Author: EchoAsiaNews

Israel’s parliament has passed legislation creating a special military tribunal to prosecute individuals accused of involvement in the October 7 Hamas attack, in a move lawmakers say is intended to address national trauma and streamline judicial proceedings. The law authorises the establishment of a dedicated military court in Jerusalem, to be presided over by a panel of three judges. It is intended to try hundreds of members of Hamas alleged to have participated in the cross-border assault. Israel is currently holding an estimated 200–300 fighters captured during or after the October 7 attack, though official figures remain classified. These detainees…

At least seven people were killed and more than 18 others sustained injuries in an explosion near the Naurang Police Station in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat district on Tuesday, according to police and hospital officials. Police stated that the blast took place close to a rickshaw in Naurang Bazaar, located in the Sarai Naurang area. Initial reports confirm significant civilian casualties, with emergency response teams rushing to the site immediately after the incident. Hospital administration at Naurang Hospital confirmed that the bodies of seven deceased individuals have been shifted to the facility. Among those killed were two traffic police personnel,…

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has called on Pakistan to enhance reporting of suspicious financial transactions in the real estate sector, strengthen oversight of trade-based money laundering, and improve transparency of beneficial ownership data to curb the misuse of legal entities, according to The News. The remarks come as the IMF approved the release of the fourth tranche worth $1.1 billion under Pakistan’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF), following its latest review of the country’s economic and financial reform programme. According to official sources, the IMF noted a relatively low number of Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) being generated by designated non-financial…

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing mounting internal pressure after senior members of his cabinet and dozens of Labour MPs reportedly urged him to consider setting out a timeline for his departure, according to a report by The Times newspaper. The report said UK Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood, Foreign Secretary David Lammy, and several other senior ministers have privately raised concerns about Starmer’s leadership following poor results for the Labour Party in recent local and regional elections. The pressure comes as Starmer has publicly vowed to remain in office and “prove doubters wrong,” despite growing calls for him to…

A US transparency advocacy organisation has opened a temporary public exhibition in New York displaying millions of pages of documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, drawn from files released by the US Department of Justice. The installation, titled the “Donald J Trump and Jeffrey Epstein Memorial Reading Room,” is located in Tribeca and presents approximately 3.5 million pages of material compiled into 3,437 bound volumes. The files, organised and numbered on shelves, are part of disclosures made under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. According to organisers, visitors can access the exhibition only after online registration. However, the general…

Bangladesh set a target of 268 runs for Pakistan in the first Test at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Tuesday, after declaring their second innings at 240-9 on the fourth day of the match. Resuming from 152-3 overnight, Bangladesh added 88 runs in the final session, losing six wickets before skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto declared the innings. Shanto led from the front with 87, while Mominul Haque contributed 56. For Pakistan, Hasan Ali and Noman Ali picked up three wickets each as the visitors restricted the scoring in the second innings. Chasing a challenging target, Pakistan were…

Oil prices edged higher in early Asian trading on Tuesday as fragile negotiations between the United States and Iran over ending hostilities continued to fuel concerns about global supply disruptions. Brent crude futures rose 30 cents, or 0.29%, to $104.51 per barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) gained 31 cents, or 0.32%, to $98.38 as of 0002 GMT. Both benchmarks had climbed nearly 2.8% in the previous session. The market reaction comes amid uncertainty over diplomatic efforts to stabilise the conflict, with US President Donald Trump stating on Monday that the ceasefire with Iran was “on life support.” He…

Pakistan’s Foreign Office on Monday categorically rejected a report by US-based media outlet CBS News regarding the alleged presence of Iranian aircraft at Nur Khan Airbase in Rawalpindi, calling the claims “misleading and sensationalised.” In an official statement, the Foreign Office said the report was based on speculative narratives aimed at undermining ongoing regional peace and stability efforts. The statement clarified that following the ceasefire and during the initial phase of the Islamabad Talks, several aircraft from both Iran and the United States arrived in Pakistan to facilitate the movement of diplomatic personnel, security teams, and administrative staff linked to…

Global oil prices surged nearly 3% in early trading on Monday after stalled negotiations between the United States and Iran heightened fears of disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy shipping route. Brent crude rose 2.8% to $104.06 per barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude gained 2.7% to reach $97.97 per barrel, reflecting growing market concerns over prolonged instability in the Gulf region. The gains followed comments by US President Donald Trump, who on Sunday rejected Iran’s response to a US-backed peace proposal, describing Tehran’s demands as “totally unacceptable.” According to reports, Iran’s proposal included calls…

Overseas Pakistanis sent $3.53 billion in workers’ remittances during April 2026, registering an 11.4% increase compared to the same month last year, according to data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Monday. Despite the annual growth, remittance inflows declined by 7.6% on a month-on-month basis from March 2026, when Pakistan received $3.83 billion. The SBP said total remittances during the first ten months of fiscal year 2025-26 reached $33.86 billion, reflecting an 8% increase compared to the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year. Saudi Arabia remained the largest source of remittances in April, with overseas Pakistanis…