Category: English

Iran has received no response from Saudi Arabia or Yemen’s Houthis to its offer to mediate talks aimed at ending the fighting between the two sides, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a television interview aired on Tuesday. Araghchi offered to facilitate dialogue earlier this month as the Houthis intensified attacks on Saudi Arabia. Speaking to Iraq’s Al Ekhbariya TV, the Iranian foreign minister also warned that any Egyptian military intervention alongside Saudi Arabia against the Houthis would further complicate the conflict. “Any foreign intervention would complicate matters,” Araghchi said,…

Read More

France will reinforce police with troops and mount a huge security operation for ​more protests planned on Saturday, the government said on Tuesday, acknowledging failures in its response to last weekend’s violence. “The deployment next Saturday will be massive,” Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu ‌said, adding that the immediate priority was to restore order after rioting and looting swept Paris, Marseille, Lyon and other cities on October 17. In a sometimes rowdy debate, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the military would be deployed alongside police, while the government pledged to overhaul…

Read More

Touqeer Nazir, the suspect accused of running over and killing 15-year-old orphan Waseem Abbas in Multan, was killed in an alleged police encounter with the Crime Control Department (CCD) in Bahawalpur, sources said on Wednesday. Touqeer had been granted four days’ physical remand by a judicial magistrate following his arrest in connection with Waseem’s death. However, CCD officials said he had escaped from custody. According to the CCD, officers attempted to stop two motorcycle riders on Bahawalpur’s Eastern Bypass in the early hours of Wednesday. The suspects allegedly opened fire…

Read More

The government has increased the price of petrol by 88 paise per litre to Rs382.02, while the price of high-speed diesel (HSD) has been raised by 53 paise to Rs389.80. According to a press release issued by the Petroleum Division, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) revised the ex-depot prices of petroleum products in line with the pricing mechanism set by the federal government. The revised prices will remain effective for October 21. The Petroleum Division said the change was necessitated by global developments, including movements in Platts rates,…

Read More

A suspect in the fraud case linked to the alleged suicide of university student Laiba Ejaz was killed after his accomplices allegedly opened fire on a police team in Islamabad, police said on Tuesday. The suspect, identified as Nauman, was being taken to a location for recovery of evidence on his identification when two unidentified men riding a motorcycle opened fire on the police team in the jurisdiction of Ramna police station. Nauman sustained injuries in the firing and was shifted to a hospital, where he later died, according to…

Read More

Allrounder Arafat Minhas struck a maiden half-century and grabbed a career-best six wickets to anchor Pakistan’s convincing 87-run win over England in the tri-series in Rawalpindi on Tuesday. Minhas hit 59 off 58 balls and was ably assisted by Hasan Nawaz, whose 74-ball 79 lifted Pakistan to a solid 302-9 at Pindi Stadium. The versatile Minhas then took 6-40 with his beguiling left-arm spin as England were reduced to 215 all out in 38.4 overs. He also ran out the last England batter to cap a superb showing. England lost…

Read More

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Tuesday rejected the imposition of governor’s rule and an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, alleging that the measures appeared aimed at gaining control of the province’s mineral resources. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Fazl said the government’s justification for the measures was insufficient to win public confidence. He demanded an in-camera session of parliament to brief lawmakers on the rationale and objectives of the decisions. Rejecting speculation about seeking the governor’s office, the JUI-F chief said it was insulting to suggest that…

Read More

Local Yemeni authorities on Tuesday raised the death toll from a Houthi strike a day earlier on a military camp belonging to government forces to 73, as fighting between the foes escalates. It marked the deadliest attack in weeks as fighting between the Iran-backed Houthis and Yemen’s internationally recognised, Saudi-supported government rages after the collapse of a years-long truce. The death toll from Monday’s strike on the camp in the energy-rich Shabwa province “increased to 73 martyrs, while search and follow-up efforts are ongoing to discover the fate of 14…

Read More

A judicial commission investigating the mysterious death of Mir Raza Ali has concluded that the second post-mortem report established that he was murdered, while criticising the police’s initial investigation as unprofessional and marred by serious shortcomings. The commission, headed by Sindh High Court Justice Umar Sial, recommended forming a joint investigation team (JIT) comprising representatives of the Sindh Police, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Intelligence Bureau (IB), Sindh Rangers and National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) to ensure a transparent and comprehensive investigation. The report also recommended departmental inquiries and criminal proceedings…

Read More

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday India had made “substantial progress” in diversifying its oil supplies, suggesting a trade deal with New Delhi was “very close”. Rubio arrived in Mumbai for a three-day visit, his second official trip to India this year, as the two countries seek to overcome trade tensions and deepen energy ties. India is a major importer of Russian oil, and US President Donald Trump’s tariff war launched in April last year has added to friction between Washington and New Delhi. “What India has…

Read More