Author: EchoAsiaNews

KARACHI: A young couple who had entered into a free-will marriage were shot dead in Karachi’s Malir area on Monday in what police suspect was a case of honour killing. According to police, 20-year-old Nadia and 25-year-old Najeebullah were travelling in a rented vehicle when unidentified armed men opened fire on them near Saudabad, killing both on the spot. Officials said the couple had married by choice despite opposition from Nadia’s family. Following the marriage, Nadia’s father, Aslam, had registered an abduction case against Najeebullah at Sachal police station on May 19. Police had subsequently arrested Najeebullah’s father in connection…

BEIJING: Pakistan and China have reached a broad new consensus on strengthening their strategic partnership, enhancing regional coordination, and expanding cooperation in key sectors including trade, infrastructure, security, technology, and agriculture, according to a joint statement issued Tuesday. The agreement came during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s official visit to Beijing, where he held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and senior Chinese leadership. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to the “all-weather strategic cooperative partnership” and pledged to accelerate high-quality development under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), including the modernization of Gwadar Port and improvements to regional connectivity infrastructure. The joint…

Islamabad: Pakistan and China have reaffirmed their commitment to coordinated diplomatic engagement aimed at promoting peace and stability in the Middle East amid ongoing regional tensions and shifting geopolitical dynamics. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, during high-level talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the Great Hall of the People, emphasized the need for joint Pakistan–China efforts to support ceasefire initiatives and broader regional de-escalation. He thanked Chinese President Xi Jinping and Beijing’s leadership for backing Pakistan’s diplomatic initiatives and expressed Islamabad’s full support for China’s four-point agenda focused on regional peace and stability. The Prime Minister also noted that Pakistan’s…

SYDNEY: Big Bash League is facing uncertainty over its long-term future after plans to introduce private investment into the competition stalled amid resistance from several Australian state cricket bodies. Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg has warned that outside investment is necessary to secure the league’s financial future and remain competitive against rapidly expanding global Twenty20 tournaments. The growing number of privately funded T20 leagues competing for international talent includes the International League T20 in the UAE, SA20 in South Africa, and the planned NZ20, which is expected to launch in December 2027. Greenberg said higher salary caps in rival…

NEW DELHI: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday during a high-profile visit to India aimed at reinforcing ties with Washington’s strategic partner following President Donald Trump’s recent summit with Xi Jinping in China. Rubio arrived in New Delhi one week after accompanying Trump to Beijing, marking his first official visit to both Asian powers since taking office. A US official said Rubio and Modi held closed-door talks for more than an hour. The visit comes at a time of shifting geopolitical dynamics in Asia as the Trump administration recalibrates its relations with…

WASHINGTON: A shooting near the White House on Saturday evening triggered a major security response, with police, Secret Service agents and federal authorities swarming the area while President Donald Trump was inside the presidential complex, officials said. According to a US law enforcement official cited by Reuters, a man approached a security checkpoint near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue and opened fire on officers. The suspect was shot by Secret Service personnel and taken to George Washington Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries, according to US media reports. Authorities said the suspect had previously been identified as an…

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday invited Chinese companies and entrepreneurs to relocate industries to Pakistan, form joint ventures with local firms and take advantage of investor-friendly policies, describing the proposal as a “win-win model” for both countries. Addressing the Pakistan-China B2B Investment Conference on IT and Telecom, battery energy storage systems (BESS) and agriculture in Hangzhou, the prime minister said rising labour costs in China and the country’s transition toward higher industrialisation had created opportunities for industrial relocation. He said industries in which China was no longer globally competitive because of expensive labour could shift production to Pakistan…

QUETTA: At least 14 people, including three Frontier Corps (FC) personnel, were martyred and several others injured in a blast near a railway track close to Chaman Phatak in Quetta on Sunday, officials said. According to Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind, the explosion targeted civilians near the railway track, leaving multiple women and children among the injured. The injured were shifted to hospitals in Quetta, where an emergency was declared and additional doctors and medical staff were called in to handle the situation. Rind said security forces cordoned off the area immediately after the blast, while investigators and forensic teams…

WASHINGTON/TEHRAN: The United States and Iran are close to reaching an agreement that would extend a ceasefire for 60 days, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and allow Tehran to resume oil exports under limited sanctions relief, Axios reported on Saturday, citing a US official. According to the report, the proposed arrangement would include negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme during the 60-day period. Iran would also clear mines it allegedly deployed in the Strait of Hormuz, allowing commercial shipping to move freely through the strategic waterway without tolls. In return, the United States would ease restrictions on Iranian ports and issue…

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he will not attend the wedding of his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr, citing official government duties and ongoing diplomatic priorities. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he had wanted to attend the wedding of Donald Trump Jr and Palm Beach socialite Bettina Anderson but could not do so due to “government business” and responsibilities at the White House. “While I very much wanted to be with my son, Don Junior, and the newest member of the Trump Family, his soon to be wife, Bettina, circumstances pertaining to Government,…