ISLAMABAD: Former PML-N leaders Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Misftah Islamil, who have recently formed their own party, criticised the federal budget on Monday for lacking reforms and burdening the salaried class. At a news conference, the two leaders demanded that the government cut its expenses, stop smuggling, and increase exports by incentivising industrialists. The two leaders urged the government to review the …

ISLAMABAD: A nationwide nominal Rs1 Point-of-Sale (PoS) service fee on each sale invoice collected by hundreds of thousands of tier-1 retailers translates into tens of billions of rupees annually and is allegedly misappropriated by tax officials. This fee, hardly noticed by customers, was imposed by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) about four years ago. At the time of its …

UNITED NATIONS: Russian envoy to the UN Vasily Nebenzya suggested on Monday that Moscow was considering dropping sanctions against the Taliban as the Afghan authorities met with representatives of the international community in Doha. “(The Taliban) are the de facto authorities. (They) are not going to stop, and we’ve been saying consistently that you have to recognise this fact and …

BRASLIA: An Air Europa Boeing plane made an emergency landing in Brazil on Monday after several people were injured by “strong turbulence” on a flight from Madrid to Montevideo, the airline said. The 787-9 Dreamliner was diverted to the airport of Natal in northeastern Brazil on its way to the Uruguayan capital, the Spanish company said on X, adding that passengers …

SEOUL: At least nine people were killed and four others were injured when a car struck pedestrians near Seoul city hall on Monday, police said. There were six fatalities at the scene, while three others were pronounced dead after being rushed to hospital, firefighter Kim Chun-soo said. South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported that a 68-year-old driver crashed into people who were …

GAZA STRIP: Israeli forces struck southern Gaza’s main city on Monday after a rocket barrage claimed by Islamic Jihad, and as shelling and fighting raged on across the besieged Palestinian territory. A group of Palestinian detainees meanwhile returned to the Gaza Strip, including the director of its biggest hospital who recounted “severe torture” in Israeli custody. Israel has released Mohammed …

BUDAPEST: Hungary trumpeted its “joyful” taking over of the EU’s rotating presidency on Monday, despite widespread concerns over what critics see as the country’s authoritarian, Russia-friendly government. Nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has run the central European country since 2010 promising to transform it into an “illiberal democracy”, frequently clashes with Brussels over rule-of-law and human rights issues. He …

STOCKHOLM: A town in Sweden was inundated with emails and phone calls from Pakistan, India, the United States and Australia after offering land at less than 10 euro cents ($0.11) per square metre, its mayor said on Monday. The mayor of Gotene had to temporarily suspend sales after the local government was overwhelmed by requests for plots. “We launched this …

Dutch King Willem-Alexander swore in former spy chief Dick Schoof as new prime minister on Tuesday, at the head of a right-wing coalition cabinet with a mission to implement the “strictest-ever” immigration policy in the country. Two hundred and twenty-three days after far-right leader Geert Wilders swept to an election victory that stunned Europe and the world, Schoof took over …

Dozens of Kenyans took to the streets on Tuesday under a heavy police presence, with many shops shuttered as youth activists called for fresh protests after anti-tax hike demonstrations last month descended into deadly violence. Activists have stepped up their campaign against President William Ruto despite his announcement last week that he would not sign into law a controversial finance bill that triggered …