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ISLAMABAD: In a possible setback for Pakistan hockey’s World Cup qualification ambitions, insiders have revealed that the federal government is strongly leaning towards barring the national team from participating in the upcoming Asia Cup Hockey Championship set to commence in Bihar, India, from August 29. Sources close to the Prime Minister’s Office have confirmed the publication that, after weeks of deliberation, it has been “decided in principle” not to send the national side across the border due to escalating safety concerns and heightened tensions fuelled by an aggressive anti-Pakistan narrative running rampant in sections of the Indian media. “The situation…

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has said that the military-to-military ceasefire between Pakistan and India is holding steady, however, it appears that the latter’s political leader is not coming to the terms with the recent defeat. “Pakistan-India military-to-military ceasefire is working fine, but India’s political leadership is unable to digest it,” said DPM Dar, who also holds the portfolio of foreign minister, while speaking during an event hosted by the Pakistan High Commission in Kuala Lumpur on Friday. Pakistan and India engaged in military conflict in May this year, wherein the nuclear-armed rivals used missiles, drones, and artillery fire during…

Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan has said that India’s involvement in terrorism within Pakistan is undeniable and that it is now orchestrating acts of terrorism and massacres across the globe. During a weekly press briefing in Islamabad on Friday, Khan stated that Pakistan has a firm stance on terrorism and that there is clear evidence of Indian interference in Balochistan. He alleged that Indian proxies are actively involved in terrorist activities and emphasized that Pakistan is raising the issue of Indian-sponsored terrorism at all international platforms. Commenting on the presence of terrorist safe havens in Afghanistan, the spokesperson noted…

KUALA LUMPUR: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, as the two major powers vied to push their agendas in Asia at a time of simmering tension over a US trade tariffs offensive. Washington’s top diplomat is in Malaysia on his first trip to Asia since taking office, attending the East Asia Summit and ASEAN Regional Forum alongside counterparts from Japan, China, South Korea, Russia, Australia, India, the European Union and Southeast Asian states. His meeting with Wang comes amid escalating friction globally over US President Donald Trump’s tariffs,…

Pakistan have secured victory against Malaysia in a penalty shoot-out to reach the final of the Men’s U18 Asia Cup 2025 on Friday. According to details, the contest turned into a seesaw thriller as both teams managed to level 3-3, but it was Pakistan who bludgeoned the opponents in the penalty shoot-out to reach the final of the prestigious tournament. Pakistan qualified for the semi-finals of the Men’s U18 Asia Cup 2025 after defeating hosts China 2-1 in their final group match at the Dazhou National Hockey Training Centre. Maintaining their unbeaten streak, the national side concluded the group stage…

Google will heavily discount cloud computing services for the U.S. government in a deal that could be finalised within weeks, the Financial Times reported on Friday, citing a senior official at the General Services Administration (GSA). The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Oracle (ORCL.N) will offer federal agencies a 75% discount on its license-based software and a “substantial” discount on its cloud service through the end of November. Google’s cloud contract is likely “to land in a similar spot”, the Financial Times said, citing a senior official at the General Services Administration, adding that equivalent discounts from Microsoft’s…

Growing fresh food hundreds of thousands of kilometres from Earth is one of the greatest challenges facing permanent human bases on the Moon and Mars. But the seeds of a rice ideal for growing outside Earth might be about to sprout. The Moon-Rice project is a collaboration working to create the ideal food crop to grow in future deep-space outposts. The project is a joint effort between the Italian Space Agency (ASI), the University of Milan, the University of Rome and the University of Naples. “We are trying to solve the same problems that we face here on Earth,” says…

The post-mortem report of model Humaira Asghar, whose body was found in a flat in Karachi’s Defence area, has revealed startling findings, including that her death occurred 8 to 10 months ago, not six months as earlier suspected. According to the report, the model’s nails were detached from the bone, her face was unrecognizable, and the flesh from the lower part of her body had completely decomposed. However, no broken bones were found. The report further stated that due to the condition of the body, determining whether she was sexually assaulted is not possible. Samples, including hair and torn pieces…

Czech Katerina Siniakova and Sem Verbeek of the Netherlands claimed the Wimbledon mixed doubles title on Thursday, defeating Britain’s Joe Salisbury and Brazilian Luisa Stefani 7-6(3) 7-6(3). Facing home favourite Salisbury and Stefani on Centre Court, the Czech-Dutch duo held their nerve, while Stefani appeared to be hampered by a leg issue in the second set. As Siniakova sealed victory with an overhead smash, the duo celebrated their first title together, Siniakova’s maiden mixed doubles Grand Slam and Verbeek’s first Grand Slam triumph of any kind. “It’s very special, I mean it means a lot – we had a lot…

KYIV, Ukraine: A Russian drone barrage targeted the center of Kharkiv on Friday, injuring nine people and damaging a maternity hospital in Ukraine’s second-largest city, officials said. Mothers with newborns were being evacuated to a different medical facility, Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov wrote on Telegram. He didn’t say whether anyone at the hospital was among the injured. Russia’s recent escalation of long-range Shahed drone attacks on Ukrainian cities, which often also include ballistic and cruise missiles as well as powerful glide bombs, has brought renewed urgency to efforts to improve Ukraine’s air defenses after more than three years of war.…