TOKYO, JAPAN—Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) elected hardline conservative Sanae Takaichi as its new head on Saturday, putting her on course to become the nation’s first female prime minister. The move is expected to inject significant uncertainty into both financial markets and regional diplomacy. The LDP, which has dominated post-war Japanese politics, selected Takaichi, 64, amid a crisis of confidence. The public, frustrated by rising prices, has increasingly been drawn to opposition groups promising stimulus and stricter controls on immigration. With the ruling coalition holding a majority in parliament, Takaichi is the clear favourite to win the prime ministerial…
Author: Raja Zahid Khanzada
KARACHI, PAKISTAN—The Sindh Police have formally requested Interpol and British law enforcement agencies to share the detailed log of a tracking device fitted in a high-end vehicle that was reported stolen from the United Kingdom and recently located in Karachi. The black Range Rover Sport was stolen on November 11, 2022, from Harrogate, UK. Earlier this year, in February, its embedded tracker system provided a location ping that placed the luxury SUV on Korangi Road in Karachi. Subsequently, Interpol issued a letter alerting Pakistani authorities, including the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in Islamabad, the Karachi Police, and the Anti-Vehicles Lifting…
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN—A high-level federal government delegation successfully signed an agreement with the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) on Saturday, bringing an end to days of widespread unrest and violence in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif immediately welcomed the development, asserting that “all issues have been resolved amicably.” The agreement follows two crucial rounds of talks after negotiations between the JAAC, the AJK government, and federal ministers previously broke down last week over core demands, notably the abolition of elite privileges and the reserved seats for Pakistan-based refugees from Indian-administered Kashmir. The political stalemate had quickly devolved…
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN—Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar on Friday expressed firm confidence that ongoing issues with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), a key government ally, would be amicably resolved through dialogue. Addressing the National Assembly, Senator Dar called for an immediate “ceasefire,” urging both sides to halt verbal attacks. He assured the House that the concerns raised by PPP members—who had staged a temporary walkout earlier to protest remarks made by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz against PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari—were neither serious nor unresolvable. He committed to addressing the matter within the next few days. Dar…
KARACHI, PAKISTAN—The Sindh government has adopted a stringent approach to road safety, amending the Motor Vehicles Ordinance, 1965, to introduce a new system of traffic penalties that includes both hefty fines and a demerit points system. Senior Sindh Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon announced the changes on Thursday, stating that the measures target high-risk violations such as overspeeding, driving without a licence, signal violations, wrong-way driving, overloading, and reckless behaviour. Escalating Penalties to Save Lives Under the revised penalty structure, high fines and significant demerit points are being imposed to serve as a stronger deterrent. The revised penalties for…
KARACHI, PAKISTAN—Cyclonic storm ‘Shakhti’, churning over the Arabian Sea, has intensified into a “severe cyclonic storm” over the past 12 hours, prompting authorities to issue warnings for parts of Pakistan’s coastline. The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) predicts light to moderate rain across regions of Sindh and Balochistan on Saturday. In a notification, the PMD stated that the severe storm is initially likely to track west-southwestwards, reaching the northwest and adjoining central North Arabian Sea by October 5. It is then expected to recurve and move east-northeastwards over the subsequent 24 hours, where it is anticipated to gradually weaken. Under the…
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN—Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday declared that the response by the Palestinian group Hamas to US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan “creates a window for a ceasefire and ensuring peace that we must not allow to close again.” The statement follows a late Friday night development where President Trump reportedly instructed Israel to immediately cease bombing Gaza after Hamas agreed to release hostages and accept specific terms within the US-led initiative to conclude the war. However, contentious issues, notably surrounding disarmament, appeared to remain unresolved. Subsequently, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office indicated that Israel was preparing…
KARACHI, PAKISTAN—Cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Pakistan is no longer an affliction of the elderly; it is a profound social crisis increasingly affecting people in their 30s and 40s. Every life tragically cut short by a heart attack sends a devastating ripple effect of emotional and financial hardship through the entire family unit. For World Heart Day 2025, the Tabba Heart Institute (THI) is shifting the focus from the individual to the entire household with a clear, urgent message: ‘Don’t Miss a Beat’ and ‘Dil Hai Toh Zindagi Hai’ (If you have a heart, you have life). The institute is issuing…
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN—Pakistani authorities are engaged with the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) as part of an investigation to determine who is operating the official account of incarcerated former Prime Minister and PTI founder, Imran Khan. Speaking on the Dawn News TV programme ‘Doosra Rukh with Nadir Guramani’ on Friday, Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik confirmed the government’s pursuit of the matter. “Investigations are underway [into who is operating PTI founder’s X account],” he stated. The State Minister added that the authorities expect to unearth evidence that will “disclose where the account’s links are and…
QUETTA, PAKISTAN—Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti on Saturday praised the country’s security forces following an operation in Khuzdar district that reportedly resulted in the elimination of “multiple terrorists.” In a post on the social media platform X, the Chief Minister stated that in the Zehri area of Khuzdar, security forces had “foiled the enemy’s nefarious designs, killing multiple terrorists and destroying their hideouts.” The chief minister, however, did not specify the exact number of individuals killed in the counter-terrorism operation. Bugti framed the operational success as a political victory, asserting it was “proof that the people of Balochistan and the…
