Category: English

Oil giant Saudi Aramco’s headquarters in Dhahran suffered extensive damage in an ​attack on Tuesday, with a fire spreading across ‌several floors, three people with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. Operations at the complex in eastern Saudi Arabia have continued normally ​but some employees have been asked to work ​from home, according to two of the people. A ⁠fourth person said some functions had been shifted to ​global offices, adding that the fire was still burning into ​the early hours of Wednesday. The facility hosts an operations centre…

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A country’s greatest strength lies not in its natural resources, buildings or industries, but in the knowledge, skills and health of its people. Education and health are the two pillars on which a strong economy is built. For Pakistan, investing in these areas is indispensable for reducing poverty, creating jobs and improving the lives of millions of people. An educated person has a better chance of finding decent work, while a healthy person can work more effectively and support their family. Without good schools, skilled workers and accessible healthcare, even…

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At least 21 children were killed and dozens injured after the roof of a private school collapsed in Dir Colony, Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on Thursday. More than 30 injured people were reportedly taken to Lady Reading Hospital for treatment. Rescue teams are using heavy machinery to search for children and school staff trapped beneath the debris, amid fears that the death toll could rise. According to Lady Reading Hospital officials, 17 children were brought to the facility dead. Rescue officials said more than 25 injured children had…

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The US military has developed strike plans ​that could include using ‌the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb, also known ​as the “mother of ​all bombs”, against Iranian energy ⁠infrastructure and nuclear sites ​if President Donald Trump ​orders renewed combat operations, CNN reported on Thursday, citing US ​officials familiar with the ​matter. The potential deployment of the largest ‌non-nuclear ⁠bomb in the US arsenal would mark a significant escalation in the ​conflict. However, ⁠officials familiar with military planning discussions ​told CNN questions remain ​over ⁠its effectiveness in achieving Washington’s strategic…

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The Trump administration is considering ​easing sanctions on so-called shadow fleet vessels that have transported oil and petroleum products from countries including Russia, Iran and ‌Venezuela, in an effort to reduce record-high global freight rates, a US official said on Wednesday. The discussions are happening days after President Donald Trump temporarily lifted sanctions on Russian diesel fuel, a move met with a torrent of criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, European countries and some of Trump’s fellow Republicans in the US Senate. Both Zelenskiy and the US senators called ​that…

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FIFA and the Saudi Esports Federation have postponed the FIFAe Finals 2026, scheduled to take place in Jeddah from October 16-25, organisers said on Thursday, following recent attacks on Saudi Arabia. A strike on Riyadh’s international airport on Saturday killed at least 12 people ​and wounded more than 300, with Yemen’s ​Iran-aligned Houthi movement claiming responsibility for the deadliest ⁠attack in Saudi Arabia in more than a ​decade. “The decision follows an assessment of recent developments ​in the region and their impact on the logistical arrangements required to stage the…

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Oil prices fell more than 1% on Thursday ​as investors weighed risks to supply from attacks on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz against US ‌efforts to cut petroleum shipping costs by easing sanctions on vessels. Brent crude futures fell $1.64, or 1.6%, to $104.42 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude futures were down 98 cents, or 1%, to $94.11, reversing gains from the previous session. WTI rose to a three-week high in the prior ​session after the Houthis attacked Saudi Aramco’s headquarters and Iran said it was…

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Prolonged war in the Middle East and further disruptions to energy production, shipping routes or critical infrastructure pose the biggest risk to economies ​in the Middle East and Central Asia, the International Monetary Fund said ‌on Thursday. Jihad Azour, the IMF’s director for the Middle East and Central Asia, told reporters the war was imposing a highly uneven economic shock to the broader region, with directly affected states ​under severe pressure. “The outlook depends critically on how quickly energy production and ​trade normalize, and on countries’ ability to preserve macroeconomic…

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A ​container ship and a dry bulk carrier have both sunk near the Strait of Hormuz in the past ‌24 hours after being hit by projectiles in separate incidents, maritime officials said on Wednesday. Attacks around the waterway have surged over the past 10 days, with Iran saying it is stepping up strikes in response to the US blockade of its ports and tougher sanctions introduced last month. The Singapore-flagged GFS Pride, ​a small container vessel with a capacity of 2,824 20-foot equivalent units (TEU), sank while sailing through the…

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Senator Faisal Vawda on Wednesday said the possibility of a ban on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) remains, while urging the party’s sincere workers and leaders to form a separate political platform. Speaking to host Shaukat Paracha on Aaj News’ programme Rubaru, Vawda said he had predicted the possibility of a ban on the PTI 10 months ago and continued to consider it a possibility. He clarified that this was his analysis and opinion, not a news report. Discussing the situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa following the imposition of governor’s rule, Vawda…

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