Author: EchoAsiaNews

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered a comprehensive performance review of all federal ministries and divisions, a move widely seen as the first step toward a possible cabinet reshuffle. The review follows recent public remarks by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi regarding the government’s overall performance, which intensified discussions about ministerial accountability. Why Has the Government Ordered This Performance Review Now? According to official directives, the Prime Minister’s Office has initiated an internal accountability exercise to assess the performance of ministries from February 2024 to the present. The objective is to evaluate governance, policy implementation, administrative efficiency, and public service delivery…

NAZCA, Peru, (Reuters): A small tourist aircraft crashed near Peru’s famous Nazca Lines archaeological site on Saturday, killing all 13 people on board, local authorities said. Peru’s Ministry of Commerce and Tourism confirmed that the plane was carrying 11 foreign tourists and two crew members when it went down in the Pueblo Viejo area, about 6 kilometres from Nazca city and around 12 kilometres from the Nazca Lines site. The aircraft belonged to local airline Aerodiana and had departed from Pisco Airport for a sightseeing flight over the ancient desert geoglyphs. According to local reports, the crash occurred at around…

WASHINGTON, (AFP): US President Donald Trump said Saturday that the United States and Israel had agreed to delay any new strikes against Iran, saying the decision was linked to efforts to reach a deal to end the ongoing conflict. Trump said Iran and other Middle Eastern countries had requested a pause in military action and that Washington had agreed to hold off on attacks temporarily. “Based on this request, I have agreed… to cancel the attack, subject to being able to rapidly make a DEAL,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform. The announcement came after concerns…

TWIN FALLS, Idaho: Multiple people were killed and several others injured after a shooting at an In-N-Out restaurant in Twin Falls, Idaho, on Saturday afternoon, according to local authorities. Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks said during a press conference that the suspected shooter was found dead at the scene from what officials described as self-inflicted gunshot wounds. Authorities have not yet released the identity of the suspect or confirmed a possible motive behind the shooting. The In-N-Out location had opened only one week earlier, making the incident one of the first major events at the newly launched restaurant. What…

SHANGHAI: The public listing of Shanghai Jiushi Dongyu Culture, Sports & Tourism Group on the Shanghai Stock Exchange is being viewed as a landmark step in China’s efforts to develop a more market-driven sports industry, according to industry experts. The state-owned sports group, which debuted on the stock market last week, brings together major international sporting events and assets, including the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix, the ATP Shanghai Rolex Masters, and the Shanghai Masters snooker tournament. Mark Thomas, managing director of China-focused sports events consultancy S2M Consulting, described the move as a potential test case for how Chinese cities…

SEOUL: McDonald’s South Korea has suspended sales of its limited-edition Chungju corn cheese croquette burger after customers reported finding small stones inside the product, prompting the company to end the seasonal promotion early. The burger, part of McDonald’s Korea’s “Taste of Korea” campaign, was withdrawn from restaurants on Thursday, nearly two weeks before its scheduled end date of August 12. A McDonald’s Korea official said the decision was taken as a precautionary measure to protect customers after multiple complaints related to food safety. “There were complaints that customers bit into stones, and this is an issue related to safety,” the…

RAWALPINDI: A Pakistan Army major was martyred while five terrorists were killed during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Razmak, North Waziristan, the military’s media wing said on Saturday. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), security forces launched the operation on the reported presence of militants belonging to Fitna al-Khawarij. During the exchange of fire, Major Hafiz Ihsan Elahi, 34, a resident of Mianwali, embraced martyrdom while leading his troops from the front. The ISPR said security forces killed five terrorists during the operation and recovered weapons and ammunition from the slain militants, who were allegedly involved in attacks against…

SAN FRANCISCO, (Reuters): Capital One has told a U.S. federal court that it closed more than 300 bank accounts linked to the Trump Organization following an internal anti-money laundering (AML) review, rejecting allegations that the decision was politically motivated. In a court filing on Friday, the bank said the closures resulted from months of analysis conducted by its anti-money laundering team in accordance with internal policies and regulatory guidance. The filing marks the first time a financial institution has publicly linked the closure of the Trump Organization’s accounts to money laundering compliance concerns. However, Capital One stressed that it has…

WASHINGTON, (Reuters): Wildfires have scorched more than 250,000 acres across Washington state, forcing widespread evacuations, causing major power outages, and prompting Governor Bob Ferguson to declare a statewide emergency. More than 4,000 firefighters are battling over a dozen active fires across the state, Washington Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove said during a virtual press conference on Saturday. Authorities said no injuries or fatalities had been reported as of Saturday evening. A statewide burn ban has also been imposed as officials warned that strong winds and high temperatures could worsen conditions over the weekend. How Have the Fires Affected Spokane…

ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has urged Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to begin reforming Pakistan’s governance system through the Interior Ministry, saying meaningful institutional change should be pursued within constitutional and parliamentary frameworks. In a post on X on Saturday, Asif said he largely agreed with Naqvi’s recent assessment that Pakistan’s governance system had “collapsed” and required fundamental reforms. However, he stressed that such reforms should be initiated through Parliament and the federal cabinet, of which Naqvi is a member. Asif said strengthening state institutions through constitutional processes would reinforce the country’s governance structure and argued that discussions on institutional…