Category: English

China stepped up diplomatic efforts on Monday to resolve the Middle East crisis, urging a return to the negotiating table in back-to-back meetings with Iranian, Omani and Saudi officials in Beijing. The meetings come days after US President Donald Trump issued a fresh war threat more than eight months into the conflict, which was triggered by US-Israeli strikes on Iran and has at times spilt over into neighbouring countries. Beijing supports Tehran in “safeguarding its own sovereignty and security”, Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Ali Bagheri Kani, the deputy secretary…

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Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday emphasised the importance of sustained political engagement and party-to-party exchanges in further strengthening Pakistan-China relations. He was talking to Liu Haixing, Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee (IDCPC), who called on him in Islamabad. Welcoming Liu Haixing and his delegation, the prime minister reaffirmed that Pakistan and China enjoyed an iron-clad, time-tested and all-weather strategic cooperative partnership. He said the friendship between the two countries was anchored in mutual trust, respect and deep-rooted bonds between their peoples.…

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Yemen’s Houthis have advanced to ​within 80 km (50 miles) of Aden, the main stronghold and temporary capital of the country’s internationally recognised ‌government, four military sources told Reuters on Monday. The advance brings the Houthis closer to Aden than at any point since the early months of the war in 2015, when they briefly entered the city before being driven out. The latest offensive has opened a volatile new front in the wider ​US-Israeli war on Iran, drawing both the Houthis and Saudi Arabia deeper into the regional conflict.…

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Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has questioned the federal government’s administrative arrangements in the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), demanding clarity over the region’s political future, constitutional rights and natural resources following the imposition of an emergency in 12 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Addressing a Digital Media and Workers Convention organised by his party in Peshawar, Fazlur Rehman said the concerns of political leaders and tribal residents over the region’s administrative status should be addressed through arguments rather than allegations and character assassination. The former FATA was…

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UAE state oil company ADNOC on Monday announced a partnership with OpenAI, saying it would be the world’s first energy firm to deploy OpenAI Frontier, an advanced artificial intelligence platform. The deal was among a raft of agreements announced with the UAE as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman attended its flagship oil industry event in Abu Dhabi, which has bet heavily on the technology in a bid to diversify its economy away from energy. Gulf countries have been struggling to export oil since Iran began blockading the Strait of Hormuz and…

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Chinese Communist Party official Liu Haixing met Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir at General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, the military’s media wing said on Monday. According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Haixing, Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee (IDCPC), called on the military chief during his visit to Pakistan. The two sides discussed matters of mutual interest, evolving regional and international security dynamics, and bilateral relations. They reaffirmed their…

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Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has appointed aviation executive Adrian Hamilton-Manns as its new chief executive officer (CEO), with him assuming charge on Monday, November 2, 2026. The appointment was announced by the PIA Board, which said Hamilton-Manns would lead the national carrier through its ongoing transformation and efforts to improve its commercial viability. According to the announcement, Hamilton-Manns brings more than 30 years of experience in the global aviation industry and has served as chief executive of three airlines. He is described by the board as an expert in airline…

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Iran on Monday said it was ready to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within two days if Washington agrees to conditions, as US President Donald Trump issued his latest war threat at a rally for midterm elections. A senior Iranian official said the offer to open the vital energy corridor, which follows intense efforts by mediators to stop a return to war, showed “good faith”. Tehran has blockaded Hormuz since the war started in February, sending energy prices soaring and posing an electoral challenge for Trump. The narrow gateway to…

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China’s top diplomat told a senior Iranian official that Beijing supports Tehran in “safeguarding its own sovereignty and security” as they met in the Chinese capital on Monday, after threats of renewed US strikes. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States has knocked out much of Iran’s military but still has to “take care of” one or two targets, as Tehran warned of reprisals if attacked. “China supports Iran in safeguarding its own sovereignty and security,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Ali Bagheri Kani, the deputy…

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Pakistan’s headline inflation eased to 9.6% year-on-year (YoY) in October 2026, down from 10.3% in September, according to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Monday. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) stood at 6.2% in October 2025. On a month-on-month (MoM) basis, inflation rose 1.1% in October, compared with 1.3% in September and 1.7% in October 2025. Urban inflation eased to 9.5% YoY in October from 10.1% in September. It stood at 6% in October 2025. On a monthly basis, urban inflation increased 0.8% in October, compared…

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