Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: There was no let-up in fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan as the conflict entered its third day despite efforts by the international community to de-escalate the situation, which has claimed scores of lives since Thursday night. The clashes started after the Afghan Taliban targeted Pakistani positions along the border in response to earlier air strikes by Pakistan in multiple Afghan provinces to target the militants involved in cross-border attacks. Pakistan launched the operation ‘Ghazb lil Haq’ in response and took out military targets across Afghanistan. On Saturday, the armed forces continued ground and air operations against the Afghan Taliban overnight, striking formation headquarters in Nangarhar and other areas. The headquarters of the Afghan army in Kandahar and Nangarhar provinces were destroyed in targeted air strikes carried out by the armed forces, said security sources. State-run media reported that air strikes “hit two targets at the Mohmand Dara Base in Nangarhar” while Afgha...

LA PAZ : At least 22 people were killed when a Bolivian military cargo plane carrying banknotes crashed while landing near the capital city La Paz, police said Friday, as crowds attempted to loot the site. The aircraft, a C-130 Hercules transport plane — manufactured by Lockheed Martin — veered off the runway at El Alto Intern­ational Airport and crashed into an avenue, destroying multiple cars and damaging trucks, local media footage showed. Mangled parts of the aircraft were seen on the road where the plane came down and bystanders could be seen rushing to grab the scattered cash prompting police to deploy tear gas to repel the hordes. Authorities were later seen setting the money alight in a bonfire at the scene of the crash. It was not immediately known what caused the crash but witnesses told AFP that the weather had been treacherous. 28 injured as hospitals launch emergency blood donation drive The Ministry of Defence said it would launch an investigation into the crash. Colonel Rene Tambo, head of the ...

NEW DELHI: India inaugurated its first semiconductor assembly and test facility on Saturday, a milestone in the government’s push to reduce dependence on foreign chipmakers and stake a claim in a sector dominated by China. Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened US firm Micron Tech­n­o­logy’s Semiconductor Assembly, Test and Packaging unit in his home state of Gujarat, hailing the “dawn of a new era” for India’s technology ambitions. “When young Indians look back in the future, they will see this decade as the turning point in our tech future,” Modi told the event, which was broadcast on his official YouTube channel. The plant will convert advanced semiconductor wafers from Micron’s global network into finished memory and storage products. India’s semiconductor market has expanded from $38 billion in 2023 to an estimated $45-50bn in 2024-25, with government targets of up to $110bn by 2030. New Delhi is currently developing 10 chip projects worth more than $18bn , including two cutting-edge 3-nanometre des­ign fac...

• Airspace shut over Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Jordan • Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways, 24 other airlines ground flights ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Int­ernational Airlines (PIA) suspended flights to several Gulf countries on Saturday, joining a cascade of global carriers grounding aircraft across the Middle East after US and Israeli strikes on Iran plunged the region into a renewed military conflict and shut down major air corridors. According to a statement by the PIA spokesperson, flights have been suspended to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait. “These flights will not operate until tomorrow evening or until the restoration of airspace, whichever comes later,” the spokesperson said. “PIA flights to Saudi Arabia will continue; however, their routes have been changed,” he added. “Flights have been shifted to Boeing 777 aircraft and will reach their destinations via longer routes,” the spokesperson added. The national carrier requested the travellers to contact the PIA c...

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who ruled he Islamic republic for over 30 years, has been killed in a an strike by US and Israel — the two countries that had been calling for a regime change in Tehran. Khamenei, 86, became Iran’s highest authority in 1989, following the death of the Islamic Republic’s founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. He remained in power after overcoming 1999 student demonstrations, 2009 mass protests sparked by disputed presidential elections and 2019 demonstrations that were brutally suppressed. He also survived the 2022-2023 “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement sparked by the death in custody of Iranian Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested for allegedly violating the strict dress code for women. As supreme leader, he held ultimate control over Iran’s political, military and religious institutions, shaping domestic policy and guiding foreign relations. An article published in Al Jazeera said “critical to Khamenei’s power is the loyalty of two of Iran’s premier secu...

The United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Saturday, targeting its leadership and plunging the Middle East into a new conflict that President Donald Trump said would end a security threat and give Iranians a chance to topple their rulers. The strikes put nearby oil-producing Gulf Arab countries on edge as fears of escalation grew, and Tehran responded by launching missiles towards Israel. Here’s how the conflict could play out across world markets. Oil spike Oil is the main barometer of Middle East tension. Iran is a major producer and lies opposite the oil-rich Arabian Peninsula across the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20 per cent of global oil supply passes. Conflict could limit oil entering the global market and push up prices. Brent crude traded on Friday around $73 a barrel, already up by a fifth this year. Some oil majors and top trading houses suspended crude oil and fuel shipments via the Strait of Hormuz because of the attacks, four trading sources said on Saturday. William Jack...

Iran denies Israeli, US claim about Khamenei's death; IRGC targets US bases, destroys US missile tracking radar

108 killed in Israeli strike on girls school in Iran

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Russia, China call strikes 'a pre-planned, unprovoked act'

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Seek clear government stance, urge Muslim unity and parliamentary consultation

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Govt also increases price of diesel by Rs5.16

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