Paris Fashion Week has long been the citadel of haute couture, a place where style and spectacle meet under the glittering chandeliers of historic salons. But this season, the City of Lights shimmered with something different – the unmistakable glint of South Asian glamour. At the heart of it all was Pakistani designer Hussain Rehar,…
SYDNEY: A popular New Zealand cafe said it will be forced to close next year after the property’s high-profile owner, Oscar-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson, ended its lease as part of a wider redevelopment plan. Jackson, best known for directing the ‘Lord of The Rings’ films, purchased the historic Submarine Barracks property on the Wellington peninsula…
The current year has seen an alarming surge in ‘karo-kari’ or ‘honour killing’ cases in Sindh, symbolising the deteriorating condition of law, gender equality, regressive cultural norms and state responsibility in the province. This year, 142 people have been killed under such pretexts, with a large majority of victims – 105 – being women. Many…
The defence pact between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia must be seen in the larger historical, geopolitical and diplomatic context. Broadly, there are three main angles through which this agreement can be understood: the natural progression of Pakistan-Saudi relations; the changing global environment; and the demands of regional security in the Middle East. Taken together, these…
October 7, 2023 was the day when Hamas launched the air, sea and land attacks on Israel that killed dozens of people. Hundreds of others were also taken hostage. That triggered relentless bombing of Gaza by Israel which has led to more than 67,000 Palestinians losing their lives to this day. Critics argue that Hamas’s…
In the major cities of Europe – from Lisbon to Madrid, Paris to Athens, Frankfurt to Warsaw – I have met Pakistanis as Uber drivers, restaurant workers and small shopkeepers. Some came to Europe a couple of years ago, and some have been around for well over a decade. Among the dozens I have spoken…
Muslim nations have now united behind an initiative aimed at ending the devastation in Gaza triggered by the Hamas’s attack exactly two years ago. Following Hamas’s conditional acceptance of US President Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan, the foreign ministers of Jordan, the UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt have welcomed the move as…
Pakistan’s economy is in dire straits as confidence of investors is getting shaky. The exit of several multinational companies from Pakistan is a case in point, driving home a serious concern over future prospects of a consumer-driven economy. This phase of economic drain has incidentally come on the heels of euphoria where macroeconomic indicators are…
The Sindh government has waived all fees for the issuance of death certificates, with the provincial cabinet formally approving the decision. According to a statement issued after the Sindh cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, the cabinet approved the abolition of registration fees for death certificates at the municipal, union council, and…
Delegations from Israel and Hamas began indirect negotiations in Egypt on Monday on a plan backed by US President Donald Trump to end the Gaza war, confronting thorny issues such as Israel’s military withdrawal and Hamas’ disarmament. Both Israel and Hamas have endorsed the broad principles of Trump’s proposal, which envisions a ceasefire, hostage releases,…
