Iranians voted on Friday in a presidential election where a lone reformist aimed for a breakthrough against a divided conservative camp. Around 61 million Iranians were eligible to vote in the election called after the death of ultraconservative president Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash last month. The Guardian Council, which vets candidates, allowed the reformist Masoud Pezeshkian, 69, to run against a conservative field …

Bolivian President Luis Arce on Thursday denied conspiring with his former army chief, who was arrested after deploying troops and tanks to the heart of the capital La Paz, where they tried to break down a door of the presidential palace. Fourteen civilians who opposed the coup were wounded by gunfire, according to the authorities. Some had to be hospitalized …

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Maritime Affairs has turned down a suggestion put forward by members of the Senate Standing Committee on Maritime Affairs for administrative merger of two key ports to reduce unnecessary administrative expenses and streamline their affairs. The committee meeting, held here on Thursday under the chairmanship of Senator Faisal Vawda, discussed development and expansion of the maritime …

ISLAMABAD: In the first five months of this year, as many as 254 automobiles and 1,675 motorbikes were either snatched or stolen from the federal capital, with Suzuki Mehran and Honda 125 being the most stolen four- and two-wheelers in the federal territory. Police record shows that Suzuki, including 71 Mehran, was atop the list of stolen cars with 104 …

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi on Thursday briefed his Chinese counterpart Qi Yanjun on the progress made in the probe into the Bisham attack in which five Chinese engineers and their Pakistani driver were killed. During a meeting at the Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations in New York, Mr Naqvi and Mr Qi discussed bilateral relations, security-related matters and cooperation between the …

ISLAMABAD/PESHAWAR: Amid a surge in terror incidents, which Pakistan blames on the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) leadership hiding in Afghanistan, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Thursday hinted at the possibility of cross-border strikes to eliminate militant hideouts in the neighbouring country. The defence minister’s statement came on the same day as Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s warning about the critical security situation …

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan on Thursday filed a petition before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking judicial intervention in the affairs of the Rawalpindi Central Jail, saying the prison is being managed by officials of an intelligence agency. In the petition filed through his counsel Shoaib Shaheen, Mr Khan said that two intelligence officials virtually control the prison. …

The National Assembly on Friday passed the government’s tax-heavy finance bill for the coming fiscal year ahead of more talks on a new International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout as it seeks to avert a debt default for an economy growing at the slowest pace in South Asia. The government presented the tax-loaded budget two weeks ago, drawing sharp criticism from opposition parties, especially the PTI, as well as coalition ally …

KARACHI: A brief spell of light rain brought some respite for the people of Karachi on Thursday after they braved extreme weather conditions with mercury crossing 40° Celsius for the fifth consecutive day. The hot and humid weather continues to take a heavy toll on the elderly and patients as seven more people, including a senior journalist, died from heatstroke on Thursday. …

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Cou­rt on Thursday asked the ECP to furnish a clear list of PTI’s candidates, who had furnished both the declaration, as well as the party affiliation certificates, along with their nomination papers for the Feb 8 polls. Justice Yahya Afridi, a member of the full court, asked the ECP to provide such information for clarity due to …