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The Hong Kong section of the high-speed rail network connecting the Chinese mainland and south China’s Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will introduce 16 new destinations starting from January 26, railway operator MTR Corporation announced on Sunday. The new destinations will connect Hong Kong with popular tourist cities, including Nanjing and Wuxi in east China’s Jiangsu Province, and Hefei in east China’s Anhui Province. This expansion will bring the total number of direct-access destinations from Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Station to 110, according to MTR Corporation. Meanwhile, the Shanghai Hongqiao sleeper train service will be upgraded from operating Friday to…

RAWALPINDI : Security forces eliminated 11 Indian-sponsored terrorists in two separate engagements in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the operations against the terrorists of “Fitna Al Khwari” were conducted on 8 January 2026. It said an intelligence based operation was conducted by the security forces in North Waziristan district. During the conduct of operation, own troops effectively engaged the terrorists’ location and after an intense fire exchange, six were killed. Another joint intelligence based operation by police and security forces was conducted in Kurram district. In ensuing fire exchange, five militants were effectively neutralised. Weapons and…

JEDDAH : Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has reached Saudi Arabia to attend the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting on the Somaliland dispute. According to the Foreign Office, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ahmed Farooq and Consul General Mustafa Rabbani received Ishaq Dar upon his arrival in Jeddah. The foreign minister is scheduled to participate later today in the extraordinary session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers. The Foreign Office said that Ishaq Dar will also hold bilateral meetings with foreign ministers of OIC member states on the sidelines of the conference. During his visit,…

ISLAMABAD : President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday lauded security forces for successful operations against terrorists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In their separate messages, they reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering commitment against terrorism. President Zardari said the role of security forces and law enforcement agencies in protecting the lives and property of the people is commendable. The premier said the armed forces and the police are engaged day and night in the fight against anti-state elements. He said the enemy cannot dare to cast an evil eye on Pakistan in the presence of our brave and resolute officers…

RAWALPINDI : The 13th Pakistan–United States bilateral joint exercise, Inspired Gambit–2026, commenced at the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Pabbi. The two-week-long exercise is being conducted in the counter terrorism (CT) domain, involving professional contingents from the armies of Pakistan and the United States, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a press release on Saturday. Officials from both sides attended the opening ceremony. The exercise is aimed at enhancing mutual understanding and interoperability through the sharing of counter-terrorism experiences, while further refining tactics, techniques, and procedures essential for effective CT operations. Emphasis is being laid on marksmanship skills…

Turkiye is seeking to join a defence pact between Saudi Arabia and nuclear-armed Pakistan, a potential move that could create a new military bloc in the Middle East, Bloomberg News Service reported Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. Bloomberg said the talks between Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are at an “advanced stage and a deal is very likely”. The Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement (SMDA) between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia treats an attack on either nation as an act of aggression against both. “The expanded alliance would make sense because Turkiye’s interests increasingly overlap with those of Saudi Arabia…

SYDNEY: Thousands of firefighters on Saturday toiled in Australia’s Victoria state to get the upper hand on bushfires that have razed homes, cut power to tens of thousands and burned vast swathes of bushland. The blazes, mostly sparking at midweek amid an intense heatwave in Australia’s southeast, have torn through more than 300,000 hectares (741,316 acres) of bushland, authorities said on Saturday morning, adding that 10 major fires were still burning statewide. More than 130 structures, including homes, have been destroyed and around 38,000 residences and businesses were without power due to the fires, the authorities said. They said the…

SEOUL: North Korea said on Saturday that South Korea flew another drone into its airspace on January 4, infringing on its sovereignty, according to state media KCNA. The announcement, which comes before North Korea holds a key party congress that will lay out policies for the next five years, sets the stage for cementing leader Kim Jong Un’s rhetoric that South Korea is a foreign and hostile nation, an analyst said. The drone, which originated from an island in the South Korean city of Incheon, flew 8 km (5 miles) before it was shot down inside North Korean airspace, KCNA said, citing a…

BRUSSELS: The EU gave Friday a long-delayed go ahead to a huge trade deal with South American bloc Mercosur championed by business groups but loathed by many European farmers — overriding opposition led by France. A majority of the European Union’s 27 nations backed the pact at an ambassadors’ meeting in Brussels, diplomatic sources told AFP, paving the way for it to be inked in Paraguay next week. More than 25 years in the making, supporters see the deal as crucial to boost exports, support the continent’s ailing economy and foster diplomatic ties at a time of global uncertainty. German Chancellor…

The joint maritime exercise “Will for Peace 2026” is set to be held from early to mid January in waters and airspace off the Port of Simon’s Town, South Africa, with participation from BRICS member states including China, Russia and South Africa, according to a written statement released by China’s Ministry of National Defense on Friday. Under the theme of “Joint Actions to Ensure the Safety of Key Shipping Lanes and Maritime Economic Activities,” participants will conduct counter-terrorism and rescue operations, anti-sea strikes, and other activities such as professional exchanges and on-board tours, read the statement. The exercise aims to…