Pakistan News

Posts

London Jewish community ambulances set ablaze in antisemitic attack, UK PM Starmer says

Four ambulances belonging to a Jewish community organisation in north London were set ablaze overnight in what British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called “a deeply shocking antisemitic arson attack”. The London Fire Brigade, which sent six fire engines and 40 firefighters to the scene, said multiple cylinders on the vehicles exploded, causing windows to shatter in an adjacent apartment block. No injuries were reported. The SITE Intelligence website said an Iran-aligned multinational militant collective called Islamic Movement of the People of the Right Hand had claimed responsibility for the attack near a synagogue in Golders Green. It said the group had been behind similar fires in Belgium, Greece and the Netherlands. Starmer condemns antisemitism Starmer described the incident as deeply shocking. “My thoughts are with the Jewish community who are waking up this morning to this horrific news,” he said on X. “Antisemitism has no place in our society.” Israel’s embassy in Br...

PM Shehbaz bans use of high-octane fuel in govt vehicles

ISLAMABAD: In another step towards tightening austerity measures, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday imposed a complete ban on the use of high-octane fuel in government vehicles, shortly after the announcement of a Rs200 increase in the levy on high-octane fuel. The decision comes amid government efforts to manage the economic impact of rising global oil prices following the US-Israel war on Iran, which has triggered a fuel crisis. According to an announcement by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the premier directed relevant authorities to take action against government officials who used high-octane in their official vehicles. “If necessary, the officials will have to bear the cost of high-octane fuel from their own pocket,” the announcement quoted PM Shehbaz as saying. He stressed the need for maximum conservation of fuel in view of global oil crisis due to the US-Israel war on Iran, and Iran’s subsequent attacks on United States air bases and other facilities in Gulf Sta...

Planet trapped record heat in 2025: UN

The amount of heat trapped by the Earth reached record levels in 2025, with the consequences of such warming feared to last for thousands of years, the United Nations warned Monday. The 11 hottest years ever recorded were all between 2015 and 2025, the UN World Meteorological Organisation weather and climate agency confirmed in its flagship State of the Global Climate annual report. Last year was the second or third hottest year on record, at about 1.43 Celsius above the 1850-1900 average, the WMO said. “The global climate is in a state of emergency. Planet Earth is being pushed beyond its limits. Every key climate indicator is flashing red,” said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. “Humanity has just endured the 11 hottest years on record. When history repeats itself 11 times, it is no longer a coincidence. It is a call to act.” For the first time, the WMO climate report includes the planet’s energy imbalance: the rate at which energy enters and leaves the Earth system. Under ...

Patriot missile involved in Bahrain blast likely US-operated, analysis finds

An American-operated Patriot air defence battery likely fired the interceptor missile involved in a pre-dawn explosion that injured dozens of civilians and tore through homes in US-ally Bahrain 10 days into the war on Iran, according to an analysis by academic researchers examined by Reuters. Both Bahrain and Washington have blamed an Iranian drone attack for the March 9 blast, which the Gulf kingdom said injured 32 people including children, some seriously. Commenting on the day of the attack, US Central Command said on X that an Iranian drone struck a residential neighbourhood in Bahrain. In response to questions from Reuters , Bahrain on Saturday acknowledged for the first time that a Patriot missile was involved in the explosion over the Mahazza neighbourhood on Sitra island, offshore from the capital Manama and also home to an oil refinery. In a statement, a Bahraini government spokesperson said the missile successfully intercepted an Iranian drone mid-air, saving lives....

Rights groups fear use of arrest to stifle free speech in Pakistan

Mavra Bari had intended to take part in a march for International Women’s Day in Islamabad, but spent it in a cramped prison cell. What was meant to be a celebration was instead a terrifying 12-hour ordeal in a suffocating space, with a broken toilet and the smell of damp concrete and sweat. Over 30 others — women, men and children — were also held. “We were in a horrible prison,” said Bari, a 36-year-old sociologist and activist. “We were beaten.” An AFP journalist saw detainees when they were released. All looked shaken from the experience, and some had signs of ill-treatment, such as bruises and swelling. Outside the police station, one man said tearfully: “My daughter came here just to observe the march… She did nothing wrong.” On the face of it, the Women’s Day march, like those elsewhere in the world, should have posed little concern for the authorities in Islamabad. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif himself posted on X on March 8 that women’s empowerment was “central to our ...

Gold falls 1.8pc after report of US sending more troops to Middle East

Gold prices fell by 1.8 per cent on Friday as the dollar strengthened on a report that the United States will deploy extra troops in the Middle East, fanning concerns of higher oil prices, inflation, and with it, elevated interest rates. Spot gold fell 1.8pc to $4,563.64 per ounce after earlier rising 1pc. US gold futures for April delivery were 0.7pc lower at $4,574.90. The dollar and US Treasury yields extended gains after a Reuters report, citing three US officials, that the US military is deploying thousands of additional marines and sailors to the Middle East. A stronger dollar makes dollar-priced bullion less attractive to holders of other currencies. The US-Israeli war on Iran has killed thousands , spilled across the Middle East and hit the global economy since the two countries launched a joint attack on February 28. Iran’s prolonged blockade of the Strait of Hormuz could keep energy prices elevated and fuel inflation. “Gold and silver are being dragged lower as market...