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Avoid 'reactive' police reforms after Nowak murder, senior black officer warns
The head of the National Black Police Association says proposed changes to racism guidance are "not well thought-out".
"FORMS" · 총 686건
필터 보기현재 지수
50.3
0 = 부정 우세
50 = 중립
100 = 긍정 우세
최근 7일 기준 81,036건을 분석한 결과, 뉴스 심리지수는 50.2(균형)입니다. 긍정 3,961건(4.9%)·중립 75,170건(92.8%)·부정 1,905건(2.4%)이며, 중립 비중이 뚜렷하게 높습니다. 성향 지수는 종합 14.6(중도 균형)입니다.
The head of the National Black Police Association says proposed changes to racism guidance are "not well thought-out".
Woo Kah Leong urges the authorities to stop all forms of intimidation against youths who speak out, protest, or challenge the status quo.
A tragic matatu crash in Nairobi claimed six lives, with a haunting video of a victim before the accident sparking grief and a call for road safety reforms.
The Foreign Office (FO) on Thursday refuted reports that Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar shared any information regarding Iran’s nuclear programme during a meeting with United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Dar met with Rubio on May 29 during a brief visit to Washington, where the two discussed bilateral cooperation as well as regional security issues. Rubio had praised Islamabad’s role “in advancing peace in the Middle East”. Responding to queries during a weekly press briefing on Thursday, FO Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Pakistan rejected reports of the deputy premier “exchanging any kind of information about Iran’s nuclear programme”. “No such information was shared,” he added. The spokesperson’s remarks come after former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) analyst Larry Johnson, quoting an unnamed source, claimed that Dar had a conversation with Rubio that “revealed what Iran is prepared to do to preserve its independence”, which allegedly “alarmed” Rubio. Rubio had also responded to the claims during a congressional hearing on Wednesday. US Congressman Scott Perry asked him if Dar had delivered a message that Iran is “prepared to demonstrate a nuclear weapon should the current escalation continue”. “I have not seen that reporting and I am not aware of any such message,” Rubio responded. Perry again referred to the reports, to which Rubio said that no such message had been delivered. “I would be surprised if that message had been relayed. I would be aware of it if it was,” he said. India’s plans to divert Chenab water Meanwhile, the FO also denounced India’s plans to build a river-linking project to divert water from Chenab to the Beas river as a “grave violation” of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) and other international laws. Chenab forms at the confluence of the Chandra and Bhaga rivers in Lahaul and Spiti, Himachal Pradesh. The IWT, brokered by the World Bank in 1960, allocates the three western rivers — Indus, Jhelum and Chenab — to Pakistan, and the three eastern rivers — Ravi, Beas and Sutlej — to India. According to Indian news outlet CNBC TV18, India will begin work on the proposed “Link-3 Project”, located on Chenab in Himachal Pradesh, on August 1. The project aims to divert surplus water from the Chenab river to the Beas basin and is estimated to cost 26.2 billion Indian rupees, as per ANI. Reponding to a query, Andrabi said, “Yes, we have seen this report as well as the public tendered document issued by the government of India that India has invited bids for the Chenab-Beas Link Tunnel project with the intention of transferring 1.9m acre feet of water annually from Chenab into the Beas system. “Such an inter-basin diversion of water of the Chenab into the Beas system constitutes a grave violation of not just the IWT but also of the laws of treaty, particularly the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, as well as the broader framework of international water law, including the principles reflected in the 1977 UN convention on watercourses,” he added. The FO spokesperson also highlighted India’s planned “silt flushing” of the Salal Dam in occupied Kashmir’s Reasi district. “This is a deeply concerning development. It would provide water control capability that is not permissible under either the Indus Waters Treaty or the 1978 Salal agreement,” he pointed out. Andrabi noted that India had neither officially communicated nor shared any notice of these projects nor has it sought consultations in this regard. “These projects confirm that India seeks to weaponise water. This carries dangerous implications not only for Pakistan’s economy but also for regional stability and international peace and security,” he stressed. Emphasising that Pakistan had “exercised restraint and responsibility” and remained committed to dialogue, Andrabi warned, “However, any illegal action, any illegal measure to endanger Pakistan’s water, food and economic security, as well as the survival and well-being of its 250 million people, is unacceptable.” He stated that such actions amount to “further destabilisation of South Asia, with potential grave consequences” for the entire region. “Under IWT, Pakistan is entitled to receive the unrestricted use of the water of the western rivers, and this is in lieu of the rights of the eastern rivers that were given to India,” Andrabi noted. The FO spokesperson asserted that Pakistan “retains all options necessary for safeguarding rights and entitlements under the treaty and to protect its vital national interests”. “Let me emphasise, we retain all options in this regard,” he reiterated. The FO urged the international community to call upon India to “desist from any form of water coercion, abandon projects that seek to stop, reduce or divert water flow legally belonging to Pakistan, and restore full and faithful implementation of the IWT”.
The measure forms part of recommendations made by the Government's independent advisor on antisemitism after the review found Jewish NHS employees face 'routine ostracism'.
PETALING JAYA, June 4 — Malaysia has the potential to become a leading football nation in Asia if the Football Ass...
Information Minister Ataullah Tarar on Thursday assured the Christian community of the government’s commitment towards the protection of the rights of religious minorities, state broadcaster PTV reported. The information minister, along with Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, met a delegation of the Christian community, during which they discussed the state of minority rights and the welfare and well-being of the Christian community. As per PTV, the delegation “commended the government’s continued commitment to protecting the rights of minority communities”, welcoming a recent legislation by the Punjab government — Child Marriage Restraint Act 2026. They also commended the government’s efforts to promote equal opportunities for religious minorities. During the meeting, the participants discussed resolution of issues faced by the Christian community, stressing the need for “effectively addressing the issues of the community through relevant law and policies”. According to the report, the meeting also reached an agreement on “devising an effective mechanism for resolving other matters, including the Christian Personal Law”. The law minister held that it was of “utmost importance” to promote “comprehensive legal and policy reforms” with the consultation of the community. “The government is fully committed to providing equal rights and equal opportunities to all citizens,” he said. The information minister also voiced similar views, reiterating that the government remained committed to protecting minority rights. “Consultation with representatives of minority communities ensures that the needs of all citizens are taken into account in law and policy-making,” he said. He assured the delegation that the government was “fully committed” to promoting “interfaith harmony, equal citizenship, and an inclusive society, where every Pakistani can contribute towards national development without any discrimination”.
Teachers in Mexico City toppled football statues during protests over pay and reforms, raising tensions ahead of the World Cup opening next month.
Why is Operation Langda a pragmatic strategy? Has a sporadic enforcement tactic become a routine practice? What makes it legally defensible ?To what extent does the State endorse half-encounters? Is it a self-sustaining system? Why are piecemeal reforms insufficient?
Kuku Technologies Ltd, which operates vernacular audio platform Kuku FM and short-video streaming app Kuku TV, has filed confidential draft papers with Sebi for an IPO to raise up to Rs 3,000 crore, according to sources. The company is planning to raise between Rs 2,500-Rs 3,500 crore and is targeting a valuation of up to Rs 15,000 crore (about USD 1.8 billion) through the proposed public issue, people familiar with the development said on Thursday. The initial public offering (IPO), expected in the later part of this financial year, will comprise a mix of fresh issue of shares and an offer-for-sale (OFS) by existing investors. Proceeds from the fresh issue will be utilised for strengthening technology and AI infrastructure, content creation and expansion into new geographies. When contacted, Kuku Technologies declined to comment on the proposed offering. Kuku's revenue surged nearly seven-fold to more than Rs 1,400 crore in FY26 from about Rs 240 crore in the previous fiscal, while the company remained close to achieving operational break-even. The company has leveraged artificial intelligence tools to accelerate content production, improve content recommendations and reduce customer acquisition costs. Founded in 2018 by IIT alumni Lal Chand Bisu, Vinod Kumar and Vikas Goyal, Kuku has built a portfolio spanning audio content, microdrama entertainment and edutainment. Its latest offering, Kuku TV, launched in late 2024, focuses on micro dramas -- short-form mobile-first video series with episodes typically lasting two to three minutes. The platform is currently releasing over 150 original shows every month and has crossed 200 million downloads. Industry estimates suggest that India's Hindi and vernacular micro-drama segment is expanding at around 60 per cent annually, driven by rising smartphone penetration and increasing consumption of short-form video content. Across its platforms, including Kuku FM, Kuku TV and Guru, the company has over 10 million active paying subscribers and more than 400 million cumulative downloads. Its content library comprises over 60,000 hours of programming across seven to eight Indian languages. The company has also initiated plans to expand into overseas markets, including the United States. Kuku has raised more than USD 150 million from investors such as Fundamentum Partnership, Krafton, Vertex Ventures, Granite Asia, International Finance Corporation (IFC), Paramark Ventures, India Quotient and 3one4 Capital. Former India cricket captain MS Dhoni is also among its investors. Kotak Mahindra Capital, Jefferies, JM Financial and Axis Capital are acting as the book-running lead managers to the issue.
The reforms will replace the 50% capital gains tax discount for assets held for more than a year with a tax on inflation-adjusted gains.
THE government has postponed the announcement of the FY27 budget without offering any explanation for the decision. In the absence of an official announcement, speculation has been rife in the media about the reasons behind the delay. The most plausible explanation appears to be unresolved issues with the IMF, particularly with regard to fiscal space for relief and the transfer of some provincial resources to support federal spending. According to unnamed officials quoted in media reports, Pakistan and the IMF have yet to agree on revenue mobilisation steps and the expenditure cuts required under the programme. The government is reportedly seeking room for tax relief, higher development spending and increased defence allocations, while the IMF wants continued fiscal discipline to secure a primary surplus equivalent to 2pc of GDP in the next fiscal year. Indeed, the government is facing mounting pressure from businesses, households and other segments of society to provide economic relief and revive growth. As time passes, the pressure will intensify. With economic stabilisation yet to translate into tangible improvement in living standards, the country’s leaders are finding it increasingly difficult to ignore demands for relief. However, tensions with the IMF are not the only plausible explanation for the postponement of the budget announcement. Differences between the ruling PML-N and its principal coalition partner, the PPP, over federal development allocations for projects in Sindh are also believed to have contributed to the delay. There is also speculation that the PPP is resisting alleged attempts by the federal government to use the budget to reduce the provinces’ effective share of resources from the divisible tax pool under the NFC Award by fully or partly assigning certain federal expenditures to the federating units. The federal goal is to obtain more space and restore a fiscal balance in favour of the centre without formally altering the NFC formula through rigorous negotiations for a new award. Briefly, the budget’s postponement exposes the extent to which the government is unable to finalise its fiscal framework without the IMF’s concurrence. It is a reminder of our continued dependence on multilateral financing and the limited policy autonomy that accompanies such reliance. It also signifies Pakistan’s continuing struggle to reconcile the IMF’s demand for fiscal discipline with domestic political and economic realities. Whether, and to what extent, the administration succeeds in bridging these gaps with both the IMF and its coalition partner will become clear in the next few days as the budget is finalised. The government might have been in a stronger position today to tackle competing demands had it pursued the deep reforms needed to place the economy on a firmer footing for enduring growth in the last three years, instead of just suppressing the economy to show performance. Published in Dawn, June 4th, 2026
THEY all look the same and for good reason. Every budget over the past 10 years (and more) is pretty much the same with minor differences usually in the gimmickry being advanced in the name of a ‘revenue plan’. And it will be no different this time round when the budget for FY27 is announced. There is a simple reason for this. A little more than a decade and a half ago Pakistan finally abandoned its last attempt to try and get serious tax reform through. Since then, successive governments have been rolling out various gimmicks, from amnesty schemes to ‘point of sale machines’ to do something that cannot be done with gimmicks. They are trying to document the growing services sector of the economy with these gimmicks, which is like trying to measure the ocean with a teacup. Consider a little perspective first. Since the 1980s, the single fastest-growing sector of the economy has been services. It was slightly less than half of Pakistan’s GDP back in those days. Today, it is touching 60 per cent while the shares of industry and agriculture have shrunk. But today, services contributes less than 40pc of total revenues while the share of manufacturing can be as high as 55pc. This is an important crux of the problem. The fastest-growing sector in Pakistan’s economy has made a diminutive contribution to its revenue effort. And there are a number of reasons why. First, successive governments have failed to undertake the kind of tax reforms necessary to keep abreast of the changes sweeping the economy where the services sector is a motor force for growth. For now, the bulk of the revenues contributed by this sector comes from banking and telecom — the low-hanging fruit. Quite possibly, this is the one budget of the past decade or more which will be defined almost entirely by its revenue effort. Documenting the transactions taking place in this sector is the first step to reaching them. And for decades there was one big idea on how to do that. It was called ‘value-added tax’, or VAT, and countries around the world implemented it with varying measures of success to help document their economies during periods of change, and help distribute the burden of the tax effort more widely. In some shape or form, the VAT was always on the agenda as a crucial structural reform measure of every IMF programme that Pakistan signed between 1988 and 2008, and there were many. The tax itself was passed into law in 1992, updated in 1996, but never really applied in value-added mode across the board. In 2008, it was supposed to be updated and modernised but the government of the time failed to ensure passage of the legislation so spectacularly that the IMF simply dropped it from all future reform agendas. Since then, it has been abandoned. In abandoning it, however, a new question arose. If you are not going to use the VAT to document your economy, how exactly are you going to do it? The question was an important one because Pakistan’s economy was growing in directions that its tax machinery struggled to capture. And successive governments gave their own answers to this question. This was the decade of gimmicks. We had amnesty schemes, proliferating withholding taxes, new taxes on banking transactions of non-filers, attempts to document the economy by triangulating multiple databases, reliance on data from point of sale machines and even one brief and doomed attempt to manually document the retail sector by serving tens of thousands of notices to them. Of course, all of these failed because, as already stated, they amounted to attempts to measure the amount of water in the ocean using a teacup. Pakistan’s tax-to-GDP ratio stagnated in the single digits and intensified political struggles around the shrinking resource envelope of the state. We saw more gimmicks on the revenue side, like deemed incomes. We saw a ‘hard state’ approach to withdraw all exemptions or rebates offered to schoolteachers and university professors. They leaned harder on fuel taxes than any government in any period in the past. And they printed more money than any other government in any comparable decade in the past. All to help make ends meet at the centre. Taken together, all these gimmicks made for an unseemly display of desperation. The growing resort to gimmickry was the state thrashing around within the shrinking confines of its resource envelope when it could not generate resources in quantities sufficient to keep pace with its expenditure growth. And they squeezed out a decade for themselves like this. This was the overriding context within which all budgets in these years were made. And now the context is wrapping itself around them like the cloak of Nessus that once worn began to tighten around the wearer until its grip became inescapable and fatal. This is what sets the stage for the forthcoming budget. Watch what rabbit they’ll pull out of their hat this time round to call a ‘revenue plan’ for the next fiscal year. They have to give relief to salaried people, and industry is near breaking point. They can’t lean more heavily on fuel or electricity taxes or deem more taxes into being out of foreign assets of the rich. Keep an eye on the revenue plan they announce as well as the target for incremental revenues they have to pursue. They are chasing incremental revenues of up to 0.6pc of GDP, half of which will come from the federal government through slashing exemptions and their FBR transformation plan, including production monitoring and audits. This was their Achilles heel this year. Now their constraints are tighter still for next year, and options even more limited. Quite possibly, this is the one budget of the past decade or more which will be defined almost entirely by its revenue effort. If there is no attempt to break out of the constraints, then we’ll know we are all headed for the embrace of Nessus. The writer is a business and economy journalist. khurram.husain@gmail.com X: @khurramhusain Published in Dawn, June 4th, 2026
• Proposals seek integration of crime data at national level, interprovincial intelligence sharing, CTD for GB • Interior ministry seeks input from all provincial police chiefs ahead of key meeting • FIA DG underscores need for uniform mechanism across provinces, notes ‘serious disconnect’ between different agencies LAHORE: The federal government has sought input from all police departments on a new internal security policy for the next five years, which aims to centralise police operations, improve interprovincial intelligence sharing, integrate crime data, and choke terror financing, among other measures. The National Internal Security Policy 2026-30, which will be discussed at an ‘extraordinary meeting’ of the National Police Management Board (NPMB) later this month, will include inputs from all provincial IGPs as well as the police chiefs of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. The interior ministry shared a set of proposals, furnished by some retired and serving police officers, with the police chiefs along with the agenda to be discussed at the NPMB meeting that will be held under the aegis of the National Police Bureau (NPB). The NPB, which is led by FIA chief Dr Usman Anwar, is going to assume a greater role in future in devising national reforms and strategies for all police departments. The new policy is significant in light of the visit by the Chief of Defence Force Field Marshal Asim Munir to the National Police Academy in January 2026, where he emphasised that “a strong, professional, and people-centric police force” was indispensable for internal security and the rule of law. Dawn learnt that the security establishment has extended full support to the civil law enforcement agencies (LEAs) for “showing no compromise in making the internal security impregnable”. ‘Enhanced role of NPB’ According to the documents shared with Dawn, certain former IGPs and serving officers contributed to the proposals that sought to enhance the role of the NPB in restructuring the police functions across the country. Some important issues include raising a Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) in Gilgit-Baltistan, integration of police data at the national level, and centralisation of the International Driving Permit. NPB and FIA Director General Dr Usman Anwar has been made the convener of the upcoming NPMB meeting. Talking to Dawn, he said that there was a “serious disconnect” between various civil LEAs and similarly, many emerging policing challenges needed to be addressed before it was too late. “It is a dire need of the time to establish a uniform mechanism across provinces and collaborate with international and domestic intelligence agencies to fight terrorism and choke terrorist financing,” Dr Usman said. He said the heads of the police organisations have been officially asked to submit their actionable points to be made part of the agenda for the upcoming meeting. A focal person (BS 20 officer) has been designated by the interior ministry for coordination with the provinces in this respect, he added. “The upcoming meeting shall also deliberate upon the functional specialisation, police welfare, transnational crimes, criminal data integration, training needs assessment, women police networking, interprovincial intelligence sharing, and development of CTD in GB,” he said. Meanwhile, former NPB DG Tariq Khosa suggested that the existing National Security Policy was going to be completed in 2026. “We should come up with recommendations on a new national internal security policy 2026-30,” he said. He added that a steering committee headed by NPB should be notified by the interior ministry to furnish recommendations for the standardisation of firearms legislation. Khosa also proposed that a National Criminal Record Access System be developed to integrate police data at the national level. He further suggested that the NPB should act as ‘PHQ’ (Police Headquarters) for the “Pakistan police” like the GHQ is for the Pakistan Army. “In addition to sufficient annual budgetary allocations for NPB, a special allocation of budget (Rs30 million) should be requested from the government,” the former NPB DG said. A retired senior officer said multiple areas in police administration over the years exposed structural fault lines impeding the overall performance of the police department in Pakistan. He said the capacity of the police in countering terrorism, insurgencies, and traditional and emerging crimes was “dismal”. The officer claimed that the move made by the NPB seemed to be the continuation of the policy layout of the ‘hard state’. Published in Dawn, June 4th, 2026
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Wednesday vowed to address resettlement concerns of those affected by the construction of the Diamer-Bhasha Dam on an “immediate basis” if his party emerges victorious in the June 7 polls. Bilawal made the declaration while addressing a rally in Diamer, as the PPP and other political parties have, over the past few days, ramped up efforts to garner support ahead of the polls. Addressing the rally, the Bhutto scion asserted that the project saw “great progress” during the PPP’s tenure. He added that had President Asif Ali Zardari’s government not been removed in 2013, the Diamer-Bhasha Dam would have been built by now. The PPP chairman lamented that it was “unfortunate” that affected citizens of the region had not had their resettlement issues addressed. “I would like to promise you that after June 7 — when PPP forms government in GB — we will ensure that the work is [completed] and as far as resettlement is concerned, we will address it on an immediate basis,” Bilawal said. He urged the Centre to prioritise the construction of the dam. “This is not only the right of the people of Diamer, but it is a necessity for Pakistan,” the PPP chairman said. “No project is more important for Pakistan at the moment than the Diamer-Bhasha Dam,” Bilawal emphasised, calling on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to expedite work on the project. “We have heard of your ‘Shehbaz speed’ in Lahore [..] please show your ‘Shehbaz speed’ to the people of Diamer as well and ensure that the project is completed,” Bilawal quipped. In April, the Diamer-Bhasha Dam land-affected committee, under the ‘Huqooq Do, Dam Banao’ (ensure rights, build the dam) movement, staged a sit-in in the Chilas and Thore areas of Diamer that lasted several days, over the non-implementation of a 2025 agreement on compensation for those affected by the construction of the dam, among other demands. Bilawal calls on GB to elect jiyala CM Bilawal claimed that PPP was the “sole political party which was looking out for the interest of the people of GB and had the people’s faith”. “On June 7, the people of GB will demonstrate their power and elect a jiyala chief minister,” Bilawal said. Outlining PPP’s contributions towards the region, Bilawal recalled that it was his father, President Zardari, who “gave GB its current identity as the region was referred to as Northern Areas before”. Taking note of the regional crisis, Bilawal stressed that Pakistan needed a government “like PPP who can look the world in the eye”, adding that they were only able to do so as the party was the “true representative of the Pakistani people”. He called on the people of GB to “struggle against these difficult times and ensure the formation of a PPP government in the region”. At this, Bilawal also voiced optimism that the country will see similar results in the next general elections. The PPP chairman reiterated his support for “securing GB’s constitutional rights,” stressing that Islamabad must understand that “Pakistan can only prosper if the people of GB prosper”. He vowed that with the party’s public-private partnership initiatives, “not only will you fulfil your own energy requirements but also sell it to the rest of the country”. “I am not here to air any grievances; it is not in our nature. Why was the Quaid-i-Awam (former prime minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto) hanged or why my mother (former prime minister Benazir Bhutto) was martyred [..] have you ever heard me complain? or why was my father was imprisoned for 14 years [..] we are not the kind to complain; we only know how to take back our rights. So support me, and I will not disappoint you,” Bilawal told the rally. The PPP chairman also took a jibe at the ruling ally PML-N, wondering why the “rest of the political parties campaigning in GB looked so worried”. “Throwing money at things might work in Lahore, but not in GB; the people here are honourable and cannot be bought,” he quipped. “Many political parties make claims that they have carried out considerable development work in their provinces; I would like to tell you that whatever you have been able to do was because of President Zardari”. He recalled that President Zardari was responsible for the 18th Amendment, which enabled greater provincial development. “If they were able to build metros or run trains in any city, it was because of the 18th Amendment and the NFC Award, which enabled provinces to secure the resources needed for such development projects,” Bilawal said. First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari also addressed an election rally in the region, calling on people to support the PPP and stressing that the party’s electoral symbol, the arrow, was “a symbol of rights, betterment, power and hope for the poor, and the identity of democracy”. Expressing support for her brother’s vision, Aseefa said a PPP-led government would create opportunities for the youth, including quality educational institutions, IT parks, improved internet connectivity and employment. “We want every youth of GB to see a bright future, for everyone to have access to healthcare, and for every child to be educated,” she said.
FIFA has unveiled the 18-track Official FIFA World Cup 2026 Album, the largest music project ever linked to the tournament. Featuring global stars such as LISA, Shakira, Future, Tyla, The Rolling Stones and Burna Boy, the album aims to unite fans through music and football. Several songs are already available, while many artists will perform during Countdown Concerts and opening ceremonies across Mexico, Canada and the United States. The project also forms part of FIFA’s wider entertainment strategy ahead of the first-ever World Cup final halftime show.
SYDNEY, June 4 — Tech giant Meta today attacked Australia’s “grossly unfair” bid to make social...
An alliance bulletin says China's military intelligence services have been using networking sites and recruitment platforms to target people with access to sensitive information.
The security agencies accused Chinese spies of aggressively using online job platforms to recruit people with access to sensitive information.