Pakistan

Japan will from January attempt to extract rare earth minerals from the ocean floor in the deepest trial of its kind, the director of a government innovation programme said on Thursday. Earlier this week, the country pledged to work with the United States, India and Australia to ensure a stable supply of critical minerals, as concern grows over China’s dominance in resources vital to new technologies. Rare earths — 17 metals difficult to extract from the Earth’s crust — are used in everything from electric vehicles to hard drives, wind turbines and missiles. China accounts for almost two-thirds of rare earth mining production and 92 per cent of global refined output, according to the International Energy Agency. A Japanese deep-sea scientific drilling boat called the Chikyu will from January conduct a “test cruise” to retrieve ocean floor sediments that contain rare earth elements, said Shoichi Ishii, director of Japan’s Cross-ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Programme. “The test to retrieve the sed...

Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan has formally submitted disqualification references against 26 members of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), citing misconduct and violation of assembly decorum during a session held on June 27.

Liverpool’s Portuguese forward Diogo Jota, 28, died in a fiery car crash near Zamora in northwestern Spain with his brother, Spanish state-owned TV station TVE said on Thursday, citing local firefighters. Police told Reuters everything pointed to that information being correct, although they could not yet officially confirm the names. The regional fire department of Castille-Leon, where Zamora is located, said on its website a car crashed shortly after midnight on Thursday and burst into flames, with two men, aged 28 and 26, found dead. View this post on Instagram Liverpool Football Club said it was “devastated by the tragic passing of Jota”. “The club have been informed the 28-year-old has passed away following a road traffic accident in Spain along with his brother, Andre,” it said on social media. “Liverpool FC will be making no further comment at this time and request the privacy of Diogo and Andre’s family, friends, teammates and club staff is respected as they try to come to terms with an unimaginable l...

Posts from multiple users on the social media platform X on Sunday claimed that Russia had officially signed the joint statement of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in favour of Pakistan over India. However, no such development occurred. The SCO is a 10-nation Eurasian security and political grouping comprising members such as China, Russia, Pakistan, India, and Iran. Their defence ministers’ meeting was held on June 26 as a precursor to the annual summit of their leaders set for the autumn. The defence ministers attending the SCO meeting failed to reach a consensus on a joint statement due to India’s refusal because of what it said was “a lack of consensus on referring to ‘terrorism’”. Russia and India are close allies with significant military and defence interests, while the former’s relationship with Pakistan has seen significant growth in recent years. On Sunday, digital news outlet The Daily CPEC shared a post on X that read: “Breaking: Russia has officially signed the joint SCO statement, su...

“Nuclear Weapon states don’t go to war”….

Ambassador Nawaf bin Saeed Al Maliky, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Pakistan, called on Prime Minister (PM) Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif at the PM's house in Islamabad earlier today.

Chief of the South African Air Force (SAAF) Lieutenant General Wiseman Simo Mbambo met with Pakistan’s top military officer, Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza, at Joint Staff Headquarters in Rawalpindi on Thursday to discuss defence cooperation and regional security, the military’s media wing said. “During the meeting, both sides held discussions on [a] wide range of areas of mutual interest and bilateral cooperation,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a press statement. “The dignitaries discussed practical measures to further expand the level and scope of engagements between the two militaries. They also exchanged views on the broader geopolitical landscape.” Gen Mirza, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, shared Pakistan’s perspective on the evolving regional security landscape and highlighted Pakistan’s contributions towards regional peace and stability, the ISPR added. The visiting dignitary lauded the professionalism of Pakistan’s armed forces and acknowledged their sacrifices in the ...

The Punjab Home Department has reported that 932 social media links containing provocative and sectarian content have been flagged by its cyber patrolling cell, as part of the government's crackdown on online incitement during the holy month of Muharram.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur asserted on Thursday that Governor Faisal Karim Kundi holds no power to unseat the provincial government.

The Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO) has announced that there will be no load shedding on the 9th and 10th of Muharram 2025 to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply during the religious observances.

Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Thursday stated that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif played a vital role in facilitating the ceasefire between Iran and Israel.

South African Chief of the Air Force, Lieutenant General Wiseman Simo Mbambo, called on Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Sahir Shamshad Mirza at the Joint Staff Headquarters on Thursday.

Pakistan defeated Japan 64-39 to storm into the final of the Asian Youth Netball Championship in Jeonju-si, South Korea, on Thursday, remaining unbeaten throughout the tournament. The Green Shirts had a strong start with a 21-7 lead over Japan in the first quarter. By halftime, they extended the score to 34-19. The third quarter saw Pakistan lead 42-28 before ending the game at 64-39 and sealing their spot in tomorrow’s final. View this post on Instagram Leya Raza Shah, Alisha Naveed, Sumayya Kouser , Haleema ,Jasmine Farooq, Sumayya ,Jasmine, Amani, Parisa and Farah Rasheed displayed top notch performances during the match, said a press release. The president, chairman and secretary general of the Pakistan Netball Federation congratulated the Pakistan team on winning the semi-final. Pakistan will play the final either against the Maldives or Chinese Taipei on Friday. On Sunday, Pakistan downed Japan 79-39 during their fourth group match.

The political equation in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly has undergone a major transformation following the restoration of 25 reserved seats, significantly boosting the strength of the opposition and intensifying pressure on the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has launched an investigation into alleged corruption, favoritism, and illegal recruitments in the Sindh Public Service Commission (SPSC).

Gujar khan - Provincial Minister Sohaib Bharath, accompanied by Regional Police Officer (RPO) Rawalpindi Babar Sarfraz Alpa, paid a detailed visit to Jhelum to review the security arrangements for Muharram.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz reaffirmed her government’s commitment to eliminating plastic pollution across the province, vowing to create a cleaner and more sustainable environment.

KP CM says provincial govt holds legitimate constitutional mandate of people Only option with ‘institutions’ is to impose governor’s rule or forcefully send PTI MPAs to jails to over-throw PTI govt Gohar says Imran has always advocated result-oriented dialogues.

Bangladesh, the world’s second-biggest garment manufacturer, aims to strike a trade deal with the United States before President Donald Trump’s punishing tariffs kick in next week, the country’s top commerce official told AFP. Dhaka is proposing to buy Boeing planes and boost imports of US wheat, cotton and oil in a bid to reduce the trade deficit, which Trump used as the reason for imposing painful levies in his “Liberation Day” announcement. “We have finalised a draft reciprocal trade agreement,” Mahbubur Rahman said on Wednesday, adding the government was “hopeful of reaching a win-win agreement”. Rahman said a meeting between officials from both countries was slated for July 8, with the US representing 20 per cent of Bangladesh’s ready-made garments exports. Textile and garment production accounts for about 8pc of exports in Bangladesh and the industry has been rebuilding after it was hit hard in a student-led revolution that toppled the government last year. Trump hit Bangladesh with 37pc tariffs in his ...

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif chaired a weekly high-level meeting on promoting a cashless and digital economy in the country, emphasizing that a transparent and efficient financial system is only possible through widespread adoption of digital transactions.