Syria’s de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa has been declared president for a transitional phase, tightening his grip on power less than two months after leading a campaign that toppled Bashar al-Assad. Sharaa is also empowered to form a temporary legislative council for a transitional period, and the Syrian constitution was suspended, according to an announcement made by the military command that led the offensive against Assad. The decisions emerged from a meeting of military commanders who took part in the assault, a campaign spearheaded by Sharaa’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group. Addressing the conference, Sharaa said the first priority in…
Author: Raja Zahid Khanzada
An Iraqi refugee and anti-Islam campaigner was shot dead in Sweden on Thursday, hours before he was due to receive a court verdict following a trial over burning the Holy Quran, leading to the arrest of five people. The five were arrested in connection with the incident late on Wednesday and ordered detained by a prosecutor, Swedish police said on their website. They did not say if the shooter was among those detained. The court was due to rule on whether Salwan Momika, 38, who burned copies of the Holy Quran at a slew of protests, was guilty of inciting…
US President Donald Trump signed a bill on Wednesday mandating the pre-trial detention of undocumented migrants accused of theft and violent crimes, marking his first legislative action since retaking office. Signing the Laken Riley Act, named for a 22-year-old US student murdered by a Venezuelan migrant, Trump said: “With today’s action, her name will […] live forever in the laws of our country, and this is a very important law.” Trump said on Wednesday he planned to detain “criminal illegal aliens” at the notorious Guantanamo Bay military prison, used for holding terrorism suspects since the 9/11 attacks. Trump said at…
President Donald Trump has raised concerns over the midair collision between an American Airlines passenger jet and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter that resulted in at least 20 fatalities. The crash occurred near Washington’s Ronald Reagan National Airport, just five kilometers from the White House, sparking widespread shock and ongoing investigations. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump questioned why the Army helicopter did not take evasive action despite clear visibility. “The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport. The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period…
An American Airlines regional passenger jet was involved in a mid-air collision on Wednesday night with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan Washington National Airport, officials said. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas said on social media that “we know there are fatalities,” though he did not specify how many. These are the last 10 deadly airline crashes to occur in the US, according to data from the US National Transportation Board and the Flight Safety Foundation’s Aviation Safety Network: 2009 A Colgan Air turboprop crashed on approach to landing in Buffalo, New York, killing all 49 people on…
NEW YORK/WASHINGTON: A Pakistani-American federal district judge, Loren AliKhan, has temporarily halted the implementation of U.S. President Donald Trump’s controversial executive order. The 41-year-old judge responded to a petition from the National Council of Nonprofits and public health organizations, leading to a temporary administrative stay. This ruling gained considerable attention, making headlines as breaking news across national media, with analysts discussing its broader implications. The executive order, which was set to freeze several hundred billion dollars in funds, was scheduled to take effect on January 28. These funds were intended for distribution in the form of federal grants, loans, and…
WASHINGTON: Meta has agreed to pay $25 million to U.S. President Donald Trump to settle a lawsuit he filed in 2021, accusing the tech company of unfairly blocking him from Facebook and Instagram following the U.S. Capitol riot. The Wall Street Journal first reported the settlement of the lawsuit against Meta and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg, which was seen as a victory for Trump. According to individuals familiar with the agreement, the Journal reported that $22 million of the payment will be allocated towards funding Trump’s future presidential library, with the remainder covering legal fees and payments to other plaintiffs…
Islamabad: Supreme Court Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi questioned whether the offences of May 9, 2023, were more severe than acts of terrorism. His remarks were made during a hearing on the intra-court appeal against the trial of civilians in military courts by a seven-member constitutional bench led by Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan. The Ministry of Defence’s counsel, Khawaja Haris, stated that military courts were not part of the judicial system under Article 175 of the Constitution but were instead established under a separate recognized law. In response, Justice Jamal Mandokhail remarked that courts established under Article 175 have broad jurisdiction,…
Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated that the government is ready to form a parliamentary committee to advance talks with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), following the latter’s abrupt exit from negotiations. PTI had abruptly walked away from the talks after three meetings, accusing the government of not genuinely addressing its demands, including the release of “political prisoners” and the formation of judicial commissions to investigate the events of May 9, 2023, and November 24-27, 2024. The prime minister said he wishes to reduce political tensions and proceed with negotiations sincerely, as the country cannot afford more damage. Speaking at a federal…
Rawalpindi: Major Hamza Israr, aged 29, embraced martyrdom during a gun battle with terrorists in the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan, where he was leading his troops from the front. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the exchange of fire occurred on the night between January 29-30, as security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation. The forces successfully engaged a terrorist location, resulting in the death of six terrorists. In addition to Major Israr, Sepoy Muhammad Naeem, aged 26, also laid down his life in the line of duty. Sepoy Naeem was a resident of Naseerabad and fought gallantly…
