PARIS: “Vladimir, firstly one thing!” says President Emmanuel Macron as he seeks to make a point to his Russian counterpart. “Listen Emmanuel,” interjects the Russian leader. One of the final calls between the presidents of France and Russia, just four days before Putin issued the order for Moscow to invade Ukraine, is filled with tension, occasional expressions of respect and moments of …

Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa was conferred with the King Abdulaziz Medal for making “significant contributions in defence cooperation” between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, the Inter-Services Public Relations said in a statement on Sunday. The army chief visited Saudi Arabia on an official tour, ISPR said. During the visit, Gen Bajwa called on Crown Prince Mohammed bin …

At least 17 young people were found dead at a nightclub in a township in South Africa’s southern city of East London on Sunday, police said. “We got a report about 17 (people) that died in a local tavern in Scenery Park which is based in East London,” a provincial police chief brigadier Thembinkosi Kinana told AFP. “We are still investigating …

Monkeypox is not yet a global health emergency, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has ruled, although WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was deeply concerned about the outbreak. “I am deeply concerned about the monkeypox outbreak, this is clearly an evolving health threat that my colleagues and I in the WHO Secretariat are following extremely closely,” Tedros said in …

World powers on Sunday agreed to ban gold exports from Russia, in new concerted action to cut off Moscow’s financial lifeline as G7 leaders met in southern Germany to lock down new support for Ukraine. US President Joe Biden and his counterparts from the world’s most industrialised nations are gathering at Elmau Castle in the Bavarian Alps before they continue …

Explosions rocked a residential neighbourhood in Kyiv Sunday morning as G7 leaders gathered in Germany to discuss their backing of Ukraine against Russia’s invasion, with a crucial Nato meeting set to follow in days. The first attack on the capital in nearly three weeks was intended to “intimidate Ukrainians… at the approach of the Nato summit”, the city’s mayor Vitali Klitschko …

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf central Punjab president Dr Yasmin Rashid says the by-election on 20 seats in the province has become a do or die matter and added the party will win maximum seats and form its government in Punjab again. Dr Rashid on Saturday held meetings with the party leaders as well as corner meetings in the four by-election constituencies …

ISLAMABAD: A constable was arrested for taunting the head of the transgender protection unit of the police on Saturday. A case was registered against the constable at the Ramna police station under section 506ii of Pakistan Penal Code in response to a complaint lodged by Nayyab Ali, a support officer and head of the transgender protection unit at the Police …

SUKKUR: A pedestrian was killed and eight other persons, including two policemen, were wounded in a gun and bomb attack on a moving Frontier Constabulary (FC) vehicle by a lone terrorist at the Mauladad level-crossing in Jacobabad on Saturday. The attacker was caught by people and handed over to the police. Officials at the Saddar police station said the attacker, …

Electoral proceedings in first phase of local bodies’ elections in Sindh’s 14 districts were marred by violence, aerial firing at polling stations, scuffles and deaths on Sunday. Two people, including the brother of a PTI candidate, died in poll-related violence while at least a dozen others were injured. Polling, which began shortly after 8am, is due to end at 5pm, …