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Police arrest employers after child’s death at Holy Family Hospital A 12-year-old domestic worker, allegedly subjected to severe torture by her employers, succumbed to her injuries at Holy Family Hospital, police and hospital sources told Geo News on Wednesday. The incident occurred in Rawalpindi’s Asghar Mall area within the jurisdiction of Banni Police Station. The victim, identified as Iqra, was critically injured and rushed to the hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries. Police have arrested the primary suspects (the maid’s employers), Rashid Shafiq and his wife, Sana. According to authorities, a case has been registered against them on the complaint of the deceased’s father, with the first information report (FIR) including murder charges along with seven other sections of the CrPC.PauseUnmute Current Time 0:12 / Duration 1:22 Loaded: 65.60%Quality LevelsFullscreen Iqra, a resident of Mandi Bahauddin, was employed as a domestic worker for a monthly salary of Rs8,000. Police revealed that the accused had previously misled authorities by falsely claiming that the girl’s parents were deceased. According to the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) estimates, there are at least 8.5 million domestic workers in Pakistan, the vast majority of whom are women and young girls. Although domestic work is one of the biggest sources of employment in the informal economy, it is unregistered and excluded from the scope of labour legislation as it takes place in private households. Many domestic workers report working in environments that lack proper sanitation and safety measures. In 2022, the ILO released a study, which mentioned that in Pakistan, one in every four households employs a child in domestic work, predominantly girls, aged 10 to 14 years. As per Unicef, about 3.3 million Pakistani children are trapped in child labour, depriving them of their childhood, health and education, and condemning them to a life of poverty and want. Source: https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1281973-12-year-old-maid-succumbs-to-injuries-in-rawalpindi

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/2/12/live-trump-says-us-will-take-gaza-un-estimates-53bn-needed-to-rebuild

Deadly crash is the third aviation disaster in the US in little over a week. The wreckage of a small plane that went missing in the United States with 10 people on board has been found with no survivors, authorities have said. The United States Coast Guard in Alaska said on Friday that it had found the wreckage of the aircraft near Nome, about 885 kilometres (550 miles) northwest of Anchorage. Coastguard spokesperson Mike Salerno told a news conference that two of its personnel had gotten close enough to the wreckage to see three bodies inside. “Unfortunately, it does not appear to be a survivable crash,” Salerno said. Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy said he and his wife were “heartbroken”. “Our prayers are with the families, friends, and communities mourning this tragedy,” Dunleavy said on X. “We are grateful to the search teams who worked tirelessly to locate the aircraft. I ask all Alaskans to keep those affected in their thoughts and prayers.” Senator Lisa Murkowski, who represents Alaska, also expressed her sadness at the news. “Alaska is a big small town. When tragedy strikes, we’re never far removed from the Alaskans directly impacted. But that also means we come together as a community to grieve and heal,” Murkowski said on X. Advertisement The privately operated Cessna 208B Grand Caravan carrying nine passengers and one pilot went missing on Thursday afternoon while en route from Unalakleet to Nome. The plane’s last known location was over a stretch of water about 50 kilometres (30 miles) southeast of Nome. The crash is the third aviation disaster in the US in little over a week. On January 28, a regional commercial jetliner collided midair with a US army helicopter near Washington, DC, killing 67 people. Two days later, a medical transportation plane crashed into a busy Philadelphia neighbourhood, killing the six people on board and one person on the ground. Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/2/8/missing-alaska-plane-found-with-all-10-people-on-board-presumed-dead

ISPR says Afghan authorities being approached to take over slain terrorist’s body One of the terrorists killed in a recent security operation in Datta Khel was found to be an Afghan national, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Saturday. The military’s media wing identified the individual as Luqman Khan, also known as Nusrat, son of Kamal Khan. He was killed by security forces during an operation on February 6 and was a resident of Spera District, Khost Province, Afghanistan. Being an Afghan citizen, the Interim Afghan government authorities were being approached to take over his body of the individual, it added. “Such incidents are irrefutable evidence of involvement of Afghan nationals in terrorist activities in Pakistan. Interim Afghan government is expected to fulfill its obligations and deny the use of Afghan soil by terrorists for perpetuating acts of terrorism against Pakistan,” the ISPR said. At least three terrorists were killed a day earlier during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in the Datta Khel area. The military’s media wing said that the terrorists were attempting to escape wearing women’s attire (burqa) when they were engaged by security forces. It may be noted that the Pakistani authorities handed over a terrorist’s body to the Afghan counterparts, last month as well. As per ISPR, the 48-year-old Afghan national Muhammad Khan Ahmedkhel was killed on January 11 in the Sambaza area of Balochistan’s Zhob. The security operations are part of a sustained effort as the country witnessed a surge in violent attacks since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, particularly in the bordering provinces of KP and Balochistan. Islamabad has time again urged Kabul to not allow its territory to be used by terrorist groups to carry out attacks against Pakistan. The country witnessed a sharp increase in terror attacks in January 2025, surging by 42% compared to the previous month, according to data released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), a think tank. The data revealed that at least 74 militant attacks were recorded nationwide, resulting in 91 fatalities, including 35 security personnel, 20 civilians, and 36 militants. Another 117 individuals sustained injuries, including 53 security forces personnel, 54 civilians, and 10 militants. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) remained the worst-affected province, followed by Balochistan. In KP’s settled districts, militants carried out 27 attacks, resulting in 19 fatalities, including 11 security personnel, six civilians, and two militants. The tribal districts of KP (erstwhile Fata) witnessed 19 attacks, leading to 46 deaths, including 13 security personnel, eight civilians, and 25 militants. Balochistan also experienced a surge in militant activity, with at least 24 attacks, which claimed 26 lives, including 11 security personnel, six civilians, and nine militants. In Punjab, two militant attacks were reported, leaving one security official injured. On the last day of January, militants launched a major assault on a police check post in DG Khan’s Jhangi area, but security forces repelled the attack without any casualties. Sindh and the federal capital, Islamabad, each witnessed one attack, though neither resulted in fatalities. The month also saw two suicide bombings, both in Balochistan. The banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for one, while the proscribed Balochistan Liberation Army took credit for the other. Source: https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1280656-terrorist-killed-in-north-waziristan-found-to-be-afghan-national

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/2/7/live-3-israelis-183-palestinians-to-be-freed-in-latest-gaza-truce-swap

Wave of attacks overnight also targeted houses and businesses belonging to Hasina’s Awami League supporters. Thousands of protesters in Bangladesh have demolished and set fire to the home of the country’s founding leader, as his daughter, ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, delivered a fiery social media speech calling on her supporters to stand against the interim government. The attack on Wednesday night was prompted by a speech Hasina planned to give to supporters from exile in neighbouring India, where she fled last August after a deadly student-led uprising against her 15-year rule. Critics had accused her of suppressing dissent. The house in the capital, Dhaka, had been home to Hasina’s late father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who led the country’s independence from Pakistan in 1971. He was assassinated there in 1975. Hasina later turned the home into a museum. According to news reports, several thousand protesters, some armed with sticks, hammers and other tools, gathered around the historic house and independence monument, while others brought a crane and excavator to demolish the building on Wednesday night. Photos posted on social media and published by news organisations showed the building almost levelled to the ground, while parts of it were completely burned. The country’s leading English-language Daily Star reported early on Thursday that a wave of attacks overnight also targeted several houses and businesses belonging to Hasina’s Awami League supporters. The rally was organised alongside a broader call, dubbed “Bulldozer Procession”, to disrupt Hasina’s scheduled online address on Wednesday night. ‘Symbol of fascism’ Protesters, many aligned with the Students Against Discrimination group, had expressed their fury over Hasina’s speech, which they viewed as a challenge to the newly formed interim government. Hasnat Abdullah, a student leader of the group, had warned media outlets against Hasina’s speech and announced on Facebook on Wednesday that “tonight Bangladesh will be freed from the pilgrimage site of fascism”. Another protester, Mohammad Arefin, said there was no reason for the house to remain standing. “Since we, the students, have formed the government through revolution, we find it legitimate to demolish it.” The protesters also chanted slogans criticising India, where Hasina has lived in exile since fleeing Bangladesh last August. An interim government in Bangladesh led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus has sought Hasina’s extradition but India has not responded. Many of the protesters also chanted slogans demanding Hasina’s execution for hundreds of deaths during last year’s uprising against her, one of the country’s worst upheavals since independence. Hasina has urged a United Nations investigation into the deaths. The ousted prime minister has also been accused of overseeing extrajudicial killings and suppressing opposition voices during her 15-year rule. In her speech on Wednesday, Hasina remained defiant, saying, “They can demolish a building, but not the history. History takes its revenge.” She also urged the people of Bangladesh to stand against the interim government, accusing them of seizing power in an unconstitutional manner. The student-led movement behind the protests has voiced plans to dismantle the country’s 1972 constitution, which they argue embodies the legacy of her father’s rule. Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/2/6/bangladesh-protesters-torch-family-home-of-ousted-pm-sheikh-hasina

Six personnel also wounded, three moved to Peshawar due to being in critical condition In a brazen overnight assault, militants attacked a police checkpost in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) Karak district during the early hours of Thursday, killing at least three police personnel and injuring six others, authorities confirmed. The attackers, armed with heavy weapons, launched a barrage of gunfire at the checkpost in the Bahadurkhel area of the city. The deceased have been identified as Taimur, Hayat, Naqeeb and Adnan. Four injured personnel were rushed to the District Headquarters Hospital in Karak. However, three of the wounded have then been shifted to Peshawar due to being in critical condition. The funeral prayer for the martyred policemen will be held at 10am at Karak Police Lines. District Police Officer (DPO) Karak told Geo News that the assailants fled the scene after police retaliated. A heavy police contingent immediately arrived at the site, cordoning off the area and launching a search operation to apprehend the perpetrators. Security measures have been heightened across the area following the incident. The attack came just days after a policeman was shot dead by extremists in Khyber district during an anti-polio campaign. On February 3, an inoculation team was ambushed in the Bakarabad area on the first day of the vaccination drive, highlighting the persistent threat posed by militant groups in the region. In response to escalating security threats, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif last month stressed the need to eliminate the “Fitna al-Khawarij,” referring to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has been responsible for numerous attacks on security forces and civilians. Source: https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1279943-karak-police-checkpost-attacked-two-officers-martyred-six-injured

Announcement comes as US President Donald Trump confirms he is considering eliminating the aid agency. The administration of United States President Donald Trump has ordered nearly all directly-hired staff of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to be placed on leave as part of the Republican’s drive to radically shrink the government. USAID said on Tuesday that all direct hire personnel would be put on leave from Friday, apart from “designated personnel responsible for mission-critical functions, core leadership and specially designated programs”. USAID personnel posted overseas will be recalled from their postings within 30 days, the agency said in a statement on its website. The aid agency said it would consider case-by-case exceptions and extensions based on “personal or family hardship, mobility or safety concerns, or other reasons”. “For example, the Agency will consider exceptions based on the timing of dependents’ school term, personal or familial medical needs, pregnancy, and other reasons. Further guidance on how to request an exception will be forthcoming,” the statement said. “Thank you for your service.” USAID employs more than 10,000 people, about two-thirds of whom are stationed overseas, according to the Congressional Research Service. USAID’s announcement comes as the Trump administration is considering abolishing the agency and subsuming its functions into the US Department of State. Asked by a reporter on Tuesday if he was preparing to “wind down” the agency, Trump said, “I think so.” On Monday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that he was serving as acting administrator of USAID. USAID, which disbursed more than half of Washington’s $72bn foreign aid budget in 2023, has become a prime target of the cost-cutting drive spearheaded by tech billionaire Elon Musk and his so-called Department of Government Efficiency. Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has called USAID a “criminal organisation“, without substantiation, and claimed the agency is a “viper’s nest of radical-left Marxists who hate America”. Critics have accused Trump and Musk of acting beyond their authority, arguing that dismantling USAID through executive action is unconstitutional as the agency’s status was established by an act of Congress. Source : https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/2/5/usaid-places-staff-on-leave-recalls-personnel-overseas

Govt coordinated series of arrangements to ensure smooth arrival and transport of mortal remains, says official By Web Desk February 04, 2025 Mortal remains of 13 Pakistani nationals, who lost their lives in Morocco boat incident last month, would be brought back homeland this week, the Ministry of Foreign Affair announced on Tuesday. In a statement, Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan has said that the mortal remains of four deceased Pakistanis are scheduled to arrive in Islamabad tomorrow (Wednesday). They include Hamid Shabbir from Mandi Bahauddin, Muhammad Arslan Khan from Shaikhupura, Qaiser Iqbal from Gujrat and Sajjad Ali from Mandi Bahauddin, Radio Pakistan reported. In line with the repatriation process, the government has coordinated a series of arrangements to ensure the smooth arrival and transport of the mortal remains. A facilitation desk has been set up at Islamabad International Airport to assist the families of the deceased, while ambulances will be made available to transfer the bodies to their final destinations. A medical team will be on standby to provide any necessary support, and a mortuary will be arranged for the temporary storage of the remains. Additionally, media coverage will be arranged in coordination with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, while the Ministry of Interior will ensure the implementation of standard operating procedures for the process. Source: https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1279463-mortal-remains-of-13-pakistanis-to-be-brought-back-from-morocco-this-week-fo

Source : https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/2/4/live-israel-netanyahu-to-meet-trump-in-washington-gaza-ceasefire