Author: Sajjad Ali

LAHORE: A Special Central Court in Lahore has ordered the suspension of identity cards and passports for six accused individuals, including Moonis Elahi, in the FIA’s money laundering case. The court has also mandated that their names be added to the passport control list, restricting their ability to travel internationally. Additionally, the court has instructed the freezing of Moonis Elahi’s assets, including over 26 kanals of land in Kasur, and a plot and house in Gulberg, Lahore, registered in his name. Judge Tanveer Ahmed Shaikh, who presided over the hearing, has requested a report on the implementation of these measures…

KABUL: The situation for women in Afghanistan has drastically worsened under Taliban rule, with alarming increases in femicide and gender-based violence. Reports indicate that since the Taliban took control of the country, hundreds of women have been brutally murdered. The Center for Information Resilience has documented 332 cases of women being killed by men since the Taliban’s takeover, though this likely represents only a fraction of the actual incidents, as many crimes are concealed to protect the Taliban’s image. In addition to these killings, gender-based violence has surged, painting a grim picture of life for Afghan women under Taliban rule.…

Israel’s outgoing military intelligence chief, Major General Aharon Haliva, accepted responsibility for the failures to defend the country’s borders during the October 7 attack, as he officially stepped down during a resignation ceremony on Wednesday. Haliva, a 38-year veteran of the military, had announced his resignation in April. He is among several senior Israeli commanders who acknowledged their inability to anticipate and prevent the deadliest attack in Israel’s history. “The failure of the intelligence corps was my fault,” Haliva stated at the ceremony, calling for a national investigation to thoroughly examine and understand the reasons that led to the war…

Ukraine launched a significant drone attack on Moscow on Wednesday, with at least 11 drones intercepted and shot down by Russian air defenses. Russian officials described this as one of the largest drone strikes on the capital since the war in Ukraine began in February 2022. The conflict, which has primarily been a drawn-out battle involving artillery and drones across eastern Ukraine’s fields, forests, and villages, escalated on August 6 when Ukraine sent thousands of troops into Russia’s western Kursk region. For several months, Ukraine has been conducting a damaging drone campaign against Russia’s refineries and airfields. Russia, the world’s…

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Gohar Ali Khan announced on Thursday the postponement of a public gathering in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT). Last night, the federal government canceled the NOC granted to PTI for the Jalsa, while the Punjab government imposed Section 144 across the province, banning public gatherings from August 22 to August 24. Accompanied by Azam Swati, PTI’s leader Barrister Gohar Ali Khan told the media that the decision to delay the event was made following directions from PTI founder and Chairman Imran Khan. The political atmosphere remains tense, with PTI initially planning to hold a rally…

KABUL: The Taliban and Uzbekistan have signed five new bilateral trade and investment agreements, strengthening economic ties between the two nations. The agreements were finalized during a visit by Uzbekistan’s Prime Minister, Abdulla Aripov, who led a high-level delegation to Kabul on Saturday. According to Afghanistan’s Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, the agreements aim to enhance economic relations and include cooperation on developing gas wells. The Uzbek delegation expressed interest in investing in a gas well located in the Toti Maidan area of Jawzjan Province. The signing ceremony was attended by Taliban Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Ghani Baradar and Uzbek…

Apple’s upcoming iPhone 16 is already making waves in the tech world, months before its official September unveiling. A recently leaked image, which appeared on Reddit, has revealed what appears to be a dummy unit of the standard iPhone 16. The image shows a redesigned device featuring a new camera system and a refreshed color palette. The leaked design highlights a dual-camera setup within a capsule-shaped module, reminiscent of the iPhone X, and notably, the absence of the flash from the main camera bump—a feature that has been the subject of speculation. This year’s color options for the iPhone 16…

ISLAMABAD: The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) issued a warning on Saturday for severe weather conditions, including heavy rains and potential flash flooding, which are expected to continue until August 19. The advisory highlights that widespread thunderstorms with moderate to heavy rainfall are forecasted for Sindh, South Punjab, and Balochistan, with isolated areas experiencing very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall. Specific regions at risk include Sindh, DG Khan, Multan, Bahawalpur, Zhob, Loralai, Nasirabad, Sibbi, Kalat, and Makran Divisions. The NDMA also warned of medium to high levels of flash flooding in hill torrents of the DG Khan division and in…

KABUL:  Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov of Uzbekistan arrived in Kabul on Saturday, leading a senior delegation for a visit focused on strengthening bilateral trade relations. Taliban said the purpose of Aripov’s visit is to participate in discussions on enhancing trade ties between the two sides. He was welcomed at Kabul’s airport by Abdul Salam Hanafi, the Taliban’s deputy prime minister for administrative affairs. In a statement, the Taliban-run Ministry of Industry and Commerce noted that Aripov would also attend an exhibition showcasing products from both Afghanistan and Uzbekistan.

KABUL: The Khorasan branch of Daesh, also known as ISIS-K, has carried out at least 62 attacks in Afghanistan over the past three years, according to a report from the Afghanistan Security Watch. These attacks have resulted in the deaths of at least 857 people and injuries to 1,575 others, with civilians being the primary victims. Despite these alarming figures, the Taliban has consistently downplayed the presence and threat of ISIS-K, insisting that the group does not pose a significant risk to Afghanistan’s security. The watchdog’s report indicates that ISIS-K has escalated its operations under Taliban rule, with 29 attacks…