PERPIGNAN: Marine Le Pen won re-election as head of France’s far-right National Rally on Sunday at a party congress, where she is seeking new impetus for her 2022 presidential bid after performing badly in regional polls. The National Rally (RN), which had been tipped for strong gains in last month’s regional elections, was left floundering after failing to win any …

Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Sunday said that there was an “international scheme” under way to carry out terrorist activities in major cities, calling for Pakistan to take strict steps and perform a responsible role. In an interview with Geo News show “Naya Pakistan“, Rashid was questioned on whether he had seen evidence linking India with Lahore’s Johar Town blast and if …

ISLAMABAD: Just a fortnight after lifting of the curbs imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus, the number of infections and positivity rate have again started increasing in the country. Health experts fear that Eidul Azha can provide an opportunity to the virus to bounce back. Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued a new guideline to the nations …

LAHORE: A woman, who had alleged that she was repeatedly raped by a man at his house, where she was staying after “her return from United Kingdom” to attend her father’s funeral, withdrew the allegation on Sunday, saying the “suspect” was her husband. Earlier, the woman had alleged she had come to Pakistan from the UK six months ago to attend her …

MUZAFFARABAD: The Election Commission of Azad Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday issued a veiled warning to members of the federal cabinet and other visiting dignitaries from Pakistan against resorting to anything in violation of the ‘code of conduct’ for the polls set to be held on July 25. Wilful violation of the code of conduct by any campaigner might also …

MOSCOW: Russia on Sunday counted more than 25,000 new daily infections after a week of record death tolls as the highly contagious Delta variant propels a global resurgence of the pandemic. The coronavirus has killed nearly four million people worldwide, forcing numerous nations to reimpose restrictions well over a year after the outbreak of the pandemic. Moscow has so far …

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has termed the public meeting of Pakistan Democratic Movement in Swat a flop show and said that the people of Swat turned a deaf ear to the PDM’s call for the gathering which clearly reflected their confidence in the policies of the incumbent government. In a statement issued here on Sunday, he said that lack …

RAWALPINDI: With the start of monsoon rains, residents of 183 old buildings declared dangerous by civic agencies in the city and cantonment areas are spending sleepless nights as they are neither able to leave the structures nor get them reconstructed. After a survey of old and dilapidated buildings in the city, the Rawalpindi Metropolitan Corporation (RMC) declared 83 buildings dangerous. …

PESHAWAR: The provincial health department is starting Covid-19 vaccination of expatriate Pakistanis from Monday (today) as the coronavirus incidence and mortalities continue to dwindle in the province. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reported four deaths and 122 new infections on Sunday, according to the health department’s Covid-19 report. Health authorities here say that they are starting administering jabs to the expatriate Pakistanis who …

Former president and PPP co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari on Monday filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court seeking pre-arrest bail in response to a notice served on him by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) inquiring details of his alleged ownership of an apartment in New York. The watchdog had issued a notice, along with a questionnaire, to the ex-president …