence in the Caucasus nation, which neighbours its arch foe Iran. The diplomatic source stressed that Sharaa himself would not attend the Baku meeting, which would focus on “the recent Israeli military presence in Syria”. After the overthrow of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December, Israel carried out hundreds of air strikes in Syria to prevent key military assets from falling into the hands of the interim administration headed by Sharaa. It also sent troops into the UN-patrolled buffer zone...

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A 50-year-old woman was allegedly murdered by her husband over a domestic dispute in Sindh’s Hyderabad with the man himself beaten to death by the wife’s family in retaliation, according to the police. Husri Station House Officer (SHO) Juman Khoso told Dawn.com that a man killed his wife over “some domestic issue” in the village of Khuda Dino Panhwar. He added that the victim’s family members beat the suspect to death as well after the alleged murder. “The suspect used an axe and sticks in beating his wife to death and was also mercilessly beaten,” he said. Khoso said that neighbours of the couple claimed the suspect often used to beat his wife over petty issues and such incidents had become a matter of daily routine. “Even neighbours had given up intervening to resolve the issue,” he added. The SHO said that as per the woman’s relatives, the suspect had previously served a jail term for the murder of two people. The bodies were taken to the local branch of Liaquat University Hospital and the police were repo...

Pakistan’s Olympic javelin champion Arshad Nadeem and India’s Neeraj Chopra are set to lock horns next month at the Diamond League event in Silesia, Poland, in their first head-to-head contest since the Paris Olympics, it emerged on Saturday. The match-up comes amid heightened political tensions between Pakistan and India, which have spilt over into the world of sports. A press release from the Diamond League, issued on July 9, announced the athletes taking part in the upcoming competition in Poland, including Kenyan middle-distance runner Faith Kipyegon. The contest between Nadeem and Chopra was described as “the first opportunity for revenge after the Paris Olympics”. “The Pakistani’s form remains something of a mystery, as he rarely appears on the European circuit,” the press release read. “The exception he will make on August 16 results from his desire to face Chopra.” The press release noted that Chopra threw 90 metres this spring, adding that he is “yearning for more”. Last week, Chopra headlined the ‘N...

Balochistan Chief Minister (CM) Mir Sarfraz Bugti has strongly condemned the recent terrorist attacks in the province, particularly the targeted killings of passengers based on ethnic identity, termed a clear reflection of the nefarious designs of ‘Fitna al Hindustan’.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) founder Altaf Hussain’s health has been on the mend after he was admitted to the hospital, according to a video by a party official posted on Saturday. Hussain was recently hospitalised in London due to “severe illness”, where he underwent multiple tests. London-based senior party leader Mustafa Azizabadi told Dawn.com that the MQM founder’s treatment was ongoing and “hopefully it’s not something serious”. In a video message posted early on X today, Azizabadi stated that the MQM founder’s health had improved since yesterday. “Altaf Hussain bhai (brother) has undergone some tests and blood transfusion has been given. The tests show that Altaf bhai’s health … has greatly improved,” Azizabadi said. “Doctors are treating him according to the test results.” He highlighted that misinformation had spread about Hussain’s condition, calling it “upsetting”. An update from MQM Coordination Committee Deputy Convener Qasim Ali said doctors conducted a detailed medical examination and agreed ...

A meeting of the Supreme Judicial Council was held on Saturday, under the chairmanship of Justice Yahya Afridi, Chief Justice of Pakistan/Chairman Supreme Judicial Council at the Supreme Court, Islamabad.

Civil society activists have called for the expansion of the Pink Bus Service across Pakistan to ensure safer, more accessible, and dignified travel options for women, especially those commuting from rural and suburban areas to cities for education and employment.

The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) on Saturday reviewed complaints against different judges of the superior judiciary, “unanimously” dismissing 19 of them. Earlier this week, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi called the SJC meeting to consider around two dozen pending complaints against superior court judges and a set of recommendations to streamline the process of handling complaints and to ensure transparency while probing allegations of misconduct against judges. According to a press release dated today, seen by Dawn.com, the council examined 24 complaints under Article 209 of the Constitution. It said, “19 complaints were unanimously decided to be filed while five others were deferred for the time being.” The meeting was chaired by CJP Afridi and attended by senior puisine judge Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar, Lahore High Court Chief Justice Aalia Neelum and Sindh High Court Chief Justice Muhammad Junaid Ghaffar. The press release also said, “The proposed draft of SJC Secre...

Tensions within Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have intensified amid reports of internal disagreements over Aleema Khan’s alleged interference in key party decisions, particularly regarding the nomination for a vacant Senate seat.

Police in Japan’s Shiga prefecture have arrested an Indian man for allegedly raping a teenage girl last month, local news outlet Kyoto Shimbun reported. Shiga’s Otsu police arrested the man, identified as a 24-year-old temporary worker, on Thursday on suspicion of assaulting and raping a teenage high school girl. The man allegedly assaulted the “girl living in the prefecture, including by choking her, and then having sexual intercourse with her at a hotel in Otsu city”. The incident took place in the early hours of June 21, according to the report, which was also carried by Tokyo Reporter. It quoted the Otsu police as saying that the suspect and the girl did not know each other. The man had gone with her to the front of a hotel under the pretence of asking for directions, then forced her into a room, the police said. The suspect denied the charges and was quoted as saying, “I did not force her.” In May, Japanese police said they arrested a former taxi driver on suspicion of drugging and raping a female passen...