Author: EchoAsiaNews

Islamabad/Karachi: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has launched an inquiry into a controversial raid conducted at a jewellery shop in Karachi’s Sarafa Bazaar after videos of the operation sparked outrage among traders and on social media. According to officials, FIA Director General Dr Usman Anwar took notice of the incident and directed the FIA Karachi Zone to submit a detailed report within 48 hours. The raid was carried out on May 15 in Sarafa Bazaar, located in Karachi’s Saddar area, as part of an investigation into alleged silver smuggling activities. According to the FIA’s initial statement, official records showed that…

Taipei: Taiwan on Saturday strongly defended continued United States arms sales to the island after US President Donald Trump said he had not yet decided whether to approve a major new weapons package following high-level talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. Taiwanese officials said American military support remains essential for regional peace and stability, particularly amid increasing military pressure from China around the Taiwan Strait. The comments came a day after Trump concluded a two-day summit in Beijing, where he stated that he had not yet determined whether the United States would move forward with a proposed new…

Islamabad: Pakistan’s annual inflation rate surged to 14.52% during the latest reporting period, driven primarily by sharp increases in fuel, electricity, transport, and food prices, adding further pressure on households already struggling with rising living costs and economic uncertainty. According to official data cited in a report by Dawn, inflation accelerated significantly compared to previous months as the government’s energy price adjustments and market shortages pushed the cost of essential commodities higher across the country. The report stated that food and fuel remained the biggest contributors to inflationary pressure, with prices of petrol, diesel, electricity, cooking oil, pulses, wheat products,…

Karachi: The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee will meet in Karachi today (Sunday) to sight the crescent moon of Zil Hajj, as preparations for Eid ul Adha continue across Pakistan. According to the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, the central moon-sighting meeting will be held at the office of the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) in Karachi. Officials said regional and zonal Ruet-e-Hilal committees will also convene in different parts of the country to collect testimonies regarding the sighting of the crescent. If the Zil Hajj moon is sighted today, the first day of Zil Hajj will fall on Monday, May…

Lahore: Veteran Pakistani journalist, intellectual, and writer Altaf Hassan Qureshi passed away in Lahore on Saturday after a prolonged illness, family sources confirmed. He was 96. Qureshi was regarded as one of Pakistan’s most influential journalists and literary figures, known for his decades-long contribution to journalism, political commentary, and intellectual discourse in the country. According to family members, funeral prayers for the senior journalist will be offered in Lahore, while relatives, colleagues, political leaders, journalists, and academics continued to express grief over his death. Born before the creation of Pakistan, Altaf Hassan Qureshi played a major role in shaping Urdu…

California: WhatsApp is testing a new privacy-focused feature that will allow messages to disappear automatically after they are read, expanding the platform’s disappearing messages system and giving users greater control over sensitive conversations. The feature is currently being rolled out to selected beta testers on both Android and iOS devices as part of WhatsApp’s latest privacy and security updates. According to reports from WABetaInfo, the new system introduces an “After reading” timer that automatically deletes messages after recipients open and view them. The update represents a major change from WhatsApp’s existing disappearing message feature, which currently allows users to select…

Paris: Football legends Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are preparing for what is expected to be their sixth and final appearance at the FIFA World Cup 2026, as the two global icons move toward the closing chapter of their historic careers. The tournament, scheduled to take place across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, is expected to mark the final World Cup appearance for both players, who will become the first footballers in history to compete in six different FIFA World Cups. Messi and Ronaldo first appeared at the World Cup in 2006 and have since dominated global football for…

Vienna: The Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 is set to take place on May 16, 2027, in Vienna, marking the competition’s 70th anniversary with heightened political tensions, multiple country boycotts, and large-scale protests surrounding Israel’s participation. The globally watched music competition will be held at the Wiener Stadthalle and is scheduled to begin broadcasting live at 21:00 Central European Summer Time (CEST). A total of 25 countries are expected to compete in the final for the Eurovision trophy in what organisers describe as a landmark anniversary edition of the event. According to betting forecasts and fan polls…

Bannu: Five terrorists were killed during separate intelligence-based operations (IBOs) conducted by law enforcement agencies in Bannu following last week’s deadly attack on the Fateh Khel police check post, senior police officials said on Saturday. Regional Police Officer Sajjad Khan confirmed that security operations were continuing in multiple areas of the district in response to the recent escalation in militant violence. According to the RPO, the terrorists killed during the operations were involved in attacks targeting security forces, the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), and civilians. The intelligence-based operations were launched after a major terrorist assault on the Fateh Khel police…

Beijing: China on Saturday described the tariff, agricultural, and aviation agreements announced during US President Donald Trump’s recent visit to Beijing as “preliminary”, indicating that negotiations between the two countries are still ongoing despite public declarations of progress. In a statement released by China’s Ministry of Commerce, Beijing confirmed that both sides had agreed to establish joint investment and trade boards aimed at negotiating reciprocal tariff reductions and broader trade arrangements. The statement marked China’s first official public assessment of the outcomes from Trump’s two-day state visit to Beijing, which concluded on Friday after high-level talks with Chinese President Xi…