Pakistan

Flight operations between Pakistan and several Middle Eastern destinations remain severely affected due to ongoing regional tensions linked to the US-Israel-Iran conflict.

LAHORE: The Punjab Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on Saturday claimed to have arrested 36 suspected terrorists belonging to various banned organisations in province-wide operations over the past month. Those arrested included two dangerous suspected terrorists of Fitna-al-Khawarij from Faisalabad and Jhelum, recovering heavy explosives and weapons, according to a press release issued by the CTD. Fitna-al-Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The press release said that in a month-long campaign, CTD Punjab arrested a total of 36 terrorists from various banned organisations and foiled a major terrorist plan during operations across Punjab. According to the spokesperson, CTD conducted 366 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in different districts, questioning 338 suspects and seizing weapons, explosives, and other prohibited materials. It said that the arrested suspects belong to the TTP and other banned groups, hailing from Lahore, Sahiwa...

PM Shehbaz Sharif held a telephonic conversation with Masoud Pezeshkian, during which both leaders discussed ongoing regional hostilities and efforts to restore peace.

United States President Donald Trump said on Friday that “Cuba is next” in his latest threat against the Caribbean island, as he dismissed concerns that recent American military actions would cost him political support. Cuba’s communist government has faced mounting pressure from Trump, who imposed a de facto oil blockade in January and mused about “taking” the country. Speaking at the Saudi-backed FII Priority investment forum in Miami, Trump said his Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement wanted “strength” and “victory”, citing the January raid where US forces seized Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. “I built this great military. I said, “You’ll never have to use it,” but sometimes you have to use it,” Trump said. “And Cuba is next, by the way. But pretend I didn’t say that.” Trump did not specify what he planned to do with Cuba, telling the media to “disregard that statement” before repeating “Cuba’s next” to laughter from the audience. In his Friday speech, the Republican president also made a teasing c...

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast cloudy weather with chances of light rain in Karachi on Saturday evening and Sunday, as well as rain in other parts of Sindh on March 29 and 30, as a westerly wave continues to affect most areas of the country. The PMD had previously forecast chances of rain and thunderstorms in Karachi and across Sindh on Saturday, warning that windstorms or hailstorms and lightning could damage weak structures such as electric poles, billboards and solar panels during the forecast period. In its three-day weather outlook, the PMD said that the weather in the Karachi division was expected to be partly cloudy and windy, with chances of “isolated light rain/drizzle” later in the evening or night. Temperatures are expected to reach 31-33 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature is 25°C. The humidity will drop from 76 per cent in the daytime to between 50 and 60pc in the evening. Sunday is expected to be largely similar in temperature and the PMD predicts another cl...

The Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) has selected 1,700 fresh engineering graduates for its flagship Graduate Engineer Trainee (GET) Placement Program, offering a monthly stipend of Rs50,000 and six months of industry training across the country.

Indonesia began enforcing a social media ban for children under the age of 16 on Saturday, after a minister warned digital platforms there was “no room for compromise.” The Southeast Asian nation announced the ban this month citing threats from online pornography, cyberbullying and internet addiction, as concerns grow globally over the impact of social media on children’s wellbeing. Communications minister Meutya Hafid said at a press conference late Friday that digital platforms X and Bigo Live have fully complied with the new rules and adjusted their minimum user age in line with the regulation. Other digital platforms operating in the country should “immediately align their products, features and services with applicable regulations,” Meutya said. “We reiterate that there is no room for compromise regarding compliance, and that every business entity operating in Indonesia is required to adhere to the laws in force within the country.” TikTok said in a statement late Friday that it was committed to complyin...

The federal government has formed a task force to revamp the legal wings of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). The purpose of the task force is to reform, revamp, and strengthen FBR’s revenue litigation framework at all levels, including initial adjudication by the tax department, commissioner/collector appeals, Appellate Tribunals Inland Revenue and Customs, high courts, Supreme Court, and the Federal Constitutional Court. The high-level task force was constituted by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and is aimed at examining and overhauling FBR’s legal wings. The task force was set up after the federal government’s recognition of growing concerns over persistent gaps in litigation management that have hindered effective representation and enforcement of tax and customs laws. The task force will be presided over by Shad Mohammad and includes senior legal and operational officials from FBR, the CEO of Pakistan Single Window, technical advisors, representatives of the Attorney General’s Office, and the eminen...

The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) conducted 366 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) across various cities in Punjab over the past month, resulting in the arrest of 36 terrorists, a spokesperson said.

India has approved defence purchases worth about $25 billion, the defence ministry said, including additional Russian-made S-400 long-range missile systems. The approvals were given by the Defence Acquisition Council, led by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, according to a statement issued late on Friday. The ministry said it has cleared 55 proposals worth 6.73 trillion Indian rupees ($71bn) in the 2025-26 financial year so far. It has also signed capital procurement contracts worth 2.28tr Indian rupees ($25bn), the highest in a single fiscal year. For the air force, the approved items include new medium transport aircraft to replace old AN-32 and IL-76 planes, additional S-400 air defence systems, drones and upgrades to Su-30 fighter jet engines. Although India has expanded defence purchases from the United States, France and Israel in recent years, the new S-400 orders and Su-30 upgrades indicate that Russia remains an important defence supplier. The S-400 system will “counter enemy long-range air” threats, w...

Pakistan has entered a new phase of digital development with the rollout of 5G services under the strategy of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC).

PARIS: Scientists have managed to film a spectacular event rarely witnessed by humans: a sperm whale giving birth while other females worked together to support the mother and her newborn. A team from Project CETI, an international effort seeking to understand how whales communicate, were in a boat near a pod of 11 whales off the coast of the Caribbean island of Dominica on July 8, 2023. Rounder, a 19-year-old female, was surrounded by family members and others as she was about to give birth to her second calf. Over nearly five and a half hours, the scientists documented the group’s behaviour, watching them from the boat, filming them with drones and recording the sounds underneath the waves. The data they collected, which was published in the journals Scientific Reports and Science on Thursday, represent an exceptional rarity in the history of science. Out of 93 species of cetaceans — a group that includes whales, dolphins and porpoises — only nine have ever been observed giving birth in the wild. Rarer stil...

ISLAMABAD: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Saturday announced that it had reached a staff level agreement (SLA) for disbursement of about $1.2 billion on successful conclusion on the third review under Pakistan’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and the second review under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF). The Fund tacitly endorsed Islamabad’s fuel pricing policy in the wake of Middle East crisis. It said program implementation by Pakistan under the EFF remained broadly aligned with the authorities’ objectives to strengthen public finances, ensure inflation remains durably within the State Bank of Pakistan’s target range; advance reforms to improve the viability of the energy sector; and deepen structural reforms, while strengthening social protection and rebuilding health and education spending. The authorities’ climate reform agenda, backed by the RSF, is progressing, and the authorities remain committed to implementing comprehensive reforms and policies that enhance resilience and redu...

WASHINGTON: Democrats on the United States House Armed Services Committee have called for an immediate public hearing on President Donald Trump’s war against Iran, pressing the Pentagon to testify publicly as concerns mount over strategy, transparency, and the mounting human and economic costs of the conflict. In a letter led by Ranking Member Adam Smith and signed by every Democratic member of the committee, the lawmakers urged Chairman Mike Rogers to convene a separate hearing on the conflict, apart from routine budget and posture hearings, and to require the Department of War to explain its objectives, operational plans, and costs. The Democrats noted that the war has already resulted in the deaths of 13 US service members and 290 wounded, along with more than a thousand civilian deaths. They expressed concern about the lack of clarity on possible US ground operations, shifting strategic and operational objectives, and reports that the administration intends to request a $200 billion supplemental budget fo...

Tiger Woods was arrested and charged with driving under the influence on Friday after a rollover crash near his Florida home, authorities said, as the 15-time major champion’s golf career veered into fresh turmoil. Woods, 50, escaped injury but was detained after his vehicle clipped a truck while attempting to overtake on a residential road on Jupiter Island, flipping onto its side before sliding to a stop. Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek said Woods — who was arrested for driving under the influence in 2017 — showed signs of “impairment”, although he passed a breathalyser test. “When it came time for us to ask for a urinalysis test, he refused, and so he’s been charged with DUI, with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test in the crash,” Budensiek said. In line with Florida DUI laws, Woods was detained at the county jail for eight hours and was photographed departing the facility in a car late on Friday. A booking photo showed a red-eyed, stubbly-chinned Woods when he arrived at the jail a...

Jet fuel prices in Pakistan have surged sharply, rising by Rs84 per litre to reach a record Rs472 per litre, according to reports.

Asif Ali Zardari and Shehbaz Sharif have urged citizens to switch off non-essential lights for one hour, from 8:30 p.

Westerly winds have entered the country, bringing widespread rain and thunderstorms across most parts of Pakistan from today through March 31, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department.

ISLAMABAD: As maritime trade becomes more uncertain due to the Gulf crisis, Pakistan has permitted exporters to continue shipping food and pharmaceutical products to Iran via land routes without using mandatory banking instruments. Simultaneously, the federal government has permitted the export of rice to Central Asian Republics and Azerbaijan via the land route through Iran. The decision was communicated to customs field formations through an official message issued by the commerce ministry. According to the decision, the government has permitted the export of 10 food items to Iran via land route without the need for financial instruments. These items include rice, seafood, potatoes, meat, onions, maize, citrus fruits, bananas, tomatoes, and frozen chicken. Two other non-food items are pharmaceutical products and tents. Exemptions will be granted to exporters for the export of these items to Iran for three months — from March 24 to June 21. The exemption also covers rice exports routed through Iran’s land co...

• Punjab, Sindh favour passing global oil prices to consumers • National leadership dialogue planned on March 30-31 • Petrol, diesel consumption rises amid price freeze • Targeted subsidy proposed with 20-litre monthly cap for bikers • Contingency plans include rationing, lockdowns, reduced workdays • KP opposes lockdown, warns of impact on daily wage earners ISLAMABAD: Amid provincial reluctance to shoulder the fuel subsidy burden and growing calls to pass on rising international petroleum prices to consumers, a national leadership dialogue is being arranged early next week to develop an “all-inclusive” agenda on austerity and energy conservation. Background discussions with key stakeholders suggest the provinces expressed their inability on Friday to contribute about Rs200 billion sought by the Ministry of Finance to shield consumers across the country from further hikes in petroleum prices. Both Punjab and Sindh — the two largest provinces supposed to share more than Rs102bn and about Rs60bn, respectively ...