Adil Shahzeb

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and Intelligence Chief Lt General Asim Malik are scheduled to depart for Doha on Saturday (today) to engage in talks with representatives of the Afghan Taliban. Official sources confirmed exclusively to PakistanTV Head Adil Shahzeb that the Afghan Taliban delegation is expected to be of equivalent seniority. Meanwhile, security sources have dismissed recent news reports suggesting that a Pakistani delegation is already present in Doha as baseless.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 619px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1979286075995816063&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=85e31fe9165fa38157c3cdc1014052f50716feb7&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>The Pakistani government has previously communicated its concerns to Kabul about the presence of &ldquo;fitna al-khwarij&rdquo;, also known as TTP, elements within Afghan territory, which have contributed to recent tensions. Pakistan has expressed deep concern over the provocative attacks by Taliban forces and Fitna Al-Khwarij along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border from October 11 to 15.&nbsp; Pakistan has successfully repelled these assaults in self-defence. Highlighting the impact of such actions, Pakistan&rsquo;s Foreign Office has stressed that these unprovoked attacks undermine the spirit of peaceful neighbourhood relations and mutual cooperation between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The upcoming talks in Doha are expected to address these security challenges and aim to foster stability along the shared border.

SAT News Desk

High-level discussions aimed at tackling cross-border terrorism and regional stability set to commence with Taliban representatives in Doha today 


Exclusive: Pakistan Defence Minister, Intelligence Chief to Visit Doha for Talks with Afghan Taliban

Nottingham Forest fired manager Ange Postecoglou around 20 minutes after a 3-0 loss to Chelsea on Saturday and just 39 days after the Australian took over.&nbsp;Postecoglou didn&rsquo;t win any of his eight matches in charge after replacing Nuno Espirito Santo on September 9, and owner Evangelos Marinakis made a ruthless call after Forest&#39;s fourth straight loss in all competitions.&nbsp;&ldquo;Nottingham Forest Football Club can confirm that after a series of disappointing results and performances, Ange Postecoglou has been relieved of his duties as head coach with immediate effect,&rdquo; a statement read.&nbsp;&ldquo;The club will make no further comment at this time.&rdquo;&nbsp;It was Postecoglou&#39;s first job since being fired by Tottenham at the end of last season, despite leading Spurs to the Europa League title to break their 17-year trophy drought.&nbsp;Forest lost six and drew the other two of its eight games under Postecoglou. That included four losses from five in the league, scoring just one goal in the process, to leave Forest hovering just above the bottom three.&nbsp;Nuno was fired despite leading Forest into Europe following a very public falling-out with Marinakis, reportedly stemming from a breakdown in relations with the club&rsquo;s recently hired global head of football, Edu Gaspar.&nbsp;Postecoglou seemed an odd choice as the replacement, given his preferred style of play on the front foot and attacking, differed to Nuno&#39;s and the squad in place at the City Ground.&nbsp;If the idea was for Postecoglou to bring a more expansive approach to Forest, it didn&#39;t materialize. In five league games under the Australian, the team scored one goal.&nbsp;There were loud jeers at the full-time whistle at the Chelsea game.&nbsp;Who next?There was no immediate word of a replacement but British media has already reported that Sean Dyche, the former Burnley and Everton manager, was in line to take over should Forest fire Postecoglou.&nbsp;Dyche was sacked by Everton in January. He was a youth-team player at Forest before a career spent at lower-league clubs.&nbsp;His direct and pragmatic playing style is more similar to Nuno&#39;s than Postecoglou&#39;s.

Football

Nottingham Forest fired manager Ange Postecoglou just 39 days after hiring him. The Australian failed to win any of his eight games. Sean Dyche is reported to be the frontrunner for replacement.

Postecoglou fired minutes after Forest’s 3-0 Premier League defeat

TEL AVIV: Israel said the remains of another hostage that Hamas handed over the day before were identified as Eliyahu Margalit, as the Palestinian death toll surpassed 68,000 people amid searching beneath the rubble.&nbsp;Israel&rsquo;s Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office said Saturday that Margalit&#39;s body was identified after testing by the National Center for Forensic Medicine and his family has been notified. The 76-year-old was abducted on October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, from the horse stables where he worked in Kibbutz Nir Oz.&nbsp;Margalit is the 10th returned hostage body since the ceasefire went into effect over a week ago. Hamas handed over an 11th body this week, but it wasn&rsquo;t that of a hostage. The effort to find the remains followed a warning from US President Donald Trump that he would green-light Israel to resume the war if Hamas doesn&rsquo;t live up to its end of the deal and return all hostages&rsquo; bodies, totalling 28.&nbsp;In a statement Saturday, the hostage forum, which supports the families of those abducted, said Margalit&#39;s return brings a measure of solace to his family, but that they won&rsquo;t rest until the remaining 18 hostages come home. The forum says it will continue holding weekly rallies until all remains are returned.&nbsp;The handover of hostages&#39; remains, called for under the ceasefire agreement, has been among the key sticking points along with aid deliveries, the opening of border crossings into Gaza and hopes for reconstruction in a process backed by much of the international community to help end two years of devastating war in Gaza.&nbsp;Hamas has said it is committed to the terms of the ceasefire deal, including the handover of bodies. However, the retrieval of bodies is hampered by the scope of the devastation and the presence of dangerous, unexploded ordnance. The group has also told mediators that some bodies are in areas controlled by Israeli troops.&nbsp;As part of the ceasefire agreement, Israel on Saturday also returned the bodies of 15 Palestinians to Gaza. Gaza&#39;s Health Ministry said the International Committee of the Red Cross handed over the bodies to Nasser Hospital, bringing the total number of bodies Israel had returned to 135.&nbsp;Also, on Saturday the ministry of health said that more than 68,000 Palestinians have been killed in the two-year-long war.&nbsp;Nine Palestinians killed by Israeli fireMeanwhile, Hamas is accusing Israel of continuing its attacks and violating the ceasefire.&nbsp;On Friday the Civil Defense, a first responders&rsquo; agency operating under the Hamas-run Interior Ministry, said nine people were killed, including women and children, when their vehicle was hit by Israeli fire in Gaza City. The Civil Defense said the car crossed into an Israeli-controlled area in eastern Gaza.&nbsp;As part of the first phase of the ceasefire, Israel still maintains control of about half of Gaza.&nbsp;The Civil Defense said that Israel could have warned the people in a manner that wasn&#39;t lethal. The group recovered the bodies on Saturday with coordination from the UN, it said.&nbsp;Demands for aidHamas is also urging mediators to increase the flow of aid into Gaza, expedite the opening of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt and start reconstruction of the battered territory.&nbsp;The flow of aid remains constrained because of continued closures of crossings and restrictions on aid groups.&nbsp;United Nations data on Friday showed 339 trucks have been offloaded for distribution in Gaza since the ceasefire began a week ago. Under the agreement, some 600 humanitarian aid trucks would be allowed to enter each day.&nbsp;Gaza&rsquo;s more than 2 million people are hoping the ceasefire will bring relief from the humanitarian disaster caused by Israel&rsquo;s offensive. Throughout the war, Israel restricted aid entry to Gaza sometimes halting it altogether.&nbsp;Famine was declared in Gaza City, and the UN says it has verified more than 400 people who died of malnutrition-related causes, including more than 100 children.&nbsp;Israel&rsquo;s campaign in Gaza has killed nearly 68,000 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government in the territory. Its figures are seen as a reliable estimate of wartime deaths by UN agencies and many independent experts.

Middle East

Over 68,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza as Israel and Hamas exchange bodies under a fragile ceasefire. Nine more Palestinians died from Israeli fire, while aid deliveries and reconstruction efforts remain severely restricted.

Palestinian death toll exceeds 68,000 amid ceasefire violations

DUBAI: A ship caught fire Saturday in the Gulf of Aden off Yemen after being struck by a projectile, the British military said, with one report suggesting its crew was preparing to abandon the vessel.&nbsp;The incident comes as Yemen&rsquo;s Houthi rebels have been attacking ships through the Red Sea corridor. However, the rebels did not immediately claim the attack, though it can take them hours or even days to do so.&nbsp;The British military&#39;s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center issued an alert about the vessel, describing the incident as taking place some 210 kilometers east of Aden.&nbsp;&ldquo;A vessel has been hit by an unknown projectile, resulting with a fire,&rdquo; the UKMTO said. &ldquo;Authorities are investigating.&rdquo;&nbsp;The maritime security firm Ambrey described the ship as a Cameroon-flagged tanker that was &ldquo;en route from Sohar, Oman, to Djibouti.&rdquo; It said radio traffic suggested the crew was preparing to abandon ship and a search-and-rescue effort was underway.&nbsp;The Houthis have gained international prominence during the Israel-Hamas war over their attacks on shipping and Israel, which they said were aimed at forcing Israel to stop fighting. Since the ceasefire began on October 10, no attacks have been claimed by the rebel group.&nbsp;The Houthi campaign against shipping has killed at least nine mariners and seen four ships sunk. It upended shipping in the Red Sea, through which about $1 trillion of goods passed each year before the war. The rebels&rsquo; most recent attack hit the Dutch-flagged cargo ship Minervagracht on Sept. 29, killing one crew member on board and wounding another.

A ship caught fire off Yemen’s coast after being hit by a projectile in the Gulf of Aden. The crew prepared to abandon the vessel as authorities investigated; Houthis have not claimed responsibility yet.

Ship ablaze after projectile strike off Yemen’s Gulf of Aden coast

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s security forces have killed more than 100 terrorists in a series of retaliatory actions along the Pak-Afghan border over the past 48 hours, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Saturday.&nbsp;In a statement released on social media, Tarar said the operations targeted verified camps of the Gul Bahadur Group, referred to as &ldquo;Kharjis,&rdquo; located in the border areas of North and South Waziristan.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1979480479738028164&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Flogin%2F&sessionId=a3f53bc647d1e4e740203278c506b98829f51cc6&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 345px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="1979480479738028164"></iframe></div></div>The strikes came after terrorists based in Afghanistan attempted to launch multiple cross-border attacks during a temporary ceasefire. &ldquo;These attacks were effectively countered by our security forces,&rdquo; Tarar said. &ldquo;More than 100 Kharjis were sent to hell.&rdquo;&nbsp;He also confirmed that the Gul Bahadur group was behind a recent vehicle-borne IED attack in North Waziristan that resulted in the martyrdom of a soldier and the deaths and injuries of several civilians.&nbsp;The minister noted that in a follow-up operation, Pakistani security forces carried out precision strikes last night, targeting terrorist hideouts along the Pak-Afghan border, killing an estimated 60 to 70 terrorists, including key members of the group&rsquo;s leadership.&nbsp;The minister rejected claims circulating online that civilians had been targeted in the strikes, calling such allegations &ldquo;false&rdquo; and an attempt to generate support for terrorist groups operating from within Afghanistan.&nbsp;Tarar reiterated that Pakistan prefers a diplomatic resolution to cross-border terrorism, but reserves the right to act in self-defense.&nbsp;&ldquo;Pakistan sincerely believes that the path forward lies in resolving this complex issue of Indian-sponsored terrorism emanating from Afghan soil through talks and control of non-state actors by Afghan authorities. But we will not allow terrorists to operate from Afghan soil with impunity,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp;The comments come amid heightened tensions between Islamabad and Kabul over the presence of terrorist sanctuaries in Afghanistan and a recent surge in terrorist activity targeting Pakistani security forces and civilians.

Security

Tarar says the operations targeted verified camps of the Gul Bahadur Group, referred to as “Kharjis,” located in the border areas of North and South Waziristan.

Pakistan security forces kill over 100 terrorists in 48 hours: Attaullah Tarar

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Foreign Office has said the group in power in Kabul does not enjoy any constitutional legitimacy, distancing Islamabad from the Taliban&rsquo;s self-declared status as an interim government. Addressing the weekly media briefing on Friday, the spokesperson said: &ldquo;There is no constitution. There is no legal framework but we are working with it. We have an ambassador there. But at the same time, we hope that there will be progress in terms of proper constitutional system of government taking root, truly representative of the Afghan people, taking root in Kabul.&rdquo; The remarks mark a shift in how Pakistan viewed Afghanistan, as foreign office uses regime instead of interim government to refer to the Taliban. The spokesperson said Pakistan continues to maintain diplomatic engagement with Kabul and that Afghanistan&rsquo;s political future must ultimately be decided by its own people.&nbsp; He said Islamabad seeks stability through dialogue and non-interference, but a legitimate, representative system must emerge in Afghanistan. At the same briefing, the Foreign Office warned about what it called the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan. &ldquo;Belying fast the expectations and hopes of the regional countries, [Afghanistan] has become a central breeding ground for global terrorism.&rdquo; Referring to Pakistan&rsquo;s defensive actions along the border, the spokesperson said the country could not afford to &ldquo;wait for a big disaster happening at the global scale before we take remedial action.&rdquo; He added that Pakistan had long been drawing attention to the &ldquo;gradual sinking in of Afghanistan&rdquo; &mdash; both in terms of its failure to meet counterterrorism commitments and the growing toll such instability was taking on Pakistan&rsquo;s own security. &ldquo;But this fire will spread,&rdquo; the spokesperson cautioned. &ldquo;This has to be stopped.&rdquo; The comments came amid heightened tensions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, where Islamabad said it carried out &ldquo;targeted and precise defensive responses&rdquo; following what it described as unprovoked cross-border assaults by Taliban forces and affiliated militant groups.

Foreign Affairs

Islamabad warned of Afghanistan’s worsening stability, calling it a breeding ground for global terrorism. Pakistan urged the establishment of a representative government in Kabul amid rising cross-border tensions and militant threats to regional stability.


Pakistan says Taliban government lacks constitutional legitimacy

JERUSALEM: The United Nations&#39; aid chief took stock of the monumental task of restoring the basic necessities in the devastated Gaza Strip on Saturday, and Israel received the remains of another hostage as the ceasefire entered its second week. In a short convoy of white UN jeeps, relief coordinator Tom Fletcher and his team wound their way through the twisted rubble of shattered homes to inspect a wastewater treatment plant in Sheikh Radwan, north of Gaza City. &quot;I drove through here seven to eight months ago when most of these buildings were still standing, and to see the devastation, this is a vast part of the city, just a wasteland, and it&#39;s absolutely devastating to see,&quot; he told AFP. Reduced to ruins&nbsp;The densely packed cities of the Gaza Strip, home to more than two million Palestinians, have been reduced to ruins by two years of bombardment by the Israeli army. Just over a week since US President Donald Trump helped broker a truce, the main border crossing to Egypt has yet to be reopened, but hundreds of trucks roll in daily via Israeli checkpoints, and aid is being distributed. Hamas has returned the final 20 surviving hostages it was holding and has begun to hand over the remains of another 28 who died.On Friday night, it turned over a set of remains identified by Israel as Eliyahu Margalit. <h2 style="line-height: 2;">Digging latrines&nbsp;</h2>Surveying the damaged pumping equipment and a grim lake of sewage at the Sheikh Radwan wastewater plant, Fletcher said the task ahead for the UN and aid agencies was a &quot;massive, massive job&quot;. The British diplomat said he had met residents returning to destroyed homes trying to dig latrines in the ruins. &quot;They&#39;re telling me most of all they want dignity,&quot; he said. &quot;We&#39;ve got to get the power back on so we can start to get the sanitation system back in place. &lsquo;60-day plan&rsquo;&nbsp;&quot;We have a massive 60-day plan now to surge in food, get a million meals out there a day, start to rebuild the health sector, bring in tents for the winter, get hundreds of thousands of kids back into school.&quot; According to figures supplied to mediators by the Israeli military&#39;s civil affairs agency and released by the UN humanitarian office, on Thursday, some 950 trucks carrying aid and commercial supplies crossed into Gaza from Israel. Relief agencies have called for the Rafah border crossing from Egypt to be reopened to speed the flow of food, fuel, and medicines, and Turkey has a team of rescue specialists waiting at the border to help find bodies in the rubble. <h2 style="line-height: 2;">Hostage remains&nbsp;</h2>Israel&#39;s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved the ceasefire but is under pressure at home to restrict access to Gaza until the remaining bodies of the hostages taken during Hamas&#39;s brutal attacks have been returned. On Saturday, his office confirmed that the latest body, returned by Hamas via the Red Cross on Friday night, had been identified as Margalit. In a statement confirming he had been identified and his remains returned to his family, Netanyahu&#39;s office said &quot;we will not compromise ... and will spare no effort until we return all of the fallen abductees, down to the last one&quot;. Committed to the agreement&nbsp;Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said on Friday that the group &quot;continues to uphold its commitment to the ceasefire agreement... and it will continue working to complete the full prisoner exchange process.&quot; Under the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, negotiated by Trump and regional mediators, the Palestinian group has returned all 20 surviving hostages and the remains of 10 out of 28 deceased ones.

The densely packed cities of the Gaza Strip, home to more than two million Palestinians, have been reduced to ruins by two years of bombardment by the Israeli army.

UN aid chief foresees 'massive job' ahead on tour of ruined Gaza

Reuters

The opening game of New Zealand&#39;s three-match Twenty20 series with England was abandoned due to heavy rain in Christchurch on Saturday, with the hosts denied the opportunity to chase down a modest total for victory.&nbsp;Play was called off following a long delay after England&#39;s innings, in which the tourists scored 153-6 in 20 overs on a difficult wicket, with Sam Curran (49 not out) finishing well after Jos Buttler (29) failed to build on a good start. The second match takes place at the same venue on Monday before the finale in Auckland on Thursday,&nbsp;as both teams step up their preparations for next year&#39;s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, likely to be held in February-March.&nbsp;New Zealand fast bowlers Matt Henry (1-26) and Jacob Duffy (1-45) made full use of early swing and bounce at Hagley Oval to restrict England to only 44-2 in the opening six powerplay overs before Harry Brook (20) looked to cut loose.&nbsp;Jimmy Neesham (1-20) conceded a couple of huge sixes to the England skipper in the eighth over but gained revenge by getting through his defense, and the tourists&#39; momentum ground to a halt again when Mitch Santner (1-20) removed Tom Banton for nine.&nbsp;The dangerous Buttler also fell to spin shortly afterwards, holing out in the deep while looking to attack Michael Bracewell (1-10),&nbsp;before rain halted play in the 17th over with England on 110-5 and seeking a late charge to boost their total.&nbsp;Kyle Jamieson (1-27) removed Jordan Cox for 16 after the break, but Curran persevered, benefiting from a dropped catch and surviving a loud appeal for lbw to take England to a respectable total with 19 runs in the final over.

Cricket

The second match takes place at the same venue on Monday before the finale in Auckland on Thursday, as both teams step up their preparations for next year's T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

New Zealand v England T20 series opener abandoned due to rain

TEHRAN: Iran said on Saturday that it was no longer bound by restrictions on its nuclear program as a landmark 10-year deal between it and world powers expired, though Tehran reiterated its &quot;commitment to diplomacy&quot;. The 2015 deal -- signed in Vienna by Iran, China, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and the United States -- saw the lifting of international sanctions against the Islamic republic in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear program. US unilateral withdrawal&nbsp;But the pact had already been in tatters after Washington unilaterally withdrew during President Donald Trump&#39;s first term, with Iran later pulling back from its commitments. The reimposition last month of UN sanctions at the urging of three of the deal&#39;s European signatories rendered the accord effectively moot. From now on, &quot;all of the provisions (of the deal), including the restrictions on the Iranian nuclear programme and the related mechanisms are considered terminated&quot;, Iran&#39;s foreign ministry said in a statement on the day of the pact&#39;s expiration. &lsquo;Commitment to diplomacy&rsquo;&nbsp;&quot;Iran firmly expresses its commitment to diplomacy,&quot; it added. Western powers have long accused Iran of secretly seeking nuclear weapons -- something it has repeatedly denied, insisting its nuclear program is solely for civilian purposes such as energy production. The deal&#39;s &quot;termination day&quot; was set for October 18, 2025, exactly 10 years after it was enshrined in the UN&#39;s Security Council resolution 2231. The accord capped Iran&#39;s uranium enrichment at 3.67% in exchange for sanctions relief and provided for strict supervision of its nuclear activities by the UN&#39;s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). <h2 style="line-height: 2;">&#39;Irresponsible actions&#39;&nbsp;</h2>In July, Iran suspended cooperation with the IAEA following the war with Israel, with Tehran pointing to the agency&#39;s failure to condemn Israeli and US strikes on its nuclear facilities. The unprecedented bombing campaign by Israel and the retaliation by Iran during the 12-day war derailed ongoing nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington. At the initiative of France, Britain, and Germany, widespread UN sanctions against Iran returned into force in late September for the first time in a decade. &lsquo;Null and void&rsquo;&nbsp;Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a letter addressed to the United Nations on Saturday that the expiration of the 2015 deal renders the sanctions &quot;null and void&quot;. Britain, France, and Germany accuse Iran of not cooperating with the IAEA and would like it to return to negotiations with the United States. &quot;Iran&#39;s efforts to revive the exchanges (with the IAEA) that led to the agreement in Cairo were also sabotaged by the irresponsible actions of the three European countries,&quot; the Iranian foreign ministry said in Saturday&#39;s statement, referring to a recent framework to resume cooperation.

The reimposition last month of United Nations sanctions at the urging of three of the deal's European signatories rendered the accord effectively moot. 

Iran says no longer bound by 'restrictions' on its nuclear program

BEIJING: Chinese Nobel Prize-winning physicist Chen Ning Yang, one of the most influential scientists in modern physics, died in Beijing on Saturday. He was 103. The prestigious Tsinghua University, where he studied and served as a professor, said in a statement that Yang died of an illness, without sharing further details. &ldquo;Professor Yang is one of the greatest physicists of the 20th century, having made revolutionary contributions to the development of modern physics,&quot; the statement said, praising his contribution to China&rsquo;s scientific and educational developments. Yang won the Nobel Prize in 1957 with Tsung-Dao Lee for their investigation of the so-called parity laws that led to &ldquo;important discoveries regarding the elementary particles,&rdquo; according to the Nobel Prize website. They were the first Chinese-born Nobel Prize winners in physics. In his speech at the Nobel Banquet at the time, he said he was as proud of his Chinese heritage as he was devoted to modern science, a part of human civilization of Western origin. &ldquo;I am heavy with an awareness of the fact that I am in more than one sense a product of both the Chinese and Western cultures, in harmony and in conflict,&rdquo; according to his speech, shared on the Nobel Prize website. Yang, also known as Frank or Franklin, was also famous for his Yang&ndash;Mills theory developed with American physicist Robert Mills. Born in 1922, Yang was brought up surrounded by the Tsinghua campus, where his father was a math professor, the website said. After finishing his undergraduate degree, he obtained his master&rsquo;s degree from Tsinghua. He enrolled in the University of Chicago in the United States to pursue a doctorate in 1946 and was strongly influenced by Italian American physicist Enrico Fermi, who had won the same Nobel Prize in 1938, the website said. He later became a professor at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. In 1986, he became a distinguished Professor-at-large at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, to which he generously donated many of his awards and articles, including the Nobel Prize. Starting from 1999, he served as a professor at Tsinghua. According to a 2017 report by China&#39;s official news agency Xinhua, Yang obtained American citizenship. He said at the time it was a painful decision, one that his father had not forgiven him for. He renounced his US citizenship in 2015, saying it was a beautiful country that gave him good opportunities in studying science, the report said.

Asia

Chinese physicist Chen Ning Yang, Nobel laureate and co-founder of the Yang–Mills theory, died in Beijing at 103. A Tsinghua University professor, he revolutionized modern physics and bridged Chinese and Western scientific traditions.

Chinese Nobel Prize-winning physicist Chen Ning Yang dies at 103

Saqib Tanveer

ISLAMABAD: Talks between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban representatives are underway in Doha, focusing on recent border clashes between the two countries. Earlier,&nbsp;Pakistan Defense Minister Khawaja Asif and ISI Director General and National Security Adviser Gen Asim Malik landed in Doha, Qatar, on Saturday ahead of talks scheduled with the Afghan delegation, security sources say. The delegations from both sides comprise the defense ministers and the intelligence chiefs, they said. The sources said Abdul Haq Wasiq, Head of Intelligence of Afghanistan, and Mullah Muhammad Yaqub, the defense minister, have also landed in Doha. The talks began at 2pm Pakistan Standard Time. &nbsp;&nbsp;Foreign ministry&#39;s statement&nbsp;A statement issued by Pakistan&rsquo;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday said: &ldquo;A high-level delegation from Pakistan, led by our Minister of Defence, will hold discussions with representatives of the Afghan Taliban in Doha today.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 344px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1979475426478301661&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fmedia-library%2F&sessionId=2cc6de8cbe1833a3d11cfc7947ef4e8e7289f162&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>&ldquo;The talks will focus on immediate measures to end cross-border terrorism against Pakistan emanating from Afghanistan and restore peace and stability along the Pak-Afghan border.&rdquo; The statement further said: &ldquo;Pakistan does not seek escalation but urges the Afghan Taliban authorities to honour their commitments to the international community and address Pakistan&rsquo;s legitimate security concerns by taking verifiable action against terrorist entities, including the FAK/TTP and FAH/BLA.&rdquo; &ldquo;Pakistan appreciates the mediation efforts of Qatar and hopes these discussions contribute to peace and stability in the region,&rdquo; it added. Ceasefire and planned talks&nbsp;Earlier this week, Islamabad and Kabul agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire, following several days of intense cross-border fighting, the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) confirmed. Security officials told Pakistan TV Digital that the upcoming Doha talks aim to &ldquo;defuse tensions and establish a mechanism to prevent future border incidents.&rdquo; Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said both sides are making &ldquo;sincere efforts&rdquo; to achieve a peaceful resolution. &ldquo;Pakistan believes in dialogue and remains committed to peace,&rdquo; Khan said at a weekly press briefing. &ldquo;Both countries are exploring constructive and sustainable solutions to these complex but solvable issues.&rdquo; Afghanistan&rsquo;s interim government also confirmed the continuation of discussions. Speaking to Ariana News, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the ceasefire has been extended until the conclusion of planned talks, according to a report by Reuters. Khan added that Islamabad continues to maintain diplomatic engagement with Kabul. &nbsp;&ldquo;There is no downgrade in relations,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But Pakistan will continue to safeguard its sovereignty, security, and people at all costs.&rdquo;&nbsp;Repatriation of Afghan nationalsMeanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday directed all federal and provincial authorities to expedite the repatriation of Afghans residing illegally in Pakistan, citing mounting security concerns and recent attacks originating from Afghan territory. Chairing a high-level meeting attended by Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, federal ministers, and provincial representatives, Sharif said: &ldquo;Pakistan has always stood by Afghanistan in difficult times, but the involvement of Afghans in recent terrorist attacks on Pakistani soil is deeply concerning.&rdquo; Officials briefed the meeting that 1,477,592 Afghans have already been repatriated under the ongoing phased process. Only those holding valid Pakistani visas will be permitted to stay in the country, they added. Pakistan launched its Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan (IFRP) in 2023, under which tens of thousands of Afghans who had fled decades of war and deprivation have since returned to Afghanistan.

Pakistan's delegation is represented by Defense Minister Khawaja Asif and DG ISI Asim Malik; the Afghan side is represented by Abdul Haq Wasiq, Head of Afghan Intelligence, and Mullah Muhammad Yaqub, the defense minister.  

Articles by Adil Shahzeb