The Gilgit-Baltistan region reported its first polio case of 2025 on Monday, marking a concerning re-emergence of the crippling disease in an area previously considered polio-free. Officials confirmed today that a 23-month-old child in the Diamer district has been infected with the poliovirus. The National Institute of Health (NIH) in Islamabad officially confirmed the presence of the virus in the child from Diamer, indicating that this is the first time the poliovirus has been detected in Gilgit-Baltistan. According to health officials, this new case brings the total number of polio cases reported across Pakistan so far in 2025 to 11.…
Author: Raja Zahid Khanzada
Scientists have announced the discovery of a peculiar new object situated far beyond Neptune, in one of the coldest and most remote regions of our solar system. This object, designated 2017 OF201, is icy, incredibly distant, and potentially massive enough to be classified as a dwarf planet. It completes a single orbit around the sun in approximately 25,000 years. Researchers indicate that it is one of the most distant objects ever observed in space — and its existence could suggest that numerous other hidden worlds are still awaiting discovery. The researchers described it as one of the most distant visible…
Demis Hassabis, a prominent figure in artificial intelligence and head of Google’s DeepMind, stated on Monday that while increased international cooperation on AI regulation is essential, its achievement remains “difficult” within “today’s geopolitical context.” As AI becomes increasingly integrated across various industries, its applications have brought forth significant ethical concerns, ranging from the proliferation of misinformation to its potential impact on employment and the broader risk of losing technological control. During the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in London on Monday, Hassabis – a Nobel Prize laureate in Chemistry for his AI research – also addressed the challenges posed by…
Donald Trump’s administration on Monday requested the US Supreme Court to halt a judicial order that is currently blocking extensive job cuts and agency restructuring. This appeal is part of the Republican president’s broader initiative to downsize and reconfigure the federal government, as reported by Reuters. The Justice Department’s appeal followed a May 22 ruling by San Francisco-based US District Judge Susan Illston, who sided with a coalition of unions, non-profit organizations, and local governments challenging the administration. Her ruling effectively blocked large-scale federal layoffs, commonly referred to as “reductions in force.” The case directly impacts several key federal entities,…
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has drawn criticism for seemingly deriding climate activist Greta Thunberg’s involvement in a humanitarian endeavor aimed at breaching Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza and delivering aid. Thunberg is participating with a group organized by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), which set sail from Italy with the objective of providing crucial assistance to Palestinians in Gaza. The mission also includes other prominent individuals, such as Game of Thrones actor Liam Cunningham. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Graham posted, “Hope Greta and her friends can swim,” in what appeared to be a jibe at the mission’s inherent risks.…
Britain announced on Monday its plan to construct 12 new attack submarines, marking the launch of a significant defence review aimed at shifting the country to “war-fighting readiness” in response to “Russian aggression” and the evolving nature of conflict. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, initiating the review in Glasgow, warned that “the threat we now face is more serious, more immediate and more unpredictable than at any time since the Cold War.” He further added, “We face war in Europe, new nuclear risks, daily cyberattacks, growing Russian aggression in our waters, menacing our skies.” The Strategic Defence Review, which evaluates threats…
Greenpeace activists on Monday absconded with a wax figure of President Emmanuel Macron from a Paris museum and positioned it outside the Russian embassy. This action was part of a protest against France’s economic ties with Moscow following the invasion of Ukraine. According to a police source, two women and a man gained entry to the Grevin Museum by posing as tourists. Once inside, they changed into worker attire to blend in. The activists, having concealed the wax figure estimated to be worth 40,000 euros, then exited through an emergency door. The museum reported that the activists had called to…
A Turkish-born man who desecrated the Holy Quran in London was found guilty on Monday of a religiously aggravated public order offense. This case has drawn significant attention from free-speech advocates. Hamit Coskun, 50, was heard shouting “Islam is religion of terrorism” as he desecrated the Holy Quran outside the Turkish consulate in London back in February. District Judge John McGarva, presiding at London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court, found Coskun guilty of engaging in disorderly behavior “within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress.” Judge McGarva stated that Coskun was motivated by “hostility…
Iranian authorities have successfully rescued 10 Pakistani citizens who were being held captive by a criminal syndicate promising illicit passage to Europe. The operation garnered praise from Pakistan’s Ambassador to Iran, Mudassar Tipu, who expressed profound gratitude to the Iranian government and law enforcement agencies for their prompt and effective intervention. He affirmed that the timely action by the Iranian police averted disaster for several Pakistani families. “These individuals were being exploited by human traffickers under the false promise of sending them to Europe. Their rescue is a testament to Iran’s commitment to combating such criminal activities,” Ambassador Tipu stated…
Russia and Ukraine announced on Monday that they have reached an agreement during peace talks to conduct further prisoner-of-war exchanges and to repatriate the remains of 12,000 fallen soldiers. The belligerent parties convened for just under an hour in Istanbul, Turkey, marking only the second such round of negotiations since March 2022. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan hailed the meeting as significant and expressed his hope of facilitating a future meeting in Turkey between Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskiy, and US President Donald Trump. However, no breakthrough was achieved regarding a proposed ceasefire, which Ukraine, its European allies, and Washington…
