Beirut, Lebanon (From International Waters) Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg, currently sailing towards Gaza as part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, has vehemently condemned Israel for launching a coordinated smear campaign against the convoy, which Jerusalem claims is funded by Hamas. In an Instagram post on Tuesday, Thunberg accused the Israeli government of attempting to pre-emptively justify a violent response. “Israel think they can get away with only recycling their old arguments to lay the groundwork for violence against us and justify their atrocities without addressing the evidence of them committing a genocide and continuously committing war crimes,” she wrote.…
Author: Raja Zahid Khanzada
Manila, Philippines The death toll from the powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck the central Philippines has climbed to 69, a disaster official confirmed on Wednesday, as the government mobilised agencies to search for survivors and restore critical power and water supplies to affected regions. The shallow quake, which struck off the coast just before 10 pm on Tuesday, caused widespread damage. In Bogo city in the north of Cebu province, which was near the epicentre, the main hospital has been “overwhelmed,” Civil Defence official Raffy Alejandro told reporters, underscoring the severity of the crisis. The reported toll of 69, based…
Washington, D.C. The United States federal government entered a partial shutdown just after midnight on Wednesday as lawmakers and President Donald Trump failed to resolve a bitter budget impasse centered on Democratic demands for healthcare funding. This marks the first shutdown since the longest in history—lasting 35 days—almost seven years ago. The stoppage will immediately halt operations at multiple federal departments and agencies, affecting hundreds of thousands of government workers. President Trump quickly blamed Democrats for the stalled talks and escalated the political confrontation by threatening to punish the party and its voters during the stoppage. He suggested targeting progressive…
Beijing, China China has officially launched a new visa programme to aggressively court foreign talent in the fields of science and technology, an effort that underscores its strategic push to position itself as a world leader in these sectors ahead of the United States. The Chinese measure, first announced in August, stands in stark contrast to recent US policy shifts. Across the Atlantic, the Trump administration rattled the American tech industry last month by suddenly introducing new and substantially expensive changes to its skilled worker visas. The new Chinese ‘K visa’ significantly simplifies the immigration process for eligible applicants, according…
The subsurface ocean hidden beneath the icy shell of Saturn’s moon Enceladus harbours complex organic molecules, a new study reveals, offering compelling further evidence that the small world possesses all the right ingredients to host extraterrestrial life. Just 500 kilometres (310 miles) wide and invisible to the naked eye, the white, scar-covered Enceladus is one of hundreds of moons orbiting the sixth planet from the Sun. For a long time, scientists believed it was simply too far from the Sun—and therefore too cold—to be habitable. However, the Cassini space probe’s multiple flybys during its 2004–2017 mission to Saturn and its…
The Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, expressed strong displeasure over the detection of two more poliovirus cases this month and announced strict disciplinary action against negligent officials, along with an aggressive new eradication campaign for the final quarter of 2025. English Summary The Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, took immediate disciplinary action following the detection of two more poliovirus cases, bringing the total number of cases in Sindh to nine for the year (three in Badin, two in Thatta, and one each in Hyderabad, Larkana, Kambar, and Umerkot). Disciplinary Actions: Suspended the District Health Officers (DHOs) of…
Islamabad, Pakistan: The Commonwealth Observer Group (COG) has officially released its final report on Pakistan’s 2024 general elections, detailing what it called “conditions which appeared to limit fundamental political rights and impacted one party’s ability to fairly contest the election.” The report, long subject to controversy over its delay, also criticized the cellular service shutdown on election night, which it said “reduced the transparency of the process and impacted the efficiency of receiving results.” In a “Letter of Transmittal” included in the report, COG Chairperson Dr. Goodluck Jonathan highlighted the central issues facing the elections: the denial of the ‘bat’…
Quetta, Pakistan: At least ten alleged terrorists were killed in a major exchange of fire with Counter-terrorism Department (CTD) personnel in Quetta’s Aghbarg area on Wednesday, signaling a significant counter-insurgency operation in Pakistan’s volatile southwestern province of Balochistan. A CTD spokesperson confirmed in a statement that the operation was launched following a reliable tip-off from intelligence agencies. “Upon reaching the area, they were attacked by the terrorists but promptly retaliated,” the spokesperson said. The ensuing gun battle resulted in the deaths of the ten individuals. The CTD reported recovering heavy ammunition and weapons from the bodies of the deceased. According…
Islamabad, Pakistan: Pakistan has successfully repaid a $500 million Eurobond on schedule, a move the government is highlighting as concrete evidence of improving fiscal discipline, strengthening foreign reserves, and a more resilient economic outlook following years of crisis. The bond, originally issued in 2015 with a 10-year tenor to raise funds from global investors, matured on September 30 this year. Khurram Schehzad, Adviser to the Finance Minister, announced the repayment on the X platform, stating: “Timely debt servicing remains business as usual, reflecting the country’s commitment to financial discipline.” He characterized the development as encouraging, noting that it coincides with…
Abbottabad, Pakistan: A devastating incident of gun violence has rocked the Havelian area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Abbottabad district, where a man allegedly shot dead four members of his immediate family on Wednesday, according to local police. The victims include the suspect’s brother, his sister-in-law, and their two young daughters. The alleged mass shooting took place in the Bandi Attai area. Abbottabad Police Spokesperson Azam Mir Afzal confirmed the incident, stating that a police team was immediately dispatched to the site. “The suspect allegedly killed his brother along with his family members, but the motive behind the murders could not be…
