BRASÍLIA - When two young Brazilian women were reported missing in September 2022, their families and the FBI launched a desperate search across the US to find them. Torres has now been sentenced to eight years in prison for the human trafficking and slavery of one of those women. “She kind of resembled hope for me,” says Ana, describing her reaction on stumbling across Torres’ Instagram page in 2017. “She seemed like she had overcome violence in her childhood, abuse, all these traumatic experiences,” Ana told BBC Eye Investigations and BBC News Brasil. What Ana didn’t know was that the inspirational story Torres told was based on half-truths and lies.

MUSCAT: Four Pakistanis were shot and killed near a mosque in Muscat, the capital of Oman, according to an announcement by the Omani police on Tuesday. Pakistan’s Ambassador to Oman, Imran Chaudhry, confirmed that the Omani government has verified four deaths, including two Pakistanis. “I was present with the diplomatic staff at night,” said Imran, noting that the Omani authorities are actively investigating the incident. According to the Embassy of Pakistan, the attack took place on July 15 in the Wadi Kabir Muscat area, perpetrated by unknown assailants. Ambassador Ali from the Pakistani embassy has visited the hospitals to meet with the affected Pakistani families.

At the time of shooting, over 700 people were present in the mosque, including Pakistanis. According to Ministry of Foreign Office (MoF), Pakistan has strongly condemned the terrorist attack on the mosque which resulted in multiple casualties, including the deaths of two Pakistani nationals. The statement said that the Pakistani Embassy in Oman is working closely with Omani authorities to identify and repatriate the remains of the deceased. Read Four killed in shooting near mosque in OmanFollowing the attack, Omani security forces quickly cordoned off the mosque, but no arrests have been made so far. He stated a helpline has been established to assist the Pakistani community in Oman and address their concerns.

The UN’s recent report on Afghanistan paints a complicated picture. The report emphasizes the growing threat from terrorist groups operating in Afghanistan, posing a significant risk to neighboring countries like Pakistan, Iran, and Central Asian states. The international community must maintain pressure on the Taliban to change their behavior while also being prepared to address the complex security situation in the region. The complexities of the situation in Afghanistan extend beyond the immediate challenges posed by the Taliban and terrorist groups. Pakistan, in particular, faces a direct threat from the TTP and other militant groups operating from Afghan soil.

Military leadership expressed concern over the unwarranted criticism on the Operation Azm-e-Istehkam by some quarters, said ISPR. The top military brass also deliberated upon regional security situation, especially Afghanistan and reaffirmed its commitment to regional peace and security. It condemned serious human rights violations, war crimes and genocide being perpetrated in Kashmir and Gaza. The military leadership affirmed its awareness of the full range of challenges and resolved to fulfill its constitutionally mandated responsibilities with the support of the resilient people of Pakistan. Expressing full satisfaction on Army's commitment to national security, COAS stressed upon maintaining high standards of professionalism and operational preparedness.

ISLAMABAD, Jul 5 (APP):The National Assembly Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination on Friday proposed strategic moves to elevate the nation’s healthcare system. The second meeting of the Standing Committee was held under the Chairmanship of Dr Mahesh Kumar Malani, MNA. The Secretary, Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination provided a comprehensive overview of its functions and the attached departments. Both the Standing Committee and the Ministry acknowledged the critical role the committee plays in enhancing national health services and emphasized on mutual cooperation. The meeting was attended by MNAs, Raja Khurram Shahzad Nawaz, Ms. Zahra Wadood Fatemi, Ms. Farah Naz Akbar, Dr. Shaista Khan, Dr. Darshan, Dr. Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro, Ms. Sabheen Ghoury, Gul Asghar Khan, Ms. Farukh Khan, Dr. Amjad Ali Khan, Shahram Khan, M. Shabbir Ali Qureshi and Ms. Aliya Kamran.

LAHORE - The open trials will be conducted in all divisions of the province to select Punjab teams for participation in 35th National Games scheduled to be staged at Karachi. DG Sports Punjab Pervez Iqbal said this while presiding over an important meeting at National Hockey Stadium on Thursday. The key meeting was convened to review the preparations of 35th National Games. Addressing the meeting, Pervez Iqbal said that the Punjab teams in different games will be selected purely on merit and in this regard no negligence will be tolerated. He informed that the players, who will be selected for National Games, will be given scholarships from Sports Endowment Fund.

The Punjab government has recommended to the federal interior secretary to ban from 6th to 11th Muharram to control spread of hate material and misinformation to avoid sectarian violence. It is learnt that the Punjab government has decided to tighten security arrangements along with suspending the during Muharram. However, the provincial Home Department wrote a letter to the interior ministry’s secretary after a meeting recommending suspension of “social media applications Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube, X (Twitter), TikTok, etc. across the province from Muharram 6 to 11 to control hate material, misinformation and to avoid sectarian violence”. Sources said that the Punjab government had initially planned suspension of days of Ashura –Muharram 9 and 10.

Meanwhile, oil marketing companies (OMCs) have called for a 60 percent increase in their profit margins. In Islamabad, some officials not belonging to the Petroleum Division, Federal Board of Revenue, Finance Ministry, or Ogra were seen interacting with dealers to convince them to call off the strike. OMCs demand higher marginsMeanwhile, the oil marketing companies have formally demanded an increase in their profit margin on petrol and diesel sales to Rs12.65 per liter from Rs7.87 at present, up by 60%. A dealers’ group from Lahore and Rawalpindi, identifying as the Reformers Group of the PPDA, announced they would not participate in the July 5 strike. “We reject the strike call by some dealers in Karachi because they are working for the interests of oil marketing companies and not concerned about their own community.”

Ø UK’s Labour sweeps to power with Keir Starmer at helm as Sunak concedes electionhttps://www.dawn.com/news/1843952/uks-labour-sweeps-to-power-with-keir-starmer-at-helm-as-sunak-concedes-electionØ Pakistan to host SCO Heads of Governments summit in Octoberhttps://www.geo.tv/latest/552594-pakistan-to-host-sco-heads-of-governments-summit-in-octoberØ China and Russia highlight ‘tectonic shifts in global politics’https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/7/4/china-and-russia-highlight-tectonic-shifts-in-global-politicsØ PM Shehbaz suggests Putin to renew trade under barter systemhttps://www.dawn.com/news/1843571/pm-shehbaz-suggests-putin-to-renew-trade-under-barter-systemØ Russia uncertain if Ukraine would reciprocate with ceasefire — Putinhttps://tass.com/politics/1812655Ø India’s Modi to visit Russia next weekhttps://www.arabnews.pk/node/2543451/worldØ ‘Patriots for Europe’: Hungary’s Orban announces new EU Parliament alliancehttps://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/6/30/patriots-for-europe-hungarys-orban-announces-new-eu-parliament-allianceØ A growing club led by Xi and Putin to counter the US is adding a staunchly pro-Russia memberhttps://edition.cnn.com/2024/07/02/china/china-russia-belarus-full-member-sco-summit-intl-hnk/index.htmlØ Far right wins in first round of French electionshttps://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/6/30/frances-far-right-leads-in-first-round-of-elections-exit-polls-showØ France’s Muslims fear for their futures as Le Pen’s far right party surgeshttps://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/7/2/frances-muslims-fear-for-their-futures-as-le-pens-far-right-party-surgesØ Putin and Xi hail ‘stability’ of China-Russia partnership on SCO sidelineshttps://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/7/3/putin-and-xi-hail-stability-of-china-russia-partnership-on-sco-sidelinesØ Vladimir Putin Says Taliban Russia’s “Allies” In Fighting Terrorismhttps://www.ndtv.com/world-news/vladimir-putin-says-taliban-russias-allies-in-fighting-terrorism-6034602

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Jane Fonda is reflecting on her enlightening experience in prison. “I was the only white person there,” Fonda revealed. They had far more important things to think about and none of them had seen any of my movies.”However, one well-known co-star of Fonda's attracted the interest of her fellow inmates: Jennifer Lopez. “They had seen Monster-in-Law,” noted the star of the 2005 romantic comedy about a manipulative potential mother-in-law. “I pulled that card and they were mildly impressed, but not really,” joked the Academy Award winner.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Wednesday its forces destroyed two Houthi radar sites in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen in the past 24 hours. CENTCOM said the forces also destroyed two uncrewed surface vessels (USV) in the Red Sea. "It was determined the radar sites and USVs presented imminent threats to US, coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region," it added. The Red Sea is one of the world's most frequently used sea routes for oil and fuel shipments. Earlier this year, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced a multinational mission, Operation Prosperity Guardian, to counter Houthi attacks.

“Give me an educated mother,” said Napoleon, “and I shall promise you the birth of a civilized, educated nation.”This statement captures the profound impact an educated woman can have on society. An educated woman is a powerful force for socio-economic and political change. Educated women uplift families, communities and entire nations out of poverty. Educated women, in particular, bring a unique perspective and valuable contributions to various aspects of society. Education for women is not just a matter of equality; it is an investment in the future of a nation.

LAHORE - Hot, humid and partly cloudy weather was recorded in the city on Wednesday while Meteorological Department predicted similar weather conditions with chances of scattered rain during the next 24 hours. The weather officials said strong monsoon currents from Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal were likely to penetrate upper parts of the country from Wednesday night while a westerly wave was also likely to approach upper parts of the country on Thursday. They predicted that rain-wind/thundershower, with few heavy falls, was expected in Kashmir, northeast Punjab, Pothohar region, Islamabad and upper Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, while rain-wind/thundershower was also likely at isolated places in south KP, central Punjab and northeast Balochistan. Wednesday’s highest maximum temperature was recorded at Nokundi where mercury reached 48°C while in Lahore it recorded 39.0°C, and minimum was 27.0°C.