Reports from The Thursday Times' in-house monitoring desk.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced that they killed Hezbollah's long-time leader, Hassan Nasrallah, in an airstrike targeting southern Beirut on Friday evening. Hezbollah has yet to confirm the death of its leader.
The first 2024 presidential debate in Philadelphia between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump was a fiery exchange, where Harris fiercely defended the Biden administration but struggled with some misleading claims, while Trump, though brash and confrontational, capitalised on his familiar style, attacking Harris on the economy and immigration but failing to offer concrete solutions, leaving voters with sharp contrasts and exposed weaknesses in both candidates.
Imran Khan's bid for Oxford University's Chancellorship has sparked controversy, with a British newspaper highlighting his past remarks, including calling Osama bin Laden a "martyr" and praising the Taliban. The backlash focuses on his views on women's rights, education, and his belief that women should "remove temptation" to prevent rape.
Mohsin Habib Warraich, the trusted frontman of ex-spy chief General Faiz Hameed, has fled Pakistan for London, dodging a corruption probe linked to Faiz's shady power abuses, luxurious lifestyle, and high-stakes deals, with insiders spilling that he now flaunts his wealth in a flashy Rolls-Royce while Faiz faces the heat back home.
Vice President Kamala Harris launched her 2024 campaign in Wisconsin, receiving endorsements from most Democratic Congress members and governors. She emphasized her commitment to reproductive rights, pledging to stop Trump's extreme abortion laws, saying, "We trust women to make decisions about their own bodies, not the government." Harris urged continued support and mobilization for the upcoming election.
President Joe Biden has made the unexpected decision to withdraw from the upcoming presidential race, following considerable pressure from key political allies. This decision, marks a significant shift in the political landscape as Biden, aged 81, steps down to focus on his current presidential duties for the remainder of his term.
Behind the scenes, President Biden, battling Covid and feeling betrayed by allies, views Barack Obama as a puppet master orchestrating efforts to push him out of the race, causing friction within the Democratic Party as Biden grows increasingly resentful and considers stepping aside, despite public insistence that he will remain a candidate.
Maryam Nawaz's first 100 days as Punjab's Chief Minister have been transformative, launching ambitious projects like the Nawaz Sharif IT City, the Free Medicine Delivery Project, the "Never Again" women’s safety app, day care centers at workplaces, and the CM Pink Games, setting a robust foundation for sustainable growth and women's empowerment, with her proactive leadership promising a progressive and thriving future for Punjab.
Imran Khan's jail cell, equipped with luxuries like an LED TV, cooler, private kitchen, and library, starkly contrasts with his own past directives to remove such privileges for prisoners like Nawaz Sharif, illustrating the irony and political complexities of his incarceration despite being involved in cases for selling state properties, and misusing his authority while in power in a show of financial misconduct.
