The Independent (World)
진보 성향
정치
Pope Leo gets 7-minute standing ovation after rare address to parliament
The pontiff has recently adopted a more forceful tone regarding the direction of global leadership
"OPTED" · 총 145건
필터 보기현재 지수
50.3
0 = 부정 우세
50 = 중립
100 = 긍정 우세
최근 7일 기준 85,330건을 분석한 결과, 뉴스 심리지수는 50.2(균형)입니다. 긍정 4,431건(5.2%)·중립 78,742건(92.3%)·부정 2,157건(2.5%)이며, 중립 비중이 뚜렷하게 높습니다. 성향 지수는 종합 15.3(중도 균형)입니다.
The pontiff has recently adopted a more forceful tone regarding the direction of global leadership
Hong Kong could be bracing for typhoon "Dim Sim" in the future, after the designation was added to the list of tropical cyclone names in the western North Pacific and the South China Sea this year. According to a statement published on Monday by the Hong Kong Observatory, "Dim Sim" was among nine new names introduced to the list, with others including "Koki", "Gaeguri", "Hebi", "Tomo", "Burapha" and "Hoaban". While "Koki" – which was proposed by Cambodia – refers to the name of a tree there, "Hebi" is the Japanese word for snake. The forecaster said the new names would replace nine old ones and that they were endorsed by the Typhoon Committee under the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific and the World Meteorological Organization. Names for tropical cyclones can be reused, but are retired if a storm incurs heavy casualties or economic losses, according to the Observatory. The retired names include "Trami" and "Kong-rey", a typhoon and a super typhoon in October 2024 that caused nearly 160 deaths and affected 9.6 million people. Other retired names include "Man-yi", "Usagi" and "Krathon". Since 2000, the committee's 14 members have been nominating names with local characteristics. The SAR's nomination of "Dim Sim" came after the Observatory adopted 20 reserve names for tropical cyclones following a public contest, with "Dim Sim", "Milktea", and "Tsing-ma" among the popular choices. Edited by Aaron Tam
[SAnews.gov.za] Government has adopted a Comprehensive Approach for Migration Management aimed at strengthening border security, enforcing immigration laws, tackling corruption and closing policy loopholes as part of a broader effort to address illegal immigration in South Africa.
Dennis Onyango shared Raila Odinga's wish for a 72-hour burial, inspired by General Ogolla's burial. Explore the poignant details of this final desire.
ISLAMABAD: The capital police have started taking action against its officials who refused to perform duties in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). The officials are being subjected to major punishment, including dismissal from service, and a constable has been sacked. According to a document, available with Dawn, Constable Ahmad Ali presently posted to Capital Patrols was charged with inefficiency and misconduct. It said all nominated officials were directed by the competent authority to report to the Police Lines Headquarters for deployment on the AJK election duty. “However, despite having been duly informed and directed, the said Constable willfully and deliberately refused to comply with the lawful orders and declined to proceed for the assigned election duty. Furthermore, he failed to report as directed on multiple occasions, deliberately absented himself from duty, and persistently disobeyed the lawful orders issued by competent authority. His conduct demonstrated a clear disregard for discipline, obedience, and the chain of command, which are fundamental obligations of a member of the police force. By intentionally refusing to perform the assigned duty, absenting himself without lawful justification, and disobeying the orders of the competent authority and senior officers, the said Constable violated the prescribed Government Servants (Conduct) Rules and departmental discipline,” the document stated. “Such behaviour constitutes a serious breach of official responsibility and falls within the meaning of gross misconduct, rendering him liable to disciplinary action under the relevant rules and regulations. Keeping in view his above act, the competent authority decided to take disciplinary action against him under the legal provisions of Punjab Police (E&D) Rules, 1975 duly adopted by ICT Police. The charges of such unprofessional act and default of service rules/regulations were fully established from the office record,” it stated. “After perusing the above situation, and having considered the facts and circumstances, I am satisfied that there is ample proof to proceed against him. Therefore finding him guilty of gross professional misconduct I, Awais Ali Khan, PSP, The Superintendent of Police, Capital Patrols, Islamabad award him a ‘major’ punishment of ‘Dismissal from service’ as provided under Punjab Police (E & D) Rules, 1975 duly adopted by ICT Police,” the document signed by the Superintendent of Police stated. According to reports, a number of officials of the capital police skipped orders to reach the Police Lines, knowing that they would be sent to AJK and GB. An official of the police, wishing not to be quoted, said there was no room for refusal to perform an assigned duty in law enforcement agencies. Published in Dawn, June 8th, 2026
Mike Sonko warmed hearts with a touching video showcasing his bond with adopted daughter Baby Talisha as they enjoyed playful moments in his lavish wardrobe.
A DEMOCRACY needs an effective parliament. Has Pakistan’s parliament lived up to this responsibility? The evidence suggests it hasn’t. Parliament has underperformed. It has acted as little more than a rubber-stamp for the present government. This reflects a broader trend of democratic erosion in the country in recent years. Several reports offer telling insights into parliament’s functioning. The most recent was released last week by a civil society organisation. It records the low attendance of members of the National Assembly in its proceedings. According to Fafen (Free and Fair Election Network), only 20 per cent of MNAs attended all sittings of the Lower House in the 27th session in May. Thirty-three members did not show up for any sitting. The prime minister was absent from all nine sittings as were some ministers. The leader of the opposition, however, attended all of them. As many as 267 members out of 333 skipped at least one sitting of the session. An earlier report by Pildat (Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency) evaluated the National Assembly’s performance in the parliamentary year March 2025 to February 2026. It also found low attendance by members. The report pointed out that the Assembly’s lack of quorum was raised 19 times, with eight sittings adjourned due to the absence of members. Despite this low and declining engagement by MNAs, the ruling party has made no effort to address the recurring problem of empty benches. Attendance is not the only indicator of parliamentary conduct. What matters most is how it performs its legislative and deliberative functions. This is arguably the most unedifying aspect of its performance. It is due principally to the attitude of the government, which enjoys a simple majority in the Assembly, but with its ally, the PPP, it has a two-thirds majority. The way constitutional amendments have been bulldozed through parliament in the past two years is a striking illustration of its attitude to parliamentary institutions. A parliament that doesn’t assert itself surrenders its authority to others. In 2024, when parliament adopted the 26th Constitutional Amendment, it was done in the darkness of night. Even the final text was not made available to lawmakers before it was tabled. The entire legislative process lacked transparency. It was over in hours, without any debate on an amendment of far-reaching implications for judicial independence. The controversial amendment made the judiciary subservient to the executive and seriously undermined the rule of law. Official coercion to secure the required two-thirds vote robbed the entire process of legitimacy. The adoption of the 27th Constitutional Amendment in November 2025 followed a similar path. It was passed in just a couple of days. There was hardly any debate other than some speeches from treasury benches during which the opposition walked out. The amendment struck at the heart of the Constitution. It involved structural changes in the country’s judicial system including the creation of a Federal Constitutional Court, restructuring of the military high command and grant of sweeping constitutional privileges and immunities to key officeholders. It sparked intense public controversy and evoked much criticism from the opposition, legal community, media and civil society. It was widely seen as another power grab by the executive. But again, the government rushed through the process. Treasury members and their allies made no effort to press for a full debate. Another controversial bill, rushed through the NA in January 2026, was the Elections (Amendment) Bill. This limited public access to MPs’ asset statements by granting discretionary power to the Assembly Speaker or Senate chairman to withhold disclosures on unspecified ‘security grounds’. Opposition objections were cast aside to a law that undermined the principle of accountability of parliamentary members. These examples show how parliament has acted as a handmaiden of the executive. It has rubber-stamped actions that aggrandised the establishment’s powers. As it is the majority party that sets the tone and substance for parliamentary activity, its stance is the principal reason for turning this Assembly into a passive and largely ineffective body. The PML-N leadership sees parliament as a means to maintain its party in power rather than as an instrument of governance or forum to articulate and debate policy. As in its previous stints in government, the party has not encouraged the Assembly to play an active role in both its legislative and deliberative functions. With its majority, the ruling party should not be reluctant to encourage open parliamentary debate and allow members to freely deliberate on national issues. But it doesn’t see the value of parliamentary debate. It also doesn’t recognise the utility of parliament as a forum to ventilate opinion, change opinion and share opinion. Whether this reflects lack of confidence in its own backbenchers or understanding of how parliament should function, the outcome is marginalisation of the legislature’s role in the political system. The PPP has also contributed to this outcome by not pushing for debate on key national and foreign policy issues or insisting that constitutional amendments should be deliberated upon and not rushed through the two chambers. As for the opposition, it has had to face incessant obstacles put in its path by an authoritarian set-up. Even so, it has tried to generate pressure for debate and subject government actions to critical scrutiny. But its frequent walkouts and boycotts, albeit in protest against efforts to muzzle its voice, have proven to be counterproductive. It has left the field open for treasury benches to do whatever they want. Parliament is as good as its members. Many are adept in constituency politics and are products of a culture of patronage. For them, a seat means a ticket to an elite club and access to state resources to shore up their local power base. Attendance is secondary and policy debates of little interest. The result is weak parliamentary oversight of executive actions. Elected representatives repeatedly declare their commitment to parliamentary supremacy. But they are unwilling to lend substance to these pronouncements by their actions. Supremacy becomes a talking point, not a rulebook. A parliament that doesn’t assert itself surrenders its authority to others. A hollowed House does no service to democracy. The writer is a former ambassador to the US, UK and UN. Published in Dawn, June 8th, 2026
The girl was allegedly left in an unlocked storeroom behind the house and given food twice a day.
A woman's journey of adopting a homeless woman's son unfolds challenges and secrets, revealing what her husband discovered about Noah after 14 years.
The Dutch giants opted for new leadership after a frustrating season that left them 19 points behind champions PSV Eindhoven.
He explained that he opted to first present and establish his own presidential platform before involving his co-principals in joint political engagements.
Madalyn Conchola, 62, adopted four of her granddaughters, ages 7 to 19. It's been a financial hit, but her granddaughters are doing well.
The draft calls for allowing female members of the imperial family to retain their status after marriage and male heirs to be adopted from former branches.
A month after adopting Jennifer, a chilling warning from their 4-year-old daughter leaves a mother questioning her husband and the secrets he may be hiding.
WASHINGTON: The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organisation in the United States, has filed a federal lawsuit against one of America’s largest public school systems, alleging that four Muslim students were unlawfully disciplined because of their religion and ethnic background. The lawsuit accuses Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), a school district serving nearly 180,000 students in the suburbs of Washington, DC, of discriminating against students at the prestigious Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, one of the nation’s top-ranked public schools. Filed in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, the suit claims that school officials violated the students’ constitutional rights and federal civil rights laws by suspending them over a social media video while allowing similar conduct by other student groups to go unpunished. The case stems from a video posted in October 2025 by members of the school’s Muslim Student Association (MSA), a student organisation representing Muslim pupils. According to the complaint, the students were participating in a viral social media trend used by clubs and organisations nationwide to promote events and attract members. In the video, students ask classmates whether they intend to attend an MSA meeting. When the answer is “no”, other students jokingly appear and carry them away in what the lawsuit describes as a comedic skit. The plaintiffs argue the video contained no threats, weapons or references to any real-world conflict. CAIR contends that similar videos had been produced by other student groups, including some depicting mock violence and weapons, without disciplinary action. The organisation argues that school officials acted only after outside activists and social media commentators accused the Muslim students of glorifying Hamas and reenacting the Oct 7, 2023 attacks in Israel. According to the complaint, school officials adopted those characterisations, suspended the students, labelled their conduct antisemitic and placed disciplinary records in their files. One plaintiff was also prohibited from wearing a sweatshirt depicting the map of Palestine, the lawsuit alleges. The students are identified in court records by pseudonyms to protect their privacy. “The MSA behaved innocently and no differently than other student groups on campus,” CAIR attorney Catherine Keck said while announcing the lawsuit. “Yet Fairfax County singled them out, robbed them of academic and professional opportunities, and encouraged the community to target and harass them.” The complaint alleges that the suspensions had lasting consequences. The students claim they suffered reputational damage, lost educational opportunities, were subjected to online harassment and threats, and in some cases faced setbacks in college admissions and internship applications. CAIR’s legal team argues that the disciplinary action violated the students’ rights under the First Amendment, which protects free speech, the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause, and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination in federally funded educational institutions. School officials have previously defended their response, saying the videos depicted mock kidnappings and violence that were inappropriate in a school setting. At the time of the controversy, FCPS said such content was especially troubling because it could be perceived as traumatic by members of the Jewish community amid ongoing tensions related to Israel’s war on Gaza. Jewish community organisations also criticised the videos when they surfaced last year, arguing that imagery resembling hostage-taking was particularly insensitive given the continued impact of the October 7 attacks and the hostage crisis that followed. The lawsuit, however, argues that the school’s actions were driven not by concerns about student safety but by stereotypes associating Muslim and Arab students with violence. “The reason FCPS and TJHSST punished these students and not other students in similar videos is because they believe that Muslims and Arabs pose a threat where others do not,” CAIR attorney Ahmad Kaki said. The school district has not yet filed a detailed response to the complaint. The case is likely to turn on whether the plaintiffs can demonstrate that similarly situated non-Muslim student groups engaged in comparable conduct but were treated differently. If the court finds evidence of selective enforcement based on religion or ethnicity, the lawsuit could become one of the most closely watched school civil-rights cases arising from post-October 7 tensions in American public schools. The complaint seeks damages, expungement of the students’ disciplinary records, declaratory relief and court orders preventing similar actions in the future.
UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council’s annual report for 2025, presented to the General Assembly on Friday, reaffirmed the continued relevance of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute and the Palestinian question, describing them as long-standing issues on the UNSC’s agenda with implications for regional and international peace and security. The report noted that more than 20 communications concerning the India-Pakistan question were brought before the UNSC during the reporting period and that the council held closed consultations on the issue in May 2025. It also documented the UNSC’s engagement with the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, particularly Gaza, including the adoption of Resolution 2803 endorsing a Gaza peace plan. Pakistan, which coordinated and drafted the introduction to the report during its UNSC presidency in July 2025, welcomed the references to both disputes, saying they underscored the need for their resolution in accordance with UN resolutions and international law. Addressing the General Assembly debate, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said the report highlighted the continued relevance of the Jammu and Kashmir and Palestinian disputes, which must be resolved in accordance with international legitimacy and UNSC resolutions. “This underscores that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, which has remained on the Council’s agenda for over seven decades, continues to engage its attention,” he said. Pakistan, India clash over references to Kashmir in Security Council’s report Ambassador Asim reiterated Pakistan’s position that durable peace in South Asia required a just settlement of the Kashmir dispute in line with UNSC resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people. The annual report reviews the UNSC’s work from Jan to Dec 2025 and records its engagement with conflicts and crises across Africa, the Middle East, West Asia, South Asia, Europe and Latin America, as well as thematic issues such as the peaceful settlement of disputes. Highlighting Pakistan’s role in preparing the report, Ambassador Asim said Islamabad adopted an open, constructive and inclusive approach and secured early consensus on the introduction through consultations with Council members and the wider UN membership. He said the report showed that despite heightened geopolitical tensions, the Security Council remained actively engaged in addressing threats to international peace and security. He also highlighted the unanimous adoption of Resolution 2788, sponsored by Pakistan, which promoted the peaceful settlement of disputes and fuller utilisation of the UN Charter’s conflict-resolution mechanisms. Turning to Palestine, the ambassador said the continuing tragedy in the occupied Palestinian territory, particularly Gaza, remained high on the Council’s agenda. He described Resolution 2803, endorsing the Gaza Peace Plan, as a significant step after repeated failures to halt the bloodshed and stressed the need for its full implementation. Pakistan also reiterated support for the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and for an independent, viable and contiguous State of Palestine. Separately, Pakistan joined UN member states in marking the International Day of UN Peacekeepers. The ambassador noted that Pakistan has contributed more than 237,000 peacekeepers to 48 UN missions over the past six decades, with more than 183 personnel losing their lives. The debate also witnessed a sharp exchange between Pakistan and India over references to Kashmir in the report. Exercising Pakistan’s right of reply, Counsellor Gul Qaiser Sarwani rejected India’s criticism and said the report itself recorded communications on the India-Pakistan question and the UNSC’s consultations in May 2025. Published in Dawn, June 7th, 2026
In Jakarta last month, many May Day demonstrations took place, but two stood out as reflections of the divisions among Indonesia’s trade unions. At the National Monument (Monas), tens of thousands of workers gathered at a rally with President Prabowo Subianto as the guest of honour. Several kilometres away at the People’s Representative Council complex, around 10,000 people assembled under a different banner: “May Day with the People”. Their stated position was an explicit refusal to be co-opted...
Saturday marked the seventh day of protests over a planned luxury resort in Albania linked to Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump. Activists call it the "Flamingo Revolution." They've adopted the pink bird as a symbol of the wildlife they say will be destroyed if the billion-dollar project goes ahead. Ian Lee has more.
A teacher in rural Washington state faces incest charges for having a sexual relationship with two teens she adopted. The post Rural Washington Teacher Charged for Incest with Her Two Adopted Teens appeared first on Breitbart.
A motorist flagged down a Wisconsin State Patrol officer to tell him someone was throwing kittens out a car window, he found one and adopted it.