Amid unprecedented global challenges and a growing list of countries in crisis, there is an existential threat to decades of development gains—with the global community marked by intensified armed conflict, forced displacements, and the debilitating effects of climate crises. One in five children worldwide lives in or flees from conflict. The number of crisis-affected children […]

At a rally to mark International Youth Day on August 12 in Tanzania’s southern Mbeya region, John Mnyika stood with a determined expression, addressing his supporters. The air was charged with anticipation. Mnyika, the Secretary-General of Tanzania’s opposition party, Chadema, was preparing to speak about the upcoming elections when the chaos erupted. Without warning, heavily […]

In a significant move to address the challenges faced by people with disabilities and the elderly, six Egyptian parliamentary committees met in Cairo on October 12 to discuss national strategies and legislative efforts. The Forum of Arab Parliamentarians on Population and Development and the Asian Population and Development Association (APDA), with support from the United […]

Online gambling platforms are always open, meaning you can gamble when you feel like it

Wonka is based on Roald Dahl’s book 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'Timothée Chalamet starrer, Wonka, which turned out to be a commercial success in 2023, will now be getting a sequel.Director Paul King confirmed the new entry of the family-musical in an interview, where he also...

Britney Spears responds to ex husband Kevin Federline's claims with subtle moveBritney Spears has responded to claims made by her ex-husband, Kevin Federline, regarding her recent reunion with their son, Jayden.The Toxic hitmaker took to her Instagram to share another cryptic post with her...

Simon Cowell gets candid about 'punching' 90's popstarRecord executive, Simon Cowell has spilled shocking details about indulging into a physical fight with one of the biggest boy band stars of the 90s.The revelation was made in a newly released documentary Boybands Forever, featuring renowned...

Michael Jackson’s pal Donny Osmond shares reason of their close bonding Michael Jackson and Donny Osmond had quite a similar family background. The Puppy Love crooner made an appearance in MTV Entertainment Studios documentary Larger than Life: Reign of the Boybands, where...

Madonna's close friend reveals she dated Tupac Shakur but never publicised about himPop singer, Madonna silently steps into her single era again, as she reportedly parted ways with her boyfriend, Akeem Morris.A close source revealed that the duo separated in the month of October and their bond had...

Timothée Chalamet was told to gain weight to get more roles.Timothée Chalamet doesn’t struggle to land big roles for movies anymore.However, there was a time when the Wonka star was rejected from two movie roles at the initial stages of his career.On Monday, November 11th,...

Mariska Hargitay on mother Jayne Mansfield's deathMariska Hargitay got candid on “dealing” with the death of her mother, Hollywood diva, Jayne Mansfield at the age of 3.“I lost my mother when I was 3 years old, and I grew up in a house of people dealing with the tragedy in...

Amanda Seyfried reveals why she traded Hollywood glamour for peaceful lifeAmanda Seyfried has discovered the secret to harmonizing her Hollywood career with a peaceful personal life. The actress traded the glamour of Los Angeles with a serene farm in Upstate New York, where she's found solace...

What started as a broad attempt to allow women to live a more dignified life, an indigenous women’s organization, Masehual Siuamej Mosenyolchicauani, now aims to solve environmental and climate problems that others have created.

“It’s been horrible; I’ve been sick on and off for the last 10 days,” said 29-year-old asthmatic Natasha Sohail, who teaches A-Level students at three private schools in Lahore. Last week, her condition worsened with a vertigo attack and fever. “It’s criminal what is happening here,” said an incensed Sohail, referring to the “band-aid measures” […]

“We’re ready to testify before the QuadComm as victims of extrajudicial killings,” Rosenda Lemita said, stressing that they want Duterte and those responsible to face investigation. For these families, the government’s “nanlaban” excuse is not just for the drug war but also for silencing activists.

The town planning department on Tuesday signed a contract for the demolition of two apartment buildings in the government housing settlement of Platy in Aglandja, Nicosia, as part of the government’s Ktizo plan, which aims atimproving living conditions in refugee estates. According to a statement released by the interior ministry, the agreed cost for the […]

The Bank of Cyprus (BoC) on Tuesday reported a profit after tax of €401 million for the first nine months of 2024, representing a 15 per cent increase year-on-year. According to the bank’s latest financial results, €131 million of this amount was generated during the third quarter. “We continue to generate strong financial and operational […]

More European Central Bank interest rate cuts are coming and the deposit rate could hit the so-called neutral level in the first half of next year, Finnish central bank chief Olli Rehn said on Tuesday. The ECB has already cut rates three times this year as prices have fallen and further cuts at each of […]

Wednesday will be mainly sunny in most areas with a chance of isolated afternoon rains, mainly in the mountains and in the south. Temperatures will rise to 25C inland and on the coasts and 14C in the higher mountains. Winds will be mainly south-to north-westerly, light to moderate, up to 4 Beaufort. The sea will […]

Opening remarks by Scott Morris, ADB Vice-President (East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific), at the East Asia Forum 2024, 19 September, Beijing, People’s Republic of China

ADB recently launched the Georgia Public–Private Partnership (PPP) Monitor. Helen Steward, Principal Markets Development Advisory Specialist in ADB’s Office of Markets Development and Public–Private Partnerships, explains what the PPP Monitor is all about.

Mongolia's nomadic herders, reliant on fragile ecosystems, are facing increasing challenges from climate change. The Asian Development Bank is empowering these communities with small grants and targeted initiatives to build climate resilience.

The Federal Reserve’s monetary policy has become increasingly data-dependent, with inflation and employment figures driving the nascent easing cycle. What does this mean for Asia’s financial markets?

Coloradans have rejected a proposed ban on mountain lion and bobcat hunting -- a hit for wildlife advocates who have worked to outlaw or change the practice for years.

Colorado voters will decide whether to repeal the state constitution's now-defunct marriage definition that only recognizes unions between a man and a woman.

Colorado Democrats looked set to maintain their supermajority in the state House as of Wednesday afternoon, though they fell short of reaching the same threshold in the Senate.

The mountain lion was considered a public threat and had activated a shelter-in-place order for nearby residents.

“While the investigation takes place, the town will refrain from any additional comment on this matter," according to a press release.

This study finds contract farming in Lao PDR to be effective in raising incomes of small farmers, thus reducing poverty.

The judge overseeing Donald Trump’s criminal hush money case has put off ruling on whether the president-elect’s conviction should be thrown out on immunity grounds, enabling prosecutors to weigh next steps following his November 5 election victory.

Justice Juan Merchan had been due to rule on Tuesday on Trump’s argument that the US Supreme Court’s decision in July that presidents are immune from prosecution involving their official acts meant the New York state case should be dismissed.

Instead, Merchan granted a request by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office to have until Nov 19 to consider how to approach the case in light of Trump’s looming inauguration in January 2025, email correspondence made public on Tuesday showed.

Trump’s scheduled Nov 26 sentencing is now widely expected to be postponed.

Trump in May became the first US president — former or sitting — convicted of a crime when a jury in Manhattan found him guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up a potential sex scandal shortly before his first election win in 2016. Trump, who pleaded not guilty, has vowed to appeal the verdict after sentencing.

Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo wrote there were “competing interests” between ensuring a criminal case proceeds as usual and protecting the office of the president.

“The People agree that these are unprecedented circumstances,” Colangelo wrote.

Trump is set to be the first felon inaugurated as president after his victory over Vice President Kamala Harris.

At issue in the six-week Manhattan trial was a $130,000 payment made by Trump’s then-lawyer Michael Cohen to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about a sexual encounter she said she had with him in 2006 but which he has denied.

Trump’s defense lawyer Emil Bove wrote that the case ultimately needed to be dismissed to avoid interfering with Trump’s presidential duties.

“The stay, and dismissal, are necessary to avoid unconstitutional impediments to President Trump’s ability to govern,” Bove wrote.

Trump faced four criminal cases

Trump, 78, is hoping to enter office unencumbered by any of four criminal cases he has faced and which once were thought to have threatened to derail his 2024 candidacy to return to the White House after having served from 2017 to 2021.

The Republican Trump has portrayed the hush money case brought by Bragg, a Democrat, and the three other state and federal criminal indictments brought in 2023 as politically motivated attempts to harm his presidential campaign. He pleaded not guilty in all four cases.

“It is now abundantly clear that Americans want an immediate end to the weaponization of our justice system,” Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement on Tuesday.

Special Counsel Jack Smith brought two of the cases against Trump, one involving classified documents he kept after leaving office and the other involving his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss. A Florida-based federal judge in July dismissed the documents case. The Justice Department is now evaluating how to wind down Smith’s election-related case.

Trump also faces state criminal charges in Georgia over his bid to reverse his 2020 loss in that state, but the case remains in limbo.

The Supreme Court, in a decision arising from one of Smith’s two cases against Trump, decided that presidents are immune from prosecution involving their official acts and that juries cannot be presented evidence of official acts in trials over personal conduct. It marked the first time that the court recognized any degree of presidential immunity from prosecution.

In making the case for immunity, Trump’s lawyers said the jury that convicted Trump in the hush money case was shown evidence by prosecutors of his social media posts as president and heard testimony from his former aides about conversations that occurred in the White House during his 2017-2021 term.

Bragg’s office countered that the Supreme Court’s ruling has no bearing on the case, which they said concerned “wholly unofficial conduct.” The Supreme Court in its ruling found no immunity for a president’s unofficial acts.

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has observed that a long-term policy is needed to control smog, directing the Punjab government to take actions beyond mere paperwork.

Hearing environment-related petitions on Tues­day, Justice Shahid Karim remarked that the federal government should also be roped in to address the issue that plagues Punjab.

Advocate General for Pu­n­jab (AGP) Khalid Ish­aq and provincial Secr­e­tary of Transport Depar­t­ment Ahmed Javed Qazi also appeared before the court.

The judge noted that the current approach of the government was insufficient, saying that if smog had appeared in Septem­ber this time, it might turn up in August next year.

Justice Karim remar­ked that a 10-year policy was needed to combat the menace of smog. He ack­now­ledged that the sitting government performed better than its predecessors but there was still more work to be done.

He also hailed the performance of Environment Protection Department Director General Imran Hamid Sheikh, urging other departments to follow suit. He noted that the transport sector caused 70 to 80pc of environmental pollution due to the use of smuggled low-grade fuel.

The judge insisted on considering the future of industries established within Lahore, citing the example of Beijing where all industries were moved outside the city. He said Beijing had proposed solutions but the Punjab government didn’t take them seriously.

The AGP replied that there were challenges in the execution of China’s suggestions on smog and the court would be apprised of the matter soon.

He further told the court that a policy to combat smog had been devised and a budget had also been allocated. From next year, he said, the citizens might be asked to avoid holding weddings from October to December.

However, the judge suggested that the government could impose restrictions on weddings, limiting them to one event instead of three, alongside a one-dish policy.

Justice Karim regretted that the government took actions only when the court became aware of environmental issues. He said major construction projects in Lahore might need to be halted to control the situation.

The judge remarked that even government-owned Speedo buses emit significant smoke, what to talk about the private transport. He expressed concerns, saying the current smog would persist until January.

“This is a wake-up call for the government. Planning for the next year must begin immediately,” Justice Karim observed, adding that the planning was the responsibility of the government and the court did not want to intervene.

The judge was of the view that solving the school buses issue alone could reduce pollution significantly.

Published in Dawn, November 13th, 2024

ISLAMABAD: The National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) chief has told a National Assembly panel that the fees for identity cards will have to be increased if it opens up more offices.

In a briefing to the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Interior on Tuesday, Nadra Chairman Lt General Munir Afsar said the authority has no office in 61 tehsils of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

The committee, which met for the second consecutive day with Raja Khurram Nawaz in the chair, was told that 26 National Registration Centres (NRCs) and three mega NRCs were currently operational in Karachi.

The authority is planning to open one more NRC and four mega NRCs in Karachi next year.

Chairman tells NA body six employees were sacked over data breaches

While talking about the security of Nadra’s infrastructure, Lt Gen Afsar said the agency monitors three to four hundred individuals daily to detect data leaks and unauthorised identity card issuances.

He said six Nadra employees, including a grade-19 officer, have been dismissed over their alleged involvement in a data breach.

The breach compromised the data of around 2.7 million citizens between 2019 and 2023.

A joint investigation team formed to probe the data leak in March submitted a report to the Interior Ministry revealing that Nadra officers in Karachi, Multan and Peshawar were involved in the data theft.

The NA committee was informed that Nadra had dismissed 202 hired and 60 officers during the last five years.

The authority’s revenue has increased from Rs23.55billion in 2019-20 to Rs57bn in 2023-24.

FIA DG briefs committee

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) director general, Ahmad Ishaque Jehangir, briefed the committee about human smuggling networks recently uncovered by his organisation.

He said smugglers in Lahore, Rawalpindi and Karachi lure people with the prospects of overseas employment.

He said the agency was probing the case further, and the investigation is expected to conclude in six to seven months as this is a cross-border crime, and additional information is required from law enforcement agencies in Romania.

An additional inspector general (AIG) of Punjab police briefed the participants on rape cases involving minors reported in the province over the past five years.

From 2020 to 2024, 8,306 such cases were registered, with 6,950 accused arrested. Of these, 299 were convicted, 1,736 acquitted, 1,088 discharged, and 3,827 cases were still under trial, the lawmakers were told.

The committee also discussed the new “Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2024 and directed the ministry to include a clause permitting the filing of an FIR against Discos and employees responsible for overbilling.

The members said that electricity usage and theft slabs should be specified in the bill and that the proposed law should differentiate between residential, commercial, and industrial users.

Published in Dawn, November 13th, 2024

Tremors were felt in various cities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as well as Islamabad on Wednesday after a quake jolted Afghanistan’s Badakhshan region.

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake had a magnitude of 5.1, while the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) reported it as having a 5.3 magnitude.

The USGS said the quake’s centre was located 37 kilometres west-southwest of Afghanistan’s Ishkashim town and had a 220.7km depth.

The earthquake struck at 10:13am (Pakistan time), both the USGS and PMD confirmed.

No casualties have been reported so far.

DawnNewsTV reported that the tremors were felt in Peshawar and its adjoining areas, as well as Islamabad.

Speaking to DawnNewsTV, two correspondents based in the cities said the quake caused people to evacuate buildings.

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This paper explores how oil price windfalls impact labor market regulation across 83 countries from 1970 to 2014.

Extending across seven provinces and two autonomous regions, the Yellow River Ecological Corridor (YREC) comprises the second largest river basin in the People's Republic of China (PRC) with a population of 120 million. The basin is critical for food security yet faces complex ecological and environmental challenges. The region suffers from severe water scarcity, impacts from climate change and environmentally unsustainable development.