Month: October 2026

White House press secretary Katie Zacharia was fired after ​less than a week on the job, two US officials said on Friday, after a rocky start as President Donald ‌Trump’s top spokesperson. Zacharia was “let go” and is “transitioning out” of the press secretary position, according to two separate White House officials. She faced days of questions about her legal credentials and criticism of her performance in a news briefing and interviews. The departure leaves Trump without a key public messenger just over ​two weeks before November’s midterm elections, a…

Read More

The government on Friday reduced the price of petrol by Rs3.93 to Rs386.30 per litre while keeping the price of high-speed diesel (HSD) unchanged at Rs396.96 per litre. The revised prices will take effect from October 17 and remain in force until October 19, 2026. 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 under the federal government’s petroleum pricing mechanism. The Petroleum Division attributed the revision to global developments, including changes in Platts rates,…

Read More

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian denied on Friday that Tehran sought nuclear weapons, expressed readiness for dialogue and condemned US sanctions during talks with Georgia’s prime minister. In his meeting with Georgian premier Irakli Kobakhidze, Pezeshkian also called for closer ties with Georgia, weeks after Tbilisi cut aviation links between the two countries following US sanctions targeting Iranian airlines. The two met on the sidelines of a UN biodiversity summit in Armenia’s capital Yerevan. “Iran is not seeking nuclear weapons, and we consider the malicious propaganda against our country to be…

Read More

The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthis said on Friday that it intercepted missiles and drones over Riyadh and other areas, as the kingdom comes under sustained attack from its Iran-backed foes. Since Yemen’s civil war flared back to life in July, the Houthis have repeatedly struck Saudi targets including Red Sea tankers, oil facilities and Riyadh’s international airport, where 13 people were killed in a single attack last week. Saudi Arabia leads a military coalition that has supported Yemen’s internationally recognised government against the Houthis for more than a decade.…

Read More

A 16-year-old shooter opened fire on Thursday at an elementary ‌school in Bend, Oregon, killing four people, including three children, before being killed by an armed member of the community who had pursued the assailant into the school, police said. The shooter entered Silver Rail Elementary School by firing through locked doors, police said, without offering any details beyond the suspect’s age. The dead were children aged 5, 8 and 11 and one ​teacher. In addition, a 7-year-old student and a 54-year-old teacher were taken to hospital with critical injuries,…

Read More

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday reaffirmed that Pakistan stands shoulder to shoulder with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in safeguarding its sovereignty, security and territorial integrity. He was talking to newly arrived Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Dr Rajeh Tami Albugamy, who called on him in Islamabad. The prime minister strongly condemned the recent escalation in Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia which resulted in the loss of precious lives and injuries to scores of innocent people, including Pakistani nationals. He underlined that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have…

Read More

Pakistan’s current account posted a deficit of $356 million in September 2026, data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) showed on Friday. The latest figure follows a deficit of $73 million recorded in August 2026 and a surplus of $133 million in September 2025. The August 2026 deficit was revised down from $98 million to $73 million. The deficit came from a significantly higher import bill and a marginal increase in exports during the month. In September 2026, the country’s total exports of goods and services amounted to…

Read More

Pakistan and 18 other Muslim countries have strongly condemned Colombia’s inauguration of its embassy in Jerusalem, saying the move contravenes relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and undermines international efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace based on a two-state solution. Colombia opened its embassy in Jerusalem on Wednesday, becoming the 10th country to do so, as new President Abelardo de la Espriella reversed his predecessor’s break with Israel by also restoring a free trade agreement between the two countries. Pakistan, Algeria, Djibouti, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya,…

Read More

Gold prices in Pakistan rose by Rs2,800 per tola on Friday, tracking gains in the international market, according to the All-Pakistan Gems and Jewellers Sarafa Association (APGJSA). In the local market, the price of gold increased to Rs440,636 per tola. Similarly, the price of 10-gram gold rose by Rs2,401 to Rs377,774, according to rates shared by the association. Gold prices had remained unchanged at Rs437,836 per tola on Thursday. In the international market, gold prices increased by $28 to reach $4,181 per ounce. Meanwhile, silver prices rose by Rs108 to…

Read More