A minister in Pakistan's newly elected government faced criticism Wednesday following his plea to the nation to drink less tea to help save on imports amid a deepening economic crisis. Pakistan is among the world's top tea importers, a hugely popular drink among both the rich and the poor in this country of 220 million people. The government has to spend about $600 million dollars from the central bank's hard currency reserves for tea imports annually. A Pakistani is believed to drink at least three cups of tea a day on average, the nation's caffeinated drink of choice. Prime Minister Shahbaz

Mexico's government wants citizens to produce more of their own food in a move toward self-sufficiency and lower prices in key products. The idea isn't new, but the ravages of the pandemic, climate change and the market turmoil created by the war in Ukraine have given it new urgency. The government wants to head off food insecurity in a country where 44% of its population lives in poverty and where 27.5 million tons of corn are produced, but more than 40 million tons are consumed. Some farmers are hopeful about additional government financial help and subsidized fertilizer. Others are suspic

The Biden administration is lifting its requirement that international air travelers to the U.S. take a COVID-19 test within a day before boarding their flights, easing one of the last remaining government mandates meant to contain the spread of the coronavirus. A senior administration official said the mandate expires Sunday at 12:01 a.m. ET, saying the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has determined that it's no longer necessary. The official, speaking Friday on the condition of anonymity to preview the formal announcement, said that the agency would reevaluate the need for the te

A Former Pakistan president General Pervez Musharraf has been hospitalized for the last three weeks due to a complication of his ailment and is going through a difficult stage where recovery is not possible and organs are malfunctioning, his family said on Friday. In a message posted on Musharraf's Twitter handle, his family said that he is dealing with Amyloidosis and prayed for ease in his daily living. "He is not on the ventilator. Has been hospitalised for the last 3 weeks due to a complication of his ailment (Amyloidosis)," noted the Musharraf's family in a message shared on Twitter. Gen

Authorities say a man has opened fire at a business in western Maryland, leaving three dead before the suspect and a state trooper were wounded in a shootout. The Washington County Sheriff's Office said in a news release that three victims were found dead Thursday at Columbia Machine Inc. in Smithsburg and a fourth victim was critically injured. The release says the suspect then fled in a vehicle and was tracked down by Maryland State Police. The sheriff's office says the suspect and a trooper were wounded in an exchange of gunfire. Both were being treated for their wounds.

Pakistan's former Member of the National Assembly (MNA) and popular television host Amir Liaquat, 49, passed away in Karachi under mysterious circumstances, local media reported on Thursday. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader was found unconscious at his home in Khudad Colony and shifted to a private hospital in a critical condition. According to reports, Liaquat felt discomfort on Wednesday night, however, he refused to go to the hospital, reported Pakistan's local media outlet Geo TV. Javed, Liaquat's employee said a scream was heard from Liaquat's room Thursday morning. The room was

Four Marines were killed and another is missing after an Osprey aircraft crashed in the Southern California desert, a military official said Thursday, a day after the accident. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is still ongoing. No additional details were available. The MV-22B Osprey belonged to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing based at Camp Pendleton, north of San Diego. It was carrying five Marines when it went down at 12:25 p.m. Wednesday during training. Military officials on Thursday had yet to release official word on the fate of five Marines. Most recent

Russia and Turkey say they support a safecorridor in the Black Sea to export Ukrainian grain to global markets. Turkey's foreign minister hosted his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Ankara on Wednesday. A Turkish minister also said that Western sanctions should be lifted against Russia for allowing the grain to be exported. Ukraine was not invited to the talks, and has expressed concern that acceding to Russia's request to remove mines from its ports could allow Moscow to attack its southern coast. The European Union accused Moscow of ``weaponizing'' food supplies to gain an advantage i

WASHINGTON- The Supreme Court says an armed man who made threats against Justice Brett Kavanaugh was arrested near the justice's house in Maryland. The man was arrested around 1:50 a.m. Wednesday, court spokeswoman Patricia McCabe said in an email. The Washington Post initially reported the arrest, quoting sources who said the man is from California and was upset by a leaked draft opinion suggesting the court is about to overrule Roe v. Wade, the court's landmark abortion case. He was also said to be upset over recent mass shootings, the Post reported. Kavanaugh lives in a Maryland suburb just