Month: October 2026

Turkey has submitted a defence ‌pact with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to parliament for ratification, three parliamentary sources said on Tuesday, moving NATO’s second-largest army closer to a formal mutual defence pledge with Riyadh as it faces Houthi attacks. The three countries signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement in August, under which an armed attack on one member is considered an attack on all. The ​agreement’s first article says the parties shall use “all necessary means” to eliminate threats to one another’s territorial integrity, sovereignty or internationally recognised ​borders, according…

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Iran has said that there would be no talks with Washington until Tehran’s ​demands were met, Iranian media reported. The remarks were made during a meeting between Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir in Tehran, according to Nournews. The statements underscored Iran’s hardening stance despite ‌mediation efforts by key interlocutor Pakistan.** President Masoud Pezeshkian discussed mediation efforts and regional developments with Field Marshal Asim Munir in Tehran, Nournews said. Pakistan is a key intermediary between ​the United States and Iran. Earlier mediation efforts helped…

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Oil prices gained over $1 on Wednesday as escalating Middle East tensions fuelled fears of supply disruptions, while falling US crude and product inventories lent support to the market. Brent crude futures rose $1.59, or 1.5%, to $110.38 per barrel as of 0350 GMT. US West ​Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude gained $1.36, or 1.4%, to $99.18 per barrel. Prices fell in the previous trading session after ​Iran’s president discussed mediation efforts in a meeting with Pakistan’s army chief in Tehran, though ⁠Brent hit a five-month high before easing. “Oil prices…

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President of the Republic of Maldives Dr Mohamed Muizzu on Wednesday was presented with a guard of honour at the Prime Minister’s House upon his arrival to meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and hold high-level delegation talks. Prime Minister Shehbaz warmly welcomed the Maldivian president as he arrived at the formal welcome ceremony. The national anthems of Pakistan and Maldives were played as the two leaders stood at the dais. A smartly turned-out contingent of the Pakistan armed forces presented a guard of honour to the visiting dignitary. Following the…

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The Saudi-led coalition said on Wednesday it had intercepted and destroyed four drones launched towards Saudi Arabia, as Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels continued attacks that have killed civilians and military recruits. Coalition spokesman Brigadier General Turki Al Maliki said the drones were intercepted near the holy city of Madinah and the Eastern Province regions. In a separate statement, he said coalition forces had also destroyed a drone heading towards the eastern region. Meanwhile, a Houthi strike on a residential area in Taiz, Yemen’s third-largest city, killed two teenage girls on…

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