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Epstein storm jolts Europe, barely rattles US

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Andrew Mountbatten Windsor • With only one conviction in US, legislators accuse justice dept of dragging its feet • Most Americans now find leaders ‘untrustworthy’ • Australian PM says referendums ‘hard to pass’ after Andrew’s arrest WASHINGTON: The arrest of former prince Andrew has underlined the striking contrast bet­ween Europe, where high-profile, powerful people are being held to account over their links to Jeffrey Epstein, and the United States, where the fallout has been limited. Only one person has been arrested or convicted in the United States in connection with the activities of the late sex offender — Ghislaine Maxwell , Epstein’s ex-girlfriend and accomplice. Epstein cultivated a global network of powerful politicians, business executives, academics and celebrities — many of whom have been tainted by their association with him. A number of prominent Americans — from former president Bill Clinton to Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates — have had their reputations ...
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Furious Trump vows new 10pc levy after SC tariff ruling

• President vows alternative ways to impose levies as court declared his tariff regime ‘illegal’ • Trump insists ‘India deal is on’ • Three liberal justices joined three conservatives in Friday’s ruling • Canada hails ruling, UK, Germany cautious in their response • Stocks rise, Treasury yields gain after the verdict WASHINGTON: After the US Supreme Court struck down the President’s sweeping tariffs that he pursued under a law meant for use in national emergencies, Donald Trump announced on Friday he was imposing an extra global tariff of 10 per cent on US trade partners. The conservative-majority court ruled the emergency powers law — International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) — “does not authorise the President to impose tariffs”, marking Trump’s biggest defeat at the SC since returning to the White House last year. While hard-hit Canada welcomed the ruling pointing out the levies were always “unjustified”, other US trading partners particularly European powers were ...
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Imran to be taken to hospital two more times, will be administered injection on Feb 25: minister

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said on Friday that incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan would be taken to a hospital twice in the coming days and that he had to be administered an injection on February 25. The ex-prime minister’s health has been garnering attention in recent days, with his family and party raising concerns since his eye ailment — right central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) — came to light in late January. Meanwhile, the government and the opposition have also been engaged in a blame game , with the latter accusing the former of a lack of transparency on the matter, not ensuring appropriate treatment for Imran and not allowing his personal physicians to access him. The government denies these allegations. The matter was raised again during ARY News programme ‘Sawal Yeh Hai’ , where Chaudhry was asked what was the obstacle in the way of Imran’s personal physicians gaining access to him. In his response, Chaudhry said: “Our top priority is...
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Railways facing huge sustainability gap, NA committee told

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Railways continues to face a significant sustainability gap, with its immediate obligations more than 10 times higher than the current operational surplus, a National Assembly panel was told on Thursday. “Against a current operational surplus of Rs2.4 billion, immediate obligations amount to Rs27.4 billion, highlighting a structural funding shortfall that requires strategic support and long-term financial restructuring to ensure sustainable operations,” Paki­stan Railways’ member of finance told the National Assembly’s Stan­ding Committee on Parli­amentary Affairs, which met here with Rana Iradat Sharif Khan, MNA, in the chair. The secretary of parliamentary affairs briefed the committee on the status of complaints received about Pakistan Railways pensioners to the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit. The member of finance told the committee that PR has undertaken active liability management to address longstanding emp­loyee obligations, disbursing Rs5.622bn ...
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Govt to honour net-metering requests filed before Feb 8 under old rules

ISLAMABAD: To salvage government credibility, Power Minister Awais Leghari on Thursday decided to honour all applicants of net-metering solar connections till the change of regulations on Feb 8 and directed electricity distribution companies (Discos), including K-Electric, for its implementation. At a meeting of the Power Division’s attached entities, the minister was informed that 5,165 consumers had applied for net-metered connections by the cut-off date of Feb 8 — the day the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) notified the Prosumers Regulations 2026, replacing the net-metering framework with net billing and negatively affecting rooftop solar economics for households and industry. All these applications entailed a net-metering capacity addition of about 250.8 megawatts. “All net metering applications minister on commerce and industry. He was later sworn in as the provincial minister for agriculture and cooperatives. Meanwhile, Sardar Bhootani continued his ...
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Pakistan not among 5 nations announced to have committed troops for International Stabilisation Force in Gaza

US President Donald Trump on Thursday promised $10 billion and Muslim-majority nations offered funding and troops for Gaza at the inaugural Board of Peace meeting in Washington. Pakistan, however, was not named among the five nations who have committed troops for the International Stabilisation Force, which will be tas­k­ed with securing reconstruction zones and supporting a post-conflict governance arrangement in Gaza. Trump brought together allies from around the world — many authoritarians, with few Western democrats who traditionally ally with the United States — to hail his peacemaking at the first Board of Peace meeting. Presiding with a gavel over the meeting in the gleaming Washington building of the former US Institute of Peace, which has been gutted and renamed after the 79-year-old Republican, Trump hailed the “powerful people” who joined his board. “We will help Gaza. We will straighten it out. We’ll make it successful,” Trump said, holding up a document with pledges...
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IHC seeks govt response on plea challenging Domestic Violence Act

• Counsel argues law violates Articles 4, 8, 10-A, 35 and 227 of Constitution • Lahore court convicts man of assaulting wife, mother-in-law ISLAMABAD / LAHORE: The Islamabad High Court on Wednesday issued notices to the Ministry of Law and Justice and the Ministry of Human Rights on a petition challenging the vires of the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act, 2026 , and sought their response. Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir of the IHC heard the petition filed by Advocate Abdul Wahab Farid against the recently enacted law. During the hearing, counsel for the petitioner, Maham Fatima and Sardar Tariq Hussain, arg­ued that the impugned legislation was contrary to several constitutional provisions, including Articles 4, 8, 10-A, 35 and 227. They contended that the law infringes fundamental rights and is inconsistent with Islamic injunctions. The counsel submitted that the procedure prescribed under the new law for registration and redressal of complaints violates the righ...
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