Category: English

Pakistan and 18 other Muslim countries have strongly condemned Colombia’s inauguration of its embassy in Jerusalem, saying the move contravenes relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and undermines international efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace based on a two-state solution. Colombia opened its embassy in Jerusalem on Wednesday, becoming the 10th country to do so, as new President Abelardo de la Espriella reversed his predecessor’s break with Israel by also restoring a free trade agreement between the two countries. Pakistan, Algeria, Djibouti, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya,…

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Pakistan’s current account posted a deficit of $356 million in September 2026, data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) showed on Friday. The latest figure follows a deficit of $73 million recorded in August 2026 and a surplus of $133 million in September 2025. The August 2026 deficit was revised down from $98 million to $73 million. The deficit came from a significantly higher import bill and a marginal increase in exports during the month. In September 2026, the country’s total exports of goods and services amounted to…

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A key militant commander, Zahid Gul, was killed in an intelligence-based operation carried out jointly by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and security forces in Lakki Marwat, officials said on Friday. According to CTD Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gul was the main mastermind of the suicide attack on the Old Police Lines in Kohat. He belonged to the Gul Bahadur group. CTD officials said he personally guided the explosives-laden vehicle used in the attack. The September 18 attack began when a vehicle packed with explosives hit the gate of the police compound and…

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Police have registered a case over the alleged abduction of Zainul Abideen, a young man living in Saudi Arabia who had returned to Karachi to visit his parents, after his family claimed that kidnappers demanded Rs700,000 in ransom and threatened to kill him. According to the victim’s father, Zainul Abideen, who works as a tailor in Saudi Arabia, left home on a motorcycle on October 14 but did not return. After searching for him without success, the family registered a case at the Steel Town police station, alleging that he…

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Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Friday said that the head of a political party is deeply upset at not getting a share in governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) or the provincial governorship. Speaking informally to journalists in Lahore, Naqvi criticised the party without naming it or its leader. He alleged that the politician had relied on the establishment for decades. He further claimed that the leader used to arrange his party’s air tickets through the establishment. The minister said such politicians were in no position to point fingers…

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Pakistan stands with Saudi Arabia under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement and remains committed to the joint defence agreement, Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said on Friday, condemning Houthi attacks on the kingdom. The Foreign Office also rejected remarks by Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Speaking at the weekly media briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said targeting civilians and infrastructure was unacceptable. He extended condolences to the families of those killed and said Pakistan shared their grief. Khan said Pakistan stood with Saudi Arabia in protecting its…

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Russia has publicly acknowledged a Ukrainian ​drone strike on a major oil refinery this week and broadcast images on ‌state media, breaking with its usual practice to highlight an attack that US President Donald Trump has branded a “disgrace”. Ukraine has frequently struck Russian oil refineries in attacks that officials typically describe as hits on “industrial enterprises”. But ​the target of Thursday’s attack in Ryazan was immediately identified by the regional governor as ​the refinery, one of Russia’s largest. For the first time since the start ⁠of the war, state…

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Bulgaria has formally asked NATO to deploy combat aircraft and anti-drone systems to bolster its ​defences after a series of drone attacks on ‌commercial shipping in the Black Sea, Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said on Friday. Drones hit two ships which caught fire off Romania’s ​Black Sea coast this week. On Tuesday, a commercial ​vessel sank off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast following ⁠a drone attack, prompting Sofia to summon Russia’s ambassador. The ​attacks have highlighted the growing threat that drone warfare ​linked to the Russia-Ukraine conflict poses to commercial shipping…

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Celebrated actor Al Pacino will receive a lifetime achievement award for his career achievements and humanitarian work next year, the actors’ union SAG-AFTRA announced on ​Thursday. The American actor, best known for playing Michael Corleone in “The Godfather” films, is ‌the 62nd recipient of the SAG-AFTRA Life Achievement Award. The union will present the award to him in Los Angeles at the 33rd Actor Awards on February 28, 2027, as part of a ceremony to be ​live-streamed on Netflix. Pacino’s recognition follows a career spanning more than six decades across…

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A proposal by the Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board to introduce uniform Friday sermons at mosques across Indian-administered Kashmir has sparked strong opposition from Muslim scholars and political leaders, who say the move could undermine religious freedom. The board, headed by Darakshan Andrabi, a leader associated with India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), announced the proposal last weekend. Andrabi initially said a committee of senior religious scholars would prepare sermons addressing social issues, including drug abuse. The announcement prompted criticism from religious leaders, who argued that decisions about sermon content…

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