Abu Dhabi court jails eight for life over arms smuggling to Sudan’s army
The court found the men ran an “integrated scheme” to supply weapons to Sudan’s military and launder the proceeds through UAE companies and bank accounts.
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Thursday 29 October 2026
Pakistan climbs four places to 95th in Global Innovation Index, regains ‘overperformer’ status
WIPO says Pakistan’s strengths lie in its digital economy, from app creation to ICT services exports, as it performs above expectations for its level of development.
Hesson backs Babar and Fakhar to ‘stand up’ in tri-series final despite top-order slump
Pakistan face Sri Lanka in Saturday’s final at the Gaddafi Stadium after being bowled out for 110 by the same side on Tuesday.
Pakistan keeps fiscal surplus in first quarter as revenue beats target, but interest bill climbs 37%
The Finance Ministry says the July-September surplus narrowed to 0.8% of GDP from 1.7%, as subsidies were cut by 90% and development spending rose sharply.
Hegseth fires Pentagon’s top military planner over alleged leaks
Lt Gen Brett Sylvia, the Joint Staff’s head of strategy, plans and policy, was removed after reportedly failing three polygraph tests about sharing classified information with the media.
Israel election: Qatar rejects ‘ridiculous and dangerous’ claims it funded Arab turnout
Doha said it was being made a scapegoat for Israeli politicians’ failures, while the election committee’s acting director said the vote had been conducted lawfully.
Russian drone strike on Dnipro railway station kills at least 14 as passenger train waits at platform
A jet-powered drone hit a crowded platform where a Zaporizhzhia-bound train was waiting, as Zelensky called for more sanctions on Russia.
China’s Communist Party expels record 33 members, 16 from military, as Xi tightens grip before 2027 congress
Attendance at the fifth plenum fell below 300 for the first time under Xi, after a purge that has left the Central Military Commission with just two members.
Israel election: Shin Bet told to probe ‘foreign funding’ claim as Netanyahu bloc stalls on 53 with 93% counted
The election committee chief ordered the security service to look into “serious suspicions” of outside influence, as 480,000 absentee ballots are counted and neither bloc nears 61 seats.
Shehbaz approves expansion of Lahore and Karachi airports, orders international standards
The prime minister signed off on the master plans for both airports and ordered third-party checks on passenger services after an international survey of facilities.
JUI-F wanted governor’s rule in KP, Naqvi tells Senate as row with Fazl over Tehran trip deepens
The interior minister said JUI-F leaders had urged the government to impose governor’s rule and “rid us of” the PTI, and denied that his trip to Tehran was about a defence pact.
Pakistan, China sign deal for green channel at Khunjerab to fast-track farm trade
Customs authorities on both sides agreed to give an agreed list of agricultural products priority clearance at the Sost-Khunjerab crossing, with perishables handled first.
Singapore foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan to visit Islamabad on Friday as ties turn 60
Balakrishnan will hold talks with Ishaq Dar, call on Pakistan’s leadership and exchange a disaster-management accord, a year before Singapore takes over as chair of ASEAN.
Four fiefdoms and a flag
Pakistan's four provinces are not an administrative map. They are four estates, kept intact by the men who profit from the distance between citizens and the state.
Imran Khan’s son Sulaiman joins X as ‘Niazi’
Sulaiman Isa Khan, the elder son of Imran Khan, has joined X under his father’s tribal surname, and his first post was viewed more than 750,000 times.
Demolition of heritage mosque near Modi’s residence put on hold for four weeks
The Race Course mosque, a listed heritage property, was told to vacate within six days and had its power and water cut. The government says it will hear the Waqf Board first.
ECB President Christine Lagarde resigns early as Europe faces oil shock and French debt strain
Lagarde will step down on February 7, well before France’s presidential election. Klaas Knot and Pablo Hernández de Cos are seen as frontrunners to replace her.
‘No defence pact in Tehran’: Khawaja Asif hits back at Fazl, accuses JUI-F of turning religion into ‘source of income’
Asif said Field Marshal Asim Munir went to Tehran “as a messenger of peace” and mocked Fazl’s decade as Kashmir Committee chairman as “a free ride”.
No Qatari LNG for some Pakistani buyers until year-end as QatarEnergy signs 20-year US gas deal
QatarEnergy extended force majeure to the end of December and agreed to buy American LNG for 20 years, a sign it sees the Hormuz risk lasting.
Pakistan reopens airspace to Taiwanese airlines days after ban
An EVA Air flight to Vienna crossed Pakistan early on Thursday. Taiwan says it suspects China was behind the brief closure.
‘Don’t fear the police’: Rahul Gandhi rallies students for Delhi march to oust election chief
The INDIA bloc will also hold a mock “public impeachment” of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Saturday after its motions in Parliament were rejected.
Spain train crash: leaked audio shows control centre told driver to go on ‘at normal speed’ before collision
Leaked recordings suggest the controller knew the Iryo train was still stationary as the Renfe train approached. Spain has begun three days of mourning.
Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha sentenced to 10 years each in security breach case
An anti-terrorism court convicted the lawyer couple over a 2024 incident during the England cricket team’s visit, despite pending petitions in the Supreme Court and high court.
Saudi Arabia intercepts Houthi missile fired at Eastern Province, third attack in three days
Civil Defence issued an alert in the Eastern Province before the all-clear. Debris from earlier interceptions damaged property in Riyadh on Tuesday.
Nine killed as oxygen cylinder explodes in ambulance at Tharparkar health centre; Zardari orders inquiry
Staff were preparing to move a new mother to hospital when the cylinder exploded. The Sindh government announced Rs2 million for each victim’s family.
Afghan opium cultivation quadruples despite Taliban ban, UN says
The area under poppy rose to 43,000 hectares and opium output jumped fivefold to 1,500 tonnes, as farmers in Badakhshan say they have no alternative.
Liverpool beat Chelsea 6-5 on penalties as Fofana blazes over to send Iraola’s side into League Cup quarter-finals
Joe Gomez, who has never scored a senior goal, rifled home his kick before Fofana’s miss. Liverpool host Bournemouth in the last eight.
Iran says it shot down US drone near Hormuz as mediators, backed by Pakistan, push inspections-for-sanctions deal
Qatar-led mediators are urging Tehran to let UN inspectors into bombed nuclear sites. Trump says: “We need to finish the job, either through a deal or another way.”
At least five killed, 27 injured as bus carrying Ijtema passengers plunges into drain in Hafizabad
The bus was travelling from Raiwind to Chiniot. Rescue officials blamed overspeeding and feared more passengers were trapped under the wreckage.
Mpox cases in Sindh pass 100 this year with 12 deaths, including a baby
A woman has been moved to intensive care in Karachi, and health officials are reviewing surveillance after warnings of local transmission.
Qatar makes final offer to reprice Pakistan LNG deals at 11.96% of Brent with fewer cargoes
The offer would cut the price of the 2016 deal but raise the 2021 one, and cover 66 cargoes a year instead of 108. PSO wants government approval by November 3.
Pakistan killed 2,410 terrorists in nine months, interior ministry tells National Assembly
The ministry also said 255,139 identity cards obtained by Afghans through fraud had been cancelled this year, and that X removed just 7.4% of flagged content.
Karachi man shoots dead two sisters over TikTok use, police say
Sobia, 25, and Hira, 20, were killed at home in New Rehmanabad. Police said their brother, who fled, had warned them against using TikTok.
Gujarat court cites Vedas and Manusmriti as it jails three Muslim men for life over cow slaughter
The Gandhinagar court said that if such accused were not punished, “the mother cows will become extinct”.
Sudan army drone strikes on Nyala market killed more than 100, mostly women and children, rights group says
Witnesses said RSF fighters had gathered at the market. MSF said a hospital it supports received 36 bodies and more than 150 wounded.
Commodity prices to surge 23% this year on Middle East war, World Bank warns
Energy prices are up 32% and gold 40%, and global oil supply is set for its biggest drop in four decades outside the 2020 recession.
Supreme Court upholds reinstatement of 40 FIA officers sacked over Greece boat disaster but allows fresh probe
The FIA argued the officers at Lahore, Karachi and Multan airports should have questioned why so many people were flying to war-torn Libya.
Health ministry scraps pilgrim vaccine contract and arrests officials after inquiry finds cost more than tripled
An inquiry ordered by PM Shehbaz Sharif found the contract raised the cost of jabs for pilgrims to about Rs4,500 from Rs1,250.
ECP orders local government polls in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but excludes 12 districts under special arrangement
Delimitation is complete in 23 districts. Bannu, North Waziristan and ten others under the Area Development Secretariat are left out.
Federal Constitutional Court chief justice rebukes Justice Munib Akhtar’s Supreme Court bench over ‘judicial discipline’
Justice Aminuddin Khan said a 2022 bench should not have reopened a settled ruling on the Income Support Levy while review petitions were pending.
