Author: EchoAsiaNews

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi met with members of the national men’s hockey team on Thursday and pledged full support after the team’s recent complaints about mistreatment during the Pro Hockey League tour. Naqvi expressed regret over the unpleasant incidents reported by players and assured them of institutional backing as the team prepares for the World Cup Qualifier in Egypt. “We will accommodate hockey players in every possible way. We will extend complete cooperation to streamline hockey affairs,” Naqvi said during the meeting. The PCB chairman instructed officials to immediately arrange air tickets, playing kits, and hotel accommodation…

Pakistan was not included among the five countries announced to have committed troops for the proposed International Stabilisation Force (ISF) in Gaza, officials confirmed following a high-level meeting in Washington. The announcement was made during the inaugural session of the Board of Peace, chaired by US President Donald Trump. The initiative aims to coordinate post-conflict stabilisation and reconstruction efforts in Gaza. According to officials present at the meeting, five countries, Indonesia, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, and Albania, have agreed to contribute troops to the force. The proposed ISF is expected to focus initially on securing reconstruction zones and supporting governance arrangements…

United Nations aid convoys have reached the Dilling and Kadugli areas in central Sudan’s Kordofan region, which have been largely cut off from humanitarian assistance for over two years, the UN said Wednesday. The delivery comes amid escalating drone attacks and heavy fighting that have worsened the hunger crisis in the region. The World Food Program (WFP) transported more than 700 metric tons of food, providing life-saving supplies for nearly 70,000 people, including 21,000 mothers and children with specialized nutrition to prevent malnutrition. UN officials described the regions as having severe shortages of humanitarian aid due to prolonged conflict. The…

Vietnam’s Sun PhuQuoc Airways has signed a $22.5 billion agreement with Boeing Co. to purchase 40 Boeing 787‑9 Dreamliner aircraft, the airline said on Thursday. The deal marks one of the largest wide‑body jet orders in Vietnamese aviation history and underscores the carrier’s ambitions to expand into intercontinental markets, including future routes between Vietnam and the United States. The aircraft, featuring long‑range capabilities and advanced fuel efficiency, are intended to form the backbone of the airline’s wide‑body fleet, enabling non‑stop long‑haul flights to destinations across Asia, Europe and North America once deliveries begin. Sun PhuQuoc Airways, a newly established carrier based…

At least 16 people have been killed and more than a dozen others injured after a gas explosion tore through a three‑storey residential building in the Soldier Bazaar No 3 area of Karachi early Thursday, officials and rescue sources said. The blast occurred on the first floor of the building in Gul Rana Colony at around 4:15 a.m. local time, when residents were preparing for the pre‑dawn meal ahead of Ramadan, police and rescue authorities told reporters. Emergency teams, including Rescue 1122 Urban Search and Rescue units, Fire and Rescue crews, ambulances and disaster response vehicles rushed to the scene following distress calls.…

Dozens of Palestinian journalists jailed by Israel since October 2023 have reported severe abuse, including torture, sexual assault, starvation, and threats against family members, according to a report by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) released Thursday. The report is based on interviews with 59 Palestinian journalists, nearly all of whom reported experiencing “torture, abuse or other forms of violence” while in Israeli detention. The abuses included baton beatings, electrocution, extreme stress positions, sexual assault, sleep deprivation, and medical neglect, CPJ said. Two journalists reported being raped. Journalist Sami al-Sai described being stripped and assaulted with objects in a small…

Satellite imagery shows that Iran has recently constructed a large concrete shield over a new facility at a sensitive military complex, amid continuing acute tensions with the United States and Israel, experts say. The images, analyzed by independent specialists and released this week, reveal that the newly built structure at the Parchin military complex, southeast of Tehran, is now covered with concrete and soil, obscuring the site from above. Analysts say the measure likely aims to protect key installations from potential airstrikes or other attacks. Parchin has long been a focus of Western intelligence, which has linked parts of the…

Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission (HEC) has issued a directive requiring all public and private universities to include Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a compulsory subject in every undergraduate and postgraduate degree program, officials said on Thursday. Under the new policy, universities must offer a three‑credit‑hour course on AI covering foundational concepts, ethical implications, data privacy and its societal impact. The directive allows institutions to structure the subject as an elective, an interdisciplinary module, or a supporting course within existing degree frameworks, giving colleges flexibility in implementation. The requirement is set to take effect from the Fall 2026 academic session, with institutions urged…

Como boss Cesc Fabregas apologized on Thursday following a controversial touchline incident in his side’s 1‑1 Serie A draw with AC Milan at San Siro, in which Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri was sent off. The match ended level as Argentina midfielder Nico Paz put Como ahead in the 32nd minute, only for Portugal winger Rafael Leão to equalize shortly after halftime. Milan remains unbeaten in the league but fell seven points behind leaders Inter Milan. The controversy arose late in the second half when Milan attempted a counterattack. Alexis Sailmakers slowed play near the Como technical area, and Milan alleged that…

The United States has renewed threats of military action against Iran following a second round of nuclear negotiations, as Tehran and Moscow announced joint naval exercises in the Sea of Oman. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated on Wednesday that “Iran would be very wise to make a deal” with President Donald Trump, after indirect talks in Geneva ended without a major breakthrough. Leavitt added that while some progress was made, the two sides remain far apart on key issues. President Trump, who has deployed two aircraft carriers and thousands of troops to the Gulf region, warned that the…