Category: English

The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen ​said on Tuesday it intercepted and destroyed ‌ballistic missiles and drones launched by the Houthis towards two regions of Saudi Arabia, as the conflict between ​the kingdom and the Iran-aligned group intensifies. The ​Houthis launched three ballistic missiles towards Saudi Arabia’s Eastern ⁠Region, and four drones towards the country’s ​Southern Region, the coalition said. Saudi Civil Defence issued early ​warning alerts for a potential hostile threat in the Eastern Region and in Kharj governorate, later saying the danger ​had passed in both areas. Saudi Arabia…

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Radical Israeli regime leader Benjamin Netanyahu faces a fight for political survival in Israel’s election on Tuesday, with voters weighing his leadership after the Gaza carnage, war with Iran, and Israel’s deepening international isolation. Yet Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving leader with 19 years in office, remains a formidable survivor, with nationalist politics increasingly ‌entrenched and Israel’s fragmented system potentially leaving him best placed to form a government. Opinion polls show a close race between Netanyahu’s Likud party and its radical allies and a rival alliance led by Gadi Eisenkot, a former…

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While global tech stocks teeter, in China they have already crashed as lofty valuations collapse under worries about AI demand and curbs on Chinese exports. The meltdown, tanking the mainland STAR50 index of AI and semiconductor leaders ​by 40% in less than four months and vaporising some $480 billion in market value, is an ill omen for wobbly world markets and a dampener on China’s efforts ‌at encouraging its savers to invest in stocks to fund the AI boom. It has also slammed the brakes on a rally running two…

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The government on Monday increased the price of petrol by Rs1.54 to Rs379.25 per litre and high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs2.16 to Rs395.82 per litre, effective Tuesday, October 27, 2026. The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) revised the ex-depot prices of petroleum products under the federal government’s pricing mechanism, according to a notification issued by the Petroleum Division. Petrol was previously priced at Rs377.71 per litre, while HSD cost Rs393.66 per litre. The revised rates will remain in effect for October 27. The Petroleum Division said the price adjustments…

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu boasted of his endorsement from Donald Trump on the eve of Israel’s election, suggesting the ​two leaders could restart their war against Iran if he wins, after Trump said they should “finish the job”. “US President Donald Trump has come with a ‌friendship that has never existed before between an Israeli prime minister and an American president. And it is doubtful we will ever have such a friendly president again,” Netanyahu said in a televised appearance late on Sunday night. “He has another two years, and…

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Parliament authorised Egypt’s military on Monday to provide support to help defend Saudi Arabia, parliamentarians said, and local media reported, a move that could push Cairo directly into the regional conflict ​that has expanded with intensified attacks by Yemen’s Houthis on the Gulf kingdom. President ‌Abdel Fattah al-Sisi had asked parliament last week to approve defending its Gulf Arab ally and the world’s biggest oil exporter if Riyadh requests help against the Houthis, whose advances also threaten the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait — a gateway to Egypt’s Suez ​Canal. Egypt…

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The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has raised its policy rate to 12% amid concerns over rising energy prices and inflation driven by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Speaking after the monetary policy announcement, SBP Governor Jameel Ahmed said global crude oil prices had crossed $100 per barrel, putting pressure on inflation and affecting the country’s external accounts. Ahmed said nine of the 10 members of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) supported the interest rate hike. The governor noted that inflation stood at 7.1% last year, while core…

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The Lahore High Court on Monday disposed of a petition seeking the release of PTI founder Imran Khan’s three sisters, Aleema Khan, Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi, after being informed that the Punjab government had extended their detention for another 30 days. Justice Abher Gul Khan heard the petition filed by Shahrez, seeking the recovery and production of the three women before the court. The government’s lawyer, Farukh Lodhi, submitted the home secretary’s report, which stated that the sisters’ detention had been extended for a further 30 days. The court…

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Pakistan has absorbed the oil shock better than expected. But as global monetary conditions tighten, political resistance to currency depreciation is narrowing the State Bank’s room to hold rates. The State Bank of Pakistan announces its monetary policy decision today. At its last meeting, three members of the monetary policy committee voted for a 100 basis-point increase, while the other seven opted to hold. This column argued for patience: wait to see how the war affects energy prices, inflation and the external account. Six weeks on, the uncertainty has only…

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Gold prices in Pakistan increased on Monday, tracking gains in the international market, with the price of 24-karat gold rising by Rs1,400 per tola to Rs423,436. According to rates issued by the All-Pakistan Gems and Jewellers Sarafa Association (APGJSA), the price of 10-gram gold also increased by Rs1,201 to Rs363,028. On Saturday, gold prices had fallen by Rs2,500 per tola to Rs422,036. In the international market, gold prices rose by $14 to reach $4,009 per ounce. Meanwhile, silver prices in the local market increased by Rs20 per tola to Rs5,878.

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