Month: September 2026

Gold prices rose sharply in Pakistan on Wednesday, with the price of one tola increasing by Rs4,300 to Rs441,636, according to the jewellers’ association. The price of 10 grams of gold also increased by Rs3,686 to Rs378,631. In the international market, gold gained $43 to reach $4,191 per ounce. The jewellers’ association attributed the rise in gold prices to movements in international bullion prices, changes in the value of the US dollar, global economic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions. On Tuesday, the price of one tola of gold fell by Rs800,…

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Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has given the go-ahead to 10-day Basant celebrations in Lahore, with festivities scheduled from January 29 to February 7, the provincial government said on Wednesday. The celebrations will, however, be suspended for one day on February 5 due to Kashmir Solidarity Day. Maryam said that Basant would promote Punjab’s cultural heritage and help revive Lahore’s centuries-old tradition. She directed the relevant authorities to make comprehensive security arrangements during the celebrations and ensure the protection of human lives under all circumstances. “The safety of citizens…

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The United States and its coalition partners have formally concluded their military mission in Iraq under Operation Inherent Resolve, the Pentagon said on Wednesday, marking the transition to an Iraqi-led security effort and a bilateral defence relationship. Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell said the “orderly departure” of coalition forces and equipment from Erbil Air Base marked the successful conclusion of the mission to defeat Daesh as an organised military threat in Iraq. The move was in line with a September 2024 US-Iraq agreement to end the coalition’s military mission in…

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US forces are set to withdraw on Wednesday from their last bases in Iraq, a departure celebrated as a victory by Iran and its allies, which have deep influence in the country where 4,500 Americans died during more than two decades of war. Still, since its 2003 ​invasion of Iraq, the US has held effective control of the country’s oil revenue dollars, giving Washington extraordinary leverage over Baghdad’s ‌affairs, with implications for regional dynamics involving Iran. How does US control Iraq’s oil money? This stems primarily from the management of…

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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi received US feedback via Qatari mediators in ​Doha on Tuesday on a seven-day plan aimed ‌at building trust between Washington and Tehran, with sequencing the main sticking point, an official, who was not Iranian but was briefed on the ​talks, told Reuters. Araqchi is expected to discuss the US ​response in Tehran on Wednesday, the official said. “At today’s cabinet meeting, the American side’s proposal was presented to President Masoud Pezeshkian by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi,” government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani told the official IRNA news…

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US President Donald Trump and leaders of major artificial intelligence companies have signed a voluntary accord committing the firms to internal and independent external reviews of their AI safety controls. The agreement, signed on Tuesday by Trump, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, OpenAI President Greg Brockman, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and xAI founder Elon Musk, leaves open the possibility of future legislation. Under the accord, the companies will establish “robust internal controls”, work with independent external auditors to assess them and create board…

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A Flydubai passenger aircraft travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv diverted to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after a reported altercation between its two pilots triggered an emergency signal, according to CNN and Israeli media. The aircraft, which was scheduled to land at Ben Gurion Airport, descended about 17,400 feet over northwestern Saudi Arabia in just over two minutes before transmitting an emergency signal, flight-tracking data reviewed by CNN showed. Israeli daily Ynet reported that a hijacking code was activated during the cockpit altercation and that the aircraft subsequently landed at…

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The US Supreme Court has allowed the Trump administration to resume deporting migrants to third countries without first giving them an opportunity to raise concerns that they could face torture or other human rights abuses. The court on Tuesday also agreed to hear the case on its merits in December, with a ruling expected by July. The three liberal justices dissented from the decision. The policy, introduced last year as part of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, allows the US to deport migrants to countries other than their own when…

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