Month: October 2026

A man accused of assaulting a petrol pump worker has been arrested, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said on Friday, sharing a video of the arrest on social media. In a post on X, Maryam said wealth, influence and political connections could not shield anyone from accountability, stressing that no one was above the law. “This is a tight slap in the face of those entitled, spoiled brats who look down upon the poor as if they were lesser human beings,” she wrote. She said some people believed their wealth…

The government on Friday increased the price of high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs1.91 per litre while keeping petrol prices unchanged for the next three days. According to a press release issued by the Petroleum Division on Friday, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) revised the ex-depot prices of petroleum products under the federal government’s petroleum pricing mechanism. Following the revision, the price of diesel has risen from Rs391.75 to Rs393.66 per litre, while petrol remains unchanged at Rs377.71 per litre. The revised prices will remain in effect from October…

Tehran has drawn up detailed plans to target undersea communications cables in the Gulf if the United States and Israel attack Iran again, two senior Iranian security officials ​told Reuters. Their comments followed warnings by Iranian officials that undersea cables in the region could become targets in any renewed conflict if diplomacy with Washington ‌collapses. The two Iranian security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, gave few details and did not say how or where exactly Tehran would carry out such attacks. But one of them said Iran would aim…

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan on Friday condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and reaffirmed their commitment to close coordination on regional issues under the Makkah Defence Agreement. During their meeting in Istanbul, the two leaders reviewed bilateral relations and exchanged views on regional developments, particularly the situation in the Middle East and Palestine, according to a statement issued by the Foreign Office. They expressed concern over threats to regional stability and stressed the importance of dialogue, diplomacy and coordinated efforts…

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have completed ratification of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, the Foreign Office said on Friday, adding that Turkiye is still taking the trilateral pact through its domestic legal procedures. “Pakistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have already completed their ratification processes, while Turkiye is undertaking the requisite procedures in accordance with its domestic legal framework,” the Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan told the weekly press briefing. The confirmation comes after Ankara submitted the agreement to the Turkish parliament for approval, making its text public…

Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti has called for the creation of smaller administrative divisions and districts alongside new provinces in Pakistan, saying the move would improve public access to government institutions and services. Speaking at a press conference in Quetta, CM Bugti said the debate over smaller administrative units had only recently gained momentum nationally, while his government had started work on the initiative two years ago. He said smaller administrative units were essential to making government departments more accessible and bringing public services closer to citizens. Balochistan’s administrative…

An Azerbaijani woman who alleged gang rape in Lahore has issued a video statement declaring suspect Ahmed Tanveer innocent and urging authorities to drop the case. In the video circulating on social media, Diana said Tanveer had neither sexually assaulted her nor taken her mobile phones. She described her earlier statements about the alleged assault as having been made under pressure and appealed to the relevant authorities to end the proceedings. At the beginning of the video, Diana referred to October 9, suggesting it may have been recorded several days…

US first lady Melania Trump has secured a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in the Russian-controlled city of  Oleshky, which will begin on October 29, the White House said on Friday. Residents ‌of the southern Ukrainian town, occupied by Russian forces since February 2022, have reported a deepening food crisis. “Both nations agreed to temporarily stop all military action in Oleshky to allow for humanitarian aid to enter and to prepare a civilian evacuation through a designated safe passageway,” a White House statement said. The development ​comes as Melania Trump’s…

At least seven people were killed and 10 others ​injured on Friday when gunmen opened fire ‌during a funeral at a church in Jordan’s Karak governorate, the state-owned television station Al-Mamlaka reported. Security forces had ​deployed at the church and were pursuing ​the suspects, the station reported. It said ⁠two gunmen got out of a vehicle and ​opened fire during a funeral procession at the ​Hamoud church in Karak. Khaled Burqan, a man who had been attending the funeral, told Al-Mamlaka that dozens of people ​had been attending the funeral…