LAHORE MIRROR — US President Donald Trump’s administration on Monday announced an expansion of secondary sanctions it can impose on entities and countries that maintain business ties with Iran around the world as Washington significantly ratchets up economic pressure on Tehran with the war nearing its 6-month mark. At a press conference, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent unveiled what he described as an “economic D-Day” that aims to give a final warning to countries to sever their business ties with Iran or risk having key companies and entities cut off from the dollar-based financial system. “We are launching an economic onslaught…
Author: Faisal Ali Ghumman
LAHORE MIRROR — A documentary examining Israel’s killing of civilians in Gaza will compete at this year’s Venice Film Festival, marking the second consecutive year that a politically charged film about the conflict has entered the prestigious Golden Lion race. Festival organisers said “NAZA”, directed by Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, will join the main programme for the September 2–12 festival. It is the only documentary among this year’s 21 competition entries. Shot at night on rooftops in Tel Aviv, the film examines what its creators describe as the systems behind the mass killing of Palestinian civilians in…
LAHORE MIRROR — Global rating agency Moody’s has upgraded Pakistan’s sovereign credit rating from Caa1 to B3. In a post on X, Advisor to the Finance Minister Khurram Schehzad said Moody’s has also maintained the outlook of Pakistan’s rating as stable. He said the up-gradation of Pakistan’s credit rating is a testament of growing confidence in Pakistan’s economy and debt repayment capacity. Khurram Schehzad said the B3 rating is another significant development towards Pakistan’s economic recovery and financial stability. He said the up-gradation by the global rating agency is an acknowledgement of Pakistan’s improving economic and financial position. He further…
LAHORE MIRROR — President Donald Trump’s administration on Monday released a proposed regulation to codify an unprecedented more than $100,000 fee on new H-1B visas for highly skilled foreign workers, that Trump first imposed last year but has been blocked by the courts. The fee on new H-1B visas first imposed by Trump in a temporary proclamation last year vastly raises the cost of the visas that are heavily relied on in the tech, education and research sectors. A federal judge in June ruled that the fee was illegal and blocked the Trump administration from collecting it. A Boston-based appeals court is reviewing…
Bollywood actor and former parliamentarian Govinda has warned of strict legal action against those allegedly spreading false and unsubstantiated reports about his personal life, with a legal notice reportedly seeking damages of up to Rs1 billion. Govinda’s personal life has remained in the spotlight in recent months, with various claims circulating about his relationship with his wife, Sunita Ahuja, their reported divorce proceedings and his alleged association with actor Komal Rani Swarankar. According to the legal notice issued on Govinda’s behalf, media organisations, social media users and digital platforms have been warned against publishing or sharing false, fabricated or unverified…
HANGZHOU/BEIJING (Reuters): It is not quite the “RoboCop” of the 1987 movie: no gun, no power to arrest and wheels rather than the Hollywood cyborg’s mechanical stride. But at a busy intersection in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou, the 1.88-m (6-foot-2-inch) robot can spot a helmetless e-bike rider, issue a polite warning and swing its mechanical arms in sync with traffic lights. Developed by local technology firm SUPCON Information, the 98-kg (216-pound) T2 robot is part of a pilot aimed at handing some of police officers’ most repetitive traffic-control duties to machines. The robocops in China use cameras, radar…
CAIRO: Two Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip on Sunday killed at least two people, including a 4-year-old boy, and wounded seven others, Palestinian health officials said. One of the strikes hit a building in Zawayda town in the centre of the enclave and followed a warning by the Israeli army for the owners of the property to leave the area, residents said. Medics said flying debris and shrapnel that spread for dozens of metres around had wounded at least six people, including the 4-year-old, Mohammad Abdel-Salam Taha, who was later pronounced dead at hospital. “There is no ceasefire, there…
REUTERS: Six Nordic football associations delivered a united blow to Fifa President Gianni Infantino on Sunday, declaring they had lost confidence in his leadership while demanding sweeping governance reforms at world football’s governing body. The six Nordic Fifa members — Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and the Faroe Islands — met in Helsinki and issued a rare joint statement backing calls for Infantino’s resignation from three major regional confederations. They also supported demands for an independent investigation into his controversial proposal to sell a stake in events like the World Cup to private equity investors, a plan that was quickly abandoned in the face…
LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Emir Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman has announced a nationwide shutter-down strike after 12 Rabi-ul-Awwal over the petroleum levy issue. Speaking at a press conference in Lahore, Hafiz Naeem said the party’s campaign was progressing well and the government would have to reduce petroleum product prices. He said the country could not progress in the presence of flour and sugar mafias, while farmers were unable to obtain fertiliser at affordable prices. He also criticised government officials for using expensive vehicles purchased with public money. Hafiz Naeem said the Jamaat-e-Islami would hold a nationwide shutter-down strike after 12 Rabi-ul-Awwal. He made…
CAIRO (REUTERS): Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Syed Asim Munir will visit Tehran on Monday, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Sunday, according to a statement by the ministry. Baghaei said General Asim Munir’s visit to Tehran was in continuation of Pakistan’s efforts to strengthen peace and security in the region. Pakistan has taken on the mediator role in negotiations between Iran and the US aimed at ending their war. wo Pakistani government sources confirmed Munir’s visit to Reuters. The first source said that Iran and Pakistan were in direct contact. A second source said the…
