Author: EchoAsiaNews

LONDON: Harry Styles paid an emotional tribute to his former band, One Direction, as he concluded his record-breaking 12-night residency at Wembley Stadium on Saturday. Addressing the sold-out crowd, Styles thanked his former bandmates, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and the late Liam Payne, acknowledging the group that launched his music career. Why was the tribute particularly emotional? The tribute came with members of Liam Payne’s family, including his parents Geoff and Karen Payne, his sister Ruth and his young nephew, in attendance at the concert. Payne, a former One Direction member, died in October 2024 at the age…

JHELUM: Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani held a Khuli Kachehri (public hearing) at the District Council Hall in Jhelum on Saturday, hearing complaints from residents and directing officials to address public grievances. Senior officials from the district administration, police and other government departments attended the session, which lasted for more than three hours and heard complaints from over 400 citizens. What commitments did the minister make? Addressing participants, Kayani announced that public hearings would be held every month to ensure direct engagement between the government and citizens. He also said similar Khuli Kachehris would be…

CAIRO: Egyptian archaeologists have uncovered a series of 2,000-year-old rock-cut tombs along the country’s Mediterranean coast and the remains of a Byzantine-era settlement in the Western Desert, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has announced. The discoveries, made during separate excavation missions, offer new insights into burial practices and daily life in Egypt during the Ptolemaic, Roman and Byzantine periods. What was found at the coastal burial site? The excavation along Egypt’s northern coast revealed several rock-cut tombs dating back approximately 2,000 years. According to the ministry, the burial complex contains human remains, funerary architecture and artefacts that archaeologists believe…

CARACAS: The death toll from the twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela has risen to 2,954, as rescue teams continue searching for survivors beneath the rubble in the country’s devastated coastal regions. Authorities said thousands of people have been injured, while tens of thousands remain unaccounted for following the powerful earthquakes that hit the country on June 24, causing widespread destruction across La Guaira and parts of Caracas. What challenges are rescue teams facing? Search and rescue operations remain underway with the support of both Venezuelan and international emergency teams, although hopes of finding more survivors are fading as time passes.…

PHILADELPHIA: France advanced to the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals after defeating Paraguay 1-0 in their Round of 16 clash on Saturday, with Kylian Mbappe converting a second-half penalty to seal the victory. Mbappe scored from the spot in the 70th minute after substitute Désiré Doué won a penalty with a driving run into the box, sending Les Bleus into the last eight where they will face Morocco. What milestone did Mbappe achieve? Mbappe’s strike was his seventh goal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 19th of his World Cup career, drawing him level with Lionel Messi in the…

Islamabad: Pakistan and Türkiye have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties, pledging to stand by each other on issues of mutual interest while setting a target of increasing annual bilateral trade to $5 billion. The commitment came during a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the sidelines of the 17th Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Summit, where the two leaders reviewed progress on political, economic and strategic cooperation. How do the two countries plan to expand economic cooperation? The two leaders agreed to accelerate efforts to boost trade and investment, reiterating their goal…

Tehran: Iran has said countries it considers friendly will receive special treatment under a planned fee system for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran continues negotiations over the future management of the strategically important waterway. Speaking at the World Peace Forum in Beijing, Iran’s Ambassador to China, Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, said Tehran would introduce service fees for ships using the strait while working with Oman on new arrangements governing maritime traffic. Who will receive preferential treatment? Fazli said Iran would extend “special treatment” to countries that maintained friendly relations with Tehran and stood by it during recent regional…

Geo News has issued an unconditional apology and acknowledged an editorial lapse after content aired during its 10th Muharram special transmission, Safar-e-Ishq, drew criticism over its depiction of certain religious rituals. In a detailed clarification released on Saturday, the broadcaster said the footage did not reflect its editorial policy or its longstanding commitment to respecting the widely accepted religious beliefs and sensitivities of the Muslim Ummah. The channel said the purpose of the statement was not to justify the incident but to acknowledge the mistake, explain the corrective measures taken, and reaffirm its commitment to preventing a recurrence. What did…

PARIS: French employee benefits and voucher company Pluxee reported a 3.3% organic decline in third-quarter sales on Friday, as regulatory changes in Brazil weighed on its performance despite stronger-than-expected results and continued client growth. The company posted quarterly sales of 312 million euros ($357.1 million), exceeding analysts’ consensus estimate of 299 million euros compiled by the company, indicating resilience despite a challenging operating environment. Pluxee said new client acquisitions and customer retention helped offset part of the pressure created by regulatory reforms in Brazil, one of its key growth markets. How has Brazil affected the company’s performance? The company’s third-quarter…

CANBERRA: Australia’s financial intelligence agency has formally concluded its enforcement action against online betting company Sportsbet after determining that the operator had addressed serious deficiencies in its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF) controls. The Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) announced on Friday that it had finalised the enforceable undertaking imposed on Sportsbet, saying the company had completed all required remediation measures to strengthen its compliance systems, governance and risk controls. AUSTRAC said an independent external audit confirmed that Sportsbet had successfully implemented reforms required under the undertaking, allowing the regulator to close the enforcement process. Why was…