뉴스

WATCH: Bill Maher Says People Got Charlie Kirk All Wrong — On Purpose

Comedian and HBO host Bill Maher said that people often got the late Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk all wrong — and did so intentionally in an effort to score points. Maher, who interviewed Kirk before his assassination in September of 2025, raised the topic during a recent episode of his “Club Random” podcast ...

Vanguard (Nigeria)

스포츠

‘My purpose fulfilled’, Liverpool hero Origi retires from football at 31

Liverpool cult hero Divock Origi has announced his retirement from football at the age of 31. The post ‘My purpose fulfilled’, Liverpool hero Origi retires from football at 31 appeared first on Vanguard News.

CityNews Toronto

Psychological evaluation for Montreal synagogue arson suspect facing six charges

MONTREAL — A 38-year-old man is facing six charges in the attempted arson of a Montreal-area synagogue last week. The charges include arson, possessing incendiary materials, using an explosive substance and possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose. A Quebec court judge postponed a hearing for the suspect today in Montreal because a psychological evaluation […]

사회

Acid attack more heinous than homicide, tool of patriarchal violence: SC

ISLAMABAD: In a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court ruled on Monday that “vitriolage” (acid attack) is an offence more heinous than homicide. The ruling came after Abdul Manan, convicted for throwing acid on a young woman in Faisalabad, appealed against a 2022 Lahore High Court (LHC) order. The LHC had upheld an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) verdict sentencing him to life imprisonment along with a fine of Rs1 million. Justice Muhammad Hashim Khan Kakar, heading a three-judge bench consisting of Justice Salahuddin Panhwar and Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim, upheld the LHC order. The ruling comes only days after an acid attack on a female doctor in Quetta’s Civil Hospital. Following the attack on 29-year-old Mahnoor Nasir, doctors in Quetta went on strike, demanding a thorough investigation. “Unlike death, which consumes its victim only once, the victim of an acid assault is relegated to a living death, where they are compelled to endure the agony of their trauma and the degradation of their physical self on a daily basis,” observed Justice Kakar in a 14-page strongly worded judgment he authored. In the court ruling, federal and provincial governments were also recommended to consider accommodating acid attack victims under disability quotas along with enactment and enforcement of specialised legislation for establishment of a National Acid Survivors’ Rehabilitation Fund. The ruling added that such a statutory fund should provide comprehensive medical coverage for extensive reconstructive surgeries and specialised physical therapy. The fund should also provide mandatory access to professional trauma counselling, psychotherapy and psychiatric care for psychological and social rehabilitation. “The perpetrator’s objective is not merely to kill, but to extinguish the victim’s soul, leaving the living corpse as a permanent reminder of their depravity,” Justice Kakar said. The apex court also recommended a mandatory monthly stipend for survivors who, due to the nature of their injuries or ongoing medical conditions, are rendered incapable of financial self-support. Justice Kakar also suggested the formulation of national rehabilitation guidelines as a standardised framework ensuring gratuitous, lifelong medical and mental health treatment across all state-mandated and private medical facilities through the fund. He further observed that acid violence is a tool of patriarchal dominance. “In the past, such incidents have occurred following rejection of marriage proposals or sexual advances, as well as dowry disputes.” The ruling added that acid violence is used to inflict a social death upon women by destroying their physical identity. The primary deterrent against such depravity lies in a dual strategy of rigorous criminalisation followed by stringent regulation of corrosive substances, Justice Kakar observed, citing a number of examples from foreign jurisdictions such as Bangladesh and Cambodia. The first essential step towards eradication is the categorical criminalisation of the act itself, he added. The judgment also highlighted that the eradication of acid violence was inextricably linked to restrictions on access to corrosive substances. While the legislative amendments of 2011 served to criminalise acid violence with the severity it warrants, the persistence of such atrocities reveals that penal sanctions alone are insufficient to address the root of the problem, Justice Kakar observed. “As long as corrosive substances remain easily available, the deterrent effect of penal consequences will be perpetually undermined.” In this context, the Punjab Acid Control Act 2025 represents a watershed moment in provincial jurisprudence. Justice Kakar cited it as an example of a shift from post-occurrence punishment to pre-emptive regulation, noting that the Act mandates a rigorous licensing regime and categorically prohibits the sale of acid to individuals under the age of 18. “It is our sanguine expectation that the rigorous enforcement of such specialised regulatory regimes will effectively dismantle the accessibility of these lethal instruments, thereby serving as a robust bulwark to curb and eventually eradicate this heinous offence from our social fabric,” Justice Kakar emphasised. He added that the ordeal of an acid attack survivor does not end with the conclusion of the criminal trial. Instead, it marks the beginning of a gruelling, lifelong journey of medical intervention. Survivors are frequently subjected to an exhaustive series of reconstructive surgeries and specialised procedures that are not only physically agonising but also financially prohibitive, rendering essential healthcare inaccessible to the majority of victims, the judgment noted. Citing the Asian Human Rights Commission, the judgment said the devastating impact of acid violence in Pakistan was exemplified by survivors such as Irum Saeed and Memuna Khan, who underwent 25 and 21 reconstructive surgeries respectively following attacks triggered by marital rejection and inter-family disputes. Justice Kakar added that despite existing laws, their purpose was defeated if implementation and enforcement remained weak, as evidenced by recurring incidents across the country. The SC also strongly recommended that the high courts actively monitor and ensure that, in cases of vitriolage, statutory timelines provided under relevant laws for the completion of trials are strictly adhered to. The prime intent of the legislature is to ensure swift adjudication and prevent secondary victimisation, the judgment added. Vitriolage is an offence deeply rooted in gender-based violence, deep-seated misogyny and patriarchal aggression, the judgment said. The Supreme Court also recommended that the federal and all provincial governments impose a complete ban on the sale of acid to private individuals. For legal acid sales, the court suggested a centralised digital system governed and monitored by the relevant authorities in real time. Under this system, entities intending to purchase acid must apply through prescribed electronic forms, disclosing the purpose of purchase and the name and details of the purchaser, along with a photograph and biometric thumb impression. Such a real-time system will completely eradicate manual record-keeping and enable the trade to be managed with absolute transparency, the ruling added. The apex court judgment was forwarded to all High Courts and relevant departments of the federal and provincial governments. Case history On September 4, 2019, the accused threw sulfuric acid on the victim’s face while she was cooking in the kitchen of her home. The victim sustained extensive burns on her face, chest, back, left leg and foot, as well as “complete destruction of the left ear”, court documents state. The victim was examined on January 16, 2020, during trial proceedings. At the time, “she was unable to recline, move or walk”, according to court documents. The victim has been bedridden since the incident. Abdul Manan denied the allegations but failed to provide evidence in his defence. At the time of the incident, he was a minor, with court documents stating his age as 17–18. The petitioner’s lawyer requested leniency owing to his young age, while the prosecutor argued that “age cannot be a shield for such barbaric acts”. On February 1, 2020, the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Faisalabad sentenced the accused to life imprisonment along with a fine of Rs1 million to be paid to the victim. Following an appeal, the Lahore High Court (LHC) upheld the ATC’s ruling on November 21, 2022.

TASS English

USC supports up to 95% of Russian state defense order

USC shipyards are engineering, constructing, repairing and servicing ships and vessels of different purpose and any difficulty

BISP head urges apology after Rana Sanaullah's beggar remarks

Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) Chairperson Senator Rubina Khalid on Monday urged those whose words may have hurt BISP beneficiaries’ sentiments to apologise. While she did not specifically name anyone, the senator said this during a press conference in Islamabad after mentioning remarks by Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah. Speaking on Geo News’ programme ‘Capital Talk’ last week, Sanaullah claimed that the BISP data was “not accurate to the extent of Punjab”, alleged it was marred by corruption and remarked that the programme served no purpose other than turning people into beggars. In her press conference, Khalid said it was not right to say that BISP was turning people into beggars, explaining that the programme catered to those who worked to earn a living. But, she continued, when they need financial assistance, it is the state’s responsibility to aid them without compromising their self-respect. “BISP does not turn people into beggars; it prevents people from becoming one,” she said. She then appealed to “all those giving such statements to abstain from doing so”. “It is insulting,” she said. “No one has the right to insult, and I would appeal to them to apologise to [BISP beneficiary] families whose sentiments have been hurt by their words.” She said while she was “open to suggestions” for the programme’s improvement, derogatory words about it. The programme should not be “targeted for political motives”, she added. Khalid said President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had full confidence in the programme, sharing further details about the programme. Moreover, she said the BISP database was the largest in the country after the National Database and Registration Authority’s database. “Saying that its data is incorrect, giving such sweeping statements — it takes years to build something and only a day is enough to destroy it,” she remarked. More to follow

BISP head urges apology after Rana Sana's beggar remarks

Washington Examiner

France’s Islamist nuclear shadow

Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of France’s radical left La France Insoumise, recently insisted that French President Emmanuel Macron pull the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle out of the Persian Gulf and redeploy it to the Mediterranean. His stated purpose was not to deter Iran or protect international shipping, but to threaten Israel amid its operations […]

AllAfrica Headlines

Rwanda: The UN Must Seize the Opportunity to Reform

[New Times] Rwanda's recent call for a more country-focused and accountable United Nations system speaks to a much bigger question the world can no longer avoid: is the UN, in its current form, still fit for purpose?

AllAfrica Headlines

Zimbabwe: Opposition Activist Acquitted, Freed After 7 Months

[HRW] Johannesburg -- Government Weaponizes Criminal Justice System for Political Purposes

The Japan Times

The Economic Times (India)

사회

Fukushima woman finds purpose sharing memories of family lost in tsunami

Hideko Igarashi, 78, works as a storyteller for her city's tourism association, handing down memories of her loved ones and the importance of protecting lives.

How many days can you stay in Europe?

Travellers visiting Europe can now use a new online tool under the European Union's Entry/Exit System (EES) to check how many days they are still allowed to stay in participating European countries.The tool is offered for non-EU nationals travelling for short stays and helps visitors track their remaining authorised stay under Europe's immigration rules. It also indicates whether a planned entry into an EES country would be permitted.What is the EES online tool?The EES online tool is an authorised stay verification service available on the European Union's EES website. It allows travellers to calculate the number of days they can still spend in countries covered by the Entry/Exit System.When users submit their details, the system provides an "OK" or "not OK" response regarding their eligibility to enter. It also shows how many days of authorised stay remain.The same service is also available through equipment installed at some external border crossing points.What information do travellers need?To use the tool, travellers must provide:The European country they are visiting or plan to visitTheir travel document type, such as a passportPassport numberThe three-letter code of the country that issued the passportDepending on the purpose of the check, travellers may also need to enter:Their intended date of arrivalTheir intended date of departureBoth arrival and departure dates for future travel plansHow does the calculation work?The tool uses information recorded under the Entry/Exit System to determine the number of days a traveller is authorised to remain in participating European countries.Travellers who are planning a future trip can use the calculator to estimate how long they will be allowed to stay. Those already in Europe can check how many days remain before they must leave.The system can also calculate how many authorised days would remain after a planned trip ends.Key points travellers should knowThe European Union has stated that the remaining authorised stay shown by the tool does not include any time spent in the Schengen area that began before April 10, 2026, when the EES became fully operational.The EU has also stated that until October 6, 2026, the "OK" response may not always be reliable for some travellers holding single-entry or double-entry visas if previous visa use between October 12, 2025, and April 9, 2026, was not recorded in the EES.Who can use the tool?The authorised stay verification tool is intended for non-EU nationals travelling to EES-participating countries for short stays.It does not apply to people covered by EU free movement rules, including certain family members of EU citizens and individuals holding specific residence documents.The online calculator gives travellers a quick way to verify their remaining stay period before travelling or while already in Europe. By checking their status in advance, visitors can better plan their trips and reduce the risk of overstaying under the EU's new Entry/Exit System.

RTHK News (Hong Kong)

Docs face disciplinary action over unauthorised X-ray

Caritas Medical Centre on Monday said it is launching an investigation into an incident in which a trainee doctor used medical equipment to conduct an X-ray of her knee without authorisation. The investigation was launched after the trainee doctor posted images of the X-ray on her own social media account, reportedly describing the act as a "perk" of being an intern doctor. In a statement, the Hospital Authority said preliminary investigations by the centre found the trainee doctor had committed the act and that the incident was "inappropriate". The centre confirmed that the X-ray was taken in a room while strict radiation-protection controls, including warning lights and notices, were in place. It said monitoring systems showed that all areas remained within safety standards and that patient services had not been affected. The authority said it would take disciplinary action against the intern as well as a resident doctor in accordance with protocols. The resident doctor, who holds a valid radiation equipment operating licence, was found to have helped carry out the X-ray on the trainee doctor, according to authorities. The authority said the issue would be "seriously" followed up as it attaches great importance to the professional ethics of medical staff. It also reiterated that medical equipment is strictly reserved for authorised clinical purposes and that all staff are prohibited from using hospital instruments for personal reasons at any time. It also said that it would "seriously" follow up on reports that the same trainee doctor was suspected to have asked a doctor at another hospital to perform an examination on a patient at Ruttonjee Hospital – when she was interning there. The authority said it had looked into the issue earlier and found that patient services were not affected. It added the trainee had been given a stern warning and would now be closely monitored for the rest of her internship. Edited by Tony Sabine

경제

No progress by PA panel on Lahore Gymkhana lease scrutiny

LAHORE: A special committee of the Punjab Assembly tasked with examining the Lahore Gymkhana Club’s lease of state land is yet to submit its report, around 20 months after it was given two months to do so, and has not met since its first and only sitting. Special Committee No. 6 was set up in September 2024 under the Rule 187 of the Assembly’s rules of procedure after MPA Amjad Ali Javed moved an adjournment motion over the club’s affairs. Headed by MPA Samiullah Khan, the committee was given a nine-point mandate and asked to report to the House within two months. Under its terms of reference, the committee was to examine the legality of the lease, the club’s compliance with a 2023 rent policy, the construction of unauthorised structures, the financial loss to the exchequer and its recovery, the club’s exclusive use of public land in Bagh-e-Jinnah, and its membership criteria. The committee held its only meeting on Sept 30, 2024, the first sitting of an Assembly committee to be opened to the public and telecasted live. It directed the Board of Revenue (BoR) senior member to appear in person with the land record and a market valuation, and asked the law department to advise on the legality of the lease and the options available to protect the public interest. The agriculture department, the deputy commissioner and the director general of audit were also asked to attend. The minutes show the next meeting was to be held “in due course”, but no further sitting has taken place. The committee set up in Sept 2024 has met only once and was given two months to submit its findings Samiullah Khan tells Dawn that he plans to convene a meeting this week during the assembly session and take the issue to its logical end. However, any decision of the committee, he stresses, would be in the ‘larger public interest’. He did not say why the issue lingered on for 20 months, though the committee had been tasked to settle the matter within two months. Documents available with Dawn show a wide gap between the value of the land and the rent the club pays. A valuation report prepared by the BoR puts the market value of the commercial land along The Mall, Jail Road and Zafar Ali Road at up to Rs200 million per kanal. For the nearly 1,091 kanals (about 112 acres) in the club’s possession, that places the value of the land at around Rs218 billion. The club pays Rs5,000 a year in rent under a lease signed in 1996 and valid till 2050. The amount works out to about Rs417 a month, or 38 paisas per kanal per year. According to the valuation report, the club is also in possession of three kanals and 16 marlas more than the record of rights shows in its name. The committee was further informed that the club holds a 3.5-acre cricket ground inside Bagh-e-Jinnah, owned by the agriculture department, for which no lease exists. The law department, in its opinion placed before the committee, held that Clause 6 of the 1996 lease allowed the government to terminate the lease at any time on a six-month notice, and that under Clause 8 no compensation was payable to the club for any structure built on the land. The BoR stated that the government was bound to resume the land for a public purpose or on a breach of the lease, and that it had no record of approval for the permanent structures raised by the club. In its written reply, the club stated that its buildings, including a clubhouse, golf clubhouse, swimming pool, guest blocks, a mosque and a café, had been constructed after the lease. It listed grants received from successive governments but maintained that no public money was being spent on it. It also declined to provide its list of members, calling it confidential. Under the club’s rules, civil servants of grade 18 and above and commissioned officers of the armed forces are entitled to membership against a token fee. Earlier, the club had refused to share details of its lease and donors sought under the right to information law, arguing before the Lahore High Court that it was not a “public body”. The court dismissed the plea in January 2023, observing that the land was part of the resources of the state and that a rent of Rs5,000 a year “cannot be even termed as any rate whatsoever”. The arrangement is not confined to Lahore. A policy approved by the caretaker provincial government and notified by the Colonies Department on May 10, 2023 allowed the grant of state land to gymkhana clubs across Punjab at 10 per cent of the market rent. According to the BoR, the rent being charged ranges from Rs20,000 an acre a year at clubs in Mandi Bahauddin and Chiniot to Rs140,000 at Jhelum and Gujranwala city. The board, however, has taken the position that the 2023 policy does not apply to the Lahore Gymkhana as its lease is older. The issue has resurfaced days after the Indian government ordered the Delhi Gymkhana Club, founded like its Lahore counterpart in 1913, to vacate the 27.3 acres of leased land by June 5 by invoking a clause in its lease for a public purpose. Published in Dawn, June 8th, 2026

경제

Politics over tax reform

The government will market its new “small trader scheme” as an effort to bring retailers into the tax net and generate Rs50 billion annually. A cursory look would, however, reveal that it is less a tax reform initiative and more a negotiated settlement with one of Pakistan’s most under-taxed yet politically influential constituencies. The scheme offers traders with annual sales of up to Rs200 million a simplified one per cent turnover tax on a voluntary basis. Participants will face minimal compliance requirements and will be exempt from audits, point-of-sale systems, digital invoicing and most forms of scrutiny. Existing non-filers can join under certain conditions. The government insists this is not a tax amnesty. But exempting traders from the very documentation tools — POS [point-of-sale] systems, digital invoicing — that the state claims to be expanding elsewhere makes that position hard to sustain. If the purpose is to integrate retailers into the documented economy, the scheme does the opposite. It risks entrenching the cash-based practices that have long kept retail trade outside the tax net. This follows a familiar pattern. Whenever governments attempt to broaden the tax base, trader resistance produces a compromise — a concessionary regime that falls short of genuine documentation. The Tajir Dost Scheme, introduced last year, largely failed; at one point, only a few dozen traders had reportedly joined. The new scheme is a variation of the same scheme, not a more effective alternative. The OICCI notes that the corporate sector, representing only 6pc of GDP, accounts for nearly 60-70pc of direct tax revenues, while retailers remain under taxed The scale of what is being forgone deserves emphasis. Pakistan’s retail sector is estimated to generate annual turnover in the range of Rs10 to Rs15 trillion, yet its contribution to direct tax revenues remains negligible. The Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce & Industry’s (OICCI) tax proposal submissions to the government note that the corporate sector, representing only 6pc of GDP, accounts for nearly 60-70pc of direct tax revenues. That concentration is not a sign of corporate wealth; it is a sign of how narrow and distorted the tax base has become. The Rs50bn target attached to this scheme, even if met, would represent a fraction of what full compliance at standard rates could theoretically yield. Every scheme that keeps retailers outside the documented economy worsens that distortion. The contrast with salaried workers and corporations is too obvious. Formal-sector employees have taxes deducted automatically at source and face progressive rates that rise sharply with income. Corporations bear some of the highest effective tax rates in the region and must meet extensive reporting requirements. The OICCI has calculated that the effective burden on large corporates, once super tax, Workers Welfare Fund and Workers Profit Participation Fund contributions are included, reaches 45-46pc. For resident shareholders, the combined burden approaches 64pc, figures that place Pakistan among the most heavily taxed corporate jurisdictions in the region. A retailer turning over hundreds of millions of rupees, meanwhile, can now settle tax liabilities through a preferential regime while avoiding audits and documentation that other taxpayers cannot escape. This is not an equitable distribution of the tax burden; it is a distortion that the scheme deepens. That this sector continues to shoulder such rates while retailers negotiate preferential arrangements is the predictable result of repeatedly choosing accommodation over enforcement. The International Monetary Fund (IMF), whose conditions explicitly include broadening the tax base and reducing reliance on withholding taxes from a narrow set of documented taxpayers, has flagged the retail and wholesale sectors as critically under-taxed. Whether this scheme satisfies or contradicts its commitments with the fund is a question the government is unlikely to answer publicly, and one the IMF is unlikely to ignore when the next review comes around. The OICCI, representing the largest foreign investors operating in Pakistan, has explicitly called for all future tax exemptions and preferential treatments to pass through a transparent policy review mechanism under the proposed Tax Policy Office. The small trader scheme announced without any such review is precisely the kind of ad hoc concession that the body was designed to prevent. That the government bypassed this process, which it has itself committed to operationalising, raises questions about whether the Tax Policy Office will have any real authority or will simply be overridden whenever political costs become inconvenient. The political logic is straightforward. Traders are an important constituency for the ruling PML-N in urban Punjab. They are well-organised and capable of mobilising quickly. Mandatory documentation, digital invoicing and strict enforcement would carry real political costs. A voluntary, audit-free arrangement does not. The political costs of confronting traders are not hypothetical. When the government attempted to impose a minimum tax of Rs3,000 per shop in FY23, the then finance minister Miftah Ismail was publicly rebuked — not by the opposition, but by PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz Sharif. The message to traders, and to any future finance minister contemplating enforcement, was unambiguous. But that calculation has consequences: every concession granted to retailers increases pressure on sectors that are already fully documented and easy to tax. Revenue collection alone is not the benchmark for sound tax policy. Effective reform must broaden the tax base, improve documentation and distribute the burden more fairly. On those standards, the Fixed Tax Asaan Scheme fails. A credible alternative roadmap is not difficult to design. The tools and the blueprint are available. The OICCI, in its taxation proposals, has outlined one: a two-year programme to bring unregistered businesses into the tax net through digitisation, integration of existing databases and expansion of digital invoicing. That this framework has been formally submitted to the government and set aside in favour of a voluntary, audit-free scheme is telling. The OICCI has warned that the continued concentration of tax burden on the formal sector has already contributed to multinational companies scaling down operations or exiting Pakistan altogether. A tax policy that drives out documented, compliant investors while offering relief to undocumented ones does not just fail on fairness grounds; it actively undermines the investment base the country needs to grow its way out of fiscal stress. Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, June 8th, 2026

Tehran vows payback after Israel attacks Beirut despite truce

• Ghalibaf says violation makes US, Israeli assets ‘legitimate targets’ • Trump calls for ‘surgical attacks’ against Hezbollah • Lebanese army says its chief travelled to Pakistan to meet top officials SMOKE rises after an Israeli airstrike targeted Tyre.—AFP BEIRUT: Israeli warplanes struck Beirut’s southern suburbs on Sunday, hitting apartments in two residential buildings in the densely-populated Tahwitat al-Ghadir area, despite a US-brokered ceasefire between the Lebanese government and Israel. These were the first attacks on the Lebanese capital since President Donald Trump announced a truce plan for Lebanon last week. While the latest Israeli strikes claimed two lives, Israel’s continued attacks on Lebanon have killed at least 3,613 people and wounded 11,072 others since Israeli forces along with the US launched the war on Iran. Iran’s chief peace negotiator, parliamentary speaker Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf, said US bases and Israeli assets were legitimate targets because of hostile acts including the “violation of agreements over Lebanon”. Tehran has long said any peace deal with the United States would depend on a ceasefire, also holding in Lebanon. “They showed that they only understand the language of power,” he wrote on X. Ebrahim Rezaei, an influential lawmaker who also serves as spokesperson for parliament’s national security committee, posted on X that Iran would deliver a “decisive and painful response” to Sunday’s Israeli strikes on Lebanon. Although he has leaned on Israel to scale back its war against Lebanon to allow room for a peace deal with Iran, US President Donald Trump called for “more surgical strikes” against Hezbollah in Lebanon, in an interview broadcast on Sunday. “I’d like to see Lebanon have a better life. I’d like to see a more surgical attack on Hezbollah. I think it should be more surgical,” he remarked. Asked whether he was demanding that Lebanon be included in the Iran deal, Trump replied: “No, no.” “Not at all. I’m not demanding,” he said. “I think they’d like to see it, but I’m not demanding.” Trump has said previously he would like to “separate” the discussions on Lebanon from the negotiations on an agreement with Iran, while Tehran wants to link the two conflicts. But Israel has never fully halted its attacks on Lebanon, which have killed thousands of people and driven hundreds of thousands from their homes. Hezbollah, which was not party to the US-brokered truce, has made it clear that it would not give up weapons unless Israel withdraws its troops from Lebanon. Elsewhere in Beirut on Sunday, mourners held a military funeral for Brigadier General Wissam Sabra, a senior military officer killed in a strike on his vehicle. Earlier on Saturday, Lebanon’s army said its commander General Rudolf Haykal had departed for Pakistan, which is currently making efforts to mediate an end to the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, which has also spilled into Lebanon. The Lebanese army said the visit was at the invitation of Haykal’s Pakistani counterpart, Field Marshal Asim Munir, but did not immediately provide further details on its purpose or duration. There was no official word from Inter-Services Public Relations at the time of going to press. Published in Dawn, June 8th, 2026

South China Morning Post

The Economic Times (India)

As Asia’s strategic landscape evolves, what is the Quad’s purpose?

When foreign ministers of countries that are part of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) gathered in New Delhi last week, the agenda looked familiar: supply chain resilience, telecommunications security and maritime domain awareness. The talking points have evolved, the initiatives have multiplied and the meetings have become routine. Asia is entering a new strategic era. However, its geopolitical debate remains stuck in the previous one. Across the region, governments are investing in...