INTERNATIONAL

PTI chairman Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi have been acquitted in the Iddat case. The court ordered their immediate release if they are not wanted in other cases. This decision brought joy to PTI supporters who had gathered outside the court, turning their planned rallies into celebrations. The Iddat case had stirred significant controversy and condemnation from civil rights activists and legal experts. Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were initially sentenced just days before the February 8 general elections, raising questions about the timing and motivations behind the conviction. Earlier today, Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka of the Islamabad district and sessions court had reserved the decision on their appeals. During the hearings, Judge Majoka remarked that Hanafi jurisprudence ...

The election results reveal a significant shift in the UK's political landscape, with the Labour Party emerging as the dominant force, having secured 272 seats. This decisive victory highlights a profound public desire for change, as Labour significantly outpaces its rivals. In stark contrast, the Conservative Party, under the leadership of Rishi Sunak, has managed to secure only 51 seats, indicating a dramatic decline in their political influence and a clear rejection of Sunak's tenure. The previous record for the fewest seats won by the Conservative Party was in the 1906 general election, where they secured 157 seats. This was during a period of significant political and social change, leading to a landslide victory for the Liberal Party. This shift marks the end of a prolonged ...

The top UN human rights official on Thursday voiced concern over the use of anti-terror law in India to silence critics and urged authorities to drop cases against author Arundhati Roy over comments on Kashmir. “#India: We are concerned by the use of #UAPA anti-terror law to silence critics. Repeat call for review of law & release of human rights defenders detained under it. Urge authorities to drop cases against” Arundhati Roy and Sheikh Showkat Hussain over comments on Kashmir,” the UN Human Rights Office, led by High Commissioner Volker Turk, said in a post on X. Earlier this month, Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena accorded sanction to prosecute Roy and former Central University of Kashmir professor Sheikh Showkat Hussain under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act fo...

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has raised alarms over the escalating issues concerning religious freedoms in India, as reported in the State Department's 2023 International Religious Freedom Report. Blinken highlighted a significant rise in anti-conversion laws, hate speech, and the destruction of homes and religious sites belonging to minority faith communities in India. In his remarks during the report's release, Blinken noted the global efforts to safeguard religious freedoms but expressed concern over the deteriorating situation in India. He emphasized the troubling increase in religious intolerance, which was evident from January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023. The report detailed instances where public celebrations of Hindu festivals led to communal violence, particul...

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was freed on Wednesday by a court in Saipan, a U.S. territory in the Pacific, after pleading guilty to violating U.S. espionage laws. This development comes as part of a plea deal that will allow Assange to return to his native Australia. During a three-hour hearing, Assange admitted to one count of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified U.S. defense documents, while asserting that he believed the First Amendment, which protects free speech, should have shielded his activities. "Working as a journalist, I encouraged my source to provide information that was said to be classified in order to publish that information," Assange stated in court. "I believed the First Amendment protected that activity but I accept that it was ... a violation of the espi...

A Pakistani delegation arrived here on Sunday evening as part of Neutral Expert proceedings to inspect two hydroelectric power projects in Jammu and Kashmir under the Indus Water Treaty, officials said. This is the first visit by a Pakistani delegation to Jammu and Kashmir in more than five years under the dispute settlement mechanism of the 1960 Treaty. India and Pakistan signed the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) after nine years of negotiations, with the World Bank being a signatory of the pact which sets out a mechanism for cooperation and information exchange between the two sides on the use of waters of a number of cross-border rivers. A three-member Pakistan delegation inspected the Pakal Dul and Lower Kalnai hydroelectric power projects under the provisions of the IWT for the las...

The world is on the edge of its seat, eagerly awaiting the release of the previously unheard album Chain of Light by the legendary maestro Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Slated for release on September 20, this long-lost collection of recordings has sparked an unprecedented wave of excitement and anticipation across the globe, with fans and music enthusiasts counting down the days to experience the unparalleled magic of Nusrat’s voice once again. Discovered in the archives of Peter Gabriel’s Real World Records, the album features four traditional qawwali tracks that capture Nusrat at the peak of his vocal prowess. Recorded in April 1990, these tracks offer a rare and precious glimpse into the maestro’s genius, promising to enchant listeners anew. Predictions are already rife that 'Chain o...

Kashmiri scientist, Dr. Mubarak Hussain Syed has been recognized as one of the top 10 young neuroscientists to receive the esteemed 2024 McKnight Scholar Award. This honor is bestowed upon early-career scientists who are making significant advancements in understanding brain complexities. Each recipient will be granted $75,000 annually for three years to further their pioneering research. Dr. Syed, who serves as an Assistant Professor at the University of New Mexico, is focusing his research on the mechanisms that determine how various neuron types develop from neural stem cells (NSCs) and how these developmental processes influence adult behaviors. Utilizing a fruit fly model, his laboratory will investigate how Type II NSCs differentiate into specific neuron types within the cen...

A collection of previously unreleased recordings by the legendary qawwali maestro Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan is set to be released on September 20, marking more than 27 years since his passing. As reported by Rolling Stone, this “lost” album, titled Chain of Light, was discovered in the tape archives of Peter Gabriel’s Real World Records. The label, which signed Nusrat in 1989, produced several highly regarded albums with him throughout the 1990s. Chain of Light comprises four traditional qawwali tracks, including a newly unearthed piece. These recordings, made in April 1990 at Real World Studios, coincide with the period when Khan was collaborating on Mustt Mustt with Canadian producer Michael Brook, showcasing his vocal prowess at its zenith. Celebrated for his extraordinary vocal...

Sébastien Farcis, a seasoned French journalist, has reported that he was compelled to leave India following the Ministry of Home Affairs' decision to deny the renewal of his journalist visa. Farcis, who served as the India correspondent for Radio France Internationale and Libération, expressed his dismay over the unexplained work ban. “I was forced to leave India on June 17, a country where I have lived and worked for 13 years as a South Asia correspondent for several international media outlets,” Farcis said in a statement. He detailed how, three months prior on March 7, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) refused to renew his journalist permit. Despite his efforts to seek clarification and appeal the decision, he received no justification for the ban, which has left him without income ...