Saudi authorities warn Hajj violators of deportation, 10-year ban

Saudi Arabia has once again urged residents to strictly follow Hajj regulations, highlighting that a valid permit is essential for taking part in the annual pilgrimage. The Ministry of Interior warned that those performing Hajj without proper authorisation will be deported and barred from entering the Kingdom for 10 years. Officials stressed that holding a permit is a non-negotiable condition for participation, Saudi Press Agency reported. The ministry called on all residents to adhere strictly to Hajj rules and guidelines, noting that these measures are in place to safeguard the well-being of…

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Starship megarocket blows up over Indian Ocean in latest bumpy test

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND: SpaceX´s prototype Starship exploded over the Indian Ocean on Tuesday, capping another bumpy test flight for the rocket central to billionaire Elon Musk´s dream of colonising Mars. The biggest and most powerful launch vehicle ever built lifted off around 6:36pm (2336GMT) from the company´s Starbase facility, near a southern Texas village that earlier this month voted to become a city — also named Starbase. Excitement ran high among SpaceX engineers and spectators alike, after the last two outings ended with the upper stage disintegrating in fiery cascades…

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Elon Musk’s SpaceX mega-rocket lifts off from Texas coast

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND: Elon Musk’s huge SpaceX rocket, called Starship, launched from the Texas coast on Tuesday. It was the latest test of the powerful rocket, which is part of Musk’s plan to send people to the Moon and Mars one day. Spectators gathered to watch the dramatic liftoff, hoping this flight would go better than the last two, which ended in explosions. The biggest and most powerful launch vehicle ever built launched around 6:36 pm (2336 GMT) from the company’s Starbase facility near a southern Texas village that recently…

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184 million Pakistani users at risk after global credentials leaked

After a large-scale global data leak exposed 184 million account credentials, the National Cyber Emergency Response Team (NCERT) has urged citizens to change their social media passwords. In an advisory issued on Monday, the body said that the breach exposed usernames, passwords, emails, and associated URLs tied to services from Google, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, as well as government portals, banking institutions, and healthcare platforms worldwide. The leaked database is believed to have been compiled using infostealer malware — malicious software that extracts sensitive information from compromised systems. This…

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WB warns high tariffs crippling Pakistan’s exports, competitiveness

The World Bank has raised concerns that Pakistan’s continued tariff-heavy approach is weakening its export performance and putting its economic future at risk. Exports have shrunk to just over 10% of GDP in 2024, down from more than 15% in the 1990s — one of the lowest shares in the region and among middle-income economies. In the report titled ‘From Inward to Outward: Pakistan’s Shift Towards Export-led Growth’, the World Bank said the slide reflects worsening constraints on businesses, compounded by recent policy shifts towards higher tariffs. “Pakistan’s tariff structure…

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Sindh announces scholarships for university students

The Sindh government has approved scholarships for 2,723 students pursuing higher education. The decision was made during a board meeting of the Sindh Education Endowment Fund Trust (SEEF), chaired by Sindh Education Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah. The scholarships, approved for the academic year 2023–24, are intended for students from Sindh currently enrolled in universities across the country. Minister Shah chaired the meeting in his capacity as Chairman of the SEEF Board of Trustees. The meeting, held in Karachi on Tuesday, was attended by College Education Secretary Shahab Qamar Ansari,…

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At trilateral summit, PM urges India to engage in meaningful dialogue for peace

BAKU: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has once again called on India to engage in “meaningful and immediate” dialogue to resolve critical regional issues, including Kashmir, water distribution, and terrorism. “We must sit together and talk for the sake of peace… There are issues that demand immediate attention and must be addressed through dialogue,” the premier said while addressing Pakistan-Turkiye-Azerbaijan Trilateral Summit alongside presidents Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ilham Aliyev. The meeting comes as the premier continued his four-nation tour to express his gratitude for supporting Pakistan during the recent conflict…

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COAS discusses bolstering defence ties with Azeri defence minister

RAWALPINDI: Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, the chief of army staff (COAS), called on Minister of Defence of Azerbaijan Colonel General Hasanov Zakir Asgar Oglu in Lachin on Wednesday. The discussion in the meeting covered matters of mutual interest, regional security dynamics and ways to strengthen defence ties between Pakistan and Azerbaijan, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement. The army chief appreciated the strong bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries. He reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening defence ties with Azerbaijan. Field Marshal Munir is accompanying Prime…

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Pakistan condemns Modi’s remarks as inflammatory, contradictory to global norms

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on Wednesday sharply criticised recent statements made by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, describing them as “inflammatory” and indicative of a consistent pattern of historical distortion, domestic suppression, and confrontational rhetoric. The Foreign Office noted that Modi’s remarks represented a concerning shift away from international standards and underscored the gap between India’s behaviour in the region and its professed global ambitions. The Indian PM intensified his rhetoric against Pakistan, describing recent cross-border incidents as part of a “deliberate war strategy” rather than mere proxy…

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On Youm-e-Takbeer, Pakistan vows to guard territorial integrity

ISLAMABAD: On the 27th anniversary of Youm-e-Takbeer, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have reaffirmed their commitment to protect and preserve the nation’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. “Pakistan’s nuclear capability continues to serve as a credible minimum deterrent that guarantees peace and ensures no one can undermine our sovereignty and national security,” President Zardari said in his statement on this occasion. President Zardari said: “On this momentous occasion of Youm-e-Takbeer, I extend my heartfelt felicitations to the entire nation. Today, we observe the 27th anniversary of Youm-e-Takbeer…

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