Maham Khan

ISLAMABAD: The latest teaser for Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan starrer Neelofar hit the Pakistani cinema scene on Sunday, creating significant buzz with its 1:37-minute runtime. Slated for a November 28 release, the teaser offers a short glimpse into a quintessential love story between the country&#39;s most famous on-screen pair. <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/387cca99-e592-40c5-b192-10cce9b93d37-4.png" alt="(Neelofar the film/YouTube)" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">(Neelofar the film/YouTube)</figcaption></figure> This is Mahira Khan and Fawad Khan&rsquo;s third on-screen collaboration, following famed performances in Humsafar and The Legend of Maula Jatt. Love&#39;s playful prelude The teaser begins with a playful exchange that immediately captures the audience&#39;s attention. Mahira&#39;s character playfully challenges Fawad&#39;s, saying, &quot;Next time you will dance with me,&quot; to which he responds with a simple &quot;no.&quot; Her clever retort, &quot;Why? I will not see, promise,&quot; hints at her character&#39;s blindness. Nostalgia&#39;s embrace Fawad Khan appears in a study that breathes nostalgia, surrounded by books and an antique office table. Dressed in a traditional shawl and kurta pajama, he picks up a woman&#39;s scarf, immediately creating a sense of memory and longing. The scene is carefully crafted to evoke a sense of past and present, drawing viewers into a living time capsule. Moments between memories The teaser navigates between different time periods, with scenes of Fawad Khan&#39;s character blindfolding himself echoing earlier moments where Neelofar ties a scarf around his eyes. Echoes of Lollywood&#39;s golden era The teaser is a nostalgic love letter to mid-20th-century Pakistani cinema. It features vintage elements like a radio cassette recorder, the main couple dancing in the fields, the heroine releasing a kabootar&nbsp;(pigeon) into the sky&ndash; &ndash;and, of course, the hero and heroine sharing a moment in the iconic green train cabin&mdash;capturing the essence of Lollywood&rsquo;s golden age. <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/88c60a96-e6b4-4d4a-8eec-cad73f8afb01-2.png" alt="Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan on a Pakistani train. (Neelofar the film/YouTube)" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan on a Pakistani train. (Neelofar the film/YouTube)</figcaption></figure> The mid-20th century setting is meticulously captured with Fawad Khan in a newsboy cap reminiscent of Bhutto&#39;s style. From hairstyles to clothing, the movie transports viewers to a bygone period. A love destined for heartbreak The teaser suggests a potentially tragic love story. Fawad&#39;s character appears to be reminiscing about a passionate romance marked by tragedy. One particular scene shows Neelofar leaving Pakistan, crying as she boards an airplane. Humsafar&#39;s mini reunion The film boasts an impressive ensemble cast including Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan, Madiha Imam, Sarwat Gilani, Atiqa Odho, and Behrooz Sabzwari. It feels like a mini Humsafar reunion, bringing together several beloved actors from that iconic drama. Producer&#39;s first dance While the film is written and directed by Ammar Rasool, it marks Fawad Khan&#39;s debut as a producer. Braille and brilliance A notable detail is the film&#39;s title displayed in Braille, cleverly reflecting Mahira&#39;s character&#39;s blindness. Audience&#39;s reaction Initial reactions have been overwhelmingly positive. Viewers expressed eagerness to see the film, particularly praising the soft music and the intimate romantic scenes between Fawad and Mahira. <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/3195179d-4c47-4736-9591-b2344915e41f-1.png" alt="The movie has a mid-20th century setting. (Neelofar the film/YouTube)" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">The movie has a mid-20th century setting. (Neelofar the film/YouTube)</figcaption></figure> Nostalgia gravy train It seems Pakistan will not miss out on the nostalgic (particularly the mid-20th century setting) gravy train sweeping the globe, with several 2025 releases diving into the positive, sunshine and rainbows era of the 60s. (We&rsquo;re looking at you in particular, The Fantastic Four: First Steps!) This isn&#39;t Hum&#39;s first foray into nostalgic storytelling either, with previous dramas exploring similar time periods this year alone.

Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan reunite for the third time in Neelofar. (Neelofar the film/YouTube)

Film & TV

Entertainment

This is Mahira Khan and Fawad Khan’s third on-screen collaboration, following famed performances in Humsafar and The Legend of Maula Jatt.

Mahira and Fawad: Pakistan’s ultimate on-screen couple reunites in Neelofar

&quot;Someone like me and someone like you shouldn&#39;t work&quot; &ndash; or should they?&nbsp; Welp, it was bound to happen: Pakistan meets South Korea, or is it? Our very own &ndash; or maybe half? &ndash; Zayn Malik collaborated with Blackpink&#39;s Jisoo on a new track &quot;Eyes Closed&quot;, released today. The power of Pakistani fans meets the global K-pop fandom &ndash; the official music video already has over 5 million views! On Wednesday, Zayn shared a picture of him and Jisoo on Instagram, with the post stating &quot;JISOO X ZAYN. Digital Single &#39;𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒 𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐃&#39;&quot;. Spotify&#39;s official account remarked almost a day later: &quot;We have our eyes wide open for this one!&quot; Even Spotify knows the power of Jisoo stans and Zayn&#39;s diehard desi fans! <div class="fr-embed instagram-embed" style="width: 50%; display: block; max-width: 600px;"><div class="fr-embed instagram-embed" style="width: 50%; display: block; max-width: 600px;"><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-1" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DPhbeI1EyxA/embed/captioned/?cr=1&v=14&wp=444&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com&rp=%2Farticles%2F1206%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A1%2C%22os%22%3A136185%2C%22ls%22%3A839%2C%22le%22%3A1273%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="720" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-1" scrolling="no" style="background: white; max-width: 540px; width: calc(100% - 2px); border-radius: 3px; border: 1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219); box-shadow: none; display: block; margin: 0px 0px 12px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> While Zayn kept it professional with an official announcement, Blackpink&#39;s Jisoo knew exactly how to grab attention. She amped up the relatability factor by sharing cute pics of her and Zayn goofing off like besties! The post garnered more than 2.1 million likes in just an hour. Artists, take notes! &ndash; or their PR teams, we suppose. <img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/2c4dc61e-e748-4b81-a9ca-b71c9edd7be0.png" style="width: 494px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Screenhot of Jisoo's Instagram account">Screenshot of Jisoo&#39;s Instagram account The music video: A cosmic journey of love and confusion The MV opens with a spaceship straight out of 1960s science fiction, with Jisoo emerging from a cryopod, crooning about how &quot;time is standing still&quot;. <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/cd3d07d8-80e8-43cf-aaaa-0ef96fb62cfe-1.png" alt="Spaceship hurtling through space (Screenshot from the music video " class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">Spaceship hurtling through space (Screenshot from the music video &quot;Eyes Closed&quot; by Jisoo and Zayn on YouTube, uploaded October 10, 2025)</figcaption></figure> Zayn, equally lovelorn, responds that he knows &quot;what you&#39;re feeling and I know you wanna say it&quot;, while nestled in his own cryopod. The video then pauses over their interstellar personnel identification cards: <table style="border: 1pt solid windowtext; width: 37%; margin-right: calc(63%);" id="isPasted"><thead><tr><td style="border: 1pt solid windowtext; padding: 0.75pt; width: 36.3373%; text-align: center;">Detail</td><td style="border: 1pt solid windowtext; padding: 0.75pt; width: 63.372%; text-align: center;">Information</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td style="border: 1pt solid windowtext; padding: 0.75pt; width: 36.3373%; text-align: center;">Traveler</td><td style="border: 1pt solid windowtext; padding: 0.75pt; width: 63.372%; text-align: center;">Z A Y N</td></tr><tr><td style="border: 1pt solid windowtext; padding: 0.75pt; width: 36.3373%; text-align: center;">Destination</td><td style="border: 1pt solid windowtext; padding: 0.75pt; width: 63.372%; text-align: center;">LV-500</td></tr><tr><td style="border: 1pt solid windowtext; padding: 0.75pt; width: 36.3373%; text-align: center;">Cryosleep Chamber</td><td style="border: 1pt solid windowtext; padding: 0.75pt; width: 63.372%; text-align: center;">[Number not fully visible]</td></tr></tbody></table> <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/e1b00842-eb5d-4977-81e3-768b815e5974-2.png" alt="Interstellar personnel identification (Screenshot from the music video " class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">Interstellar personnel identification&nbsp;</figcaption></figure> Jennifer Lawrence&rsquo;s Passengers vibes, anyone? Decked out in all black &ndash; that jacket is magic, we tell ya! &ndash; Zayn reassures his beloved that he feels the same, but &quot;we gotta be patient&quot;. <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/410097d5-0f29-47f2-b5b6-2826c285fbe7-3.png" alt="(Screenshot from the music video " class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">(Screenshot from the music video &quot;Eyes Closed&quot; by Jisoo and Zayn on YouTube, uploaded October 10, 2025)</figcaption></figure> Floating like a space-age Romeo, Zayn turns zero-gravity into a metaphorical love dance. Tilted precariously in his chair, he&#39;s the poster child for cosmic recklessness &ndash; defying gravity while crooning about falling in love with eyes closed. Who needs watching where you&#39;re going when you can drift romantically through the universe, one anti-gravity chair-tilt at a time? It&#39;s part love song, part physics-defying performance art &ndash; a zero-gravity trust fall into romance? <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/4318fd13-bfcf-4106-8c44-3742e14d4bf2-5.png" alt="Zayn's flirtation with zero-gravity (Screenshot from the music video " class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">Zayn&#39;s flirtation with zero-gravity&nbsp;</figcaption></figure> Visual oddities and lyrical musings The duo unite in an endless white hallway with a red carpet, declaring &quot;ain&#39;t nobody perfect but it&#39;s all good&quot;. Weird mercury-like liquid mechanisms float inexplicably in between shots of the duo &ndash; because why not? <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/1665b49f-9cd7-4047-8eed-361e75cfda9f-4.png" alt="(Screenshot from the music video " class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">(Screenshot from the music video &quot;Eyes Closed&quot; by Jisoo and Zayn on YouTube, uploaded October 10, 2025)</figcaption></figure> &quot;The past can&#39;t hurt us if we don&#39;t look, let&#39;s let it go,&quot; they sing, with Jisoo standing eerily still in a black sleeveless dress, reminiscent of the twins in Kubrick&#39;s The Shining. The camera pans out with a 360-degree flip that would make a cinematographer dizzy. <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/31f40123-292b-4ce1-8290-b59d75a6a478-6.png" alt="Jisoo staring at the camera while standing in the hallway a la The Shining (Screenshot from the music video " class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">Jisoo staring at the camera while standing in the hallway a la The Shining&nbsp;</figcaption></figure> Very next moment, Jisoo is sure to inform us how she has &ldquo;got tunnel vision every second&rdquo;. It might be about love but hey, if it fits! A hovering robot follows her every move. Veiled threat? Media metaphor? Your guess is as good as ours. <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/60a5f43c-dcfa-45d9-a506-9ba027638b2f-7.png" alt="(Screenshot from the music video " class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">(Screenshot from the music video &quot;Eyes Closed&quot; by Jisoo and Zayn on YouTube, uploaded October 10, 2025)</figcaption></figure> The two could also be seen circling each other like cosmic kindergarteners playing an intergalactic version of &quot;Ring Around the Rosie&quot;. Who says you&#39;re too old for childhood games? Not them! as they sing simultaneously about &quot;the names and faces of who we were with&quot; &ndash; part nostalgic waltz, part space ballet? <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/e5363b76-1535-401b-a8a9-0e89665a8183-8.png" alt="Jisoo and Zayn's galactic " class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">Jisoo and Zayn&#39;s galactic &quot;Ring Around the Rosie&quot;&nbsp;</figcaption></figure> The Saturn surprise and final thoughts Just when you were getting immersed in the futuristic setting, Jisoo appears with a smartphone, cradled by impossibly long, spiky nails &ndash; peak 2020s fashion and tech, ladies and gentlemen! <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/28463204-a6a7-4eb7-b2a0-bbc66bea4804-9.png" alt="Spiky nails meets smartphone - peak 2020s! (Screenshot from the music video " class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">Long spiky nails and smartphones - peak 2020s!&nbsp;</figcaption></figure> The climax? They pass&nbsp;Saturn! Yes, with all this advanced interstellar transportation, they end up at Saturn. Because why not? A glimpse of four other passengers suggests this might be an exclusive elite space party. Technology advances, but human nature? Stubborn as ever. The MV ends before revealing the final destination, but hey &ndash; they crossed Saturn! Why this ringed planet? Your guess is as good as ours &ndash; probably somewhere between &quot;random cosmic dartboard&quot; and &quot;we thought it looked cool&quot;. The video&#39;s theme matches the lyrics about as well as a penguin matches a desert landscape &mdash; and about&nbsp;as well as Zayn and Jisoo&#39;s on-screen chemistry. Chemistry or lack thereof They share less screen time than a celebrity&#39;s attention span &ndash; a grand total of 30 seconds! It&#39;s the musical equivalent of a long-distance relationship where both parties forgot to turn on their video call. Compare this to the electric collaboration between Bruno Mars and Blackpink&#39;s Lisa in &quot;APT&quot;. While the &quot;Eyes Closed&quot; MV is racking up impressive numbers, will it reach the heights of &quot;APT&quot;? We aren&#39;t so sure! The existential question So what are we left with? A music video that&#39;s part sci-fi fever dream, part love ballad, and entirely a testament to the beautiful chaos of cross-cultural collaboration. Zayn and Jisoo have created something that defies easy categorization &ndash; is it a love song? A space odyssey? A commentary on modern relationships? Perhaps the most profound moment comes when they sing, &quot;Really shouldn&#39;t work, yeah, the history is proof&quot; &ndash; a line that could apply just as much to their musical collaboration as to the relationship in the song. The video leaves us with more questions than answers: 1. &nbsp; &nbsp;Why Saturn? 2. &nbsp; &nbsp;What&#39;s with the hovering robot? 3. &nbsp; &nbsp;How many passengers are actually on this spaceship? 4. &nbsp; &nbsp;Is this a love story or a sci-fi narrative? Only Zayn and Jisoo know for sure &ndash; and they&#39;re keeping their Eyes Closed.

Jisoo and Zayn in the music video "Eyes Closed" 

Zayn Malik and Blackpink's Jisoo launch "Eyes Closed" – a cosmic love saga where zero gravity, Saturn, and 30 seconds of screen time collide in deliriously bizarre musical matrimony.

'Eyes Closed': Zayn Malik and Blackpink's Jisoo's cosmic confusion cruise 

ISLAMABAD: Under the bright lights of the Apparel Textile Sourcing (ATS) Canada 2025 show floor, Pakistani fabrics shimmered like living art. Bold, colorful, and unapologetically authentic. From intricate dupattas to sleek sportswear, Pakistan&rsquo;s textile industry didn&rsquo;t just participate, it stole the show, weaving heritage and innovation into every thread - a testament to craftsmanship, culture, and confidence.&nbsp; At a time when sustainability and inclusivity dominate global fashion, Pakistan&rsquo;s textile manufacturers showcased why their blend of tradition and innovation&nbsp;continues to command the world&rsquo;s attention. Pakistan showcased its textile prowess at the ATS, reaffirming its place as a global textile powerhouse, the Pakistan Information Department said earlier this week. The country&rsquo;s top manufacturers displayed a wide range of high-quality fabrics and apparel at one of Canada&rsquo;s famous&nbsp;international trade exhibitions. The ATS show brought together textiles from North America, Asia, and beyond, featuring exhibitions from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and China. Pakistani participants particularly stood out, unveiling an impressive collection of sportswear, technical textiles, and protective apparel. Desis shining in Canada is nothing new &ndash; and the numbers tell a compelling story. According to the 2021 Canadian Census, South Asians form 7.1% of Canada&#39;s population, with a vibrant diaspora of more than 2.5 million people. Of these, 303,260 proudly reported Pakistani ethnic or cultural origin. These aren&#39;t just numbers; they&#39;re a testament to a thriving, dynamic community that&#39;s weaving its cultural fabric into the Canadian landscape. Walk down any street in Toronto, Vancouver, or Montreal, and you&#39;ll spot the unmistakable flair of South Asian fashion &ndash; particularly Pakistani textiles. But it&#39;s not just about looking good,&nbsp;it&#39;s about world-class quality. Pakistani manufacturers have become global textile titans, adhering to rigorous international standards that would make even the most demanding quality control expert nod in approval. Take their certifications, for instance: ISO 9001 for quality management, Oeko-Tex Standard 100 ensuring textiles are free from harmful substances, GOTS certifying organic textile standards, and BSCI auditing social and ethical compliance. The Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) confirms the country&#39;s textile supremacy, ranking as a key supplier of home textile products to the USA and Europe. Let&#39;s talk about the show-stoppers &ndash; the garments that make Pakistani fashion truly unique. Dupattas: The fabric of rebellion (literally!) What&#39;s one thing that sets Pakistan and South Asian clothing apart from others? The dupatta is especially beautiful when worn around the neck. Who can forget the &#39;Scandinavian scarf&#39; controversy? This traditional garment became the center of a cultural appropriation storm when a fashion rental company tried to rebrand it as a European trend. South Asian social media warriors fought back, reclaiming the dupatta&#39;s rich cultural heritage. It&#39;s more than just a piece of fabric &ndash; it&#39;s a story against cultural erasure. <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/60f8e571-9abc-45dd-a347-49963b4aae8c-dpuaatas.jpg" alt="Dupattas on display at the Apparel Textile Sourcing (ATS) in Canada. (ATS)" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic" style="line-height: 2;">Dupattas on display at the Apparel Textile Sourcing (ATS) in Canada. (ATS)</figcaption></figure> But it seems the trend is changing. Not only is our traditional wear being embraced, but it&#39;s actually being credited to our region. And specifically, Pakistani dupattas are getting their due &ndash; no longer just lumped under &quot;Indian&quot; clothing, but celebrated as uniquely Pakistani! Kameez: Color rebels unite! While the rest of the world drowns in boring, monochrome t-shirts, South Asian men are painting the textile world with bold, unapologetic colors. At the ATS show, kameez proved that fashion is not about blending in &ndash; it&#39;s about standing out. Who said men&#39;s fashion has to be bland? Not the Pakistani designers! Pakistani companies leave their mark! A special shout-out for Shaja Pak, the rockstars of the Pakistani textile scene at the ATS Canada 2025. These aren&#39;t just manufacturers; they&#39;re cultural ambassadors turning heads and being noticed by the local Canadian fashion industry. From Canadian hockey jerseys to international sportswear, Pakistani textiles are quietly conquering global fashion. <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/bd9c29c6-e491-461c-a6f1-0fbc7176b79d-233a3612-1d71-492a-82f0-c9871ab8b72a.jpg" alt="Shaja Pak exhibition at the Apparel Textile Sourcing (ATS) Canada 2025 (Instagram)" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic" style="line-height: 2;">Shaja Pak exhibition at the Apparel Textile Sourcing (ATS) Canada 2025 (Instagram)</figcaption></figure> The company summed it up perfectly in their Instagram post: &quot;We&#39;re thrilled to have represented Pakistan at ATS Canada, one of the leading platforms for global trade and industry networking. &ldquo;Our exhibition booth saw great engagement, and it was a pleasure connecting with professionals and potential partners from around the world. A big thank you to everyone who stopped by and supported us!&quot; The message is clear: Pakistani textiles aren&#39;t just clothing &ndash; they&#39;re a cultural landmark stitched with threads of quality and unabashed pride.

Different textiles and apparel on display at the Apparel Textile Sourcing (ATS) Show (Apparel Textile Sourcing/Instagram)

From intricate dupattas to sleek performance wear, Pakistan’s textile industry didn’t just participate, it stole the show, weaving heritage and innovation into every thread.

Vibrant Pakistani textiles steal spotlight at ATS Canada 2025

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan hosted two high-level Saudi delegations on Wednesday in a series of meetings that underscored the deepening partnership between Islamabad and Riyadh, marking a renewed phase of strategic, economic, and parliamentary cooperation between the two long-standing allies.&nbsp;The first visit, led by Prince Mansour bin Muhammad bin Saad Al Saud, chairman of the Saudi-Pakistan Joint Business Council (JBC), focused on strengthening economic linkages and investment collaboration across key sectors. The second delegation, headed by Dr Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al-Sheikh, chairman of the Shura Council of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, highlighted growing institutional and parliamentary engagement between the two nations.&nbsp;Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hosted a banquet in honor of the Saudi business delegation led by Prince Mansour, commending the Kingdom&rsquo;s enduring support for Pakistan and reaffirming Islamabad&rsquo;s commitment to deepening bilateral economic relations, his office said in a statement.&nbsp;PM Sharif said the visit represented &ldquo;a formalization of our long-standing brotherly ties,&rdquo; emphasizing that Saudi Arabia &ldquo;has always stood by Pakistan through thick and thin&rdquo; and remains a trusted partner in every era.&nbsp;Reflecting on his recent visit to Riyadh, the prime minister praised Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s transformation under the leadership of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, noting that Pakistan &ldquo;is eager to learn, collaborate, and grow together&rdquo; with the Kingdom.&nbsp;&ldquo;We have gathered with our Saudi brothers to strengthen business ties, promote trade, and explore joint ventures,&rdquo; he added, underscoring the mutual vision for shared prosperity.&nbsp;The Saudi&ndash;Pakistan Joint Business Council meeting, organized in collaboration with the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) and the Ministry of Commerce, brought together leading Saudi investors and Pakistani business leaders, the SIFC said.&nbsp;Discussions centered on trade, energy, minerals, agriculture, tourism, and infrastructure &mdash; sectors identified as priorities under Pakistan&rsquo;s investment-led growth strategy and Saudi Vision 2030.&nbsp;During the meeting, government officials briefed the Saudi side on Pakistan&rsquo;s evolving investment climate and recent reforms aimed at ensuring transparency and predictability for investors, the statement added.&nbsp;The SIFC also hosted a dedicated session detailing sector-specific opportunities, particularly in the energy, mining, real estate, and technology sectors.&nbsp;Prince Mansour praised Pakistan&rsquo;s investment facilitation framework and reaffirmed Riyadh&rsquo;s commitment to long-term economic engagement, the SIFC said.&nbsp;The statement quoted Prince Mansour as saying that Pakistan is &ldquo;an important regional partner with strong potential in agriculture, mining, energy, and technology,&rdquo; adding that the Saudi&ndash;Pakistan Joint Business Council remains one of the most successful bilateral business forums globally.&nbsp;The Saudi delegation is also scheduled to visit Karachi and Lahore to meet provincial leaders and major business houses, exploring opportunities for joint ventures and public&ndash;private partnerships.&nbsp;Parallel to the business-focused engagements, Dr Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al-Sheikh, chairman of the Saudi Shura Council, met Prime Minister Sharif in Islamabad to discuss avenues for closer parliamentary and institutional cooperation, the PMO said.&nbsp;The meeting underscored the shared commitment to strengthening legislative collaboration and policy dialogue between the two nations&rsquo; representative bodies.&nbsp;Officials described both visits as complementary pillars of a broader effort to transform Pakistan&ndash;Saudi relations into a multidimensional partnership encompassing economic, institutional, and strategic cooperation. <img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/54731148-710b-48dd-b31b-c563731b577a.jpeg" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> &nbsp;Separately, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who also received Prince Mansour and his delegation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the foreign office said, expressed satisfaction at the &ldquo;growing momentum in bilateral economic relations&rdquo; and reaffirmed Islamabad&rsquo;s readiness to facilitate Saudi investments.&nbsp;This week&rsquo;s engagements mark a significant milestone in the evolving partnership between Riyadh and Islamabad, aligning Pakistan&rsquo;s development agenda with Saudi Arabia&#39;s transformative vision for economic diversification.&nbsp;As the two delegations concluded their engagements in Islamabad, both sides reaffirmed their shared resolve to translate historic fraternal ties into a future-oriented economic partnership.

Economy

Foreign Affairs

Islamabad hosted two high-level Saudi delegations to strengthen economic, strategic, and parliamentary ties. Meetings focused on trade, investment, and institutional cooperation, aligning Pakistan’s development agenda with Saudi Vision 2030 for mutual growth and regional prosperity.

Saudi delegations bolster strategic, economic, and parliamentary ties with Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Israel has significantly increased its global arms imports over the past decade, becoming one of the world&rsquo;s largest importers. Most imports are high-tech systems that are either co-developed or financed through US military aid. Israel&rsquo;s volume of arms imports rose from the 34th highest in the world to become the 15th largest between 2020 and 2024, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). The country now accounts for 1.9% of global arms imports, with primary sources from the US, Germany, and Italy. While these three countries were main suppliers, other countries, including the UK and France, also provided military components and services. United States: Primary arms supplier The US emerged as Israel&#39;s most significant arms supplier, accounting for 66% of the country&#39;s major arms imports during the 2020-24 period, according to SIPRI. These imports included combat aircraft, guided bombs, and armored vehicles, with 61 combat aircraft pending delivery by the end of 2024. According to a US Congressional Research Service report in May 2025, the US commitment to Israel&#39;s military capabilities extends beyond direct sales, with over $174 billion in bilateral assistance and missile defense funding provided since 1948. Throughout 2024 and 2025, the US continued substantial military support. Reuters reported that in February 2025, the US State Department approved multiple arms packages, including a $2.04 billion sale of 35,529 2000-pound bombs, a $675.7 million package of nearly 5,000 1000-pound bombs, and a $295 million sale of Caterpillar D9 bulldozers. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced nearly $12 billion in major Foreign Military Sales since the beginning of 2025. Germany: Second major supplier Germany ranked as the second-largest arms provider to Israel, accounting for 33% of the country&#39;s major arms imports between 2020 and 2024, according to SIPRI. German contributions were predominantly naval, with 81% of transfers consisting of frigates and 10% comprising torpedoes. The remaining 8.5% included armored vehicle engines. Following the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, Germany significantly increased military support. The country&#39;s parliament reported granting export licenses for 485 million euros&#39; worth of military equipment between October 7, 2023, and May 13, 2025 &mdash; a tenfold increase in arms exports to Israel compared to previous periods, as reported by Reuters. Italy Italy contributed the smallest portion of Israel&#39;s arms imports, accounting for 1% of major arms transfers between 2020 and 2024, according to SIPRI. Italian imports primarily consisted of light helicopters (59%) and naval guns (41%). Additional European arms support United Kingdom The United Kingdom maintained a complex arms export relationship with Israel. As of July 31, 2025, the UK had 167 non-suspended military export licenses authorizing a maximum export value of &pound;180 million. Of these, 55 listed the government of Israel as the end-user, covering components for trainer aircraft, missile defense systems, and submarines. The Business and Trade Committee within the House of Commons noted that the UK approved licenses for &pound;127.6 million worth of military equipment to Israel in the fourth quarter of 2024 &mdash; exceeding the combined total for 2020-23. France France maintained a limited arms relationship with Israel, with no major arms exports since 1998, SIPRI noted. However, the country continued to supply critical components, including parts for Israel&#39;s Iron Dome air-defense system. In 2024, French new orders to Israel totaled &euro;27.1 million, primarily consisting of components for re-export or defensive systems. Private defense contractors In addition to government-funded sales, several private companies also played central roles in Israel&#39;s arms supply chain. Boeing Co. was involved in munitions supply, providing guidance kits and fuses as part of a $6.75 billion military sales package, according to Reuters. Similarly, Lockheed Martin secured a $660 million missile deal for Hellfire Missiles. Israeli defense contractors have also played a crucial role in developing the country&rsquo;s military capabilities. Elbit Systems reported revenues of $1.63 billion in the second quarter of 2024, with 27% of sales originating from Israel and an order backlog of $21.1 billion. Reuters noted the company has been developing advanced technologies, including unmanned aerial vehicles, communication systems, and AI capabilities, with approximately 40 subsidiaries worldwide. Despite its advanced domestic defense industry, Israel continues to rely heavily on imports to project power beyond its borders in ways that punish, control, or weaken neighboring states and non-state actors rather than only defend its territory. Large-scale arms transfer and military aid have enabled these operations, fueling criticisms that military superiority is being used to impose strategic outcomes across the Middle East.

Articles

Israel's arms imports, mainly from the US, Germany, and Italy, have surged to support military superiority used not just for defense but to suppress and control neighboring states.

Inside the countries and companies supplying weapons to Israel

ISLAMABAD: Paris just got a heavy dose of desi drama, and the fashion world may never be the same again. From shalwars strutting down the runway to prints straight out of your dadi&rsquo;s old trunk, South Asian flair stormed the world&rsquo;s most exclusive catwalk with all the confidence of a mehndi bride walking in late on purpose.&nbsp;This wasn&rsquo;t just fusion, it was a fashion takeover wrapped in nostalgia and stitched with sass. The City of Lights found itself awash in color, comfort, and culture, as designers borrowed, blended, and sometimes blatantly celebrated the subcontinent&rsquo;s timeless silhouettes. Think luxury meets Lahore, couture meets Karachi, and Paris falling head over heels for the rhythm of the rickshaw.&nbsp;Forget the stiff collars and minimal palettes, this season, it&rsquo;s all about the shalwar shuffle, sari sass, and prints that whisper childhood chai memories. South Asia didn&rsquo;t just inspire Paris Fashion Week; it owned it, one pleat, pattern, and perfectly ironic nod at a time. Let&#39;s break down these runway moments that scream &quot;DESI&quot; louder than getting married to your cousin:&nbsp; Shalwar showstopper<figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/b133e976-7acb-4b39-8edf-31dca3db112e-Models wear creations as part of the Giorgio Armani SpringSummer 2026 collection show in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. (AP PhotoLuca Bruno).jpg" alt="Models wear creations as part of the Giorgio Armani SpringSummer 2026 collection show in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. (AP)" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">Models wear creations as part of the Giorgio Armani SpringSummer 2026 collection show in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. (AP)</figcaption></figure> Honey, this isn&#39;t just a pair of pants &ndash; it&#39;s a cultural statement so bold, it could make your nani do a runway walk! Who needs Western tailoring when you&#39;ve got the ultimate comfort wear that&#39;s been killing it for centuries?&nbsp; Shalwar: 1, Western Fashion: 0 <img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/526ea172-e13b-4697-af7b-50b9475b6afb-Models present creations from the Giorgio Armani SpringSummer 2026 collection during Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, September 28, 2025 (Reuters).jpeg" alt="Models present creations from the Giorgio Armani SpringSummer 2026 collection during Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, September 28, 2025 (Reuters)" class="fr-fic fr-dii"><figcaption>Models present creations from the Giorgio Armani SpringSummer 2026 collection during Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, September 28, 2025 (Reuters)</figcaption> <figure><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/33c1f8b1-4ead-4fcf-b4d4-d48091017a06-Models present creations from the Giorgio Armani SpringSummer 2026 collection during Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, September 28, 2025. (Reuters).png" alt="Models present creations from the Giorgio Armani SpringSummer 2026 collection during Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, September 28, 2025. (Reuters)" class="fr-fic fr-dii"><figcaption>Models present creations from the Giorgio Armani SpringSummer 2026 collection during Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, September 28, 2025. (Reuters)</figcaption></figure> Okay, fashion world, we see what&#39;s happening here. Shalwar is officially the star of two fashion weeks. Milan, Paris &ndash; doesn&#39;t matter. This trend is spreading faster than gossip at a family gathering. Shalwar, shalwar, and more shalwar &ndash; we&#39;re not complaining! Nostalgia on the runway<figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/3adf9a9c-c3cf-49a5-8539-49cf338bb6fc-Untitled.png" alt="Models wear creations as part of the Giorgio Armani SpringSummer 2026 collection show in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. (AP)" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">Models wear creations as part of the Giorgio Armani SpringSummer 2026 collection show in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. (AP)</figcaption></figure> Close your eyes and smell the chai&nbsp;with rusk! This look is giving pure desi summer evening realness. Picture it: golden sunset, crows cawing, desi uncles striking their signature pose &ndash; hands on hips, white bunyan&nbsp;bursting over biryani bellies, shalwar hanging just right, and those trusty flip-flops completing the look.&nbsp; The only thing missing? That legendary handlebar moustache! It&#39;s not just fashion; it&#39;s a time machine to every childhood memory you&#39;ve ever cherished. The half-baked kameez conspiracy<figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/319e957f-ee3a-4de0-a460-1a89d888f65d-A model wears a creation as part of the Vivienne Westwood SpringSummer 2026 collection presented in Paris, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. (AP.jpg" alt="A model wears a creation as part of the Vivienne Westwood SpringSummer 2026 collection presented in Paris, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. (AP)" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">A model wears a creation as part of the Vivienne Westwood SpringSummer 2026 collection presented in Paris, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. (AP)</figcaption></figure> Dear Designer, did you run out of fabric? Why stop at a shirt when you could&#39;ve given us a full-blown kameez? It&#39;s like serving biryani without the raita &ndash; something&#39;s definitely missing! Fabric shortage or intentional tease? Print perfection Listen up &ndash; this print is the ultimate desi girl uniform. Every single South Asian girl has owned something like this at least once in her life. It&#39;s not just a print; it&#39;s a cultural rite of passage. Deny it, we dare you! <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/3519acd0-9ecd-4eed-b2fd-8d53deb38d85-AP25277545677013.jpg" alt="A model wears a creation as part of the Vivienne Westwood Spring/Summer 2026 collection presented in Paris, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. (AP)" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">A model wears a creation as part of the Vivienne Westwood Spring/Summer 2026 collection presented in Paris, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. (AP)</figcaption></figure> Sari, not sorry This look is so desi, even the most silver-tongued lawyer would throw in the towel. The blouse, the skirt, the way it&#39;s tied &ndash; this screams DESIIIIIIIII louder than your mom screaming at you for demolishing her favorite dinner set! Peak desi energy: confirmed! <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/43586c89-fbd5-4643-95a9-57beb0fe13d2-AP25277536327327(1).jpg" alt="A model wears a creation as part of the Vivienne Westwood Spring/Summer 2026 collection presented in Paris, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. (AP)" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">A model wears a creation as part of the Vivienne Westwood Spring/Summer 2026 collection presented in Paris, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. (AP)</figcaption></figure> The takeawayFashion, darling, is borrowing our look with a wink and a smile. From the legendary Paul Smith&#39;s &pound;300 &quot;Robert&quot; sandal (which is basically a &pound;4 Peshawari chappal with a designer label) to these runway moments, South Asian culture is the secret muse of the fashion world. Stella Jean gets a gold star for actually collaborating with Bhutanese artisans. The rest? It&#39;s a copy-fest that we&#39;re highlighting&nbsp;with all the subtlety of a Bollywood dance number! Dear&nbsp;designers: Next time, try more collaboration! Your runway could use some authentic desi magic &ndash; handlebar moustaches optional, but highly encouraged!

A model wears a creation as part of the Vivienne Westwood SpringSummer 2026 collection presented in Paris, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. (AP)

Paris Fashion Week is showcasing desi style—shalwars slaying, half-kameez teasing, and prints screaming nostalgia—copy-paste much? Designers, more authentic desi collab, please!

Desi designs shine bright at Paris Fashion Week

ISLAMABAD: Youth-led protests are reshaping political activism across Asia and Africa in 2025, with digital media emerging as a powerful tool for demanding systemic change. The &quot;Gen Z Protests&quot; began in Bangladesh in July 2024, led by young Bengali students demanding the removal of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. In 2025, similar youth-led protests spread from Timor-Leste and the Philippines to Nepal, Morocco, and Madagascar, driven by issues like corruption, economic inequality, infrastructure failures, and mass censorship. Madagascar targets elite control In Madagascar, protests erupted in September 2025 over prolonged water and power outages, widespread poverty, and government corruption. Protestors also condemned political elites. The World Bank reported that Madagascar&#39;s income per capita has fallen by 45% since 1960, with a &quot;small, unaccountable elite&quot; maintaining tight control over the economy, according to Reuters. Protesters have highlighted this inequality, using digital platforms to expose systemic issues. According to Reuters, the demonstrations have been &quot;the largest the Indian Ocean island has seen in years,&quot; with protesters demanding the president&#39;s resignation and the dissolution of key government institutions. <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/83df9db8-ae2c-41ce-8eb3-626969019c3d-Madagascar police react to protesters demonstrating against chronic electricity and water cuts in Antananarivo, Madagascar, Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (AP).jpg" alt="Madagascar police react to protesters demonstrating against chronic electricity and water cuts in Antananarivo, Madagascar, Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (AP)" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic" style="line-height: 2;">Madagascar police react to protesters demonstrating against chronic electricity and water cuts in Antananarivo, Madagascar, Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (AP)</figcaption></figure>Social media fuels coordination The digital strategy driving these protests is remarkably sophisticated. Inspired by youth-led movements in Kenya and Nepal, Madagascar&#39;s Gen Z activists have used social media to coordinate nationwide demonstrations. &quot;This is not a retreat but a strategy: we will come back together more united, stronger,&quot; the protest movement&#39;s leadership declared in a Facebook post, as reported by Reuters on Thursday. The protests have spread beyond the capital, with protestors in far-off cities also chanting &quot;Rajoelina Out&quot; and carrying banners denouncing the government. Despite the country&rsquo;s president dissolving the government on Monday, AP reported that public anger continues to simmer. Nepal&rsquo;s activism blueprint Nepal&#39;s recent protests offer a blueprint for digital activism. When the government banned 26 social media platforms on September 4, 2025, activists shifted to alternative channels like Discord and used VPNs to bypass restrictions. The widespread youth-led protests escalated, leading to violent clashes and the eventual resignation of Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli. The movement showed how digital tools can directly challenge political power. Digital power driving change These movements reveal a fundamental shift in political engagement. Digital platforms have transformed from communication tools to instruments of political change, allowing young people to organize, broadcast their messages, and challenge existing power structures with unprecedented speed and coordination.

People protest against corruption and calling for healthcare and education reform, in Casablanca, Morocco, Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025. (AP)

Blogs

Youth-led Gen Z protests began in Bangladesh in 2024 and spread across Asia and Africa by 2025. Using digital platforms, activists oppose corruption, inequality, and poor infrastructure, demanding political change and elite accountability.

Gen Z protests: Digital platforms fuel change from Asia to Africa

ISLAMABAD: Insomniac Games and Sony Interactive Entertainment dropped the gameplay trailer for the highly anticipated title, Marvel&rsquo;s Wolverine. The game is set to release exclusively on PlayStation 5 in late 2026. Marvel&rsquo;s Wolverine puts players in the role of one of the franchise&rsquo;s most iconic and brutal characters. The trailer doesn&rsquo;t shy away from delving into Wolverine&rsquo;s fierce nature and graphic violence. Trailer overview The trailer opens with Wolverine growling fiercely, setting the tone for the gritty and violent gameplay that is to follow. He can be seen slashing and clawing through his enemies in a range of environments &ndash; snowy mountains, Japanese streets, and urban cityscapes. The footage shows Wolverine sliding down tin rooftops, leaping from rope to rope, while tearing through his enemies and, in one instance, riding a motorcycle in his classic yellow suit. The visuals heavily focus on realism. Wolverine&rsquo;s claws extend with sharp, painful detail, skin giving way for the metal to slide through. The combat scenes depict him tearing apart enemies, including brutal sequences that feature blood and gore. The game adopts a mature approach, as indicated by the trailer&#39;s 17+ age rating. The dialogue chills the viewer as Wolverine reflects, &ldquo;Drama has a way of finding me.&rdquo; The trailer closes with Marvel&rsquo;s most iconic character going, &ldquo;I am no hero, I am Wolverine!&rdquo; Characters and settings In addition to Wolverine, the trailer features other familiar Marvel characters, such as Mystique. Their appearance suggests that the game will delve into the wider X-Men mythos. The settings vary widely, from rustic snowy mountains to neon-lit Japanese streets and dense urban areas. This variety promises a mix of exploration and combat in different environments. Development and background Marvel&rsquo;s Wolverine is developed by Insomniac Games, known for its successful Marvel&rsquo;s Spider-Man series. This game is a standalone title but shares the same continuity with the Spider-Man universe. The game is directed by Marcus Smith and Mike Daly, who replaced the original directors following changes in 2024. The writing team includes Mary Kenney, Walt Williams, Nick Folkman, and Joe Halstead. Issues during development In December 2023, Insomniac Games suffered a ransomware attack. The breach leaked various development assets and sensitive company information. Despite the setback, the studio confirmed that development on Marvel&rsquo;s Wolverine would continue without major delays. The hack also revealed that Marvel&rsquo;s Wolverine is planned as the first game in a new trilogy focusing on the X-Men universe. This marks a new partnership between Insomniac, Sony Interactive Entertainment, and Marvel to produce exclusive X-Men games. Release The gameplay trailer has already gained over 3 million views, showing strong interest from fans.&nbsp; The trailer was well received, with praise levied on the game&rsquo;s realistic graphics, immersive action, and a mature tone fitting for Wolverine&rsquo;s character.

Marvel’s Wolverine aims to deliver a deep, violent, and personal experience centered around Logan’s character. (Screengrab from Marvel's Wolverine/Playstation)

Video Game

Marvel’s Wolverine aims to deliver a deep, violent, and personal experience centered around Logan’s character.

 Marvel’s Wolverine trailer delivers cutting-edge graphics, gritty violence 

ISLAMABAD: Israeli airstrikes and military operations escalated overnight across Gaza and the West Bank as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Israel, amid a U.N. vote supporting a two-state solution&mdash;aimed at pursuing peace in the long-standing conflict.&nbsp;&nbsp;Rubio reportedly has gone with a clear focus on securing the release of hostages and preventing Hamas from taking power in the region.&nbsp;&nbsp;UNGA resolution&nbsp;supports two-state solutionThe UN General Assembly passed a resolution Friday with overwhelming support for the two-state solution. The resolution calls for an immediate ceasefire, Hamas disarmament, and normalization of relations between Israel and Arab states.&nbsp;&nbsp;Israel and the U.S. voted against it, calling it &ldquo;one-sided.&rdquo;&nbsp;Against this backdrop, diplomatic efforts continue, with U.S. President Donald Trump holding talks with Qatar&rsquo;s prime minister following Israeli airstrikes on Hamas officials attending ceasefire negotiations in Doha.&nbsp;The flurry of activities comes as the&nbsp;relentless air raids and heavy ground operations continue&nbsp;in Gaza City, where&nbsp;Israeli forces have carried out over 500 strikes this week alone. The occupying troops claim they are targeting Hamas &lsquo;strongholds&rsquo;, including weapons caches, tunnels, and sniper positions.&nbsp;Much of Gaza has been destroyed, with Israeli forces fully blockading the area. Despite this, many Palestinian families have decided to stay, with one resident describing a grim scene to Reuters: relentless bombings trapping Gazans between violence and a lack of safe places.&nbsp;&nbsp;The humanitarian toll is mounting, with more than 64,000 people having&nbsp;perished in Gaza since Israel laid siege to the enclave. Hundreds have died of starvation and malnutrition this year alone.&nbsp;Medical infrastructure has collapsed due to ongoing shelling, while aid deliveries face challenges amid persistent restrictions. Israel has announced plans to increase humanitarian crossing capacity, but it is becoming harder to deliver essential food, water, and medicine.&nbsp;Increase in violence, expansion plansPalestinians in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem are seeing&nbsp;an increase in violence. Israeli forces killed two 14-year-old Palestinian boys during raids in Jenin, followed by the detention of hundreds of residents in sweeping operations, according to the AP.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also proposed plans to expand settlements in the controversial &quot;E1&quot; area near Jerusalem, a plan critics warn will divide the West Bank and impede the formation of a viable Palestinian state.&nbsp;The severity and scale of these actions have drawn widespread international condemnation, but efforts to curb the violence remain limited.&nbsp;As Israeli military operations continue and diplomatic efforts go on, it is&nbsp;the Palestinians on the ground who&nbsp;are paying a heavy price.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Israel ramped up attacks on Gaza and the occupied West Bank, with the US State Secretary in the country, as the UN endorses the two-state solution. Image courtesy: Reuters

Americas

Middle East

Israel ramped up attacks on Gaza and the occupied West Bank, even as the US Secretary of State visited the country, with the UN endorsing a two-state solution.  

Israel ramps up attacks in Gaza and West Bank as US State Secretary visits

Residents travel on a boat with their supplies, through a flooded area, following monsoon rains and rising water levels of the Indus River, in Ghano Khan Jatoi village in Dadu district, Sindh province, Pakistan, September 12, 2025. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro

Climate & Environment

The former foreign minister demanded that the country’s federal government urgently launch an international aid appeal for devastating floods. 

Bilawal Bhutto calls for immediate global aid as floods devastate millions

MEXICO CITY: The death toll from Mexico&#39;s torrential rains increased to 44 on Sunday as the fallout mounted from flooding and landslides across the country, prompting President Claudia Sheinbaum to convene governors from hard-hit states to direct an emergency response plan. Mexico&rsquo;s National Coordination of Civil Protection reported that as of Sunday, the heavy rains had killed 18 people in Veracruz state on the Gulf Coast and 16 people in Hidalgo state, north of Mexico City.&nbsp; At least nine people were killed in Puebla, east of Mexico City. Earlier, in the central state of Quer&eacute;taro, a child died being caught in a landslide. That toll could still rise as rescue workers continued to dig through sodden villages clogged with mud and debris on Sunday. In Veracruz and Puebla, hundreds of army personnel, police officers and firefighters conducted rescue operations and set up temporary shelters where stranded residents could find food and medical attention.&nbsp; Thousands of residents across the country were still struggling with a lack of running water and electricity. &ldquo;We will not leave anyone helpless,&rdquo; President Sheinbaum wrote on social media.&nbsp; On Sunday, surveying authorities&#39; aid distribution in the hard-hit Huauchinango municipality in Puebla, Sheinbaum said that Sunday&#39;s improved weather offered a chance to reach communities still entirely isolated. Authorities have attributed the deadly downpours to Tropical Storm Priscilla, formerly a hurricane, and Tropical Storm Raymond, both off the western coast of Mexico.

Toll can still rise as rescue workers continue to dig through sodden villages clogged with mud, debris.



Mexico's president convenes governors as death toll from torrential rains rises to 44

JERUSALEM: US President Donald Trump declared the Gaza war &quot;over&quot; on Sunday as he headed to the region to host a peace summit, while Hamas prepared to release surviving hostages after two years in captivity. Under the US president&#39;s proposed roadmap, once the Palestinian fighters have handed over the hostages, Israel will begin releasing around 2,000 detainees in exchange. But negotiators were still wrangling late on Sunday over the final arrangements, with two Hamas sources telling AFP the group was insisting that Israel include seven senior Palestinian leaders on the list of those to be released. A confident Trump told reporters travelling with him that &quot;the war is over,&quot; as he took off from Washington for &quot;a very special&quot; trip. The US leader is due to arrive in Israel shortly after the expected release, and will address the Israeli parliament before heading to Egypt to host a meeting of world leaders to back his plan to end the two-year-old Gaza war and promote Middle East peace. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: &quot;Together we achieved tremendous victories, victories that amazed the whole world ... But at the same time, I must tell you, the fight is not over.&quot; &quot;This is an emotional evening, an evening of tears, an evening of joy, because tomorrow our children will return to our borders,&quot; Netanyahu said, quoting a biblical verse. Israel&#39;s army chief, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, also claimed victory. &quot;The military pressure we applied over the past two years, together with complementary diplomatic measures, constitute a victory over Hamas,&quot; Zamir said. Shosh Bedrosian, a spokesperson for Netanyahu&#39;s office, said the hostage release will begin early on Monday, with Israel &quot;expecting all 20 of our living hostages to be released together at one time.&quot; A senior Israeli military official however told reporters: &quot;Unfortunately... we anticipate that not all fallen hostages will be returned tomorrow.&quot; Bedrosian earlier said an &quot;international body&quot; would be set up to locate the remains of those not returned as part of Monday&#39;s exchange. &#39;Completed all preparations&#39; &quot;Palestinian prisoners will be released once Israel has confirmation that all of our hostages set to be released tomorrow are across the border into Israel,&quot; Bedrosian said. Two Hamas sources, meanwhile, told AFP the group was insisting Israel free seven prominent Palestinian figures as part of the exchange &mdash; at least one of whom Israel has previously refused to release. The source said that the group and its allies had nevertheless &quot;completed all preparations&quot; for handing over to Israel all the living hostages. Under the plan, Hamas is to release the remaining 47 hostages &mdash; living and dead &mdash; who were abducted on October 7, 2023, during a cross-border Hamas attack that left 1,219 people dead, and triggered Israel&#39;s devastating campaign. Hamas is also expected to hand over remains of a soldier killed in 2014 during a previous Gaza war. Among the Palestinian prisoners to be released, 250 are security detainees, including many convicted of killing Israelis, while about 1,700 were detained by the Israeli army in Gaza during the war. After his Israel visit, Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will chair a summit of leaders from more than 20 countries in the Egyptian Red Sea resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh. &#39;Fear and worry&#39; UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said he will attend, as have leaders from Britain, Italy, Spain, France and King Abdullah of Jordan. No Israeli nor Hamas officials will be present, officials from both camps confirmed. The third day of the ceasefire saw some aid trucks cross into Gaza, but residents in Khan Younis, in the south of the Strip, said some shipments were being ransacked by starving residents in chaotic scenes that saw food parcels trampled. For Mahmud al-Muzain, a bystander, the scuffle showed that Gazans did not trust that the US-led negotiations would lead to a long-term peace. &quot;Everyone fears the war will return,&quot; he told AFP. &quot;We stockpile food out of fear and worry that the war will come back.&quot; In Israel, the mother of 25-year-old hostage Matan Zangauker described her intense longing. &quot;My emotions are immense, there are no words to describe them &mdash; for me, for us, for all of Israel, which wants the hostages home and waits to see them all return,&quot; said Einav Zangauker. &#39;A long-term truce&#39; Hamas has over the past two years suffered staggering losses including the killing of its top leaders both in Gaza and in exile. But the movement has not been crushed, and a source close to its negotiating committee told AFP on Sunday that while it would not participate in post-war Gaza governance, it will not lay down its weapons. Under the Trump plan, as Israel conducts a partial withdrawal from Gaza, it will be replaced by a multi-national force coordinated by a US-led command center in Israel. Israel&#39;s campaign in Gaza has killed at least 67,806 people, according to the health ministry in the territory, figures the United Nations considers credible.

Under the US president's proposed roadmap, once the Palestinian fighters have handed over the hostages, Israel will begin releasing around 2,000 detainees in exchange.

Trump declares Gaza war 'over,' hostages due home

PARIS: France&#39;s President Emmanuel Macron unveiled a new government on Sunday, after marathon talks to cobble together a cabinet and prevent the country from slipping deeper into a political crisis. The lineup, a mix of old and new faces, is Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu&#39;s second attempt at bringing together a team to overcome months of deadlock and pass a much-needed budget through a hung parliament. Last Sunday he presented his first cabinet, but resigned a day later after the lineup was criticized for not having enough new faces. Macron reappointed him on Friday to try again. &quot;A mission-driven government has been appointed to provide France with a budget before the end of the year,&quot; Lecornu wrote on X on Sunday.<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; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1977464958712500451&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=aee2e4f9e0ae9f799ef8acc74c4194d5785ce556&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 392px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="1977464958712500451"></iframe></div><a href="https://twitter.com/SebLecornu/status/1977464958712500451?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" &gt;october="" 12,="" 2025<="" a="" style="font-size: 18px;"></a></div>According to the lineup published by the presidency, Jean-Noel Barrot remained as foreign minister. Outgoing labor minister Catherine Vautrin took on the defense portfolio. Roland Lescure, a Macron loyalist, is in charge of the economy, with next year&#39;s budget as a top priority. There were also new faces. Paris police chief Laurent Nunez took over the interior ministry, replacing Bruno Retailleau whose right-wing Republicans party said it would not be part in any government this weekend. Monique Barbut, the former France director of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), was to head the ministry of environmental transition. Gerald Darmanin however stayed on as justice minister. And Rachida Dati, a scandal-ridden culture minister who is set to stand trial for corruption next year, also retained her post.

Europe

The lineup, a mix of old and new faces, is Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu's second attempt at bringing together a team to overcome months of deadlock and pass a much-needed budget through a hung parliament.

France's president unveils new cabinet lineup

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan desired a peaceful, stable, friendly, inclusive, regionally connected, and prosperous Afghanistan, the foreign office said late Sunday, following its forces repelling an &ldquo;unprovoked&rdquo; cross-border assault overnight by the neighboring country. The Pakistani military said the overnight assault of October 11&ndash;12 saw Afghan Taliban fighters and allied militants launch coordinated attacks along multiple border sectors. Pakistani forces repelled the offensive, killing over 200 attackers, while 23 soldiers embraced martyrdom, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). ISPR said the Taliban were joined by Fitna al-Khawarij, Islamabad&rsquo;s term for the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), along with Fitna al-Hindustan, referring to Indian-sponsored proxies, and Daesh/ISKP. &ldquo;Exercising the right of self-defense, Pakistan&rsquo;s forces repelled the assault and inflicted heavy casualties,&rdquo; ISPR said, adding that precision strikes destroyed multiple Taliban posts and training centers inside Afghanistan. Islamabad calls for responsibility and restraintIn a statement issued later by the foreign office, Pakistan reiterated its long-standing desire for peace and stability in Afghanistan, emphasizing that Islamabad sought &ldquo;a peaceful, stable, friendly, inclusive, regionally connected, and prosperous Afghanistan.&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" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" 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=1977430286989492596&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=51a0539cd1ad8431fa5f54b10ba1a403d113dd99&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 673px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="1977430286989492596"></iframe></div></div> &ldquo;Pakistan expects the Taliban regime to act responsibly, honor its commitments, and play a constructive role in achieving the shared objective of rooting out terrorism from its soil,&rdquo; the statement said. The foreign office expressed &ldquo;deep concern at the unwarranted aggression,&rdquo; adding that such unprovoked actions aimed at destabilizing the border &ldquo;belie the overall spirit of peaceful neighborhood and cooperative relations between the two brotherly countries.&rdquo; &ldquo;Pakistan, exercising its right of self-defense, not only effectively repulsed the assaults all along the border, but also inflicted heavy losses on Taliban forces and affiliated Khawarij, in terms of men, material, and infrastructure,&rdquo; the statement continued. &ldquo;These infrastructures were used to plan and facilitate terrorist attacks against Pakistan.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;In our targeted and precise response, all possible measures were taken to prevent collateral damage and protect civilians.&rdquo; The ministry emphasized that Pakistan values &ldquo;dialogue and diplomacy and a mutually beneficial relationship with Afghanistan,&rdquo; but warned that continued provocation would not be tolerated. &ldquo;At the same time, the Government of Pakistan continues to closely monitor the situation and would take all possible measures to safeguard its territory and the lives of its people,&rdquo; the ministry said. &ldquo;Any further provocations will be met with an unwavering and befitting response.&rdquo; India&rsquo;s role and Afghan minister&rsquo;s remarksThe foreign office strongly rejected what it called &ldquo;baseless insinuations&rdquo; made by Afghanistan&rsquo;s Interim Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi during his visit to India, saying he attempted to divert attention from the presence of terrorist elements operating freely in Afghanistan. &ldquo;By making these baseless assertions, the Taliban regime cannot absolve itself of its responsibilities toward regional peace and stability,&rdquo; it said. &ldquo;Continued presence of terrorist elements on Afghan soil and the freedom of activities enjoyed by them in Afghanistan are well-documented in UN Monitoring Team reports.&rdquo; The statement noted that Pakistan has repeatedly conveyed its concerns to Kabul about the activities of Fitna-e-Khawarij and Fitna-e-Hindustan operating from Afghan territory, warning that these elements enjoy active support from India. &ldquo;Pakistan expects concrete and verifiable actions against these terrorist elements by the Taliban regime,&rdquo; the foreign office added. The ministry also drew attention to the timing of the border provocation, which coincided with the Taliban foreign minister&rsquo;s visit to New Delhi, &ldquo;the biggest state sponsor of terrorism in the region,&rdquo; according to ISPR. Islamabad views this as further evidence of Indian efforts to exploit Afghan soil to destabilize Pakistan. National leadership stands unitedPrime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the Armed Forces for their professionalism and valor in defending Pakistan&rsquo;s borders, saying there would be &ldquo;no compromise on national defense.&rdquo; &ldquo;Every provocation will be met with a strong and effective response,&rdquo; the prime minister said, while offering prayers for the 23 soldiers who embraced martyrdom and extending condolences to their families. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the cross-border attacks as a &ldquo;blatant violation of international law,&rdquo; saying Pakistan&rsquo;s armed forces &ldquo;have shown with an immediate and effective response that any provocation will not be tolerated.&rdquo; &ldquo;The fire and blood being played out from Afghanistan have links to our perennial enemy,&rdquo; Naqvi said, referring to India. &ldquo;Afghanistan will be given a strong, decisive response &mdash; just as India was.&rdquo; Border closuresFollowing the clashes, Pakistan closed all major crossings along the 2,600-kilometer (1615.5 miles) Pak-Afghan border, including Torkham, Chaman, Kharlachi, Angoor Adda, and Ghulam Khan, officials confirmed. Reaffirming Pakistan&rsquo;s long-standing policy of humanitarian engagement with Afghanistan, the foreign office said: &ldquo;In the spirit of good neighborliness, Islamic brotherhood, and humanity, Pakistan has generously hosted around four million Afghans for more than four decades.&rdquo; The statement added that Pakistan would continue to regulate the presence of Afghan nationals on its territory &ldquo;in accordance with international norms and laws.&rdquo; &ldquo;We also hope that one day, the Afghan people will be emancipated and governed by a truly representative government,&rdquo; it concluded.

Security

Foreign Office says country expects Taliban regime to act responsibly, honor its commitments, and play a constructive role in achieving the shared objective of rooting out terrorism from its soil.

Pakistan desirous of peaceful, stable, friendly, prosperous Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD: The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has approved Pakistan&rsquo;s landmark proposal to tackle disinformation, misinformation, and hate speech while safeguarding freedom of expression.&nbsp;The initiative, presented by Pakistan&rsquo;s Ambassador Mumtaz Zahra Baloch at the 222nd Session of the UNESCO Executive Board in Paris, received overwhelming cross-regional support, underscoring Islamabad&rsquo;s growing role in shaping global digital policy.&nbsp;The proposal calls for stronger international cooperation to build a safe, trustworthy, and human rights&ndash;based digital environment, one that balances free speech with responsibility in an era increasingly dominated by artificial intelligence and algorithmic influence.&nbsp;&ldquo;UNESCO&rsquo;s centrality to promoting a safe, reliable, and inclusive information environment that upholds human rights, democratic values, and access to information for all remains essential,&rdquo; Pakistan&rsquo;s statement noted.&nbsp;Member States lauded the proposal for addressing pressing challenges in the age of emerging technologies, including AI, neuro-technology, and immersive digital platforms.&nbsp;The Executive Board emphasized the need for greater transparency and accountability from digital platforms, urging measures to detect and label AI-generated or manipulated content and to strengthen content authentication systems.&nbsp;UNESCO works to build peace through international cooperation in education, science, culture, and communication. It plays a leading role in promoting media freedom, ethical AI, and digital literacy worldwide.&nbsp;By championing this initiative, Pakistan has positioned itself as an emerging voice in the global effort to safeguard information integrity and strengthen digital safety. Observers say the proposal&rsquo;s adoption marks a forward-looking step toward creating international standards that protect both truth and transparency in the digital age.

UNESCO has endorsed Pakistan’s proposal to combat disinformation and promote digital integrity, highlighting Islamabad’s leadership in shaping global digital policy and balancing free expression with accountability.

UN agency endorses Pakistan’s global plan to curb disinformation, promote digital integrity

ISLAMABAD: Alyssa Healy&rsquo;s sensational 142 propelled Australia to a thrilling three-wicket victory over India in their ICC Women&rsquo;s Cricket World Cup 2025 clash at ACA&ndash;VDCA Cricket Stadium on Sunday.&nbsp;Australia held their nerve, reaching 331-7 with just one over to spare. Australia right-hand batswomen Healy&rsquo;s blistering innings of 142 off 107 balls was complemented by unbeaten contributions from Ellyse Perry (47 ) runs and Ashleigh Gardner valuable (45), ensuring Australia completed a nail-biting chase.&nbsp;India had struck early blows, with Sree Charani taking (3-41) and Deepti Sharma and Amanjot Kaur picking up two wickets each. Perry&rsquo;s calm innings, coming after her return from a brief injury layoff, proved crucial in steadying the chase. Earlier, Smriti Mandhana&rsquo;s 80 runs off 66 balls provided a great start for India after Australia won the toss and opted to bowl.&nbsp;Mandhana hit nine fours and three sixes. She put on 155 runs for the first wicket with Pratika Rawal, who scored 75 off 96 ,But India lost its last six wickets for 36 runs, and its dismissal with seven balls left proved costly.&nbsp;Mandhana also became the youngest and fastest player to reach 5,000 ODI runs in 112 innings. Australia&rsquo;s bowlers responded in style, with Annabel Sutherland claiming a spectacular five-wicket haul (5-40) and Sophie Molineux adding (3-75), keeping India&rsquo;s middle and lower order in check.&nbsp;The victory moves Australia to the top of the points table with seven points from four matches, while India slip to third with four points after back-to-back defeats.&nbsp;Seven-time champion Australia is currently unbeaten in 12 Cricket World Cup games stretching back to the previous edition in 2022. It next plays Bangladesh on Thursday, at the same Visakhapatnam venue.

Cricket

Australia chased down 331 to beat India by three wickets in the Women’s World Cup 2025, led by Alyssa Healy’s 142. Annabel Sutherland took 5-40 as Australia topped the table.

Australia pull off record chase to beat India in Women's World Cup 2025

Reuters

RAMALLAH: The Palestinian Authority is ready to work with US President Donald Trump and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair on their effort to consolidate the Gaza ceasefire and start rebuilding, a senior Palestinian official told Blair on Sunday. Trump&#39;s plan for ending the Gaza war holds out the prospect of the Palestinian Authority, based in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and led by President Mahmoud Abbas, eventually taking control of Gaza, but only after it completes reforms. Abbas lost control of Gaza to Hamas in 2007. Trump&#39;s proposal says Hamas must end its rule of Gaza and foresees the territory being run by a Palestinian technocratic committee supervised by an international body chaired by him and including Blair. Hussein al-Sheikh, deputy head of the Palestine Liberation Organization, said he had met Blair to discuss the day after in Gaza and making Trump&#39;s plan for &quot;stopping the Gaza war and establishing lasting peace in the region a success&quot;. &quot;We have confirmed our readiness to work with President Trump, Mr. Blair and the partners to consolidate the ceasefire, the entry of aid, the release of hostages and prisoners, and then start with the recovery and reconstruction,&quot; Sheikh wrote on X. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected Gaza being run by the Palestinian Authority.

Palestinians collect aid supplies from trucks that entered Gaza, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip October 12, 2025. (Reuters)

Trump's plan for ending the Gaza war holds out the prospect of the Palestinian Authority, based in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and led by President Mahmoud Abbas, eventually taking control of Gaza, but only after it completes reforms. 

Palestinian Authority ready to help Trump's Gaza effort succeed, says official

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said Sunday the United States wants to help China, not hurt it, striking a conciliatory tone days after threatening an additional 100 percent tariff on the world&#39;s second-largest economy.&nbsp;Trump&#39;s statements on Friday as well as his threat to cancel a meeting with Xi later this month sent Wall Street stocks tumbling into negative territory as traders worried the trade war between Washington and Beijing could reignite.&nbsp;&quot;The USA wants to help China, not hurt it!!!&quot; Trump said in Sunday&#39;s post on Truth Social, adding that &quot;respected President Xi (Jinping)doesn&#39;t want Depression for his country.&quot;&nbsp;Trump on Friday said that he would impose the extra levies from November 1 in response to what he called &quot;extraordinarily aggressive&quot; new Chinese export curbs on the rare-earths industry.&nbsp;Beijing, in turn, accused Washington of acting unfairly, with its Ministry of Commerce on Sunday calling Trump&#39;s tariff threat a &quot;typical example of &#39;double standards.&#39;&quot;&nbsp;The ministry said Washington had ratcheted up economic measures against Beijing since September.&nbsp;&quot;Threatening high tariffs at every turn is not the right approach to engaging with China,&quot; it said in an online statement.&nbsp;Chinese goods currently face US tariffs of 30 percent under levies that Trump imposed while accusing Beijing of aiding in the fentanyl trade as well as unfair trade practices.&nbsp;China&#39;s retaliatory tariffs are currently at 10 percent.&nbsp;Rare earths have been a major sticking point in recent trade negotiations between the two superpowers.&nbsp;They are critical to manufacturing everything from smartphones and electric vehicles to military hardware and renewable energy technology but produced and processed almost exclusively by China.

China

President Trump stated that the US wants to help China, not harm it, following earlier threats of higher tariffs over rare-earth exports. China criticized the tariff threat as unfair, amid ongoing trade tensions affecting global markets.


Trump says US wants to help China, not hurt it'

MADRID: England&#39;s Marco Penge held his nerve to seal his third European Tour title of the season with a playoff victory over Daniel Brown at the Spanish Open in Madrid on Sunday.&nbsp;Penge sealed victory on the first sudden-death hole, after his fellow countryman Brown had come back from five shots behind heading into the last round.&nbsp;&quot;It felt like I was really up against it, but I feel like I managed myself really well and managed to stay solid,&quot; said world number 55 Penge.&nbsp;&quot;I felt good. I was just trying to stick to the same stuff I&#39;ve been doing for the last six months.&quot;&nbsp;Penge also won the Hainan Classic and the Danish Golf Championship earlier this year in a breakthrough campaign.&nbsp;The 27-year-old struggled to a two-over front nine to give playing partners Brown and Joel Girrbach hope after starting the day four strokes clear at the top of the leaderboard, but a birdie on the 12th helped him stay in front.&nbsp;Brown, ranked 102nd, forced added holes with a birdie on the 18th, a short par four.&nbsp;But Penge turned the tables when they played the closing hole again a few minutes later in the playoff to take the spoils.&nbsp;Switzerland&#39;s Girrbach finished alone in third place on 14-under for the tournament, one shot outside the playoff.&nbsp;Three-time champion and home favourite Jon Rahm delighted the crowds with a final-round 65 to finish in a tie for ninth.

Athletics

England’s Marco Penge won his third European Tour title of the year at the Spanish Open in Madrid, defeating Daniel Brown in a playoff. Penge held his nerve despite a challenging round, securing a breakthrough season.


Articles by Maham Khan