Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Thursday issued its first-ever presidential statement on closer cooperation with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)&nbsp;to address regional challenges, including maritime security, terrorism, and food and water security.&nbsp; The statement, submitted by Bahrain&#39;s UN representative in his capacity as Council President for April, recognizes the GCC&rsquo;s &quot;position and expertise&quot; in promoting regional peace and security, and acknowledges its &quot;contributions to regional and international stability through mediation, preventive diplomacy, technical and financial support, and humanitarian engagement.&quot; The Council requested that the UN Secretary-General, Ant&oacute;nio Guterres, include recommendations on strengthening institutional ties with the GCC in his next report, and encouraged regular briefings by the GCC Secretary-General. &quot;The ongoing escalation underlines the urgent need for coordinated multilateral action,&quot; said Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General, stressing the importance of &ldquo;strengthened&rdquo; UN-GCC cooperation. He highlighted the GCC&#39;s role in de-escalating regional tensions, supporting mediation in Gaza, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen, and its cooperation with the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism. &#39;Cornerstone of the global economy&#39;GCC Secretary-General Jassim Albudaiwi told the Council the bloc is a &quot;cornerstone of the global economy&quot;, noting its combined output exceeded $2.3 trillion in 2024 and its members&rsquo; major contribution to global oil and gas supplies. He warned that instability in the Gulf carries global consequences. &quot;Stability in the Arabian Gulf is not merely a regional concern, but is rather a global necessity,&quot; he said. Bahrain&#39;s Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid al Zayani announced that his country had submitted a separate draft resolution to the Council addressing what he described as Iran&#39;s &quot;unlawful and unjustified&quot; attempts to control navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, with a vote expected Friday. Delegates from the United Kingdom and France backed GCC states&#39; right to defend their sovereignty, with France stating Iran &quot;bears the primary responsibility for the current escalation.&quot;&nbsp; Russia countered that the conflict was &quot;the direct result of an unprovoked act of aggression by the United States and Israel against Iran&#39;s territory.&quot; China and Pakistan jointly called for an immediate ceasefire and the launch of peace talks. The GCC, founded in 1981, comprises Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Americas

The statement, submitted by Bahrain's UN representative, recognizes the GCC’s 'position and expertise' in promoting regional peace and security, and calls for deeper UN-GCC coordination on terrorism, maritime security, water and food security.

UNSC backs stronger cooperation with Gulf bloc in first-ever presidential statement

Web Desk/AFP

ISLAMABAD:&nbsp;Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has asked General Randy George to step down as chief of staff of the US Army, a US official said on Thursday.&nbsp;The official confirmed a report from US broadcaster CBS that said George had been asked to take immediate retirement.&nbsp;The reason for the request was not immediately known, but CBS quoted a source as saying Hegseth wanted someone who would implement his and Trump&#39;s vision for the Army. The Assistant to the Secretary of War for Public Affairs, Chief Pentagon Spokesman, Sean Parnell shared a statement on X on Friday which was also re-posted by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. &nbsp; Official statement&nbsp;The statement read: &quot;General Randy A. George will be retiring from his position as the 41st Chief of Staff of the Army effective immediately.&quot; &quot;The Department of War is grateful for General George&rsquo;s decades of service to our nation. We wish him well in his retirement,&quot; the statement added.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2039812664902271107&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=8eaea74e018113b61684a8eb986d138a2c2047a7&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 369px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div>George is the latest senior officer to be ousted during Donald Trump&#39;s second term, and his removal as the top Army officer comes with the United States engaged in a major war with Iran that the president has indicated could last for several more weeks.&nbsp;During a nearly four-decade military career, George deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan multiple times and also served in positions including vice chief of staff of the Army and senior military assistant to Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin during Joe Biden&#39;s term as president.&nbsp;Trump has overseen a purge of top military officers, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, general Charles &quot;CQ&quot; Brown, whom he fired without explanation in February 2025.&nbsp;Other senior officers dismissed include the heads of the Navy and Coast Guard, the general who headed the National Security Agency, the vice chief of staff of the Air Force, a Navy admiral assigned to NATO, and three top military lawyers.&nbsp;The chief of staff of the Air Force also announced his retirement without explanation just two years into a four-year term, while the head of US Southern Command retired a year into his tenure.&nbsp;Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth has insisted the president is simply choosing the leaders he wants, but Democratic lawmakers have raised concerns about the potential politicization of the traditionally neutral US military.

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth asks General Randy George to step down as US Army chief of staff; George’s removal follows Trump’s second-term military shake-up amid the war with Iran, with reasons for retirement unclear.

Hegseth ousts US army chief amid Iran conflict

WASHINGTON:&nbsp;US President Donald Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday and named his former personal lawyer to serve as the acting chief of the Justice Department. The US president announced the move in a social media post. &quot;Pam Bondi is a Great American Patriot and a loyal friend, who faithfully served as my Attorney General over the past year,&quot; Trump said on Truth Social. &quot;Pam did a tremendous job overseeing a massive crackdown in Crime across our Country.&quot; Bondi &quot;will be transitioning to a much needed and important new job in the private sector,&quot; the president said, and will be replaced on an interim basis by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who Trump described as &quot;a very talented and respected Legal Mind.&quot; According to The New York Times, Trump may name former Republican congressman Lee Zeldin, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, to be the next attorney general.In the meantime, the post will be filled by Blanche. &#39;Honor of a lifetime&#39;Bondi, in a post on X, said serving as attorney general had been &quot;the honor of a lifetime&quot; and said she will &quot;continue fighting for President Trump&quot; in her unspecified new private sector job. &quot;Over the next month I will be working tirelessly to transition the office of Attorney General to the amazing Todd Blanche,&quot; she said. &quot;I remain eternally grateful for the trust that President Trump placed in me to Make America Safe Again.&quot; Bondi&#39;s ouster comes nearly a month after Trump fired Kristi Noem as the head of the Department of Homeland Security.&nbsp;Democratic lawmakers welcomed Bondi&#39;s firing. Bondi served as a prosecutor for 18 years before being elected Florida&#39;s attorney general in 2010, the first woman to hold the post.&nbsp;She was reelected to a second term in 2014.

Bondi 'will be transitioning to a much needed and important new job in the private sector,' the president said, and will be replaced on an interim basis by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who Trump described as 'a very talented and respected Legal Mind.'

Trump sacks attorney general Pam Bondi, replaces with lawyer Todd Blanche

PUEBLA: Four people died on Thursday when a small plane crashed in the central Mexican state of Puebla, security officials said.&nbsp;The single-engine plane crashed around 12:00 pm (1800 GMT) shortly after takeoff, coming down in an industrial park in Santa Ana Xalmimilulco, according to the state security office.&nbsp;Local resident Vicente Hernandez told AFP that the plane attempted to recover, but it was &quot;already (flying) very low,&quot; and in the end plunged nose-first into the ground.&nbsp;The plane was destined for the city of Poza Rica, in the eastern state of Veracruz, authorities said.&nbsp;Puebla&#39;s Interior Ministry said three people were pronounced dead at the scene and a fourth died after being taken away for medical care.

Four people were killed after a single-engine plane crashed shortly after takeoff in Puebla, Mexico. The aircraft went down in an industrial park, reportedly flying low, and was en route to Poza Rica.

Four dead in central Mexico plane crash

WASHINGTON: The USS Gerald R. Ford has departed Croatia after a five-day port visit, the US Navy said Thursday without specifying where the world&#39;s largest aircraft carrier is headed next.&nbsp;The carrier &quot;remains poised for full mission tasking in support of national objectives in any area of operation,&quot; according to the Navy, which said the ship &quot;completed scheduled repairs and received supplies to sustain operations.&quot;&nbsp;The carrier played a major role in the US-Israeli air campaign against Iran but sailed to Crete and then Croatia after a laundry fire broke out on March 12.&nbsp;The blaze injured two sailors and caused major damage to some 100 beds, according to the US military. The Navy said Thursday that the &quot;routine investigation into the ship&#39;s laundry and berthing fire is ongoing.&quot;&nbsp;The Ford&#39;s exit from Iran operations left a gap in US forces in the region, taking the number of carriers deployed there from two to one.&nbsp;But the USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier and its accompanying warships left port for what the military described as a &quot;regularly scheduled deployment&quot; on Tuesday, and it is reportedly bound for the Middle East.&nbsp;The Ford has been at sea for more than nine months -- a deployment that has already seen it take part in US operations in the Caribbean, where Washington&#39;s forces have carried out strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats, interdicted sanctioned tankers and seized Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

The USS Gerald R. Ford left Croatia after repairs following a fire, remains mission-ready, and its destination is undisclosed. It supported operations against Iran, while another US carrier deploys to maintain regional military presence.

USS Gerald R. Ford carrier departs Croatia

UNITED NATIONS: The secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) called Thursday for the UN Security Council to authorize the use of force to protect the Strait of Hormuz from Iranian attacks. Iran has placed a stranglehold on the key shipping lane -- threatening fuel supplies and buckling the global economy -- in retaliation to US-Israeli strikes that triggered the month-old Middle East war. &quot;Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz, prevented commercial vessels and oil tankers from transiting, and imposed conditions on some to pass through the Strait,&quot; said Jassem al-Budaiwi, head of the GCC. He spoke in New York at the first Security Council meeting on cooperation with the GCC, which comprises Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman. &quot;We call upon the Security Council to assume its full responsibility and take all necessary measures to protect maritime routes and ensure the safe continuation of international navigation,&quot; al-Budaiwi said. Bahrain has proposed a draft resolution that would greenlight states to use &quot;all necessary measures&quot; to assure free transit through the Strait of Hormuz. However, the measure has divided the 15-member Security Council. According to diplomatic sources, Russia, China and France -- who each hold veto privileges -- have voiced strong objections despite several modifications to the text. &quot;We want a Security Council decision that addresses the situation comprehensively with the root causes, and not one-sided and unbalanced,&quot; Anna Evstigneeva, deputy representative of Iran-allied Russia, said Wednesday. French President Emmanuel Macron has said that a military operation to free the Strait is &quot;unrealistic.&quot; A fifth version of the draft text was distributed to member states on Thursday. Around a fifth of the world&#39;s oil and liquefied natural gas passes through the Strait of Hormuz in peacetime. Its near-total closure is impacting global supplies of important commodities, including oil, liquid natural gas, and fertilizer. That has led to a sharp rise in energy prices.

The secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) called for the UN Security Council to authorize the use of force to protect the Strait of Hormuz from Iranian attacks

Gulf states seek UN mandate for force to protect Hormuz

WASHINGTON: The US Supreme Court seemed ready on Wednesday to reject Donald Trump&#39;s historic attempt to end birthright citizenship after a hearing highlighted by the notable presence of the Republican president. The landmark case is a pillar in Trump&#39;s attempts to restrict immigration and his decision to attend oral arguments was unprecedented for a sitting president. Trump left the hearing following the presentation by his solicitor general, John Sauer, and did not remain for the arguments of American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) attorney Cecillia Wang, who was defending birthright citizenship. &quot;We are the only Country in the World STUPID enough to allow &#39;Birthright&#39; Citizenship!&quot; Trump said in a social media post after returning to the White House. Trump signed an executive order on the first day of his second term, decreeing that children born to parents in the United States illegally or on temporary visas would not automatically become US citizens. Lower courts blocked the move, ruling that under the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment, nearly everyone born on US soil is an American citizen. Sauer told the justices that &quot;unrestricted birthright citizenship contradicts the practice of the overwhelming majority of modern nations&quot; and &quot;demeans the priceless and profound gift of American citizenship.&quot; &quot;It operates as a powerful pull factor for illegal immigration and rewards illegal aliens who not only violate the immigration laws but also jump in front of those who follow the rules,&quot; he said. It also encourages what Sauer called &quot;birth tourism,&quot; in which foreigners come to the United States solely to give birth. The three liberal justices and several conservatives appeared skeptical of the administration&#39;s arguments. Conservatives have a 6-3 supermajority on the court and three justices were appointed by Trump. &#39;It&#39;s the same constitution&#39;Chief Justice John Roberts, a conservative, asked Sauer how common &quot;birth tourism&quot; is before pointing out that, regardless of the numbers, it would have &quot;no impact on the legal analysis&quot; of the case. &quot;We&#39;re in a new world now,&quot; the solicitor general said, &quot;where eight billion people are one plane ride away from having a child who&#39;s a US citizen.&quot; &quot;Well, it&#39;s a new world. It&#39;s the same constitution,&quot; Roberts replied. The 14th Amendment states that, &quot;All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States.&quot; It does not apply to those not subject to US jurisdiction -- the children of foreign diplomats, for example -- and Roberts said the government appeared to be seeking to expand the exceptions &quot;to a whole class of illegal aliens,&quot; a move he described as &quot;quirky.&quot; Justice Brett Kavanaugh, another conservative, asked Sauer why he was citing the birthright policies of other nations. &quot;We try to interpret American law with American precedent based on American history,&quot; Kavanaugh said. &quot;Why should we be thinking about ... other countries? I&#39;m not seeing the relevance as a legal, constitutional interpretive matter.&quot; Justice Neil Gorsuch, another conservative, said that when the 14th Amendment was passed, in 1868, there was no such thing as &quot;illegal&quot; immigration. &quot;If somebody showed up here in 1868 and established domicile, that was perfectly fine,&quot; Gorsuch said. &quot;And so why wouldn&#39;t we ... come to the conclusion that the fact that someone might be illegal is immaterial?&quot; Decision by JulyWang, the ACLU attorney, told the justices a rejection of birthright citizenship would call into question &quot;the citizenship of millions of Americans past, present and future.&quot; &quot;Ask any American what our citizenship rule is, and they&#39;ll tell you, everyone born here is a citizen alike,&quot; Wang said. &quot;That rule was enshrined in the 14th Amendment to put it out of the reach of any government official to destroy.&quot; The Trump administration is arguing that the 14th Amendment, passed in the wake of the 1861-65 Civil War, addresses citizenship rights of former slaves and not the children of undocumented migrants or visitors. Trump&#39;s executive order is premised on the notion that anyone in the United States illegally or on a visa is not &quot;subject to the jurisdiction&quot; of the country and is therefore excluded from automatic citizenship. The Supreme Court rejected such a narrow definition in a landmark 1898 case involving a man who was born in San Francisco to parents from China. If the Supreme Court rejects ending birthright citizenship, it would be the second major loss for Trump this term -- the justices struck down most of his global tariffs in February. A decision in the case is expected by late June or early July.

The US Supreme Court appeared inclined to reject Trump’s bid to end birthright citizenship, with liberal and conservative justices questioning his arguments and warning that narrowing the 14th Amendment could affect millions of Americans, past, present and future.

US Supreme Court skeptical of Trump bid to end birthright citizenship

WASHINGTON: The United States on Wednesday lifted sanctions against Venezuela&#39;s interim President Delcy Rodriguez, who took power after Washington ousted her predecessor Nicolas Maduro in a military operation in January.&nbsp;Rodriguez&#39;s name was deleted from the &quot;Specially Designated Nationals List,&quot; according to a post on the US Treasury&#39;s Office of Foreign Assets Control website.&nbsp;Rodriguez welcomed the decision, writing on X that it was part of the &quot;normalization and strengthening&quot; of bilateral relations.&nbsp;&quot;We trust that this progress will allow for the lifting of the sanctions currently in force against our country, and make it possible to build and guarantee an effective binational cooperation agenda for the benefit of our peoples,&quot; she added.&nbsp;Ties between Washington and Caracas have warmed since Maduro&#39;s ouster, with Rodriguez complying with US President Donald Trump&#39;s demands for Caracas to open up its energy industry to American companies.&nbsp;Rodriguez served as Maduro&#39;s deputy and was sanctioned by Washington for being a key official in his government, alongside officials including former defense minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello.&nbsp;Rodriguez fired Lopez in mid-March, but she has been walking a fine line between demands from Washington and those from her own backers since Maduro&#39;s toppling.&nbsp;Cabello, who remains in office, is seen as one of her key backers.&nbsp;On Monday, the US Embassy in Caracas resumed operations after being closed for seven years, the State Department said.&nbsp;The reopening came after the US military operation that seized Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores from Caracas on January 3, taking them to New York to face drug trafficking charges that they deny.&nbsp;The operation killed around 100 people in Venezuela, according to authorities there.

The US lifts sanctions on Venezuela’s interim leader Delcy Rodriguez after Maduro’s ouster, aiming to improve ties. Rodriguez welcomes the move and seeks broader relief, as relations warm and cooperation with Washington increases.

US lifts sanctions on Venezuelan interim leader Delcy

KENNEDY: Four astronauts are set to embark Wednesday on the first crewed journey around the Moon since 1972, an odyssey that aims to launch the US into a new era of space exploration. The NASA mission dubbed Artemis 2 has been years in the making after facing repeated setbacks and massive cost overruns, but is finally scheduled to take off from Florida as early as 6:24 p.m. (2224 GMT). Under bright Florida sunshine, the rocket&rsquo;s giant tanks started filling with liquid hydrogen and oxygen at 8:35 am. The team featuring Americans Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch along with Canadian Jeremy Hansen will set forth on the approximately 10-day mission and hurtle around Earth&rsquo;s nearest celestial neighbor without landing &mdash; much like Apollo 8 did in 1968. The journey marks a series of historic accomplishments: it will send the first person of color, the first woman and the first non-American on a lunar mission. It is also the inaugural crewed flight of NASA&rsquo;s new lunar rocket, dubbed SLS. The mammoth orange-and-white rocket is designed to allow the United States to repeatedly return to the Moon, with the goal of establishing a permanent base that will offer a platform for further exploration. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a stepping stone to Mars, where we might have the most likelihood of finding evidence of past life, but it&rsquo;s also a Rosetta Stone for how other solar systems form,&rdquo; Koch told reporters on the weekend. Repeated setbacksThe mission was originally due to take off as early as February. But repeated setbacks stalled the mission and even necessitated rolling the rocket back to its hangar for analysis and repairs. As of Tuesday afternoon, NASA officials voiced confidence that engineering operations and final preparations were proceeding smoothly. If Wednesday&rsquo;s launch is canceled or delayed, there are more liftoff opportunities through Monday, although weather later in the week was looking slightly less favorable. Melinda Schuerfranz, a retiree from Ohio, traveled to Florida for the launch. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re looking forward to it, we&rsquo;ve never seen anything like this,&rdquo; the 76-year-old swimsuit-clad beachgoer told AFP. But Schuerfranz remembers the Apollo era, and thinks some of the magic might be lost in today&rsquo;s more fragmented media environment.&ldquo;I think it was way more exciting then,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Everybody tuned into it.&rdquo; &lsquo;Astronauts for Halloween&rsquo; Artemis is facing pressure from President Donald Trump, who has pushed the pace of the ambitious program that&rsquo;s aiming to see boots hit the lunar surface before his second term ends in early 2029. Artemis 2&rsquo;s objectives include verifying that both the rocket and the spacecraft are in working order in the hopes of paving the way for a Moon landing in 2028. That deadline has raised eyebrows among experts, in part because Washington is relying on the private sector&rsquo;s technological headway. The astronauts will require a second vehicle to descend to the moon&rsquo;s surface, a lunar lander that remains under development by rival space companies owned by billionaires Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. This contemporary era of American lunar investment has frequently been portrayed as an effort in competition with China, which is currently aiming to land humans on the Moon by 2030. For NASA head Jared Isaacman, it&rsquo;s a multi-pronged pursuit related to scientific discovery, national security and economic opportunity &mdash; as well as some less tangible goals. &ldquo;I guarantee after these astronauts fly around the moon, you&rsquo;re going to have more kids dressing up as astronauts for Halloween,&rdquo; Isaacman said during a recent television interview. &ldquo;And that&rsquo;s going to inspire the next generation to take us further.&rdquo;

After repeated setbacks, NASA prepares Artemis 2 launch sending four astronauts around Moon, first crewed mission since 1972, testing SLS rocket, advancing lunar base plans, inspiring exploration, despite delays, costs, and global competition with China.

NASA’s Moon flyby mission primed for launch

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump will watch the US Supreme Court hear a landmark case Wednesday weighing the constitutionality of his contentious bid to end birthright citizenship an extraordinary and possibly unprecedented move for the nation&#39;s highest office. Trump signed an executive order on his return to the White House decreeing that children born to parents in the United States illegally or on temporary visas would not automatically become US citizens. Lower courts blocked the move as unconstitutional, ruling that under the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment nearly everyone born on US soil is an American citizen. &quot;All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States,&quot; the amendment states. It does not apply to persons who are not subject to US jurisdiction foreign diplomats, for example, and sovereign Native American tribes. &quot;I&#39;m going,&quot; Trump told reporters Tuesday when asked about the Supreme Court hearing. He had attended the investiture ceremony of his first Supreme Court justice nominee, Neil Gorsuch, in 2017, months into Trump&#39;s first term. But it would be an exceptional milestone for a sitting president to be present for oral arguments in a case their administration is actively arguing. The Trump administration argues that the 14th Amendment, passed in the wake of the 1861-1865 Civil War, addresses the rights to citizenship of former slaves and not the children of undocumented migrants or temporary visitors. Trump&#39;s executive order is premised on the notion that anyone in the United States illegally, or on a visa, is not &quot;subject to the jurisdiction&quot; of the country and therefore excluded from automatic citizenship. The Supreme Court rejected such a narrow definition in an 1898 case involving a man named Wong Kim Ark, who was born in San Francisco in 1873 to parents who had come to the United States from China. After a visit to China, Wong Kim Ark was denied reentry into the United States in 1895 under the Chinese Exclusion Acts. The Supreme Court ruled, however, that he was a US citizen by virtue of being born in the United States. &#39;History and tradition&#39;&nbsp; Steven Schwinn, a law professor at the University of Illinois Chicago, said the court is likely to reject the challenge to birthright citizenship. &quot;This is a court that has looked to history and tradition as a significant guide in understanding the Constitution,&quot; Schwinn told AFP. &quot;And it would be a little surprising if, after 150 years, we suddenly discovered we were applying the Citizenship Clause all wrong.&quot; Conservatives have a 6-3 supermajority on the high court and three of the justices were appointed by Trump. Trump&#39;s solicitor general, John Sauer, said that in order to be eligible for citizenship &quot;a person must be both born &#39;in the United States&#39; and &#39;subject to the jurisdiction thereof.&#39;&quot; &quot;Children of temporarily present aliens or illegal aliens are not &#39;subject to&#39; the United States&#39; &#39;jurisdiction,&#39;&quot; Sauer said in a brief with the court. &quot;A person is subject to the United States&#39; &#39;jurisdiction&#39; only if he owes sufficient allegiance to, and may claim protection from, the United States.&quot; Automatic citizenship for children of undocumented migrants is a &quot;powerful incentive for illegal migration,&quot; Sauer said, claiming it encourages &quot;birth tourists.&quot; &#39;Dumb judges and justices&#39;&nbsp; If the Supreme Court does reject ending birthright citizenship, it would be the second major loss for Trump this term the justices struck down most of his global tariffs in February. Trump reacted furiously to that ruling and called birthright citizenship one of the &quot;great scams of our time&quot; on Tuesday, a day after he took to Truth Social to denounce &quot;dumb judges and justices.&quot; The American Civil Liberties Union, which is defending birthright citizenship before the court, said the Trump administration &quot;is asking for nothing less than a remaking of our Nation&#39;s constitutional foundations.&quot; &quot;The government&#39;s baseless arguments if accepted would cast a shadow over the citizenship of millions upon millions of Americans, going back generations.&quot; A decision in the case is expected by late June or early July.&nbsp;

Demonstrators holds up an anti-Trump sign outside the US Supreme Court in Washington, DC, on June 27, 2025.

Trump signed an executive order on his return to the White House decreeing that children born to parents in the United States illegally or on temporary visas would not automatically become US citizens.

Trump to watch Supreme Court weigh challenge to birthright citizenship 

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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday extended Good Friday greetings to the Christian community at home and abroad, emphasizing the values of compassion, tolerance and peaceful coexistence. Prime Minister Sharif in a post on X on Friday stated: &quot;On the occasion of Good Friday, I extend sincere greetings to our brothers and sisters of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pm-sharif-extends-heartfelt-greetings-on-joyous-blessed-christmas" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Christian community</a>&nbsp;in Pakistan and members of the Christian faith across the world.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2039943098672025844&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=cf1149a8b3beaafec088d9fab9bb7e3150ffa371&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 369px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div>&ldquo;May this sacred day, marked by sacrifice and reflection, strengthen our shared commitment to compassion, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence,&quot; the prime minister added.

Culture

Says, ​'May this sacred day, marked by sacrifice and reflection, strengthen our shared commitment to compassion, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence'. 

Pakistan's PM Sharif extends Good Friday greetings, urges compassion and tolerance

PARIS:&nbsp;Iran should make a deal with the United States to end the war by offering to curb its nuclear program and reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for sanctions relief, a former Iranian foreign minister said. Mohammad Javad Zarif, who served as foreign minister from 2013-2021, claimed in an op-ed for American journal Foreign Affairs that Tehran had the &quot;upper hand&quot; in the conflict against the US and Israel, but argued Iran needed to stop the war to prevent the loss of more civilian lives and damage to infrastructure. &quot;Iran should use its upper hand not to keep fighting but to declare victory and make a deal that both ends this conflict and prevents the next one,&quot; Zarif said in the piece published late Thursday. &quot;It should offer to place limits on its nuclear program and to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for an end to all sanctions a deal Washington wouldn&#39;t take before but might accept now,&quot; he added. &#39;Nonaggression pact&#39;&nbsp; Iran should also be prepared to accept a mutual &quot;nonaggression pact&quot; with the United States, as well as economic relations, he said. Tehran and Washington have had no diplomatic ties since shortly after the 1979 Islamic revolution. Zarif, one of the architects of the now moribund 2015 deal over the Iranian nuclear program, is seen as a relative moderate within the Islamic republic elite, but has no official post in the current government. However this is one of the first times during this conflict that a high profile figure in Iran has called for a deal and an end to the war, with top military and political officials urging daily for fighting to continue until the US is defeated. &#39;Back to the stone ages&#39;US President Donald Trump has evoked ongoing talks with Tehran without giving details but also threatened to send the country &quot;back to the stone ages&quot; if it fails to agree terms. &quot;As an Iranian, outraged by Donald Trump&#39;s reckless aggression and crude insults, yet proud of our armed forces and resilient people, I am torn about publishing this peace-plan in Foreign Affairs,&quot; Zarif wrote in English on X Friday. &quot;Yet I&#39;m convinced that war must end on terms consistent with Iran&#39;s national interests,&quot; he added. Zarif in the Foreign Affairs piece warned that &quot;although continuing to fight the United States and Israel might be psychologically satisfying, it will lead only to the further destruction of civilian lives and infrastructure&quot;.

Mohammad Javad Zarif (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

Mohammad Javad Zarif urges Iran to end the conflict with the US by negotiating a deal to limit its nuclear program and reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for sanctions relief.

Iran's former top diplomat urges deal with US to end war

ISLAMABAD: Congress&rsquo; National spokesperson Dr Shama Mohamed renewed scrutiny of alleged RSS backing for propaganda-style films in an X post, on Thursday.&nbsp;Dr. Shama said producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah had &ldquo;openly admitted&rdquo; that the RSS supported &ldquo;Kerala Story 2&rdquo; and arguing that this showed the organisation had backed a film meant to defame Kerala. Her post brought fresh attention to a wider debate over how the BJP and the RSS ecosystem support politically aligned cinema through ideological links, endorsements, tax breaks and promotion.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2039579655645348127&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Flogin%2F&sessionId=c92d3faf5176e582d37f5cad3e26fa7ac3e0dbe2&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 672px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div>At least ten films have been produced or directed by individuals linked to the BJP, the RSS, or affiliated Hindutva organisations, an Indian news outlet, The Quint, reported on Friday. The films named in the report include The Kerala Story, The Kerala Story 2 Goes Beyond, Bastar: The Naxal Story, Razakar, Swatantra Veer Savarkar, PM Narendra Modi, Accident or Conspiracy: Godhra, Bengal 1947, The Accidental Prime Minister, and Jahangir National University.&nbsp;One of the most striking claims in that report concerns producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah. The Quint said Shah acknowledged at the 2023 World Hindu Congress that The Kerala Story could not have been made without RSS &ldquo;guidance and support.&rdquo; The report said he described the RSS as the film&rsquo;s &ldquo;guardian angels.&rdquo;&nbsp;Political endorsement has also come from the top. Reuters reported that Indian PM Narendra Modi publicly praised The Kashmir Files in 2022. BJP-ruled states then moved to make the film tax-free, helping widen its reach.&nbsp;A similar pattern was seen with The Kerala Story and Article 370. NDTV reported that BJP governments in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh made The Kerala Story tax-free. NDTV also reported that the BJP government in Chhattisgarh made Article 370 tax-free.&nbsp; Taken together, the reporting suggests these films are not just cultural products. They are increasingly part of a political ecosystem where cinema, ideology, and state patronage intersect.

India

The BJP and the wider RSS ecosystem are backing a string of ultra-nationalist and propaganda-style films in India; the support is not always visible as direct funding but through political links, public endorsements, tax breaks, and coordinated promotion by party leaders and allied networks. 

Scrutiny grows over BJP-RSS backing of propaganda films

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the suicide attack on a police station in the Domel area of District Bannu, said a press release issued by Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office on Friday. The prime minister expressed grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives in the incident that took place in the northwest of the country. Sharif prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured, the press release said. &ldquo;We are determined to completely eradicate all forms of terrorism from the country&rdquo;, the prime minister said.

Security

‘We are determined to completely eradicate all forms of terrorism from the country,’ the prime minister said, according to a press release.

PM Sharif strongly condemns suicide attack in northwest Pakistan  

JINJA: Giggles and songs ripple across a field in rural eastern Uganda where elderly women swing cricket bats as a way to reshape what ageing, health and sports can look like in later life. The so-called &quot;cricket grannies&quot; are bound together by a growing love of a game they initially knew nothing about but is now helping them manage age-related health conditions, stress and loneliness. Clad in floor-length dresses and mostly barefoot, the women, aged 50 to 90, gather weekly at a playground in Jinja district, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) from the capital, Kampala. Each swing draws cheers from teammates as the women turn Saturday morning practice into a lively spectacle. &quot;With the exercises I&#39;ve been doing, my legs used to hurt, but they no longer do,&quot; Jennifer Waibi Nanyonga, 72, told AFP. &quot;I spent the whole of last year without seeing a doctor for my back, yet it had previously been paining me,&quot; added the grandmother of 29. The initiative began in 2025 with just 10 grandmothers in the remote village of Kivubuka and has since grown more than tenfold. The programme was initially aimed at children, but when cricket coach Aaron Kusasira realised their caregivers had little knowledge of the game and often kept them from joining, he decided to involve the elderly women, too. &quot;We come here, we jog, we move around, we do some stretches,&quot; Kusasira, 26, said. They &quot;unknowingly have to run because they have to compete,&quot; he added. Physical inactivity is a leading risk factor for deaths from noncommunicable diseases and, according to the World Health Organization, it is more common among women globally. International health data estimates that sedentary lifestyles are costing public health systems roughly US$27 billion per year and will continue to rise if activity levels are not improved. Fresh start&nbsp; Beyond physical activity, cricket has also fostered a sense of community among the Ugandan grannies. &quot;When at home, you have no company and spend your time buried in your thoughts,&quot; said an elderly woman who only gave her first name, Patriciah. For others, the weekly meetings have proved cathartic. &quot;When I arrive here and see my friends, we get together and talk about our problems, we counsel each other,&quot; said Jennifer Waibi Nanyonga. &quot;By the time we return home, everyone is lighter and with a fresh start,&quot; she added. For coach Kusasira, training the women has been a win-win, giving him the opportunity to coach children in the area without opposition. &quot;From the kids to the elders, provided I see the smiles it&#39;s enough. I know that is a day well spent,&quot; he said.

In eastern Uganda’s Jinja district, groups of older women have embraced cricket as a way to stay physically active and socially connected later in life. Often referred to locally as “cricket grannies”, they take part in informal games and training that co

Africa

The so-called "cricket grannies" are bound together by a growing love of a game they initially knew nothing about but is now helping them manage age-related health conditions, stress and loneliness.

From bats to bonds: Uganda's 'cricket grannies'

DHAKA: The Bangladesh government has introduced a series of measures aimed at addressing the impact of global disruptions and ensuring stability in fuel oil supply, following a high-level cabinet meeting held at night at the Cabinet Room in the Parliament Secretariat.&nbsp; Under the new directives, all government and private offices will operate from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Banking hours for public transactions will run from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, while banks will officially close at 4:00 pm, Bangladeshi state media Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) reported.&nbsp; In an effort to conserve energy, shopping malls and markets nationwide must shut down by 6:00 pm. However, essential services including kitchen markets, food outlets, and pharmacies will remain exempt from this restriction. The decisions were taken by the Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Thursday night. Later, Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Ghani briefed the journalists at the media centre of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, saying that the government took measures considering fuel supply disruptions caused by the Middle East war.&nbsp;&nbsp;Prime Minister&rsquo;s Press Secretary Saleh Shibly was present at the briefing. Noting that several steps have been taken for the next three months to reduce government expenditure, the cabinet secretary said, &ldquo;No new vehicles, watercraft or aircraft will be purchased during this period&rdquo;.&nbsp;&nbsp;Procurement of new equipment, including computers, will also remain suspended, he said, adding, internal training has been reduced by 50 percent, while all foreign training under government funding will remain suspended until further notice.&nbsp;&nbsp;Expenditure on meetings and seminars has also been cut by 50 percent, Ghani said.&nbsp;&nbsp;Besides, he said, government spending in the power, energy and gas sectors will be reduced by 30 percent. The meeting issued a directive to reduce unnecessary travel expenses by 30 percent, the cabinet secretary added.&nbsp;&nbsp;He said new directives will be issued for the education sector.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Ministry of Education will start issuing instructions in phases from Sunday, considering the needs of different levels, so that the measures do not have a negative impact on the education system, Ghani said.&nbsp;&nbsp;In a bid to reduce traffic congestion in the capital city during the school hour, he said, the government has decided to introduce electric buses for school students instead of private cars.&nbsp;&nbsp;Educational institutions joining the initiative will be able to import buses duty-free, the cabinet secretary said, adding, the private sector will also get this facility, but a 20 percent duty will apply for commercial purposes.&nbsp;&nbsp;However, only new buses will be allowed for import, he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;Noting that imports from alternative sources are also being increased to maintain normal fuel supply, Ghani said initiatives have already been taken to import fuel from Malaysia, Indonesia, and Kazakhstan.

Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Ghani briefed the journalists at the media centre of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban (Photo : BSS)

Bangladesh

The Bangladesh government has introduced reduced working hours, spending cuts, and energy-saving measures to manage fuel shortages caused by global disruptions.

Bangladesh cuts expenditure, reduces office hours, orders markets shut after 6pm

Faraz Saeed

LAHORE: Pakistan&rsquo;s digital economy could contribute between 5%-7% of gross domestic product by 2030, provided structural constraints are addressed and reforms accelerate, according to a new report by the Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI).&nbsp;Titled &ldquo;Recommendations for Pakistan&rsquo;s Digital Future,&rdquo; the OICCI Digital Report 2025 presents a detailed assessment of the country&rsquo;s digital landscape, highlighting both measurable gains and persistent bottlenecks shaping future growth.&nbsp;The report frames Pakistan&rsquo;s digital sector as a rapidly expanding but uneven ecosystem, where strong growth in connectivity, exports and digital finance is being tempered by infrastructure gaps and slow policy execution, raising the stakes for reforms needed to unlock its full economic potential.&nbsp;The report identifies the digital sector as an emerging driver of productivity, exports and financial inclusion, supported by a growing user base and rising adoption of digital services.&nbsp;Pakistan&rsquo;s IT and IT-enabled services (ITeS) exports have reached $3.8 billion, while the freelance economy contributes $779 million in earnings.&nbsp;Digital access continues to expand, with more than 150 million broadband subscriptions and over 200 million telecom connections. The broader mobile ecosystem contributes an estimated $17 billion to the national economy.&nbsp;The report also underscores rapid growth in digital finance.&nbsp;&ldquo;Pakistan has made notable strides in digital payments and financial inclusion. The Raast instant payment system processed Rs18 trillion in peer-to-peer transactions in FY26, demonstrating the rapid adoption of digital financial services,&rdquo; said OICCI President Yousaf Hussain.&nbsp;However, infrastructure limitations remain a key constraint.&nbsp;Only 18% of cellular towers are connected through fiber, well below the global benchmark of around 40%, limiting network capacity and readiness for next-generation technologies.&nbsp;Policy execution is another concern.&nbsp;While engagement on digital policy has improved, implementation remains slow. The report notes that only about one-quarter of recommendations from OICCI&rsquo;s 2022 Digital Report have been carried out.&nbsp;&ldquo;Only about one-quarter of OICCI&rsquo;s digital policy recommendations issued in OICCI&rsquo;s Digital Report 2022 have been implemented so far. Faster execution, improved fiber penetration and a more investment-friendly regulatory environment will be essential to unlock Pakistan&rsquo;s digital potential,&rdquo; said M. Abdul Aleem, Secretary General of OICCI.&nbsp;To address these gaps, the report recommends reducing taxes on broadband services and digital devices, accelerating fiber deployment, ensuring regulatory clarity in data protection and cybersecurity, and strengthening public-private collaboration.&nbsp;The government has set a target of $5 billion in IT exports for FY26, while analysts project exports could reach around $4.5 billion, implying annual growth of 18% to 20% from the $3.8 billion recorded in FY25.&nbsp;Under the broader Uraan Pakistan framework, policymakers are targeting $10 billion in IT exports by FY29, requiring a compound annual growth rate of approximately 27%.&nbsp;The report concludes that while Pakistan&rsquo;s digital economy is expanding and foundational elements are in place, closing infrastructure gaps, accelerating policy implementation, and investing in advanced skills such as artificial intelligence and cybersecurity will determine whether current momentum translates into sustained economic impact

Economy

Pakistan’s digital economy is growing fast and could reach 5–7% of GDP by 2030, driven by rising IT exports, digital payments, and increasing internet and mobile use.

Pakistan digital economy seen reaching 7% GDP by 2030: Report

'Multiple attacks on health have been reported in the Iranian capital, Tehran, in recent days amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East,' WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote on X.

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Latest News

UNSC backs stronger cooperation with Gulf bloc in first-ever presidential statement

Pakistan's PM Sharif extends Good Friday greetings, urges compassion and tolerance

Iran's former top diplomat urges deal with US to end war

Scrutiny grows over BJP-RSS backing of propaganda films

PM Sharif strongly condemns suicide attack in northwest Pakistan