PARIS, FRANCE: The French Interior Ministry announced in a statement that a twelfth suspect, “currently on the run,” has been charged for allegedly training a group of nationals on “the instructions of a foreign intelligence service.” The ministry did not specify the nationality of the individual. According to the statement, the group’s objective was “to spread ideas advocating and inciting hatred, discrimination and violence based on differences.” The development comes as France has launched a series of investigations into acts of vandalism linked to foreign interference, with many observers pointing to Moscow. These attacks have targeted the country’s significant Jewish…
Author: Raja Zahid Khanzada
In Washington on Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled his long-awaited proposal to end the war in Gaza, stating that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “very close” to agreeing to the deal. Speaking alongside Netanyahu at the White House, Trump framed the initiative as part of a larger push for “eternal peace in the Middle East.” Key Details of the 20-Point Proposal The plan, which Hamas officials in Doha have reportedly received from Qatari and Egyptian intermediaries, focuses on immediate de-escalation, demilitarization, and international oversight. Immediate Measures and Hostage Release Hostage Release: The proposal calls…
KABUL, AFGHANISTAN: Afghanistan faced a second consecutive day without internet and mobile phone service on Tuesday, after Taliban authorities executed a nationwide shutdown by cutting the country’s fibre optic network. According to internet watchdog NetBlocks, mobile phone signal and internet service nationwide gradually weakened on Monday night until connectivity dropped to less than one per cent of ordinary levels. This is the first time since the Taliban government took control in 2021 and imposed Sharia law that communications have been completely shut down across the country. The economic and social paralysis was immediate. “We are blind without phones and internet,”…
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday the US military must fix “decades of decay” as he addressed a rare gathering of hundreds of senior officers summoned from around the world to hear him speak near Washington. The wide-ranging 45-minute speech comes as the military has faced controversy both at home and abroad, with US President Donald Trump deploying troops in two Democratic-run cities and ordering lethal strikes on small, alleged drug boats in the Caribbean. Trump, who has overseen a rare purge of senior officers after taking office, has also ordered strikes on Iranian nuclear sites and Tehran-backed Yemeni…
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN: The rift between coalition partners, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), escalated dramatically on Tuesday as PPP lawmakers staged a walkout from the National Assembly. The protest was triggered by critical comments made a day earlier by Punjab Chief Minister and PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz. The verbal conflict, which initially centered on flood compensation via the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), broadened to include water rights on the Indus River. At a Faisalabad event on Monday, Maryam Nawaz defended a controversial canal project, dismissed Sindh’s objections, and warned the PPP leadership to refrain…
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) parliamentary party on Monday urged the military to immediately cease widespread action in the tribal districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, instead recommending that forces limit themselves to targeted Intelligence-Based Operations (IBOs). PTI leader Asad Qaiser, speaking after the meeting, stated, “The parliamentary party urged the decision makers to immediately stop operations in tribal areas as it will not be beneficial. So far, 21 operations have been conducted, but issues could not be resolved. We have suggested that the IBOs should be conducted.” Judicial Support and Internal Autonomy Mr. Qaiser also informed the press that Imran…
QUETTA, PAKISTAN: Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti has mandated that all provincial departments complete their approved Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) schemes by January 2026. The directive was issued during a meeting at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat to review the progress of the development projects. Mr. Bugti praised officials whose departments had made swift progress but expressed strong dissatisfaction with those who were lagging behind. He warned that the Chief Minister’s Inspection Team would be tasked with overseeing the prompt execution and ensuring the quality assurance of all projects. “Reducing difficulties of the common man in Balochistan is the government’s…
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN: The Federal Health Minister, Syed Mustafa Kamal, has announced major structural reforms aimed at modernizing and restoring the credibility of the nursing profession in Pakistan. Chairing a meeting on the affairs of the Pakistan Nursing Council (PNC), the Minister directed the complete digitalization of the institution to ensure efficiency, merit, and transparency across all its operations. The Federal Health Secretary and an Additional Secretary were in attendance. The Minister vowed a complete overhaul, stating: “We will restore the lost credibility of the nursing profession and transform the Pakistan Nursing Council into a modern, effective, and internationally recognised institution.”…
ISLAMABAD/LAHORE, PAKISTAN: The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has issued a grim warning regarding the extensive flood damages in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, cautioning that the destruction will severely impact the upcoming Rabi cultivation. The agency’s preliminary assessment highlights an immediate threat to the availability of wheat seed for the 2025-26 season, potentially deepening Pakistan’s food security challenges. Agricultural Sector Faces Devastating Blow In its report released on Monday, the FAO stated that the recent floods inundated over 1.3 million hectares of land, including more than 0.93 million hectares of standing crops and critical agricultural infrastructure. Punjab has been the…
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN: An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission, led by Iva Petrova, has commenced formal negotiations with Pakistan’s economic team, headed by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, to review the implementation of the $7 billion Extended Financing Facility (EFF) and the $1.1 billion Resilience & Sustainability Facility (RSF). The review, covering performance through end-June 2025, presents a mixed record. While benchmarks for the critical power sector were met, revenue collection emerged as a significant weak point, falling short by approximately Rs1.2 trillion—nearly 1 percent of GDP—in the last fiscal year. Similar shortfalls have been noted in the first two months of…
