Category: English

Pakistan and Singapore on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen cooperation in disaster management as the two countries marked 60 years of diplomatic relations. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Singaporean Foreign Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan exchanged the agreement in Islamabad. It provides for cooperation between Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). According to the Foreign Office, the agreement reflects the two countries’ commitment to improving disaster preparedness and response and building resilience against natural disasters. Earlier, Dar…

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Pakistan bounced back from their opening-match defeat in the Hong Kong Sixes 2026 by beating arch-rivals India by six wickets in their second game, chasing an 89-run target in just 3.5 overs. Batting first, India scored 88 for five in their allotted six overs, setting Pakistan a target of 89 runs. Pakistan made light work of the chase, reaching 89 in just 3.5 overs. Khawaja Nafay led the scoring with an aggressive 41 runs, while captain Abbas Afridi contributed 35. Despite the victory, Pakistan’s qualification for the semi-finals remains undecided,…

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Minister for Foreign Affairs of Singapore, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, arrived in Islamabad on Friday. Upon his arrival, he was received at the airport by the Director General, East Asia Pacific, the Foreign Office said. During the visit, Dr Balakrishnan will have comprehensive talks with the Deputy Prime Minister, Ishaq Dar, on the cooperation in bilateral and multilateral domains. The foreign minister of Singapore is visiting Pakistan at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar. The visit coincides with the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan…

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The Saudi-led coalition intercepted and destroyed a drone launched by Yemen’s Houthis in the Makkah region, the coalition said in a statement on Friday. The reported incident is the latest in a series of cross-border attacks by the Houthis on Saudi Arabia, involving drones and missiles targeting military installations, airports and energy infrastructure. There was no immediate comment from the Houthis. Egypt and Saudi foreign ministers discussed containing regional crisis. The group has repeatedly denied targeting Makkah and Medina, Islam’s two holiest cities, rejecting previous Saudi-led coalition accusations that it…

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United States President Donald Trump’s economic agenda has delivered robust growth and strong ​investment but failed to reduce the trade ‌deficit, according to a study by the German Economic Institute IW seen by Reuters on Friday. Trump’s tax ​cuts, tariffs and drive to revive domestic ⁠manufacturing had produced mixed results. Gross domestic ​product growth remained solid and AI-related investment was ​buoyant, but job creation lagged the prior administration, and inflation remained above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target. The US goods ​trade deficit reached $130 billion in August, exceeding ​its level…

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Families of ​37 artisanal miners who died in custody in Nigeria want swift justice and the ‌return of property seized during their arrest, saying no financial compensation will make up for their loss. A presidential panel on Tuesday found that the detainees, who were suspected of being illegal miners, had died from overcrowding, extreme ​heat, dehydration and neglect while being held by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) ​in Niger State last month. Nigeria’s government welcomed the panel’s findings, and Interior ⁠Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo said the panel’s report…

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Qatari mediators returned to Tehran on Friday as part ​of efforts to reach a deal ‌between the US and Iran, an official briefed on the talks told Reuters. The mediation talks have been ​coordinated with the US, the official ​said. Qatar presented a draft peace plan to ⁠Iran on Sunday, according to an official ​briefed on negotiations. But a senior Iranian official ​dismissed the proposals as unacceptable and said Tehran would maintain its nuclear position. Washington wants nuclear issues ​included from the start of negotiations. Tehran ​demands that the US…

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A sharp rise in voter turnout among Palestinian citizens of Israel has given Arab political parties a potentially decisive role in determining the country’s next government, following parliamentary elections that left both major political blocs short of a majority. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party emerged as the largest party, but its electoral bloc secured only 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset. The Jewish-led opposition bloc won 48 seats, while Palestinian parties secured a combined 19 seats. The turnout among eligible Palestinian voters was estimated at 80 per cent, marking…

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Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, said a security breach had resulted in an estimated $6.3 billion impact that analysts said ​could amount to the biggest crypto heist ever and might make investors rethink the risks of owning digital assets. Binance said it had worked with partners to freeze the ‌affected assets, with about $3 billion located so far. It gave no update on the status of the remaining $3.3 billion, as Binance co-founder Yi He said the company would cover “all hacking losses”. An initial investigation suggested the breach…

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A flood caused by the Shintaphu glacial lake bursting its banks has washed ​away infrastructure at the Gasa Tshachu natural hot ‌springs in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, media reports said on Friday. No injuries or loss of life have been reported, state ​broadcaster BBS said. The hot springs at Gasa ​Tshachu are a major tourist attraction in the ⁠northern part of the country that is nestled between ​India and China. BBS reported the extent of damage from ​the late-night flash flood was not known because of “darkness and the…

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