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Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban have agreed to continue the ceasefire following a week-long round of talks in Istanbul, the Turkish Foreign Ministry announced in a joint statement on Thursday night. The negotiations, held under the mediation of Turkiye and Qatar, aimed to strengthen the ceasefire initially reached in Doha earlier this month. According to the joint declaration, both sides have also agreed to establish a joint monitoring and verification system to ensure the full implementation of the ceasefire. “This system will ensure the continuity of peace,” according to the joint statement. Fines to be imposed for violations The new…

Mobile internet data services have been suspended across the Quetta district for 24 hours due to heightened security concerns, according to a notification issued late Thursday night. The decision, taken on the recommendation of the Balochistan Home Department, came into effect from 12 midnight and will remain in place for one full day. Step taken to maintain law and order Authorities said the move aims to maintain law and order and make security arrangements more effective in view of the current situation in the provincial capital. The official notification confirmed that the suspension applies to the entire Quetta district, impacting…

The formation of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) cabinet has been finalised, with the first phase consisting of 10 ministers, two advisers, and a special assistant. The oath-taking ceremony is scheduled for 3pm today at the Governor House, where Governor Faisal Karim Kundi will administer the oath to the newly appointed cabinet members. According to official sources, the summary of the cabinet formation was sent to the Governor House earlier today and has now received formal approval. Key ministers, returning faces Sources confirmed that former ministers Meena Khan Afridi and Aftab Alam will return to the new provincial cabinet. Other prominent…

The State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) reserves rose by $16 million during the past week, bringing the total foreign exchange reserves to $19.6876 billion. According to details, the SBP has released the latest figures of the country’s foreign exchange reserves. The figures showed that the State Bank holds $14.4716 billion, while the commercial banks possess $5.2160 billion in reserves. Separately on Monday, the SBP decided to maintain the benchmark interest rate at 11 per cent for the next one and a half months, keeping its focus on stabilising the economy amid persistent inflation and external challenges. The Monetary Policy Committee…

India ended Australia’s title defence and booked their place in Sunday’s women’s World Cup final against South Africa after Jemimah Rodrigues smashed an unbeaten 127 to secure a sensational five-wicket victory in the second semi-final on Thursday. Opting to bat, Australia racked up 338 all out with opener Phoebe Litchfield (119) providing them a flying start and Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner chipping in with fifties at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. When the teams returned, Rodrigues produced a majestic knock that included 14 fours to help India pull off the biggest successful chase in women’s ODI history…

Sports analyst Imran Sohail urged Pakistan T20I captain Salman Ali Agha to reconsider his position. Expressing his thoughts on Samaa Digital programme “Sports Roundup”, Sohail said that Agha should reflect on his role, saying the captain should not allow himself to be overexposed. He added that Agha himself must think carefully and take the decision to step down. Sohail added that in other countries, a captain in similar circumstances would voluntarily relinquish the role. He also highlighted the structure of central contracts in Pakistan cricket, asserting that top players such as Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are supported by companies.

The government has approved a proposal to raise the house rent allowance (HRA) for federal employees. According to details surfaced on Thursday, a summary sent by the Ministry of Housing and Works recommended a uniform increase for all federal employees from grade one to grade 22. The federal cabinet has agreed to 85 per cent increase in the allowance. The rise in house rent allowance will benefit hundreds of government staff. The increase will take effect once it receives circulation approval from the federal cabinet. The move will add an annual burden of 12 billion rupees to the national exchequer.

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he had agreed with President Xi Jinping to trim tariffs on China in exchange for Beijing cracking down on the illicit fentanyl trade, resuming U.S. soybean purchases and keeping rare earths exports flowing. Trump’s face-to-face talks with Xi in the South Korean city of Busan, their first since 2019, marked the finale of a whirlwind Asia trip on which he also touted trade breakthroughs with South Korea, Japan and Southeast Asian nations. The deal, according to Beijing, also included a US pledge to delay for a year a new measure — strongly opposed…

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif inaugurated on Thursday the Youth Laptop Scheme 2025, promising to distribute 100,000 laptops to students based on merit. Speaking at the ceremony, he emphasised that Pakistan must advance in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). The prime minister announced that Saudi Arabia had offered to provide education in AI and information technology to Pakistani youth. He maintained that millions of students from Pakistan will be sent to Saudi Arabia for training, adding that the Saudi government also pledged to offer significant opportunities to Pakistani professionals in AI. Trained Pakistani personnel will take part in Saudi Vision…

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday called on members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) to jointly safeguard the multilateral trading system. “We must practice true multilateralism, and enhance the authority and effectiveness of the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization at its core,” Xi said while addressing the first session of the 32nd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Gyeongju, the Republic of Korea. The Chinese president put forward a five-point proposal for promoting a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization and building an Asia-Pacific community. In addition to calling for safeguarding the multilateral trading system, Xi also…