Staff Reporter

LAHORE: Saudi Arabia has agreed to extend the maturity of its $3 billion deposit placed with the central bank for another year, offering critical support to Pakistan&rsquo;s fragile external account, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said on Thursday. In a statement, SBP said the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) has rolled over the deposit initially due to mature on December 8 for a further 12 months. &ldquo;The extension of the term of the deposit is a continuation of the support provided by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, which will help strengthen Pakistan&rsquo;s foreign exchange reserves and contribute to the country&rsquo;s economic growth and development,&rdquo; the SBP noted. The $3 billion deposit was originally signed in 2021, and later rolled over in 2022, 2023, and 2024, making this the fourth extension.&nbsp; Last week, the SBP reported that its foreign exchange reserves increased slightly by $9 million, reaching $14.560 billion as of the week ending November 21. However, Pakistan&rsquo;s total liquid reserves fell to $19.605 billion, down from $19.738 billion, due to a decline in commercial banks&rsquo; foreign currency holdings, which dropped from $5.186 billion to $5.044 billion. Saudi Arabia has historically been one of Pakistan&rsquo;s most reliable partners, extending support in the form of oil on deferred payments, guarantees for international lenders including the International Monetary Fund, and recurring deposit rollovers to stabilize Pakistan&rsquo;s external sector. With over 2.5 million Pakistani expatriates working in the Kingdom, Saudi Arabia remains Pakistan&rsquo;s largest source of remittances. Following a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the sidelines of the FII9 Conference in Riyadh, the two countries strengthened their strategic cooperation after signing a defense pact.&nbsp;

Foreign Affairs

State Bank says deposit’s term extension is a continuation of support provided by Saudi Arabia; will help strengthen Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves, contribute to the country’s economic growth and development.

Saudi Arabia extends $3B deposit with Pakistan for another year

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday rejected Taliban accusations that its forces carried out overnight airstrikes inside Afghanistan&rsquo;s Khost province, after an explosion killed 10 civilians, including nine children.&nbsp;Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the raid &ldquo;martyred&rdquo; the victims and claimed the target was &ldquo;the house of a local civilian resident.&rdquo; He publicly blamed Pakistan for the attack in a statement posted on X. Islamabad flatly denied the allegation.&nbsp;Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, head of Pakistan military&rsquo;s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations, during an interaction with senior journalists said, &ldquo;Pakistan has not attacked Afghanistan.&rdquo;&nbsp;He emphasized that &ldquo;whenever Pakistan conducts any operation, it announces it formally,&rdquo; underscoring that the country &ldquo;never attacks civilians.&rdquo;&nbsp;The latest charge has deepened tensions already heightened since two powerful explosions struck central Kabul on October 9. The Kabul incident triggered a week of cross-border hostilities that resulted in a 48-hour ceasefire brokered in Doha, with follow-up diplomacy in T&uuml;rkiye.&nbsp;Pakistani officials maintain the truce was contingent on a &ldquo;concrete and verifiable monitoring mechanism&rdquo; to ensure Afghan territory is not used to stage attacks against its forces or civilians.&nbsp;Lt. Gen. Chaudhry reiterated that Pakistan&rsquo;s conflict is with militant networks, not the Afghan population.&nbsp;&ldquo;Our policy is against terrorism, not against the Afghan people,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Our issue is with the Afghan interim government, not with Afghanistan&rsquo;s people.&rdquo;&nbsp;Security officials described the militants operating from Afghan soil as the Fitna al-Khawarij network, Islamabad&rsquo;s term for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), invoking the historic extremist sect synonymous with rebellion and violent upheaval.&nbsp;According to ISPR, since November 4, Pakistani forces have killed 206 militants in operations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces.&nbsp;Lt. Gen. Chaudhry noted that &ldquo;all suicide bombers are Afghan,&rdquo; warning that &ldquo;terrorists will be pursued until their last breath.&rdquo;&nbsp;He urged the Taliban regime to act decisively against cross-border militancy. &ldquo;The Afghan regime must take verifiable action against terrorist hideouts,&rdquo; he said, adding there would be no further talks &ldquo;until verifiable action is taken.&rdquo;&nbsp;Efforts to engage Kabul have repeatedly stalled.&nbsp;&ldquo;From 2021 to 2025 we repeatedly engaged the Afghan government, but no result came,&rdquo; Lt Gen Chaudhry said.&nbsp;Stressing Pakistan&rsquo;s posture as a responsible state actor, he added: &ldquo;We are a state, and we respond as a state. Blood and business cannot run together, it cannot happen that we face attacks and simultaneously maintain trade.&rdquo;

Security

Pakistan’s military media wing spokesperson denies Taliban claims of overnight Khost strikes, saying Pakistan conducts no such attacks and insists Kabul to take action against militants.

Pakistan denies overnight strikes amid rising Kabul tensions

LAHORE: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has launched a new digital investment platform, InvestPak, enabling individuals and corporations to invest in government securities entirely online.&nbsp;The initiative forms part of the central bank&rsquo;s broader strategy to modernize Pakistan&rsquo;s financial infrastructure and accelerate the shift toward a cashless economy.&nbsp;According to the SBP, InvestPak digitizes the entire investment process for customers holding rupee accounts with banks, primary dealers (PDs), and microfinance banks (MFBs). Through the web portal, users can open Investor Portfolio of Securities (IPS) accounts, submit bids in primary auctions, and trade government securities in the secondary market without visiting a branch.&nbsp;&ldquo;All banks are mandated to facilitate customer registration on the portal,&rdquo; the SBP said in a circular. &ldquo;Microfinance banks are encouraged to extend the same facility to their clients. All financial institutions must ensure efficient onboarding and a seamless user experience.&rdquo;&nbsp;The system allows users to link and operate multiple rupee and IPS accounts across different financial institutions via a single login, with registration requests required to be processed within two working days.&nbsp;As of June 30, 2025, total investment in government securities stood at Rs46.566 trillion, with scheduled banks holding Rs38.7 trillion (83%) and corporates Rs7.856 trillion (17%). The SBP expects that opening access to individual investors through InvestPak will broaden participation, deepen the domestic debt market, and diversify the investor base.&nbsp;The launch comes as the central bank advances a comprehensive digitalization roadmap. In September, the National Assembly&rsquo;s finance committee was informed that all federal and provincial government payments are to be fully digitized by June 2026, including transactions of state-owned enterprises.&nbsp;SBP Governor Jameel Ahmad told the committee that the central bank is taking &ldquo;comprehensive steps to promote a secure, inclusive, and technology-driven payments ecosystem,&rdquo; noting that 88% of retail transactions in Pakistan are now digital&mdash;a major shift reflecting the rapid uptake of electronic payments.&nbsp;Pakistan&rsquo;s digital financial infrastructure currently supports 226 million bank accounts and 46 million Raast IDs. To strengthen consumer protection, the SBP has introduced a bank liability framework and a mandatory two-hour cooling-off period for digital transfers to mitigate fraud.&nbsp;The digital banking landscape is also expanding. Mashreq Bank recently became the first international bank to launch full digital operations in Pakistan, rolling out nationwide services in 12 months&mdash;significantly faster than the global average of five years. Five additional digital banks have received in-principle approval to operate.&nbsp;To promote innovation, the SBP has also backed new digital payment solutions. Governor Ahmad recently inaugurated the JazzCash Experience Lounge, featuring facial and palm biometrics, wearables, and QR-based payment technologies.&nbsp;The SBP said InvestPak represents a major step in expanding public access to investment opportunities in Pakistan&rsquo;s financial markets, calling it part of a long-term transition to &ldquo;a more transparent, inclusive, and digitally driven economy.&rdquo;

Economy

The State Bank of Pakistan launched InvestPak, a digital platform enabling individuals and corporates to invest in government securities online, aiming to modernize financial infrastructure, promote inclusion, and advance Pakistan’s cashless economy

Pakistan’s central bank launches InvestPak to expand digital access to government securities

KARACHI: Pakistan&rsquo;s economic future is increasingly linked to the sea, with sustainable &ldquo;blue growth&rdquo; positioned to drive the country toward a $100 billion maritime economy, Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Junaid Anwar Chaudhry said on Thursday.&nbsp;He was speaking at the closing ceremony of the Pakistan International Maritime Expo &amp; Conference (PIMEC) 2025 at the Expo Center Karachi.&nbsp;&ldquo;The sea is becoming the axis of Pakistan&rsquo;s trade and climate resilience,&rdquo; Chaudhry said, announcing that two new ships have joined the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) fleet, with three more expected soon.&nbsp;He also confirmed that Pakistan has issued a license for its first private ferry service, describing it as &ldquo;an important step toward sustainable maritime travel and regional connectivity.&rdquo;&nbsp;Chaudhry outlined plans for Pakistan&rsquo;s first green ship repair and recycling yard at Port Qasim, part of what he called a &ldquo;Sea-to-Steel Integrated Maritime Industrial Complex.&rdquo;&nbsp;He added that the government has allocated Rs12 billion [$42 million] to modernize the shipbreaking facilities at Gaddani to ensure compliance with international environmental standards.&nbsp;The four-day PIMEC exhibition, organized jointly by the Pakistan Navy and the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, featured more than 150 domestic and 28 foreign exhibitors from 20 countries.<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" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 624px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1986427644007813372&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=b5526c5a7b4db488710934b272c751ac1545dd96&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="1986427644007813372"></iframe></div></div>Displays ranged from marine biotechnology and aquaculture to ocean renewable energy systems, digital navigation, autonomous marine vessels, and maritime defense technologies.&nbsp;Speaking at the opening session, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal described Pakistan as a &ldquo;natural maritime bridge between the East and West.&rdquo;&nbsp;However, he noted that the maritime sector currently contributes less than one percent to Pakistan&rsquo;s GDP, well below the four to seven percent share seen in comparable maritime economies.&nbsp;&ldquo;We must unlock the economic potential of our seas,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;This year&rsquo;s expo saw a notable rise in homegrown innovation. The National Electronics Complex of Pakistan (NECOP) showcased the SAFRAH Drone-Jamming Gun, which exhibitors said can neutralize drones within a 1.5 kilometer radius. Stingray Technologies displayed unmanned surface vessels for reconnaissance and logistics.&nbsp;Students from Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology introduced marine safety IoT devices, while Zarwah Enterprises highlighted bio-secure aquaculture systems for coastal livelihoods.&nbsp;The Gwadar Development Authority presented its Smart Port City Master Plan 2050, signaling long-term coastal urban development, while the Sindh People&rsquo;s Housing for Flood Affectees pavilion demonstrated climate-resilient housing models with strong women-led participation in post-flood reconstruction.&nbsp;Panelists at the parallel International Maritime Conference stressed that turning maritime innovation into large-scale economic gains will require coordinated policy, long-term financing, and stronger public-private collaboration.&nbsp;Chaudhry said Pakistan&rsquo;s shift toward a sustainable blue economy is not only an economic strategy but a climate resilience imperative.&nbsp;&ldquo;If nurtured strategically, Pakistan&rsquo;s blue economy can evolve into a $100 billion sector by 2047,&rdquo; he said, adding that building a &ldquo;green, secure, and competitive maritime sector&rdquo; is now a national priority.

Pakistan highlights sustainable “blue growth” to drive a $100bn maritime economy, as Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry announces new shipping expansion, green shipyard development, and stricter environmental standards at PIMEC 2025 in Karachi.

Sustainable ‘blue growth’ key to Pakistan’s $100 billion maritime future, says minister

PESHAWAR: Authorities in Pakistan&rsquo;s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province have issued a high weather alert for November 4 and 5, warning of heavy rain, thunderstorms, and snowfall in multiple districts already recovering from devastating floods earlier this year.&nbsp;The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said the incoming weather system poses a &ldquo;significant risk,&rdquo; particularly in mountainous areas weakened by the August 2025 cloudburst disaster that claimed nearly 400 lives across the province.&nbsp;&ldquo;This is not a routine weather advisory,&rdquo; the PDMA said in its alert. &ldquo;Given recent damage to terrain and infrastructure, even moderate rainfall may trigger landslides and disrupt mobility and essential services.&rdquo;&nbsp;The weather system is expected to affect nearly the entire province.&nbsp;Rain, thunderstorms, and snowfall are forecast in northern districts, including Upper and Lower Dir, Upper and Lower Chitral, Upper and Lower Kohistan, Shangla, Battagram, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Haripur, Buner, Malakand, Bajaur, and Mohmand.&nbsp;Rain and thunderstorms are also likely in central and southern areas, including Peshawar, Kohat, Charsadda, Nowshera, Mardan, Swabi, Khyber, Orakzai, Kurram, Hangu, Karak, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, North and South Waziristan, Tank, and Dera Ismail Khan.&nbsp;Saeda Saleh, a meteorologist with the Pakistan Meteorological Department, said the system is being driven by &ldquo;western winds,&rdquo; adding that authorities have urged the public to remain alert.&nbsp;&ldquo;People should stay cautious, especially in areas where the land is still unstable,&rdquo; she said.&nbsp;Officials fear that already weakened slopes in flood-affected districts could give way. The Met Office has explicitly warned of possible landslides in Abbottabad, Battagram, Dir, Chitral, Kohistan, Kurram, Shangla, and Swat, many of the same regions that were heavily impacted in August.&nbsp;In response, PDMA has directed all district administrations to activate emergency protocols, including &ldquo;cleaning of drainage systems to prevent urban flooding&rdquo; and ensuring &ldquo;full readiness of emergency response teams&rdquo; for rapid deployment. Authorities have also been instructed to issue timely alerts to residents and travelers, particularly in high-risk valleys.&nbsp;Residents have been strongly advised to avoid non-essential travel during the weather spell. Farmers and livestock owners, who suffered severe losses in the August floods, have been urged to move animals and stored crops to safer areas as a precautionary measure.&nbsp;PDMA said it will continue to monitor developments and provide further updates as the system approaches.

Climate & Environment

Pakistan’s disaster authority issued a high alert for November 4–5 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, warning of heavy rain, thunderstorms, and snowfall that could trigger landslides in flood-weakened mountain districts and disrupt essential services.

Landslides weather warning alert issued for Pakistan's north-west

NEW YORK: Paramount Skydance announced Thursday it will acquire Warner Bros. Discovery in a deal valuing the combined company at $110 billion, after beating Netflix in a bruising bidding war.&nbsp;The agreement ends a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/paramount-poised-to-acquire-warner-bros-after-netflix-walks-away" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">five-month bidding saga</a>&nbsp;and creates an entertainment behemoth whose impact on a struggling media landscape &mdash; and connections to Donald Trump&#39;s White House &mdash; will be closely scrutinized.&nbsp;The merged entity will include CNN, HBO and Nickelodeon as well as some of Hollywood&#39;s most valuable franchises, including Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, the DC Universe, Mission Impossible and SpongeBob SquarePants.&nbsp;Under the terms of the agreement,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/paramount-counters-netflix-with-hostile-bid-for-warner-bros" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Paramount</a>will pay $31.00 per share in cash for all outstanding Warner Bros. Discovery shares, implying an equity value of $81 billion &mdash; and $110 billion when including the debt Paramount will take on.&nbsp;The transaction has been unanimously approved by both companies&#39; boards and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026, the companies said.&nbsp;&quot;Our pursuit of Warner Bros. Discovery has been guided by a clear purpose: to honor the legacy of two iconic companies while accelerating our vision of building a next-generation media and entertainment company,&quot; said Paramount Chairman and CEO David Ellison.&nbsp;The deal closes a saga that ended Thursday when Netflix walked away, unwilling to match Paramount&#39;s latest offer.&nbsp;Questions now pivot to the Ellison family, which will control a constellation of media properties spanning the globe.&nbsp;Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison is the father of Paramount CEO David Ellison and largely financed his son&#39;s takeover of Paramount and his subsequent bid for Warner Bros. Discovery.&nbsp;Larry Ellison is also a longtime ally of President Trump. Both Paramount and Netflix have sought to curry favor with the White House, with Paramount winning out.&nbsp;The Paramount offer includes financing from three Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds -- those of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Abu Dhabi -- which could attract regulatory scrutiny.&nbsp;Paramount has also offered a $7 billion regulatory termination fee should the deal fail to close on regulatory grounds, and has covered the $2.8 billion breakup fee Warner Bros. owed Netflix when it walked away from their agreement.

The Paramount sign is seen outside the Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, California, on December 9, 2025. (Photo: AF/File)

Entertainment

The agreement ends a five-month bidding saga and creates an entertainment behemoth whose impact on a struggling media landscape — and connections to Donald Trump's White House — will be closely scrutinized.

Paramount acquires Warner Bros. in $110 bn mega-merger

WASHINGTON: Iran agreed in talks with the United States never to stockpile enriched uranium, mediator Oman&#39;s top diplomat said Friday, in what he called a breakthrough that he hoped would prevent war.&nbsp;Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, whose country brokered&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-urges-us-to-drop-excessive-demands-to-reach-deal" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">talks between the United States and Iran</a>&nbsp;in Geneva on Thursday, said he believed all issues in a deal could be resolved &quot;amicably and comprehensively&quot; within three months.&nbsp;&quot;If the ultimate objective is to ensure forever that Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb, I think we have cracked that problem through these negotiations by agreeing on a very important breakthrough that has never been achieved any time before,&quot; Albusaidi told the CBS News program &quot;Face the Nation.&quot;&nbsp;&quot;I think if we can capture that and build on it, I think a deal is within our reach,&quot; he said.&nbsp;The minister added that Iran would not be able to stockpile enriched uranium and that there would be verification.&nbsp;He said Iran would also degrade its current stockpiles to &quot;the lowest level possible&quot; so that it is &quot;converted into fuel, and that fuel will be irreversible.&quot;&nbsp;&quot;This is something completely new. It really makes the enrichment argument less relevant, because now we are talking about zero stockpiling,&quot; said Albusaidi, who met earlier Friday with US Vice President JD Vance.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-not-thrilled-with-iran-but-undecided-on-attack" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">President Donald Trump&#39;s administration</a>&nbsp;accuses Tehran of intending to build a nuclear weapon. But &quot;if you cannot stockpile material that is enriched, then there is no way you can actually create a bomb,&quot; Albusaidi told CBS.&nbsp;In a 2015 agreement negotiated by former president Barack Obama, Iran agreed to keep enrichment only to a low level that is well below weapons grade.&nbsp;Trump ripped up the deal in his first term and imposed sanctions, and in recent weeks has deployed the US military in the region to levels not seen in years.&nbsp;Secretary of State Marco Rubio has insisted that any deal cover not just the nuclear program but also Iran&#39;s missiles.&nbsp;Asked about the missile issue, Albusaidi said: &quot;I believe Iran is open to discussing everything.&quot;

A handout picture provided by the Iranian Foreign Ministry on February 26, 2026, shows Iranian diplomats and a delegation during the Iran-US talks in Geneva, Switzerland. (Photo: AFP/File)

Middle East

Its foreign minister says talks between the United States and Iran in Geneva on Thursday, said he believed all issues in a deal could be resolved 'amicably and comprehensively' within three months.


Iran agreed not to stockpile enriched uranium: mediator Oman

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-not-thrilled-with-iran-but-undecided-on-attack" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">US President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;said Friday that the United States will not step into the situation between Pakistan and Afghanistan, while praising Pakistan&rsquo;s leadership and bilateral ties.&nbsp;Responding to a question about whether Washington would intervene in a possible conflict involving Pakistan, Trump said he has &ldquo;very good relations&rdquo; with the country.&nbsp;&ldquo;Well, I would, but I get along with Pakistan, as you know, very well &mdash; very, very well,&rdquo; he told reporters.&nbsp;The US president described Pakistan&rsquo;s prime minister and military leadership in positive terms, saying he has &ldquo;a lot of respect&rdquo; for them.&nbsp;&ldquo;You have a great prime minister [Shehbaz Sharif], you have a great general [Field Marshal Asim Munir] there, you have a great leader &mdash; two of the people that I really respect a lot,&rdquo; Trump said, adding that he believes Pakistan is &ldquo;doing terrifically well.&rdquo;&nbsp;His remarks came amid heightened tensions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, where security incidents have raised concerns about further escalation.&nbsp;Pakistan&rsquo;s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said late on Friday that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-says-297-taliban-fighters-killed-in-afghanistan-strikes" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">297 Afghan Taliban fighters were killed</a>&nbsp;and more than 450 were injured in retaliatory military strikes across Afghanistan.<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-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 471px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" 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=2027449317087408548&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=485de7e742b2156c528f877ea42b0a2dc7039429&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>In a post on the social media platform X, Tarar said the action was carried out under&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-says-297-taliban-fighters-killed-in-afghanistan-strikes" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Operation Ghazb lil Haq</a>&nbsp;and involved precision air and ground strikes at 29 locations in Afghanistan.&nbsp;The information minister said 89 Taliban check posts were destroyed, 18 captured, and 135 tanks and armed vehicles eliminated during the operation.

US President Donald Trump speaks to the press before boarding Marine One as he departs from the South Lawn of the White House for Texas in Washington, DC, on February 27, 2026. (Photo: AFP)

Americas

Praises the Pakistan leadership, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir; says he believes Pakistan is 'doing terrifically well.'

Trump says US will not intervene in Pakistan-Afghan conflict

Muhammad Ibrahim

ISLAMABAD: Recent security developments have reinforced Pakistan&rsquo;s long-standing assessment that Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Afghan Taliban operate as a mutually reinforcing nexus, where pressure on one group is met with retaliation by the other. The pattern was again visible this week after Pakistan launched <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-says-297-taliban-fighters-killed-in-afghanistan-strikes" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Operation Ghazab lil Haq</a>&nbsp;in response to unprovoked cross-border attacks. As <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/why-pakistan-struck-afghanistan" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pakistan struck Afghan Taliban targets</a> inside Afghanistan, TTP elements attempted to escalate violence inside Pakistan, including failed drone attacks in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Pakistan&rsquo;s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed that TTP-linked terrorists attempted to launch drones in Abbottabad, Swabi and Nowshera, but said Pakistan&rsquo;s anti-drone systems intercepted all of them, preventing any loss of life. &ldquo;These <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-responds-afghan-border-fire" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">incidents have again exposed direct linkages</a> between the Afghan Taliban regime and terrorism in Pakistan,&rdquo; Tarar said in a statement. Terrorist groups&#39; messaging, released the same day, removed any remaining ambiguity. A TTP faction, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, publicly issued directives to its terrorist operatives across Pakistan to escalate attacks on security forces, portraying the violence as retaliation for Pakistan&rsquo;s military action against Afghan Taliban targets. The message openly described attacks inside Pakistan as an act of &ldquo;solidarity&rdquo; with the Afghan Taliban. An earlier internal directive attributed to TTP leadership went further, declaring that the &ldquo;Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan stands with our mujahideen&rdquo; and ordering commanders to escalate attacks while amplifying propaganda through media channels. <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pm-sharif-briefed-at-military-headquarters-as-pakistan-inflicts-heavy-taliban-losses" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pakistani officials</a> say this coordinated messaging reflects an operational reality that has persisted since the Taliban takeover of Kabul in 2021: Afghan soil has increasingly been used as a safe haven for groups targeting Pakistan. Islamabad maintains that the return of the Taliban to power removed constraints on terrorist networks, enabling training, planning and cross-border attacks with impunity. Security sources argue the sequence is now predictable. When Pakistan confronts terrorist infrastructure inside Afghanistan, TTP cells activate inside Pakistan. When TTP strikes Pakistani targets, protection and facilitation trace back across the border. Pakistan says repeated diplomatic engagements have failed to alter this behavior and that the Afghan Taliban regime has neither acknowledged nor acted against the presence of anti-Pakistan terrorist groups on its territory. As military operations and militant reprisals continue in parallel, Pakistani authorities say the distinction between the Afghan Taliban and TTP is no longer theoretical but operational. A shared ecosystem in which an attack on one triggers a response from the other.

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Pakistan says recent drone attempts, militant directives, and retaliatory strikes demonstrate a coordinated operational pattern, where pressure on the Afghan Taliban consistently triggers Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan attacks inside Pakistan, reinforcing concerns over cross-border safe havens.

TTP–Taliban nexus exposed as attacks and retaliation mirror each other

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said Friday that <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-army-kills-274-afghan-taliban-affiliates-as-operation-ghazab-lil-haq-continues" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">297 Afghan Taliban fighters were killed</a> and more than 450 injured in retaliatory military strikes across Afghanistan, as Information Minister Attaullah Tarar denounced the Kabul administration as an &ldquo;illegitimate regime&rdquo; following unprovoked attacks along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. In a post on social media platform X, Tarar said the action was carried out under Operation Ghazb lil Haq and involved precision air and ground strikes on 29 locations inside Afghanistan. The information minister said 89 Taliban check posts were destroyed, 18 captured, and 135 tanks and armed vehicles eliminated during the operation.<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-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 471px; 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=2027449317087408548&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=485de7e742b2156c528f877ea42b0a2dc7039429&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="2027449317087408548">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Earlier, while addressing a press briefing, Tarar said <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pm-sharif-briefed-at-military-headquarters-as-pakistan-inflicts-heavy-taliban-losses" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">unprovoked firing by the Afghan Taliban regime</a> along the Pakistan&ndash;Afghanistan border was being and will continue to be responded to strongly and effectively. He described Pakistan&rsquo;s response as &ldquo;immediate and decisive,&rdquo; adding that Taliban fighters fled several positions, leaving behind weapons and bodies. The minister said the latest fighting further exposed what he called a direct&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/why-pakistan-struck-afghanistan" style="color:#0073e6;">nexus between the Afghan Taliban regime and terrorist networks</a>&nbsp;targeting Pakistan. &ldquo;Afghan soil is being used for training, facilitation, and launching attacks that kill our civilians and security personnel,&rdquo; he said, referring to recent assaults on religious sites, judicial facilities, and Pakistani military officers. Tarar also launched a broad attack on the Taliban&rsquo;s governance, calling it &ldquo;a system based on repression and the perversion of religion.&rdquo; He quoted the government&rsquo;s position, saying, &ldquo;The activities of the Afghan Taliban regime and Fitna al-Khawarij against Pakistan are unacceptable.&rdquo; He accused the Kabul authorities of ruling without legitimacy, denying fundamental rights and enforcing discriminatory laws against women, children, and minorities. &ldquo;This regime has nothing to do with Islam,&rdquo; Tarar said. &ldquo;It has imposed oppression on its own people and exported terrorism across the border.&rdquo; Tarar said Pakistan&rsquo;s armed forces remain on full alert and prepared to respond to any further aggression. &ldquo;Pakistan knows very well how to defend itself,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Our response will remain strong, effective, and in defense of our sovereignty.&rdquo;

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar slams the Afghan Taliban regime as illegitimate and repressive, says cross-border attacks trigger decisive military action, confirms heavy Taliban losses and vows zero tolerance while defending sovereignty, citizens and security.

Pakistan says 297 Taliban fighters killed in Afghanistan strikes

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said Friday he was frustrated by Iran&#39;s position in talks but added he had not yet decided whether to carry out a threatened attack.&nbsp;A day after the United States and Iran held talks in Geneva, Trump said that the cleric-run state was &quot;not willing to give us what we have to have.&quot;&nbsp;&quot;We haven&#39;t made a final decision,&quot; he told reporters when asked about the use of force.&nbsp;&quot;We&#39;re not exactly happy with the way they negotiated. They cannot have nuclear weapons, and we&#39;re not thrilled with the way they&#39;re negotiating,&quot; Trump said.&nbsp;&quot;We want no nuclear weapons by Iran and they&#39;re not saying those golden words.&quot;&nbsp;Iran has said repeatedly that it is not pursuing nuclear weapons and US intelligence has found no evidence that it has made a decision to do so.&nbsp;But the United States and Israel, which carried out a major bombing campaign in Iran in June, are skeptical of the statements by Iran, which backs Palestinian militants Hamas.&nbsp;Asked if an attack would trigger all-out war in the Middle East, Trump said, &quot;I guess you could always say there&#39;s always a risk.&nbsp;&quot;You know when there&#39;s war, there&#39;s a risk in anything, both good and bad.&quot;&nbsp;Trump was circumspect on whether a US attack would bring down the Islamic republic, a sworn enemy of the United States and Israel.&nbsp;Authorities last month killed thousands of people as they crushed mass protests in the biggest threat to the ruling clerics since the 1979 Islamic revolution toppled the pro-Western shah.&nbsp;&quot;Nobody knows. There might be and there might not be,&quot; Trump said of regime change.&nbsp;Trump in his first term ripped up a nuclear deal negotiated by his predecessor Barack Obama in which Iran agreed to strict limits on uranium enrichment.

US President Donald Trump expressed frustration with Iran after Geneva talks, saying no final decision on military action has been made. He demanded Iran abandon nuclear ambitions, while US and Israeli skepticism persists amid regional tensions.

Trump 'not thrilled' with Iran but undecided on attack

ISTANBUL: Flights from Istanbul airport to Tehran were cancelled on Friday night amid a mounting US military buildup around Iran.&nbsp;Istanbul airport said flights by Turkish Airlines and two Iranian companies to the Iranian capital had been cancelled.&nbsp;Four flights to Tehran scheduled for Saturday were also cancelled, though six others remained on the schedule. A Turkish Airlines flight to the northern Iranian city of Tabriz, due to leave early Saturday, was called off.&nbsp;Turkish authorities made no comment on events in Iran on Friday, declining to join the litany of nations advising their citizens against travel to the Islamic republic.&nbsp;Turkey has a 550 kilometer (340 mile) frontier with Iran that has three crossing points.

Asia

Flights from Istanbul Airport to Tehran were cancelled Friday night amid rising US military tensions around Iran. Turkish Airlines and Iranian carriers halted services, affecting several Saturday flights, while Turkey issued no travel warning despite the situation.

Istanbul flights to Tehran cancelled Friday night: airport

CAPE CANAVERAL: NASA on Friday said it would revise its Artemis lunar program that has suffered multiple delays in recent years, in a bid to ensure Americans can return to the Moon&#39;s surface by 2028.&nbsp;The US space agency will add missions between this spring&#39;s Artemis 2 and the ultimate lunar landing, a strategic revision that NASA administrator Jared Isaacman told a briefing would allow for improved launch &quot;muscle memory.&quot;&nbsp;That means Artemis 3, which was meant to send astronauts to the Moon&#39;s surface, will now have the alternate goal of &quot;rendezvous in low-Earth orbit&quot; of at least one lunar lander.&nbsp;The next phase, Artemis 4, will aim for a lunar landing in early 2028. Isaacman said he hoped that mission could be followed relatively quickly by a second Moon landing within the year.&nbsp;&quot;We&#39;re not necessarily committing to launching two missions in 2028,&quot; he said, &quot;but we want to have the opportunity to be able to do that.&quot;&nbsp;The NASA chief said speeding up the cadence of Artemis launches would allow for building more institutional knowledge in the model of the Apollo program, which originally put Americans on the Moon.&nbsp;&quot;Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, through the shuttle program -- I don&#39;t think it would surprise many of the folks in the room that our average launch cadence was closer to three months throughout all those programs, not three years,&quot; he said. &quot;We need to start getting back to basics and moving in this direction.&quot;&nbsp;&quot;Launching every three years, your skills atrophy, you lose muscle memory.&quot;&nbsp;Space raceThe revised architecture announcement comes in the wake of repeated delays to the Artemis 2 mission, which now will not launch before April.&nbsp;It is meant to see the first flyby of the Moon in more than half a century.&nbsp;Earlier this week, the US space agency rolled back its towering SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft off the launchpad to investigate its problems and make necessary repairs.&nbsp;President Donald Trump announced he wanted Americans to once again set foot on the lunar surface in his first term.&nbsp;The US space agency now hopes to put humans back on the Moon as China forges ahead with its own effort, which is targeting 2030 at the latest for a first crewed mission.&nbsp;China&#39;s uncrewed Chang&#39;e 7 mission is expected to be launched in 2026 for an exploration of the Moon&#39;s south pole, and testing of its crewed spacecraft Mengzhou is also set to go ahead this year.&nbsp;Queried on the so-called &quot;space race,&quot; Isaacman said Friday that &quot;I think competition is good.&quot;&nbsp;&quot;We&#39;re here talking to you about what is a common-sense approach to achieve the objective, whether we had a great rival in the running or not.&quot;

Artificial Intelligence

NASA will revise its Artemis program after delays, adding missions before a planned 2028 lunar landing. Artemis 3 will test lunar lander rendezvous in low-Earth orbit, while Artemis 4 targets Moon landing as China advances its space ambitions.

NASA announces overhaul of Artemis lunar program amid technical delays

COLOMBO: Rehan Ahmed and Will Jacks smashed 44 off 16 balls to take England to a thrilling four-wicket T20 World Cup win in Colombo that denied New Zealand a guaranteed place in the semi-finals but kept Pakistan&#39;s slender hopes alive.&nbsp;New Zealand would have joined England in the knockouts with a win in their final Super Eights match and they scored 159-6 after opting to bat.&nbsp;England lost wickets early and looked like they would be squeezed out at 117-6, needing 43 from the last three overs.&nbsp;But Ahmed and Jacks took 22 off the 18th over from Glenn Phillips to turn the match on its head.&nbsp;Ahmed blasted 19 off seven balls in his first T20 World Cup match alongside Jacks, who made an unbeaten 32 off 18, to see England to 161-6 with three balls to spare.&nbsp;England will move on to a semi-final in Mumbai on Thursday against either India or the West Indies, who clash on Sunday to decide the final semi-final berth.&nbsp;New Zealand now have to wait on the outcome of Saturday&#39;s clash between Sri Lanka and Pakistan in Kandy to know if they have qualified for a semi-final in Kolkata against South Africa.&nbsp;Pakistan have an inferior run rate so need to win by 65 runs or inside 13 overs to overtake the Kiwis and deny them a place in the final four. If Pakistan qualify then the semi-final would be played in Colombo.&nbsp;England used five spinners to bowl 16 of the 20 overs on a turning track. The 2010 and 2022 champions had never bowled so many overs of spin before in a T20 international.&nbsp;Jacks returned the best figures with 2-23, while Adil Rashid picked up 2-28 and is now England&#39;s leading wicket-taker in the tournament with 11.&nbsp;Rashid was complemented by fellow wrist spinner Ahmed, who was called up in place of Jamie Overton, and took a wicket with his first ball before finishing with 2-28 from three overs.&nbsp;Glenn Phillips top scored with 39 off 28 including four fours and a six while opener Tim Seifert scored 35.&nbsp;Liam Dawson (1-32) and Jacob Bethell (0-13) were the other spinners employed by England.

Cricket

England beat New Zealand by four wickets in Colombo after Rehan Ahmed and Will Jacks powered a late chase of 160. England reached 161-6, keeping Pakistan’s semi-final hopes alive while New Zealand await Sri Lanka-Pakistan result.

Ahmed, Jacks blast England to thrilling win over New Zealand

SAN FRANCISCO: OpenAI announced Friday a massive $110 billion funding round valuing the ChatGPT maker at $730 billion, with SoftBank, Nvidia and Amazon each making multi-billion-dollar commitments as the artificial intelligence company races to meet surging global demand.&nbsp;The investment round -- one of the largest in Silicon Valley history -- includes $30 billion from Japanese conglomerate SoftBank, $30 billion from chip giant Nvidia, and up to $50 billion from Amazon, with additional investors expected to join as the round progresses.&nbsp;Alongside the capital injection, OpenAI announced strategic partnerships with both Amazon, the world&#39;s biggest cloud company through its AWS division, and Nvidia, whose AI chips remain unparalleled in their capacity for AI training.&nbsp;&quot;SoftBank, Nvidia, and Amazon are long-term partners who share our ambition to turn real scientific progress into systems that deliver meaningful benefits for people at global scale,&quot; OpenAI said in a statement.&nbsp;The eye-watering level of funding reflects the soaring costs of computing power and comes amid lingering questions about whether OpenAI and other AI companies can generate sufficient revenue to cover those costs.&nbsp;The Amazon investment will begin with $15 billion, followed by another $35 billion in the coming months when certain conditions are met, the companies said.&nbsp;According to reports, these include OpenAI going public or achieving artificial general intelligence, a sometimes ill-defined standard of AI capability that more closely matches human-level ability.&nbsp;OpenAI and Amazon also struck a deal in which the ChatGPT maker will use two gigawatts of computing capacity powered by Amazon&#39;s in-house Trainium chips.&nbsp;Amazon&#39;s cloud computing rival Microsoft, which did not participate in the funding round, remains a major shareholder of OpenAI and a strategic partner.&nbsp;In the announcement, OpenAI cited a series of user metrics pointing to a breakneck pace of AI adoption.&nbsp;Even if short of its previous forecasts, ChatGPT now counts more than 900 million weekly active users and over 50 million paying consumer subscribers, with January and February on track to be the platform&#39;s biggest-ever months for new subscriptions, the company said.&nbsp;It added that more than nine million businesses pay to use ChatGPT for workplace tasks, while its Codex software development tool has seen weekly users more than triple since the start of the year to 1.6 million.&nbsp;The figures are intended to reassure more skeptical investors who have questioned OpenAI&#39;s ability to secure revenue, with user growth for its flagship ChatGPT slowing.&nbsp;The company this month began rolling out advertising for its non-premium users in a bid to bring in more revenue.&nbsp;According to The Information tech news, OpenAI now predicts that it will burn more than twice as much cash through 2030 than previously predicted, spending $665 billion on the costs of running and training its AI.&nbsp;Competition has ramped up too.&nbsp;Arch-rival Anthropic, founded by former OpenAI employees, continues to gain ground and grab headlines for its well-regarded Claude AI models.&nbsp;Anthropic earlier this year secured a $30 billion funding round.&nbsp;Google&#39;s AI model Gemini has also emerged as a potent competitor, with Elon Musk&#39;s xAI also attracting investment and users.

OpenAI announces a $110 billion funding round valuing it at $730 billion, with major backing from SoftBank, Nvidia, and Amazon, as it expands partnerships, scales computing capacity, and accelerates growth amid rising costs and intensifying AI competition.

Articles by Staff Reporter