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ANKARA: Pakistan, Turkey, Qatar, and Indonesia signed an agreement on Wednesday to boost defence cooperation and strengthen defensive capabilities, the Turkish Defence Ministry said. In a statement, the ministry said the countries signed the “Badr Memorandum of Understanding” in Doha as a sign of their desire to further deepen cooperation and develop partnerships. “The agreement holds substantial economic importance,” it said, adding the accord sought to foster cooperation in military production, boost military capabilities, and help collaboration in technical military training, research and development. “By leveraging the unique military production capabilities of each country, the initiative will facilitate cooperation and…

Pakistan and the Maldives have agreed to expand bilateral trade to $200 million within two years as the two countries exchanged 20 memorandums of understanding (MoUs) across a range of sectors during Maldivian President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s official visit to Islamabad. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed President Muizzu at the Prime Minister’s House, where the visiting leader received a Guard of Honour. The visit, the first by a Maldivian president to Pakistan in 11 years, is expected to give fresh momentum to bilateral relations that have developed over six decades. Shehbaz and Muizzu attended a ceremony for the exchange of…

A tragic road accident on the Indus Highway has claimed 10 lives and left dozens injured after a passenger coach struck a road divider and overturned near Sitara Pump in the Rojhan area of Rajanpur. The ill-fated coach was travelling from Karachi to Dera Ghazi Khan when the accident occurred near Bangla Hidayat. Rescue officials attributed the crash to excessive speed, while the possibility that the driver had fallen asleep was also being considered. According to Rescue 1122, the death toll rose to 10 as additional information emerged following the crash. The deceased include eight men, one woman and one…

Iran has ruled out negotiations with the United States until Washington fulfils Tehran’s conditions and takes measures to restore trust, with senior officials also firmly rejecting any proposal to remove enriched nuclear material from Iranian territory. Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), Major General Mohsen Rezaei, reiterated Tehran’s position on Tuesday during his meeting with Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir and a statement on X later. Iranian Parliament Speaker Bagher Ghalibaf also told Munir that Tehran had nothing new to offer Washington beyond its previously announced seven conditions for negotiations. Rezaei rules out negotiations without…

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced the schedule for local government elections in Islamabad, with polling set for December 20, 2026. According to the schedule, candidates can submit nomination papers from November 2 to 6, while scrutiny of the papers will take place from November 9 to 13. Candidates will be able to file appeals against the rejection of their nomination papers from November 14 to 18. The appellate authority will decide on the appeals between November 19 and 23. The deadline for withdrawing nominations has been set for November 25, while election symbols will be allotted to…

US President Donald Trump has said Iran wants the conflict to continue beyond the US midterm elections, but insisted that Tehran’s expectations would not be fulfilled as the war would end soon. Speaking to reporters at the White House and addressing an election rally, Trump said preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons remained his administration’s top priority. He also predicted a sharp decline in global oil prices once the conflict ends, while maintaining that the United States does not need assistance from other countries to deal with Iran. Trump said the situation regarding Iran was progressing well, adding that the…

Saudi Arabia’s air defences intercepted and destroyed five drones launched towards the Kingdom on Wednesday, including drones detected in the Madinah and Eastern regions, according to the Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthi rebels. Coalition spokesperson Major General Turki al-Maliki announced the interceptions in posts on X but did not identify those responsible for the drone launches. The latest incident comes amid a broader escalation in the conflict, with Saudi Arabia facing repeated attacks and fighting intensifying across Yemen. In his initial statement on X, al-Maliki said four drones launched towards Saudi Arabia had been intercepted and destroyed. He later clarified…

Pakistan’s AI debate is too narrow. Dawn’s editorial of 19 October made the case for sovereign AI capability and warned that a large part of the roughly $4.6bn in IT exports comes from freelancing, call centres and entry-level coding, work that automation reaches first. Both points are fair. But the larger question is where else AI can raise output across the economy, and the answer is agriculture. Farming employs about a third of the workforce and accounts for nearly a quarter of GDP, yet its productivity is low and its main input, water, is scarce. According to the Pakistan Institute…

Shashi Tharoor has raised concerns about the alleged propaganda in Ranveer Singh-starrer Dhurandhar, questioning how Pakistani audiences might respond to the film’s portrayal of their country. The Congress MP shared his reaction to Aditya Dhar’s directorial venture on his official YouTube channel on Monday, October 19. Discussing criticism that the film promotes propaganda, Tharoor said its narrative contained elements that could affect perceptions between Indians and Pakistanis. “There is a lot of propaganda stuff built into it obviously,” he said, adding that he understood concerns about the film potentially creating tensions between the two countries. Tharoor also questioned how Pakistanis…

Pakistani supermodel and actor Vaneeza Ahmed has urged women to read their Nikkahnama carefully before marriage, sharing how she did not fully review her own marriage contract until her relationship broke down. Speaking media she said that despite being an educated, independent and established woman when she married, she had not examined important details of her Nikkahnama, including clauses concerning Haq Mehr and maintenance. According to entertainment publication Reviewit.pk, Vaneeza reflected on the experience to highlight the importance of understanding the rights and obligations set out in a marriage contract before signing it. Vaneeza Ahmed shares lesson from her experience…