Australian PM says attacker’s car made U-turn before critically injuring lawmaker

The car that struck an independent Australian lawmaker outside her office had ​performed a U-turn before hitting her, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday, describing the incident as clearly intentional. Helen ‌Haines underwent surgery overnight and remained in critical condition after she was struck by a white Toyota Land Cruiser in Wangaratta, around three hours’ drive northeast of Melbourne, on Monday. Australian media, citing unidentified sources, reported Haines had lost one leg as a result of her injuries and that doctors were working ​to save the other leg. “It’s…

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Government cuts petrol, diesel prices again

The government on Monday reduced the price of petrol by Rs5.16 per litre and high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs7.69, bringing their prices to Rs381.14 and Rs389.27 per litre, respectively. The revised rates took effect on October 20, 2026, according to a press release issued by the Petroleum Division. The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) revised the ex-depot prices under the federal government’s petroleum pricing mechanism. The Petroleum Division attributed the adjustment to global market developments, including movements in Platts rates, premiums and incidentals. In the previous revision on Friday,…

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Kenyan starvation cult leader convicted in deaths of nearly 200 children

A Kenyan court on Monday found starvation cult leader Paul Mackenzie and about 30 others guilty of murder over the deaths of 190 children and one adult in one of the world’s worst cult-related ​disasters in recent history. Mackenzie and his co-accused will be given their sentence on November 6. He was arrested in 2023 after police received a tip-off, ‌and weeks later authorities began uncovering bodies in shallow graves in the Shakahola Forest near the coast in southeastern Kenya. Prosecutors say Mackenzie and his Good News International Church organised…

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Opposition raises Sohail Afridi’s alleged detention in National Assembly

The opposition on Monday raised the alleged detention of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and several other lawmakers in the National Assembly, seeking an immediate debate on the matter. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and opposition chief whip Aamir Dogar submitted an adjournment motion to National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Monday, requesting that the house suspend its regular business to discuss the alleged detentions. The motion also seeks a debate on the reported detention of KP Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati and six National Assembly members: Amjad Ali…

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Punjab bans spy gadgets disguised as everyday items

The Punjab government has decided to ban the use and sale of electronic devices designed for covert surveillance, including glasses, pens and watches fitted with hidden cameras or recording equipment, citing concerns over privacy and the misuse of personal information. Officials said the move aims to prevent unauthorised surveillance and protect citizens, particularly women and children, from harassment, blackmail and the misuse of private information. The government said complaints had emerged about people being filmed without their consent, conversations being secretly recorded and private information being obtained through concealed recording…

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Saudi flagship investment conference pushed to 2027 after Houthi attacks

A major Saudi investment conference has been postponed to next year, its chief executive officer said on Monday, as the kingdom comes under repeated attacks from Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis. The annual Future Investment Initiative (FII), often dubbed “Davos in the Desert”, was scheduled to take place from October 26-29. For nearly a decade, it has served as a showcase for Saudi Arabia’s efforts to attract global investors, business leaders and heads of state. The postponement deals a blow to the kingdom’s ambitions to draw foreign capital, diversify its oil-reliant economy…

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Iran says US responsible for ‘insecurity’ in Hormuz strait

Iran’s top diplomat on Monday accused the United States of being responsible for the “insecurity” in the Strait of Hormuz, which has been at the heart of the conflict between the foes. “The war imposed by the United States and the Zionist regime (Israel), combined with the economic blockade, constitutes the principal source of insecurity in our region,” said Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, having previously referred to “the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz”. He was speaking during a joint press conference with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, who…

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US-Iran peace efforts needs patience, trust: Naqvi

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has said achieving peace between the United States and Iran requires patience, trust and sustained efforts, stressing that lasting peace cannot be secured in a single meeting. “Peace cannot be achieved in a single meeting. It requires patience, trust and continuous efforts,” Naqvi said while addressing the 8th Global Security Forum in Doha, Qatar, on Monday. He said Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani had worked for more than 16…

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Field Marshal, Saudi envoy hail Makkah pact progress

Saudi Arabia’s newly appointed ambassador to Pakistan, Dr Rajeh Tami Albugamy, met Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir at General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi on Monday to discuss regional security and defence cooperation. Both sides expressed satisfaction over progress under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement (MJDA) and stressed the need to strengthen defence collaboration, institutional ties and strategic coordination, the military’s media wing said. Field Marshal Munir congratulated Albugamy on his appointment and expressed confidence that his tenure would further strengthen the…

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Kremlin says Putin, Trump and Xi could hold a three-way meeting in China next month

The Kremlin said on Monday that President Vladimir Putin, ‌US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping could hold a three-way meeting on the sidelines of next month’s APEC summit in China and that a potential meeting had come ​up in talks. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was commenting after being asked ​about a report in the Wall Street Journal which said that ⁠Putin had proposed such a meeting in order to discuss how to end ​the conflict in Ukraine. “Given that all three heads of state may potentially take…

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