Author: EchoAsiaNews

Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed authorities to expand and accelerate the privatisation of electricity distribution companies (Discos), emphasizing transparency and the need for a strong regulatory framework following the transfer of ownership to private operators. Chairing a high-level meeting on the privatisation process, the prime minister said that selling loss-making state-owned enterprises remains a key government priority. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, he instructed officials to speed up the process while ensuring that reforms are implemented to regulate the sector after privatisation. Officials briefed the prime minister on the ongoing privatisation programme, including the first phase, which…

Global spending on nuclear weapons rose to a record high of 119 billion dollars last year, according to a report by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), a nonproliferation advocacy group. The report said the world’s nine nuclear-armed states increased their combined spending by 16.8 billion dollars in 2025 compared with the previous year, reflecting continued modernization and expansion of nuclear arsenals despite global disarmament efforts. The United States remained the largest spender, allocating an estimated 69.2 billion dollars, an increase of 12.6 billion dollars, and more than all other nuclear-armed states combined, according to ICAN. China ranked…

Kenya: Kenyan police have used tear gas to disperse protesters in the central town of Nanyuki, where demonstrations continue against the construction of a US-backed Ebola quarantine facility at a military airbase, despite court orders halting further work. The proposed 50-bed isolation unit is intended to house American citizens exposed to Ebola linked to outbreaks in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda. The project has triggered public anger, with protesters accusing the United States of attempting to shift public health risks onto Kenya. Demonstrations have escalated in recent days, with residents taking to the streets over what…

Al Jazeera has reported allegations from Palestinian detainees and rights experts describing widespread sexual violence and torture in Israeli detention facilities, following testimonies gathered as part of its investigative documentary “Bodies of Evidence: Israel’s Darkest Weapon.” According to testimonies published by Al Jazeera, former Palestinian detainees from Gaza have alleged severe abuse, including sexual assault, torture, beatings, forced nudity, and humiliation during detention by Israeli forces. One detainee, identified as Muhammad al-Bakri, described being arrested in 2024 and held for weeks before being subjected to sexual violence alongside other prisoners. He alleged that detainees were blindfolded, bound, stripped, and assaulted,…

Iran: Iran’s football federation has accused the United States of revoking its allocated ticket quota for the 2026 World Cup group stage matches, alleging that the decision forms part of broader political tensions affecting Iranian participation in the tournament. The federation stated that the United States has imposed administrative barriers and visa restrictions, including refusal to issue visas for certain members of Iran’s delegation and support staff. These developments come amid heightened diplomatic tensions following the wider conflict earlier in the year. According to the Iranian federation, its official ticket allocation for supporters was withdrawn, despite having already begun distribution…

WASHINGTON: The US Department of Defense has taken new steps that could restrict China’s access to American biotech markets and deepen scrutiny of firms linked to Beijing’s industrial and security apparatus, according to a Reuters Breakingviews report. The Pentagon has added Chinese biotech company WuXi AppTec to its list of firms it considers to have ties to China’s military, a designation that could significantly limit its ability to operate within US government-linked supply chains. The move forms part of a broader US strategy to reduce dependence on Chinese pharmaceutical and biotech inputs, while tightening national security controls over critical healthcare…

WASHINGTON: A US federal judge has blocked a Trump administration rule that would have imposed a $100,000 fee on each new H-1B visa application, ruling that the measure was unlawful and beyond executive authority. The decision was issued by Judge Leo Sorokin, who found that the proposed charge effectively functioned as a tax, which under US law can only be imposed by Congress. The rule, announced in September 2025 by President Donald Trump, sought to significantly increase costs for companies sponsoring foreign skilled workers under the H-1B visa programme, which is widely used in the technology, healthcare, and academic sectors.…

KYIV: A proposed sharp increase in Ukraine’s rail freight tariffs could put up to 300,000 jobs at risk in the country’s steel industry, the Ukrainian steelmakers’ union warned on Monday. The warning comes amid plans by state railway operator Ukrzaliznytsia to raise freight tariffs by around 45 percent in 2026, a move aimed at addressing financial losses and restructuring debt after sustained damage to infrastructure during the ongoing war. According to industry representatives, the proposed increase could severely undermine the competitiveness of Ukraine’s steel exports, which are already under pressure from reduced production capacity, rising energy costs, and war-related disruptions.…

KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) rallied sharply on Tuesday, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index gaining 1,756.89 points, or 1.04 percent, to close at 170,710.59 points, as easing global oil prices and improving domestic political sentiment boosted investor confidence. The index closed higher compared to the previous session’s 168,953.70 points, reflecting broad-based buying across key sectors. Market analysts attributed the rally to a decline in international oil prices following a temporary de-escalation in tensions between Iran and Israel, which had previously driven volatility in global markets. “PSX is rising due to international oil prices coming down after yesterday’s escalation on…

HAVANA: A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck off Cuba’s northwest coast on Monday, shaking parts of Cuba, Mexico, and the United States, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). The quake occurred at a shallow depth of 26 kilometres and was centred approximately 104 kilometres west-northwest of Mantua in western Cuba, the USGS said. The tremor was felt across a wide area of the Caribbean, including the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico and parts of Florida. Seismologists said the earthquake was unusual for the region. Paul Earle of the USGS noted that the event occurred within a tectonic plate rather than along…