Pakistan

Tech giant Google on Tuesday marked the ceremonial start of work on its largest artificial intelligence hub outside of the United States with a groundbreaking ceremony in India. The firm promised in October 2025 to spend $15 billion over five years to construct the vast centre in Visakhapatnam, a southeastern port in Andhra Pradesh state of around two million people, popularly known as “Vizag”. “Today marks the first concrete milestone in Google’s largest commitment to India’s digital future,” Bikash Koley, Google’s Vice President for Global Infrastructure, told the ceremony. “This project represents a $15bn blueprint to deliver a full stack AI ecosystem,” he added. “At its core is our gigawatt scale data centre campus, purpose built for the immense computational demand of the AI era, powering services like Gemini and Google Search.” Nara Lokesh, information technology minister for Andhra Pradesh state, said he was “excited as we embark on this journey to build India’s most coveted AI and deep-tech hub”. Viza...

QUETTA: Five labourers were injured in a grenade attack in the Dalbandin area of Chagai district late on Monday night, police said. According to police officials, unidentified assailants on motorcycles threw a hand grenade at a house, which exploded in the backyard and injured five labourers. “The injured individuals are from Punjab who were working on a daily wage,” police officials said. Security forces rushed to the site shortly after the incident and shifted the injured to Prince Fahad Hospital. Police added that the windowpanes of the affected house and nearby homes were also damaged. An investigation has been launched, and no group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. On Feb 16, two people were injured when unidentified individuals threw a hand grenade at a milk shop situated on Khuda-i-Dad Road in Quetta. Last year, an eight-year-old child was killed and five other members of a family, including two women, were injured when a grenade exploded inside a house in the Wadh area of Balochistan’s K...

Britain’s King Charles III met Donald Trump at the White House early Tuesday, kicking off a high-stakes state visit shadowed by transatlantic tensions and a new alleged attempt to assassinate the US president. Behind the warm welcome for Charles and Queen Camilla in front of the cameras lay a deepening rift in the so-called “special relationship” between Washington and London over Trump’s war in Iran. With such tensions simmering, Charles will address a joint meeting of Congress on Tuesday, when he will tell US lawmakers that the long history between the two countries is one of “reconciliation and renewal,” according to a released excerpt from the king’s speech. In mild Washington sunshine, Charles and Trump exchanged handshakes and apparently friendly remarks, which reporters were unable to hear, outside the White House South Portico. First Lady Melania Trump, wearing a primrose yellow suit, gave Charles and Camilla kisses on both cheeks. Camilla was wearing a Cartier brooch with the British and US flags in ...

LAHORE: A special court (central) on Tuesday granted interim pre-arrest bail to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s daughter, Rabia Imran and her husband Imran Yousaf in a money laundering case. The couple personally appeared before the court along with their counsel. Judge Ashfaq Ahmed heard and allowed the bail petitions of the couple, subject to submission of surety bonds, and restrained the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) from arresting them till May 7. Last week, an accountability court had suspended the perpetual arrest warrants issued against the prime minister’s daughter and son-in-law in a case related to alleged irregularities in the Punjan Saaf Pani Company. The court had accepted their request to surrender before it and directed both of them to appear on May 5. An accountability court had issued perpetual warrants for their arrest in 2021 and 2022. Lahore’s National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed a reference against PM Shehbaz and 20 others in connection with the Saaf Pani Company case. The ...

Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), underwent his fourth intravitreal eye injection on Tuesday at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) as part of his ongoing treatment.

The Secretariat of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly has raised objections to the proposed Regulation of Snuff (Naswar) Bill, 2026, delaying its initial review process.

RAWALPINDI: Troops from Pakistan and Sri Lanka commenced a two-week bilateral counter-terrorism exercise in Tarbela, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a press release. The “Pakistan–Sri Lanka Bilateral Exercise Shake Hands-II” is a joint counter-terrorism exercise conducted between the two armies, the ISPR said. The exercise commenced on April 27 (Monday) at Tarbela, with the participation of Pakistan Army’s Special Services Group (SSG) and Special Forces from the Sri Lankan Army. It is expected to last two weeks, according to the statement. “The exercise aims to enhance professional capabilities through joint training while further strengthening the longstanding military-to-military relations between the two friendly nations,” the military’s media wing added. “Participating troops will benefit from the exchange of operational experiences and expertise in counter-terrorism operations, contributing to improved interoperability and mutual understanding.” Last week, Pakistan and Egypt concluded ...

UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan told the United Nations Security Council on Monday that it remains firmly committed to a peaceful resolution of the escalating Iran-United States conflict, warning that the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz could trigger severe global economic and security consequences. Speaking at a high-level UNSC debate on “The Safety and Protection of Waterways in the Maritime Domain”, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative Asim Iftikhar Ahmad underscored the urgent need to restore maritime stability and ensure uninterrupted global trade flows. “Any disruptions to the routine traffic at sea gravely impact international trade with negative repercussions for global economy, and breed volatility that imperils international peace and security,” Ambassador Ahmad said, pointing to the Strait of Hormuz crisis as “a case in point”. He cautioned that if the crisis persists, its immediate effects on energy supplies and essential commodities would ripple outward. “The first order impacts… will increasin...

Indonesia’s president ordered an investigation Tuesday after a long-distance train smashed into a stationary commuter train overnight, killing 14 people and injuring dozens. Officials ended a nearly 12-hour rescue effort near Bekasi Timur station, east of the capital Jakarta, which saw crews prying open mangled carriages following the Monday night collision. “And this morning… it is all finished,” Mohammad Syafii, head of the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) told a news conference Tuesday. “I am certain there are no more victims to be found.” One survivor described the terror of being trapped inside a crushed carriage. “I thought I was going to die,” Sausan Sarifah, 29, said from her bed at the RSUD Bekasi hospital where she was admitted with a broken arm and a deep cut to one thigh. Workers sit at the site of a train collision as rescuers work to save five survivors trapped inside a carriage after a passenger train locomotive pierced through the rear car of a commuter train at Bekasi Timur statio...

• Putin says Moscow will do everything to secure peace deal • Araghchi blames ‘excessive US demands’ for failure of dialogue • White House stays mum as Trump meets security aides to discuss Tehran’s proposal • Rubio says Iran ‘serious’ about deal, cites bleak economic outlook • Iran, US clash at NPT summit; Tehran slams EU for not lifting sanctions ST PETERSBURG / WASHINGTON: As the peace talks between the US and Iran hit a roadblock over the nuclear deal and the Strait of Hormuz closure, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin assured Iran’s top diplomat Abbas Araghchi that Moscow would do everything it could to help secure peace in the Middle East. The remarks by the Russian president came during Araghchi’s visit to Saint Petersburg, where he met the Russian president to discuss the ongoing peace negotiations with the US. Araghchi had arrived in St Petersburg on the fourth leg of a whirlwind diplomatic tour, having sandwiched a trip to Oman in between two visits to Pakistan over the past few days. In Islamabad, h...

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Jimmy Kimmel should be immediately fired by ABC and parent company Walt Disney, joining his wife Melania Trump in calling out the late-night talk show host for a monologue he delivered prior to a shooting near a gathering of journalists and politicians over the weekend. Kimmel said last Thursday, in a parody segment on the upcoming White House correspondents’ dinner, that Melania Trump “had a glow like an expectant widow.” In his monologue, he portrayed himself as the MC of that upcoming banquet, a glitzy yearly event called the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Trump and the first lady were rushed out of the dinner on Saturday after a shooting in the lobby of the Washington Hilton. A suspect identified as Cole Allen charged through a checkpoint and fired at Secret Service agents, wounding one, before he was subdued and arrested. Trump has repeatedly urged broadcasters to remove comedy or news programmes he dislikes or have been critical of him and pressed regul...

ISLAMABAD - A constitutional petition has been filed before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday seeking orders for Adiala Jail administration to get signatures of the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in power of attorney.

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ISLAMABAD - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Monday met leaders of the Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayin-e-Pakistan (TTAP), including Mehmood Khan Achakzai and Senator Raja Nasir Abbas, amid reports of differences between the opposition alliance and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

Incubation programme targets globally competitive startups with emphasis on performance and real-world impact.

ISLAMABAD - The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) in its meeting has decided to increase the policy rate by 100 bps to 11.

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Monday said that Pakistan had been blessed with abundant natural resources, including precious stones, and stressed that the sector offered strong potential to increase exports using local resources.

The man accused of shooting a US Secret Service agent as he tried to breach security at a Washington dinner attended by President Donald Trump is facing federal charges of attempting to assassinate the president, a judge said in court on Monday. Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, also faces firearms charges in a three-count complaint. Allen wore a blue prison jumpsuit at his first appearance in Washington federal court, two days after authorities said they foiled an attack at the White House Correspondents Association Dinner, an annual black-tie gathering of journalists and politicians. “He attempted to assassinate the president of the United States, Donald J Trump,” prosecutor Jocelyn Ballantine said in court. Allen has not yet responded to the allegations. Seated at the defence table flanked by US Marshals, Allen said he would answer all questions truthfully and that he had a master’s degree in computer science. US Magistrate Judge Matthew Sharbaughordered Allen detained while the case moves for...

LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly passed on Monday the Child Marriage Restraint Bill 2026, which sets 18 years as the minimum legal age for marriage for both boys and girls and declares underage marriage a non-bailable offence. The bill was presented in the assembly by Punjab Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman. However, the lawmakers were not initially provided copies of the bill, which led to a heated debate. Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari voiced her objections, saying that the situation was “unprecedented”. She called for transparency in the legislative process. Bokhari said, “It is for the first time that members are sitting in the assembly without having receiving copies of a bill under consideration.” She stressed that it was essential for all lawmakers to be fully informed about the contents of the bill before passing it. Subsequently, Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan directed that copies of the bill be immediately distributed among the members. Expressing her views on the bill’s...

Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, held a series of meetings on Monday with party leaders to assess political, organizational, and development matters.