DAMASCUS: A Syrian court on Tuesday sentenced former ruler Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia after convicting him of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the country’s civil war. The ruling is the first of its kind under the transitional authorities, who began trying figures from the former government this year, both in person and in absentia. Assad...
Colombia earthquake kills 111; state of emergency declared
PEREIRA: At least 111 people were killed and 87 injured when a powerful earthquake struck western Colombia early on Monday, flattening buildings across several cities and leaving residents trapped in the rubble. The 7.4-magnitude quake hit at 7:34am, with its epicentre in the coastal Chocó region at a depth of 100km. Colombia declared a state of emergency as rescue teams...
Trump Demands Iran Pay for War Deaths as Hormuz Deal Hopes Fade
DUBAI: US President Donald Trump on Monday demanded that Iran pay compensation for people he said it had killed in wars, attacks and protests, sharply raising the rhetorical stakes with Tehran just as hopes faded for an early deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Trump framed the demand as a response to Iran’s earlier insistence that Washington meet conditions...
eSIM Arrives in Pakistan on 17 August – But Most Phones Can’t Use It Yet
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) is pushing to bring eSIM technology within reach of ordinary mobile users, but the numbers suggest the rollout will be gradual. Under the new framework, PTA has fixed the initial eSIM fee at Rs1,500 and allowed a minimum of 10 free transfers of an eSIM profile from one handset to another. The policy takes...
Remittances Climb 13pc to $3.6 Billion in July
KARACHI: Remittances from overseas Pakistanis rose 13 per cent to $3.6 billion in July, delivering a solid start to the new fiscal year for the country’s external account. The most notable feature of the data is where the money came from. Inflows from the Middle East remained robust despite the ongoing conflict in the region — a resilience that matters...
KSE-100 Sheds Over 1,000 Points as Selling Grips the Market; Rupee Holds Firm
KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange opened the second session of the week firmly in negative territory, with heavy selling dragging the benchmark index sharply lower. The KSE-100 index fell by more than 1,000 points from the opening bell, sliding to the 180,076-point level as investors moved out of positions across the board. The drop follows a comparatively mild close in...
A R Rahman’s Son Injured in Car Accident
MUMBAI: The son of celebrated Indian composer A R Rahman has been injured in a car accident, according to reports carried on Tuesday. Rahman is among the most decorated figures in Indian music, an Oscar and Grammy winner whose work spans Indian cinema and international film scoring, and who commands a very large following in Pakistan as well as across...
Independence Day teaser released as country counts down to Jashn-e-Azadi
LAHORE: A teaser marking the 79th Independence Day has been released, built around the theme of renewing allegiance to the homeland. The film calls on citizens to take up the green and white flag and join the celebrations of Jashn-e-Azadi — the night of 13 August — with full spirit. Its central appeal is to unity: viewers are invited to...
New Phishing Scam Uses Fake Traffic e-Challan SMS to Drain Accounts
ISLAMABAD: A new cyber fraud technique built around traffic e-challans has surfaced in Islamabad, prompting a public warning from the capital’s traffic police. Fraudsters are sending SMS messages that appear to be official challan notifications, then instructing recipients to settle the supposed fine through a suspicious payment link. Anyone who follows the link risks handing over card and banking details...
FIA Busts Fake Italian Embassy Racket; Nine Held in Rawalpindi
RAWALPINDI: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has broken up a fraud ring whose members were passing themselves off as representatives of the Italian embassy, arresting the alleged ringleader along with eight accomplices in Rawalpindi. According to the FIA, the group approached a citizen with the promise of arranging travel to Italy and extracted Rs4.5 million from him before the scheme...