A 7.1 magnitude tremor struck off southern Japan on Thursday, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said, with the local meteorological agency warning of tsunamis striking coastal areas. Initially, the USGS erroneously recorded two separate earthquakes, registering two tremors at 6.9 and 7.1 magnitude, respectively. The USGS acknowledged the error on its website, stating, “This event originally showed as two events in our event list. This error has been fixed. There was one event.” Tsunamis of up to one metre were expected to arrive or have arrived in some coastal areas in Kyushu and Shikoku islands, broadcaster NHK reported. “Tsunamis will strike…
Author: Hasnain Abid Khanzada
Thousands of anti-racism protesters took to the streets in several English cities on Wednesday to oppose days of far-right violence that have had UK police on high alert. Nightly riots — during which mosques and migrant-related facilities have been attacked — have erupted across towns and cities in England and Northern Ireland fuelled by a wave of misinformation surrounding the murder of three children on July 29. But on Wednesday evening, it was anti-racism and anti-fascist counter-protesters who were out in greater numbers, holding rallies in cities up and down England including London, Birmingham, Bristol, Liverpool, and Newcastle. “Whose streets? Our streets!” chanted protesters at…
Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus returned home to strife-torn Bangladesh on Thursday to lead his country back to democracy after a student-led uprising ended the 15-year rule of Sheikh Hasina. Yunus will head a caretaker government that is being established by the military, which turned on Hasina over the weekend after hundreds of people were killed in the unrest. The prospect of Yunus standing alongside military leaders was almost unimaginable a week ago, when security forces fired deadly rounds at protesters who took to the streets demanding that Hasina resign. But the military turned on Hasina at the weekend and she was forced to flee to neighbouring…
QUETTA: Heavy monsoon rains continued to lash northern and eastern Balochistan on Wednesday, causing flash floods, landslides and widespread damage. Link roads have been washed out, and traffic on highways has been suspended, with the result that the provincial capital, Quetta, has been cut off from many district headquarters. Although Quetta has not received heavy rain, the surrounding areas have been severely affected. In Hanna Urak valley, flash floods and overflowing seasonal streams have caused significant losses, with many mud houses damaged and orchards affected. Apple orchards have been particularly hard hit. Reports indicate that a large area in Zindra has been…
ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the National Command Authority Lt Gen Khalid Kidwai on Wednesday said that Pakistan’s nuclear capabilities represent the country’s commitment to defending its sovereignty against external threats. Speaking at a conference held at the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS), Gen Kidwai, elaborated on the effectiveness of Pakistan’s Full Spectrum Deterrence (FSD) doctrine in neutralising the perceived threats posed by India’s “Cold Start Doctrine” and other proactive military strategies. “Pakistan’s entire spectrum of deterrence, coupled with its readiness in nuclear capabilities, underlines our resolve to safeguard our territory from any form of aggression,” Gen Kidwai said. During his speech,…
LAHORE: Former PTI lawmaker Aliya Hamza was released from Gujranwala district jail on Wednesday after the Lahore High Court (LHC) restrained authorities from arresting her in any new cases until Aug 29. Justice Ali Baqar Najafi of the LHC presided over the hearing of a petition filed by Hamza Jamil Malik, Aliya Hamza’s husband, challenging the government’s failure to disclose the number and details of cases registered against her. The Punjab government’s lawyer informed the court that there were two police cases against the former MNA. Meanwhile, an assistant attorney general requested additional time to present a report on behalf…
ISLAMABAD: Former Federal Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Wednesday asked the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to take meaningful actions to get its prestige restored. Appearing before a four-member bench of the ECP, headed by Member from Sindh Nisar Ahmed Durrani, in contempt of ECP and Chief Election Commissioner against him and PTI founder Imran Khan, he said respect is drawn by actions and sought the ECP to notify 41 members of the National Assembly as PTI lawmakers. Fawad’s lawyer seeks open trial of Imran in contempt case At the outset of the proceedings, Mr Chaudhry yet again tendered an apology…
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar said on Wednesday that parliament, which is the supreme institution, has converted a rule into a law to stop floor crossing, as envisaged in the Constitution. Speaking at a presser, he said PML-N’s Bilal Azhar Kayani had presented the Elections Act (2nd Amendment) Bill in the National Assembly, whereas Senator Talal Chaudhry moved it in the Senate. The minister said the bill was passed by the National Assembly and the Senate by majority votes. He said the Constitution is clear regarding the scourge of floor crossing. According to the rules, he said, an independent candidate has to…
ISLAMABAD: As the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) moved the Supreme Court to seek a review of its July 12 judgement in the reserved seats case, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) approached the apex court against retrospective amendments to the Elections Act 2017 — yet to be signed by the president — a day after both houses of parliament approved the bill. The National Assembly and the Senate had approved the Elections (2nd Amendment) Bill 2024, amid protests by the PTI, who termed it an attack on the top court and said they would move the court against these changes. In a hurriedly moved petition,…
KARACHI: A policeman was shot dead near the UBL Sports Complex on Rashid Minhas Road by a lone robber who also took away his pistol and motorbike, the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) claimed. The Jauharabad police said that Constable Shabbir Ahmed, 38, was shot dead by an unknown man. However, senior CTD official Raja Umer Khattab ruled out the possibility of a targeted attack and said that it appeared to be a robbery-murder. CCTV footage went viral on social media showed that a motorcyclist shot at and wounded the policeman riding a motorbike and attempted to flee. However, the attacker’s bike…
