Pakistan

The largest online expression of dissent against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 12-year rule began with a satirical riposte to a jibe about young people, triggering death threats to its founder and pushback from ruling party politicians. The rapid fame of 30-year-old Abhijeet Dipke and his Cockroach Janta Party, which says it represents “the lazy, the unemployed, and the chronically correct”, is driven by the concerns of the young in a country where those below 30 are estimated to number more than half a population of 1.42 billion. Political analysts say the group’s enormous popularity has begun to dent Modi’s image, despite his party’s recent victories in key state elections, even as wider frustration grows over rising fuel prices and gas shortages brought by the Iran war. “If all was well with the country and the economy, 20 million young people would not rally around something like this,” said political activist Yogendra Yadav, who was a top leader of a national movement against corruption in 2011. ...

US President Donald Trump could soon appear on a new $250 bill, in the Republican’s latest move to shatter US traditions by putting his personal stamp on national institutions. A proposal for the new bill, featuring a glaring Trump, was reported on Thursday by The Washington Post. If carried out, it would be the first time the image of a living person — let alone a president — had appeared on US currency in a century and a half. The design mock-up obtained by The Washington Post also shows the words “America 250 anniversary,” a nod to the United States declaring its independence on July 4, 1776. According to the Post, two Trump appointees at the Treasury Department last year began urging staff at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to prepare prototypes. Employees there, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Post that the plan raised concerns because it would violate a federal law banning the depiction of living presidents on US money. Printing bureau director Patricia Solimene had pushed back, warnin...

LAHORE: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has arrested 11 ‘social media activists’ in different cities of Punjab for allegedly spreading anti-state propaganda and inciting unrest among the public. According to the NCCIA Punjab spokesperson, the 11 individuals had been under surveillance. They were allegedly involved in spreading provocative content and running campaigns against state institutions, particularly the army, through social media and other online platforms. The NCCIA spokesperson said raids were carried out on Thursday and two suspects were arrested from Lahore, three from Faisalabad, four from Multan, and one from Gujranwala on charges of anti-state propaganda and creating unrest among the public. The spokesperson added that digital evidence and social media records were being collected from the arrested individuals to trace their possible networks and online activities. The arrested suspects have been booked under different sections of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (...

North Korea does not seem keen to engage with the United States, South Korea or Japan and is focused on building up its self-reliance and military deterrence, Singapore’s foreign minister said following a trip to the reclusive state. According to a transcript shared by the foreign ministry, Vivian Balakrishnan spoke to Singaporean media on Thursday after a visit to both Koreas respectively on May 26 and 27. His last trip to North Korea was in 2018. “What’s clear is that they’re certainly in a closer relationship now with Russia. China remains indispensable to it, but they are not yet ready to open up significant channels of communication with the United States or with ROK and Japan at this point in time,” he added. US President Donald Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung have repeatedly expressed interest in holding talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Pyongyang’s ties with Moscow deepened in recent years after North Korea sent thousands of troops to fight with Russian forces in Kursk. Beijin...

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has promised that Pakistan’s “best days lie ahead”, highlighting the country’s economic progress and inviting overseas Pakistanis to “honour their roots” and invest. The DPM delivered these remarks while addressing an Eidul Azha dinner for Pakistani-American community leaders in New York. He arrived two days ago to attend a high-level meeting of the United Nations Security Council, according to the Foreign Office (FO). According to a transcript of Dar’s speech published on Thursday, “He (Dar) stated that the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has successfully steered the country through a period of significant economic challenges toward stability.” “He further noted that Pakistan is now pursuing a path of sustainable, high-growth development aimed at improving the quality of life of its people,” the FO said. Dar spotlighted declining inflation, improved credit ratings, a strengthening external account and rising investor confidence as evidence of P...

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Thursday announced that a new maximum temperature record had been set in Sindh’s Dadu, with a sizzling 51.5 Celsius on record. Last week, the PM forecast hot to very hot weather across the country during Eidul Azha, with temperatures expected to remain 5C to 7C above normal levels. According to PMD data, today’s readings in Dadu surpassed the normal temperature by 4.5C. The PMD added that Larkana and Jacobabad followed closely behind with readings of 50.5C. “Maximum temperatures are likely to remain 4-6C above normal and may rise to 47-50C in [the] districts of Sukkur, Shikarpur, Qambar Shahdadkot, Jacobabad, Larkana, Mohenjo Daro, Dadu, Shaheed Benazirabad, Tharparkar, Badin, Sujawal, Thatta, Hyderabad, Matiyari, Tando Muhammad Khan, Umerkot, Ghotki, Khairpur, Nausheroferoze, Mirpur Khas, Jamshoro, Sanghar, Sibbi, Turbat and Panjgur,” the department said in a press release. It added that mainly hot and dry weather was forecast over most parts of the country tod...

China and Pakistan have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral military cooperation and strategic coordination, with the Chinese Defence Ministry describing the relationship between the two countries as an enduring iron-clad friendship. Speaking at the monthly press briefing on Thursday, Chinese Defence Ministry Spokesman Colonel Jiang Bin commented on the recent high-level exchanges between the two countries during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s official visit to China. Responding to a question regarding meetings between Chinese and Pakistani leaders and military officials, Colonel Jiang Bin said China and Pakistan were good neighbours linked by mountains and rivers, good friends who trust each other, good partners who support each other, and good brothers who stand together in difficult times. Colonel Jiang Bin highlighted the close military ties between the two countries and said practical cooperation has yielded fruitful results in the areas of strategic communication, joint exercises and...

If carried out, it marks the first appearance of a living person on US currency in nearly 150 years

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will visit Washington on Friday where he will meet with US Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday. The visit comes as Islamabad is attempting to negotiate a peace pact to permanently end the US-Israeli war with Iran. The meeting with Rubio was originally scheduled for today but later moved to Friday. Dar will meet Rubio “to review bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and global developments of mutual interest”, the foreign ministry said in a statement. “The discussions will also focus on strengthening cooperation in key priority sectors, as well as Pakistan’s efforts to promote regional peace and stability through dialogue and diplomacy,” the foreign office elaborated, adding that the visit “reflects Pakistan’s commitment to further deepening its longstanding and broad-based partnership with the United States.” DPM Dar is expected to leave for Islamabad later in the day af...

Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said on Thursday that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz underwent ‘major surgery’ at the Sharif Medical City Hospital in Lahore. In a post on the social media platform X, Aurangzeb said: “Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz underwent major surgery at Sharif Medical City Hospital, after which she has been shifted home.” She added that despite being in the hospital, the chief minister monitored security, cleanliness and other administrative matters pertaining to the province on the first day of Eid. Responding to Aurangzeb’s post, Information Technology Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja prayed for Maryam’s health and well-being. National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq also prayed for her speedy recovery. He prayed for her continued good health, strength, and well-being, and appreciated her “commitment to public service and leadership during her recovery period”, according to a post by the NA’s account on X.

US and Iran reach MoU to extend ceasefire, White House declines to comment

US forces deployed to war zones have been targeted using commercially available location data, according to reports fielded by military officials, an illustration of how the global surveillance economy is shaping the battlefield. In a letter shared with Reuters by US Senator Ron Wyden — an Oregon Democrat — US Central Command (Centcom) said it had received multiple threat reports concerning adversary exploitation of commercial location data to target or surveil US personnel in theatre. The message, sent on April 14, offered no further specifics, but Centcom’s area of responsibility includes the Gulf, where US forces are facing off against the Iranian military over the Strait of Hormuz. A US soldier drives a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) to a refueling station in the Middle East, in this photo released on May 22, 2026. — X/@CENTCOM The disclosure was the first official confirmation that US forces had been targeted in an active war zone, Wyden and a bipartisan group of legislators said in a let...

Both reaffirm commitment to cooperation at multilateral fora, including the United Nations

Ishaq Dar said Pakistan believes in maintaining strong diplomatic relations with both the United States and China, describing balanced engagement with major powers as the essence of effective diplomacy.

Maryam Nawaz has returned to her residence after undergoing what officials described as a major surgery at Sharif Medical City Hospital in Lahore.

US Central Command says it was warned that adversaries used location data to target troops

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said on Thursday it targeted a US airbase after the US military carried out what a Washington official said were strikes targeting an Iranian drone operation near the Strait of Hormuz, hours after President Donald Trump rejected a report he was close to a compromise deal with Tehran. The escalation in hostilities highlighted threats to the tenuous ceasefire between the US and Iran that took effect in early April, dampening hopes for a peace deal and sending oil prices surging again. The US official, who requested anonymity to speak candidly about military operations, told Reuters the military shot down four Iranian attack drones and struck a ground control station in the port city of Bandar Abbas that was about to launch a fifth drone. “These actions were measured, purely defensive and intended to maintain the ceasefire,” the official said. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it targeted a US base in response to what it described as an early morning US attack near Bandar Abba...

Pakistani celebrities embraced elegant festive fashion, sharing vibrant Eid Day 2 looks and family moments

Pakistan’s Pakistan Meteorological Department has forecast rain and thunderstorms in several parts of the country while warning that intense heat is likely to persist in most major cities.

Pakistan’s military leadership on Thursday extended greetings to the nation on the 28th anniversary of Youm-e-Takbeer, reaffirming the armed forces’ commitment to safeguarding the country’s sovereignty and security.