Author: EchoAsiaNews

Grammy‑winning singer Harry Styles surprised fans and sparked widespread reaction after revealing his “biggest regret” from his early career during a recent interview, drawing attention to his evolving artistic persona. Styles, who rose to global fame as a member of boy band One Direction in the 2010s, candidly discussed his past fashion choices on Brittany Broski’s Royal Court show, saying that he now regretted wearing “really, really tight jeans” during that decade — a style that once became iconic among fans and followers. He acknowledged the trend was a product of its time but joked that he would now choose…

The United States Treasury Department has announced it will authorize companies to apply for licenses to resell Venezuelan‑origin oil to Cuba, a significant shift in U.S. sanctions policy that could help ease the Caribbean island’s deepening fuel shortages. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said on Wednesday it will adopt a “favorable licensing policy” for specific requests to resell Venezuelan oil for commercial and humanitarian use in Cuba, particularly benefiting private‑sector entities rather than the Cuban government or military. This move comes after Washington’s control over Venezuela’s oil exports earlier this year following the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás…

Rising global gold prices are reshaping how Muslims calculate and pay Zakat during Ramadan as values nearly double compared with last year, affecting eligibility thresholds and the amount of charity owed, according to a report by Al Jazeera. This year’s surge in gold, trading above $5,100 per ounce, has pushed the Zakat nisab (minimum threshold of wealth liable to Zakat) significantly higher, meaning that more Muslims may currently be below the threshold required to pay, even if their assets would have qualified a year ago. Zakat, one of Islam’s five pillars, requires adult Muslims whose savings and assets exceed the nisab,…

Pakistan is moving forward with plans to secure between $4 billion and $5 billion in joint investment to redevelop the historic Roosevelt Hotel in New York City, a key overseas asset owned by Pakistan International Airlines Investment Ltd. The government is expected to appoint a financial adviser by the first week of March to design the transaction structure for the redevelopment and financing of the Manhattan property. Under the proposed model, Islamabad intends to retain ownership of the hotel while bringing in an investor to arrange financing, with the aim of generating long‑term returns instead of selling the high‑value asset outright. Adviser…

A record 129 journalists and media workers were killed worldwide in 2025, making it the deadliest year on record for press fatalities since the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) began tracking such data over three decades ago. According to the CPJ’s annual report released on February 25, approximately two‑thirds of those deaths were attributed to Israeli fire, driven largely by the ongoing conflict in Gaza and other regional hostilities. Of the 129 deaths recorded, 86 journalists and media workers were killed by Israeli fire, the majority of them Palestinian reporters covering frontline events in Gaza, where journalism is extremely hazardous due…

Europe’s steel sector is pushing EU policymakers to include steel, especially low‑carbon steel, in an upcoming industrial strategy known as the Industrial Accelerator Act, even as disagreements over the plan’s geographic scope are delaying its formal launch. The European steel association Eurofer warned on Thursday that the latest draft of the legislation appears to exclude steel from provisions designed to prioritise the use of locally made products when public funds are spent, a move the industry says could undermine investment and jobs. The Industrial Accelerator Act is part of a broader push within the European Union to strengthen domestic manufacturing…

The United States has said it has observed evidence that Iran is attempting to rebuild its nuclear program, Vice President J.D. Vance announced on Wednesday, raising tensions ahead of renewed negotiations with Tehran. Speaking a day before scheduled talks in Geneva between U.S. and Iranian delegations on the nuclear issue, Vance said Washington believes Tehran is seeking to restart nuclear activities despite earlier U.S.-led strikes that targeted Iranian nuclear sites in June 2025. “The principle is very simple: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” Vance told reporters, underscoring the U.S. position that Tehran should not pursue nuclear development that could…

Pakistan’s batsman Sahibzada Farhan and spinner Usman Tariq have climbed the latest ICC Men’s T20I rankings, reflecting their strong performances in the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, cricket sources reported. According to the updated rankings, Farhan rose two places in the T20I batting list to become the third-ranked batter in the world, closing in on England’s Phil Salt in second position. India’s Abhishek Sharma continues to lead the batting rankings. Usman Tariq registered one of the biggest gains among bowlers, jumping 59 places to reach 55th in the T20I bowling rankings following his impactful bowling performances in the…

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday that India stands “firmly” with Israel following Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack, as he addressed lawmakers during a visit aimed at strengthening bilateral ties. Speaking at the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, Modi expressed condolences for the victims of the Hamas assault. “I carry with me the deepest condolences of the people of India for every life lost and for every family whose world was shattered in the barbaric terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7,” Modi said. “We feel your pain, we share your grief. India stands with Israel firmly with full conviction…

Pakistan’s security forces have killed 34 India-backed militants in a series of high-tempo intelligence-based operations conducted in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan over the past few days, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Wednesday. In a statement, the military’s media wing said the operations targeted militants described as Indian proxies operating under the banners of “Fitna al-Khwarij” and “Fitna al-Hindustan.” According to the ISPR, 26 militants affiliated with Fitna al-Khwarij were killed on February 24 during four separate engagements across KP. Security forces intercepted a group attempting to infiltrate through the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. In a precise engagement, one militant…