Category: English

The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthis said on Thursday that a ballistic missile fired by the group at the holy Madinah region had been intercepted. The announcement came just minutes after the kingdom’s civil defence agency warned of potential danger in the area near the strategic port of Yanbu. It was unclear if the two events were connected. “Air defence intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the terrorist Houthi militia toward the Madinah region,” coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki said in a post on X. The Houthis rejected any…

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Two police officers have been arrested in Swat on Thursday over allegations of sexually assaulting a woman who had travelled from Peshawar for a visit, police said. The Rahimabad police registered a case following a complaint by the woman, who had visited Swat with her husband. According to details, the couple were returning from Bahrain when police officers stopped them at Engro Dheri Chowk in Mingora under the pretext of an investigation. The woman was allegedly taken to a hotel on Bypass Road, where she was sexually assaulted. Following the…

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Airlines across Europe received a series of bomb threats on Thursday morning for ‌the second time this week, forcing many to make unplanned or escorted landings, although none of the threats immediately proved to be genuine. While no country has attributed blame for the threats, they come at a time when European officials have been blaming both Russia and Iran for what ​they describe as “hybrid attacks” and acts of sabotage. Moscow and Tehran both deny any such campaign. Aer Lingus flight ​EI402 from Dublin to Rome landed safely on…

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Gold prices in Pakistan rose on Thursday, tracking gains in the international market. The price of gold per tola increased by Rs9,600 to Rs435,636, according to rates shared by the All-Pakistan Gems and Jewellers Sarafa Association (APGJSA). The price of 10-gram gold went up by Rs8,230 to Rs373,487. On Wednesday, gold had gained Rs13,900 to reach Rs426,036 per tola. In the international market, gold gained $96 to reach $4,131 per ounce. Silver also rose, gaining Rs100 to reach Rs5,763 per tola.

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Buying rally continued at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), with the benchmark KSE-100 Index gaining nearly 2% amid expectations that losses suffered by US President Donald Trump’s Republican Party in this week’s Congressional elections may reduce the risk ​of further escalation of the US-Israeli war on Iran. The market opened positively, with the index initially surging to an intraday high of 176,604.51. However, profit-taking soon emerged, triggering a sharp correction that pushed the index toward its intraday low of 174,291.25. The benchmark subsequently staged a recovery, with buying interest emerging…

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Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday reviewed progress on the Prime Minister’s Fuel Relief Programme and directed authorities to cancel the licences of petrol pumps that do not provide subsidised fuel to registered beneficiaries. Chairing a high-level meeting in Islamabad, the prime minister expressed satisfaction over the programme’s progress and transparency, saying that simplification of the registration and subsidy disbursement procedures had led to an increase in registrations, enabling more deserving citizens to benefit from the initiative. He described the technology-based and transparent subsidy scheme as a potential game changer…

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Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Thursday received UK Minister of State for Security Dan Jarvis in Islamabad, with the two sides agreeing to further strengthen cooperation in security, law enforcement, migration, trade and investment. According to a Foreign Office statement, the two officials reviewed Pakistan-UK bilateral relations and exchanged views on regional and international developments. They also discussed continued cooperation under the R4+E4 framework. Dar underscored the importance of sustained cooperation between Pakistan and the United Kingdom on bilateral matters and regional developments of…

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An investigation has been launched into development projects initiated during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with a focus on unapproved schemes. According to sources, 1,224 development schemes, with a combined estimated cost of Rs1,348 billion, were added to the provincial portfolio during the PTI government, for which Rs107 billion was allocated in the budget. It has been decided that schemes which have not been approved by relevant forums would be scrapped, the sources said, adding that many projects belonged to the constituencies of Sohail Afridi and Babar…

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Portuguese football legend Cristiano Ronaldo announced on Thursday that he was retiring from international football. The 41-year-old, who has played 234 times for Portugal and scored 146 goals, fell out with national coach Jorge Jesus last month after he refused to use him in a Nations League match. Ronaldo immediately left the team camp. “To the Portuguese people, the day has come for me to hand back the number seven shirt of our national team,” Ronaldo said in a video on his Instagram account. “I never felt it belonged to…

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The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday decided to hold local government elections in Punjab in phases, fixing February 7, 2027, as the date for polling in the first phase. According to a short order issued by the commission, the decision was taken in response to a request from the provincial government and in view of administrative facilities to ensure that the electoral process is conducted transparently and in an organised manner. The order said the Punjab chief secretary had informed the commission that consultations between a provincial government…

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