KYIV: Russian troops have entered the outskirts of the Ukrainian city of Sievierodonetsk, according to the regional governor, who described fierce fighting on Monday over the ruins of a city that has become the focus of Moscow’s offensive. The European Union has sought to make Moscow pay a heavy price for invading Ukraine, but leaders arriving for a summit acknowledged …

WASHINGTON: The United States will not send Ukraine rocket systems that can reach into Russia, President Joe Biden said on Monday, as Ukraine pushes for longer-range weapons system to help in its fight. Ukrainian officials have been asking allies for longer-range systems including the Multiple Launch Rocket System, or MLRS, that can fire a barrage of rockets hundreds of miles …

Pakistan on Tuesday dispatched a second consignment consisting of items of humanitarian assistance to Ukraine at the request of the war-torn country. According to a Radio Pakistan report, a special C-130 aircraft took off today to deliver more than 7.5 tons of relief items for the war-stricken people of Ukraine. Another 7.5 tons of assistance will be dispatched on Friday (June 3). …

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has hailed “exemplary” relations between Pakistan and Turkey, saying the countries support each other on all issues of core interest including the disputes related to occupied Kashmir and Northern Cyprus. He made the remarks in an interview with Turkish media outlet Anadolu Agency ahead of his three-day visit to the country. The prime minister left for Turkey today. During his trip, …

Israel signed a free trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, its first big trade accord with an Arab state and a move aimed at boosting trade between the two Middle East nations. The pact was signed in Dubai after months of negotiations. “Done,” Israel’s Ambassador to the UAE Amir Hayek said on Twitter, replying to another tweet …

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced a proposed freeze on handgun ownership in Canada that would effectively ban their importation and sale, following recent mass shootings in the United States. The bill must still be passed by Parliament, with the ruling Liberals holding only a minority of seats. “We’re introducing legislation to implement a national freeze on handgun ownership,” Trudeau told a …

ISLAMABAD: A team has been constituted to investigate a case registered against rights activist advocate Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir, police said on Monday. The team, comprising SP Saddar Zone, SDPO, women police station SHO and an inspector, was formed to investigate the case on merit, they said. The case was registered against Ms Mazari-Hazir, daughter of former human rights minister Shireen …

LAHORE: A counsel for Farah Khan, a close friend of former prime minister Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi, submitted a reply to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the corruption allegations against her. The NAB is probing Farhat Shahzadi alias Farah Khan/Gogi and her husband in the income beyond means case. “A huge turnover amounting to Rs847 million has been …

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s directive that there should be no cut in the budget of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) on Monday brought a sigh of relief to vice chancellors (VCs) of public-sector universities. Following reports that in the upcoming fiscal year 2022-23, the finance ministry would allocate only Rs30 billion to the HEC against its demand for Rs104 …

RAWALPINDI: The Punjab government has decided to put in place unprecedented security measures – double to those made during Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI)’s ‘Haqiqi Azadi March’ on May 25. The move came about after former prime minister Imran Khan and Khyber Pakhtunkhawa (KP) Chief Minister Mehmood Khan approached the Supreme Court seeking permission for a fresh march to Islamabad. Although it …