Pakistan

Embassy event introduces Romanian culture and history in Pakistan

.

.

The United States Supreme Court handed President Donald Trump a major victory on Friday by curbing the power of lone federal judges to block executive actions. In a 6-3 ruling stemming from Trump’s bid to end birthright citizenship, the court said nationwide injunctions issued by district court judges “likely exceed the equitable authority that Congress has granted to federal courts”. The top court did not immediately rule on the constitutionality of Trump’s executive order seeking to end automatic citizenship for children born on American soil. But the broader decision on the scope of judicial rulings will remove a big roadblock to Trump’s often highly controversial orders and reaffirm the White House’s power. “Federal courts do not exercise general oversight of the Executive Branch; they resolve cases and controversies consistent with the authority Congress has given them,” said Justice Amy Coney Barrett, author of the opinion. “When a court concludes that the Executive Branch has acted unlawfully, the answ...

.

.

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has reaffirmed the government's commitment to safeguarding the interests of both consumers and suppliers, while ensuring that essential commodities remain affordable and accessible to all.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Friday called upon Provincial Disaster Management Authorities (PDMAs), district administrations, and relevant departments to remain on high alert and activate contingency plans as widespread rain and thunderstorms are expected to impact large parts of the country within the next 12 to 24.

Federal Minister for Communications, Abdul Aleem Khan, has extended his heartfelt best wishes to the nation on the commencement of the new Hijri year.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar has reiterated Pakistan's principled position that it will not recognize Israel unless a two-state solution is reached for the Palestine issue.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, while addressing the provincial assembly, took aim at her political opponents, asserting that those who once advocated for the political ouster of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had now sidelined themselves through their own failures.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed deep gratitude to coalition partners for their vital support in passing the federal budget, stressing the need for collective, tireless efforts to steer Pakistan toward economic stability and national progress.

Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi has completed his first 100 days in office, marking the milestone with the release of a special documentary film by Pakistan Railways that highlights key achievements and progress during his tenure.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department has forecast another spell of rain in Karachi, Hyderabad and other parts of Sindh on Friday. Several parts of Sindh received moderate to heavy rainfall on Thursday, ending the prolonged dry spell across the province and bringing relief from the scorching summer heat. The authorities had earlier released an urban flooding warning for several cities. In its latest weather advisory issued today, the Met Office said “strong monsoon currents are penetrating over the province.” Under its influence, rain thunderstorm/rain with few moderate to isolated heavy falls is likely in Karachi, Hyderabad, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, Badin, Thatta, Sujawal, Dadu, Sukkur, Larkana, Qamber Shahdadkot, Shikarpur, Khairpur, Naushahro Feroze, Shaheed Benazirabad, Mitiari, Sanghar, Jamshoro, Tando Allahyar, Tando Muhammad Khan, Jacobabad, Ghotki, Kashmore and Tharparker districts till June 29. In its weather forecast for Karachi, the Met Office said intermittent thunderstorm and rain with moderate to i...

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has categorically denied any backchannel communications or negotiations with former prime minister Imran Khan, reiterating that the military has no role in political affairs.

In the early 2010s, Iran believed that a war waged against it by Israel, which would pull in the United States, was an inevitability. At the time, American newspapers were warning that Israel was on the verge of bombing Iran, the IAEA was working hand in glove with the Americans to increase pressure on the Persians, and the country was being suffocated by sanctions that were only looking to get worse. The Iranians, according to political analyst Trita Parsi, made a strategic calculation at the time — that the war would come and it would devastate them, but it would also destroy the Americans. In this book, Losing an Enemy: Obama, Iran, and the Triumph of Diplomacy, Parsi notes that Iranian officials thought the Iraq war had already turned the US into a ‘limping giant’, that another war in the region would end its superpower status, and that it would no longer be able to dominate the Middle East. Sure, they ventured, Iran would be ruined by the war, but they placed their hope on the longevity of Persia as a ci...

Germany’s data protection commissioner has asked Apple and Google to remove Chinese AI startup DeepSeek from their app stores in the country due to concerns about data protection. Commissioner Meike Kamp said in a statement on Friday that she made the request because DeepSeek illegally transfers users’ personal data to China. The two US tech giants must now review the request promptly and decide whether to block the app in Germany, she added. DeepSeek did not respond to a request for comment. Apple and Google were not immediately available for comment. According to its own privacy policy, DeepSeek stores numerous personal data, such as requests to its AI programme or uploaded files, on computers in China. “DeepSeek has not been able to provide my agency with convincing evidence that German users’ data is protected in China to a level equivalent to that in the European Union,” Kamp said. “Chinese authorities have far-reaching access rights to personal data within the sphere of influence of Chinese companies,” ...

Sri Lanka’s top court on Friday halted a government move to acquire land in northern regions still reeling from the consequences of a decades-long civil war, 16 years after it ended. Sri Lanka’s north bore the brunt of the conflict in the 37-year-long Tamil separatist war, which was brought to a bloody conclusion in May 2009. Many among the Tamil minority lost their land title deeds during the years of displacement, and the area was also hit by the 2004 Asian tsunami. The Supreme Court order concerning nearly 6,000 acres of land came a day after UN human rights chief Volker Turk ended a three-day visit, during which he urged the authorities to return private lands still occupied by troops. The UN estimates that at least 100,000 people died in the war, with 40,000 of them from the Tamil minority killed by troops in the final months of the conflict. Turk also asked Sri Lanka to investigate allegations of war crimes and punish the perpetrators. Successive Sri Lankan governments have refused internationally backe...

Indus River System Authority (IRSA) on Friday released 308,000 cusecs of water from various rim stations with an inflow of 449,621 cusecs.

Anti-Muslim online posts targeting New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani have surged since his Democratic primary upset this week, including death threats and comments comparing his candidacy to the September 11, 2001 attacks, advocates said on Friday. There were at least 127 violent hate-related reports mentioning Mamdani or his campaign in the day after polls closed, said CAIR Action, an arm of the Council on American Islamic Relations advocacy group, which logs such incidents. That marks a five-fold increase over a daily average of such reports tracked earlier this month, CAIR Action said in a statement. Overall, it noted about 6,200 online posts that mentioned some form of Islamophobic slur or hostility in that day long time-frame. Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist and a 33-year-old state lawmaker, declared victory in Tuesday’s primary after former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo conceded defeat. Born in Uganda to Indian parents, Mamdani would be the city’s first Muslim and Indian Ame...