Author: EchoAsiaNews

PYONGYANG: Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in North Korea on Monday, declaring an “invincible friendship” with Pyongyang as he began his first overseas trip of the year and held talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. State media footage showed Xi being welcomed at the airport by Kim and his wife Ri Sol-ju, with military officials lining a red carpet and children presenting flowers. A banner at the venue hailed the “unbreakable friendship” between China and North Korea. The visit marks Xi’s first trip to Pyongyang since 2019 and comes after he hosted separate summits in Beijing with U.S.…

SINGAPORE: Global oil prices climbed sharply on Monday, with Brent crude jumping more than $3 a barrel, as renewed military escalation between Israel and Iran intensified fears of disruptions to crude flows through the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude futures rose $3.20, or 3.39 percent, to $96.24 a barrel by 0333 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) gained $2.87, or 3.17 percent, to $93.41. The surge reversed losses recorded at the end of last week, when prices had fallen on expectations of de-escalation in the region. Market sentiment turned after reports of explosions in Tehran, Tabriz and Isfahan early…

JERUSALEM: Iran launched multiple waves of missiles at Israel on Sunday in its first direct attack since an April ceasefire, escalating regional tensions after Israeli airstrikes targeted Beirut’s southern suburbs earlier in the day. Air raid sirens sounded across parts of Israel as the military activated air defence systems to intercept incoming projectiles. The Israeli military said it detected and responded to several missile barrages, while authorities reported no immediate large-scale casualties. The attack came hours after Israel struck what it described as a militant command centre in Beirut’s Dahiyeh district. Lebanese health authorities said the strike killed two people…

MANILA: A powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck off the southern Philippine island of Mindanao on Monday, triggering tsunami warnings across the Philippines and parts of Indonesia, while authorities launched emergency response and evacuation operations in coastal areas. Officials reported one death, while assessments of injuries and damage were ongoing. No major structural collapse had been confirmed immediately after the quake. The earthquake struck at a depth of 10 kilometres, according to the German Research Centre for Geosciences. The tremor was felt across southern Philippines and parts of Indonesia, prompting residents to evacuate buildings and move to higher ground. The Philippine…

LAHORE: Abbottabad clinched the National T20 Cup 2026 title after defeating Karachi Whites by nine wickets in the final at Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday. Chasing a target of 119, Abbottabad comfortably reached 119-1 in 13.5 overs, powered by an unbeaten half-century from opener Shahzaib Khan and a quickfire knock from Kamran Ghulam. Shahzaib remained unbeaten on 54 off 41 balls, while Kamran Ghulam scored an unbeaten 45 from 26 deliveries as Abbottabad completed the chase with ease. The only wicket to fall was that of Afaq Khan, who scored 13. Earlier, Karachi Whites were bowled out for 118 in 18.3…

RAWALAKOT: Four law enforcement personnel were martyred and more than 20 police and security officials injured after activists of the banned Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) allegedly opened fire on security forces in Rawalakot, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), police said on Monday. An AJK police spokesperson said members of the proscribed organisation deliberately targeted law enforcement personnel during the incident, resulting in multiple casualties and injuries. “Four personnel embraced martyrdom, while over 20 police and security officials sustained injuries,” the spokesperson said, condemning the attack. The incident occurred days after the AJK government declared the Jammu Kashmir…

GILGIT: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) on Monday voiced concerns over the transparency of the Gilgit-Baltistan elections, citing delays in result announcements, issues related to Form-45 issuance and alleged attempts to alter electoral outcomes. The controversy emerged as unofficial results from 18 of the 24 constituencies showed PPP leading with nine seats, followed by six independents, two seats for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and one for Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM). Vote counting continued in the remaining constituencies. The Election Commission of Gilgit-Baltistan directed all returning officers to issue certified Form-45s and ensure compliance with electoral…

WASHINGTON/ JERUSALEM, — U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that renewed hostilities between Israel and Iran would not affect ongoing U.S.-Iran peace negotiations, asserting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would not determine the course of American diplomacy. Speaking to the Financial Times, Trump said a potential agreement to end the wider conflict remained within reach despite Iran’s latest missile attack and Israel’s continued military operations in Lebanon. “It’s not going to have any impact on the deal. I call the shots. He doesn’t call the shots,” Trump said, referring to Netanyahu. The comments came after Israel launched airstrikes…

KARACHI: Pakistan secured a place in the final of the Diamond Jubilee International Football Tournament in the Maldives on Sunday after a 2-0 victory over Afghanistan, marking their first appearance in a senior men’s international final in 35 years. Goals from Umar Nawaz and Harun Hamid powered Pakistan to a second consecutive win in the four-nation event, ensuring they finished among the top two teams in the round-robin stage and qualified for Wednesday’s title clash. The result also marks Pakistan’s first appearance in a senior men’s international final since the 1991 South Asian Federation Games. It is further the country’s…

GILGIT: Polling for 24 seats of the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly concluded peacefully on Sunday under tight security arrangements. The voting process began at 8:00am and continued until 5:00pm across the region without any major incident reported. A total of 396 candidates contested the elections, including 266 independent candidates. Only eight women participated in the electoral race, five of whom were contesting as independents. Authorities deployed strict security measures to ensure a smooth polling process across all constituencies. Live election updates are being monitored, with initial results and emerging trends being displayed through a constituency-wise map. Election authorities are expected to…