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The Pakistan Army won the trophy of the 4th Inter-Services Combat Shooting Championship at the closing ceremony of the 46th Pakistan Army Rifle Association (PARA) Central Meet in Jhelum on Wednesday. Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir attended the ceremony at the Army Marksmanship Unit (AMU) as the chief guest, while Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf was the guest of honour. The shooting competition, held from October 7 to November 11, 2026, attracted more than 1,500 shooters from the…

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Lawyers representing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan met him at Adiala jail in Rawalpindi on Wednesday, a day after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) directed authorities to facilitate meetings between the former prime minister and his legal team. The meeting between Imran’s lawyers, Barrister Salman Safdar and Sardar Latif Khosa, lasted more than two hours and took place in the jail’s conference room, according to jail sources. Bushra Bibi, Imran’s wife, was also present during the meeting. The lawyers held detailed consultations with the PTI founder on pending cases…

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A Chinese university with alleged ​deep ties to the People’s Liberation Army bought Nvidia’s powerful H200 AI chips last month despite being on a US export blacklist, procurement records show, highlighting gaps in Washington’s efforts to curb China’s access to advanced ‌technology. The findings come as Nvidia and its CEO Jensen Huang face mounting scrutiny in Washington over his lobbying for looser restrictions on sales of AI chips to China, following reports alleging he was targeted by a Chinese spying operation. Huang has argued that continued US sales to China…

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Pope Leo XIV drew vast crowds to Argentina’s holiest shrine on Wednesday, the final day of his visit before he departs for Peru, where he spent nearly two decades as a missionary. Authorities said two million people packed the streets around the Basilica of Lujan, with some climbing fences, barriers, trees and lampposts for a glimpse of the pontiff as crowds chanted “thank you Leo for your blessing.” The stop at Lujan is the emotional centrepiece of Leo’s first visit to Argentina, where his predecessor Francis never returned home as…

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Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday reaffirmed the longstanding ties between Pakistan and Iran and agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation across various sectors during a meeting on the sidelines of the COP31 climate summit in Antalya, Turkiye. The two leaders exchanged views on the evolving regional situation and underscored the importance of regular consultations and close coordination to address common challenges and promote regional peace, security and prosperity, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office. PM Shehbaz expressed deep concern over the…

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The US-Iran war will cost Gulf countries more than $200 billion in damage and economic losses could reach nearly four times that amount by 2030, insurer Allianz Trade said on Wednesday. Gulf countries bore the brunt of Tehran’s wrath after the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28, triggering the war. In retaliation, Iran restricted shipping in the key strait of Hormuz and struck civilian infrastructure including airports, seaports, energy facilities, landmarks and American assets in the US-allied countries. “Physical damage across the region is assessed…

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Dhananjaya de Silva and Kusal Mendis showed great staying power as both posted centuries to lift Sri Lanka to 404-4 on day three of the first Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi on Wednesday. De Silva was unbeaten on a polished 167 while Mendis was 117 not out as the pair frustrated Pakistan in an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 249, bringing Sri Lanka within 30 runs of the home team’s total of 434-9 declared. Mendis became the first Sri Lankan to score a century in his maiden Test as captain, after…

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The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved contingent disaster financing (CDF) facilities totalling $500 million under its policy-based lending to help Pakistan to withstand and respond to disasters. The CDF will provide prompt budget support following eligible disaster events to help reduce the economic and fiscal impacts, read a statement on Wednesday. According to the statement, floods, earthquakes, and other disasters cause Pakistan an estimated $2 billion in annual average losses.  “The 2022 floods alone caused $14.9 billion in direct damage and $15.2 billion in economic losses, pushing as many…

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Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has said the government has assured the party that it will consider gradually reducing the petroleum levy following several rounds of negotiations. Speaking at a news conference in Lahore on Wednesday, Hafiz Naeem said nine to 10 rounds of talks had been held with the government on the issue. He said Jamaat-e-Islami had submitted its final draft and technical proposals to the government, but the latter was using the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme as an excuse to delay a decision. Presenting alternative proposals,…

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