DUBAI: Low-cost airline flydubai said it signed Wednesday an agreement with Boeing for 75 737 MAX aircraft valued at $13 billion, a day after announcing a similar deal with Airbus that more than doubled its fleet. The Dubai-based group has announced orders for more than 200 planes from Boeing and Airbus in two days, as it pursues an expansion plan. MoU signed&nbsp;The two sides signed a memorandum of understanding at the Dubai Airshow, the group said in a statement, &quot;for 75 firm 737 MAX aircraft, valued at USD 13 billion, and options for 75 more aircraft&quot;. Flydubai already operates a fleet of 96&nbsp;Boeing 737 aircraft.<figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/f55a238c-52b0-4383-961c-9b372c9e90a5-Boeing 737 MAX.jpg" alt="Boeing 737 MAX.jpg" class="fr-fil fr-dib" style="width: 714px; height: 401.982px;"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">File Photo: X via @BoeingAirplanes</figcaption></figure> &quot;Reliable aircraft availability and timely deliveries are vital to the ongoing growth of our industry, and this agreement ensures we remain well-positioned for future growth,&quot; chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum said. Airbus orderOn Tuesday, flydubai announced its first Airbus order and signed a memorandum of understanding for 150 A321neo jets worth $24 billion to be delivered from 2031.

Business

The Dubai-based group has announced orders for more than 200 planes from Boeing and Airbus in two days, as it pursues an expansion plan.

Flydubai announces deal with Boeing for 75 planes worth $13B

PARIS: President Emmanuel Macron is to announce on Thursday that France is restoring military service on a voluntary basis in the face of the growing threat posed by Russia and the risk of a new conflict breaking out in Europe. Almost three decades after France scrapped conscription, the head of state is due to lay out the change in a speech from 1000 GMT on a visit to an infantry brigade stationed in the Alps in southeastern France, said a presidential official, asking not to be named. The announcement will come more than three and a half years into Russia&#39;s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with Macron and other French officials warning that Moscow risks not stopping at Ukraine&#39;s borders. France&#39;s top general, armed forces chief of staff Fabien Mandon, sparked uproar at home last week by warning that France must be ready &quot;to lose its children,&quot; adding that Russia is &quot;preparing for a confrontation by 2030 with our countries.&quot; Macron told the RTL broadcaster he would be announcing a &quot;transformation of national service into a new form&quot; on Thursday but did not provide further details. A source with knowledge of the matter, who asked not to be named, told AFP that the plan is for 2,000 to 3,000 people to be trained up in the first year, aiming to increase those signing up over time to 50,000 per year. &quot;It will start slowly,&quot; said the source. This &quot;new form of national service&quot; will be &quot;on a voluntary basis,&quot; said a presidential official. An adviser to Macron, also requesting anonymity, emphasized it would be launched at a time of tight budget constraints. Its implementation will therefore be &quot;phased in over time,&quot; said the adviser, promising a &quot;realistic&quot; project that &quot;takes into account our current resources.&quot; Not going to &#39;send our young&#39; While around a dozen states have some form of conscription, the use of military service is uneven across Europe. But France would join European countries like Baltic states Latvia and Lithuania which have brought it back in recent years, while others such as Denmark have toughened its terms. There is so far no suggestion that the military service in France would be compulsory, as it was before then-president Jacques Chirac abolished conscription in 1997 as part of the reform of the army. Military service is seen as a way of bolstering armies with recruits, but also of providing a large pool of potential reservists, who could be called up in the case of a future war. The French armed forces have approximately 200,000 active military personnel and 47,000 reservists, numbers expected to increase to 210,000 and 80,000 respectively by 2030. Accused of warmongering by the left, General Mandon has expressed no regret over his comments last week, saying the aim was to &quot;alert and prepare&quot; amid a &quot;rapidly deteriorating&quot; context. Mandon argued on Saturday that the reactions to his comments &quot;show that this is something that was perhaps not sufficiently perceived in our population.&quot; But ahead of Thursday&#39;s announcement, Macron and other officials have been at pains to douse the outcry caused by the general&#39;s forthright comments and fears that French youth were heading for the front lines. The president on Tuesday said he needed to dispel any notion &quot;we are going to send our young people to Ukraine.&quot;

Europe

Announcement will come more than three and a half years into Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with Macron and other French officials warning that Moscow risks not stopping at Ukraine's borders.

Macron to announce France restoring voluntary military service

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday bade farewell to Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Sahir Shamshad Mirza at a ceremony held at Joint Staff Headquarters in Rawalpindi, marking the completion of his 40 years of service, the military&rsquo;s media wing said in a statement. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the event was attended by former CJCSCs and senior officers from all three services. A &ldquo;Guard of Honor&rdquo; was presented to the outgoing chairman by a smartly turned-out tri-services contingent, ISPR said. In his farewell remarks, General Mirza expressed gratitude to the Almighty God for granting him the &ldquo;strength to perform his duties with dedication, professionalism, and selfless devotion.&rdquo; He also paid tribute to Pakistan&rsquo;s security forces, honoring &ldquo;the martyrs and their families whose sacrifices safeguard our nation,&rdquo; the statement added. A day earlier, General Mirza paid a farewell call on Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir at General Headquarters (GHQ). ISPR said the army chief commended the CJCSC for his &ldquo;exemplary leadership, strategic foresight, and dedicated service to the armed forces.&rdquo; The field marshal praised General Mirza&rsquo;s &ldquo;pivotal role in enhancing tri-services synergy, strengthening joint operational preparedness, and advancing Pakistan&rsquo;s national security objectives at the strategic level.&rdquo; He also highlighted the outgoing chairman&rsquo;s contributions to regional stability, military diplomacy, and Pakistan&rsquo;s defense partnerships with friendly states. ISPR said General Mirza expressed appreciation to the COAS and the armed forces for their &ldquo;unwavering support throughout his career.&rdquo; Upon his arrival at GHQ, the CJCSC laid a floral wreath at Yadgar-e-Shuhada and was presented another Guard of Honor by a Pakistan Army contingent, the statement added.

Security

General Mirza pays homage to the martyrs and their families; COAS Munir lauds CJCSC’s pivotal role in enhancing tri-services synergy, strengthening joint operational preparedness, and advancing country’s national security objectives at the strategic level


Pakistan honors outgoing top military official after four decades’ service

IRBIL: A drone strike on Wednesday targeted an Emirati-owned gas complex in Iraq&rsquo;s autonomous Kurdistan region, disrupting the gas supply to the region&rsquo;s power plants, local authorities said. &ldquo;At 11:30 p.m. (2030 GMT), a drone attacked the Khor Mor gas field facility, cutting off all gas supplies to power plants,&rdquo; the regional natural resources and electricity authorities said in a statement. AFP correspondents in Kurdistan reported power cuts across the region, including in the city of Sulaimaniyah. The Khor Mor gas field lies between the cities of Kirkuk and Sulaimaniyah, and supplies most of the Kurdistan region&rsquo;s power. Omed Ahmed, the regional electricity authority spokesperson, said the attack resulted in the loss of 2,600 megawatts of electricity, disrupting 80% of the region&rsquo;s power grid. Authorities said they were coordinating with the United Arab Emirates company Dana Gas to investigate the attack and restore operations. A local security source told AFP that the attack &ldquo;targeted gas storage tanks, causing a major explosion and large fire.&rdquo; It was unclear whether the attack resulted in any casualties, he added. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Long plagued by conflict, Iraq frequently suffers such attacks. Unclaimed Katyusha rocket and drone attacks have targeted the Khor Mor complex several times in recent years. In April 2024, four Yemeni workers were killed in a drone attack on the facility. Earlier this year, the Kurdistan region saw a spate of unclaimed drone attacks mostly against oilfields.

Middle East

A drone strike hits the Emirati-owned Khor Mor gas field in Iraqi Kurdistan, cutting power to the region and disrupting 80 percent of its electricity supply.

Drone strike hits Iraq gas complex, cuts supply: official

WASHINGTON: Two US National Guard soldiers were critically wounded on Wednesday in a targeted shooting near the White House &mdash; an extraordinary security incident fueling controversy over President Donald Trump&#39;s nationwide crime crackdown. According to multiple US media outlets, the alleged shooter was an Afghan national who had entered the United States in 2021, but US authorities had yet to publicly identify and name the suspect. If confirmed, it would mean a series of painful political issues intertwining in one bloody incident on the streets of the capital &mdash;&nbsp;Trump&#39;s use of the military at home, immigration, and the legacy of the disastrous US war in Afghanistan. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser called it &quot;a targeted shooting&quot; by a single assailant. &quot;That individual has been taken into custody,&quot; she said. CBS News reported that law enforcement officials told the network the suspect was a 29-year-old who used a handgun to carry out the attack, while sources told NBC News the shooting was being investigated as a possible act of terrorism. Both soldiers &mdash; part of a militarized anti-crime deployment around the United States ordered by Trump &mdash;&nbsp;were in &quot;critical condition,&quot; FBI Director Kash Patel said. Earlier, West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey mistakenly said the soldiers, both deployed to the capital from his state, had died. It was the most serious violence against the National Guard since Trump began ordering troops onto the streets of several Democratic-run cities shortly after starting his second term this January. The Republican, who was at his Florida golf club, described the shooter as an &quot;animal.&quot; The suspect &quot;is also severely wounded, but regardless, will pay a very steep price,&quot; Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. &#39;Ambushed&#39;The shootings took place at the Farragut West metro station, two blocks from the White House, and in mid-afternoon, when the streets and nearby businesses were packed. Jeffery Carroll, assistant chief of the Washington police, said the gunman &quot;ambushed&quot; his victims. He &quot;came around the corner, raised his arm with a firearm and discharged at the National Guard members.&quot; &quot;He was quickly taken into custody by other National Guard members and law enforcement.&quot; An AFP reporter near the scene heard several loud pops and saw people running. Dozens of bystanders were caught up in the chaos. &quot;We heard gunshots. We were waiting at the traffic light, and there were several shots,&quot; said Angela Perry, 42, who was driving home with her two children. &quot;You could see National Guard running toward the metro with their weapons drawn.&quot; Soon after the shootings, security agents flooded the area. Officers carrying rifles stood guard behind yellow tape at the perimeter, and a helicopter circled overhead. An AFP reporter saw emergency crews running toward the metro with a wheeled stretcher and shortly after emerging with a casualty wearing camouflage, whom they loaded into an ambulance. Troops controversyWashington&#39;s government buildings are heavily guarded, but much of the city has suffered from years of sometimes serious street crime. Trump made Washington a showcase for his decision to order National Guard soldiers, in camouflage and occasionally carrying rifles, to patrol cities run by Democratic mayors, also including Los Angeles and Memphis. In the wake of Wednesday&#39;s shooting, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that 500 more troops would deploy to Washington, bringing the total to 2,500. The policy has prompted bitter complaints from local officials who accuse Trump of stoking tensions, while the deployments are the subject of numerous court challenges. Last Thursday, a federal judge ruled that Trump&#39;s deployment of thousands of National Guard troops in the US capital is unlawful. Andrew McCabe, former FBI deputy director, told CNN that the soldiers are not trained for law enforcement. &quot;That adds, I think, a real wild card element to this thing. We don&#39;t really know how those folks would respond if confronted with a violent incident on the street with an armed person.&quot;

Americas

West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey says soldiers, deployed to the capital, had "passed away from their injuries," but then said there are "conflicting reports;" Pentagon says an extra 500 troops deployed in Washington after shooting. 




Two National Guard soldiers shot near White House, suspect in custody

Hong Kong:&nbsp;The death toll from a high-rise fire in Hong Kong has risen to at least 44, officials said on Thursday as the blaze still smoldered, and police said three suspects were arrested. Hundreds more remained unaccounted for in the city&#39;s worst blaze in decades. The fire, which started on Wednesday afternoon in an eight-building complex with 2,000 apartment units, shocked the Chinese financial hub, which has some of the world&#39;s most densely populated and tallest residential blocks. The fire department raised the death toll from 36 to 44 in an early morning press briefing. Police said in a brief advisory that three men were arrested on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with the fire. It gave no details about what specifically they were accused of doing. Huge flames first took hold on bamboo scaffolding on several apartment blocks of Wang Fuk Court in the northern district of Tai Po. It was reportedly undergoing estate-wide maintenance. At the scene of the fire, an AFP reporter heard loud cracking sounds on Wednesday, possibly from the burning bamboo, and saw thick plumes of smoke billowing from the buildings as flames and ash reached high into the sky. A 65-year-old resident surnamed Yuen said he had lived in the complex for more than four decades and that many of his neighbors were elderly and might not be mobile. &quot;The windows were closed because of the maintenance, (some people) didn&#39;t know there was a fire and had to be told to evacuate via phone calls by neighbors,&quot; Yuen told AFP. &quot;I&#39;m devastated. There is loss of property and loss of life, and even a firefighter has died.&quot; More than 900 people sought refuge at temporary shelters, Lee said. &#39;Unable to reach people who requested help&#39; Authorities said they will launch a probe into the fire as well as into the materials on the buildings&#39; exterior that may have caused the blaze to spread faster than usual. A police officer at a temporary shelter told AFP it was unclear how many people were unaccounted for because residents were still trickling in late into the night to report missing family members. Sections of charred scaffolding fell from the burning blocks, and flames could be seen inside apartments, sometimes belching out through windows into the night sky, casting an eerie orange glow on surrounding buildings. &quot;The temperature at the scene is very high, and there are some floors where we have been unable to reach people who requested help, but we will keep trying,&quot; said Derek Armstrong Chan, the deputy director of fire service operations. He said the fire likely spread from one building to another due to the wind and drifting debris, although he added that authorities are investigating the cause of the blaze. Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed condolences to the victims, including &quot;the firefighter who died in the line of duty,&quot; according to state media. &quot;He offered sympathies to the families of the victims and those affected by the disaster, and called for making every effort to extinguish the fire and minimise casualties and losses,&quot; state broadcaster CCTV said. Lee, the city leader, said he was &quot;deeply saddened&quot; and that all government departments were assisting residents affected by the fire. &#39;Dare not leave&#39;&nbsp;A Tai Po resident surnamed So, 57, said the fire was &quot;heartbreaking.&quot; &quot;There&#39;s nothing that can be done about the property. We can only hope that everyone, no matter old or young, can return safely,&quot; So told AFP. An apartment owner in his 40s who did not want to give his name told AFP that the government needed to help those made homeless by the blaze. &quot;The fire is not yet under control, and I dare not leave, and I don&#39;t know what I can do,&quot; he said. Residents were seen being evacuated via large coaches, with local media reporting that adjacent blocks were also being cleared. Sections of a nearby highway were also closed by the firefighting operation. Deadly fires were once a regular scourge in densely populated Hong Kong, especially in poorer neighborhoods. However, safety measures have been ramped up in recent decades, and such fires have become much less commonplace.

Asia

Police say three men arrested on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with the fire; they give no details about what specifically they are accused of doing.



Hong Kong high-rise fire kills at least 44, still burning

BERLIN: NASA has confirmed that it will contribute to Europe&#39;s Martian rover Rosalind Franklin, which is scheduled to launch in 2028 after repeated delays, the European Space Agency said on Wednesday.&nbsp;The rover aims to be the first on the red planet capable of drilling up to two metres (6.5 feet) below the surface to search for extraterrestrial life.&nbsp;However, the mission relies on several elements from NASA, which US President Donald Trump has targeted with steep budget cuts since returning to the White House in January.&nbsp;ESA director general Josef Aschbacher said he had received &quot;a letter from the NASA administration to confirm the contributions&quot; of the US space agency to the mission.&nbsp;&quot;That is good news,&quot; Aschbacher said on the sidelines of the ESA&#39;s ministerial council meeting being held this week in the German city of Bremen.&nbsp;The mission was originally intended to launch in 2020, but suffered several setbacks.&nbsp;In 2022, it was suspended after the ESA ended cooperation with Russia -- the agency&#39;s main partner for the mission -- following Moscow&#39;s invasion of Ukraine.&nbsp;The ESA then turned to the United States for help.&nbsp;Aschbacher said NASA was contributing to three of the mission&#39;s elements: the launcher, radioisotope heater unit and braking engine.&nbsp;The braking engine had been confirmed some time ago, but the other two elements will be a relief for the ESA.&nbsp;NASA is also providing &quot;one instrument to analyse traces of possible life on Mars,&quot; Aschbacher added.&nbsp;The rover, which is named after British scientist Rosalind Franklin, is planned to touch down on the Martian surface in 2030.

Artificial Intelligence

NASA will contribute key elements to Europe's Martian rover, Rosalind Franklin, launching in 2028. The rover aims to search for life by drilling 2 meters below Mars' surface. It suffered delays, including suspension in 2022 due to the war in Ukraine.

NASA confirms support for delayed European Mars rover: ESA

Pakistan TV Satellite

ISLAMABAD: Iran has expressed its readiness to play a supportive role in addressing ongoing tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, offering a &ldquo;blank cheque&rdquo; to help resolve these issues, while also emphasizing the strengthening of trade and economic relations between Tehran and Islamabad. In an exclusive interview with Pakistan TV, Ali Ardeshir Larijani, Secretary of Iran&rsquo;s Supreme National Security Council, highlighted Tehran&rsquo;s willingness to assist if Pakistan seeks Iran&rsquo;s involvement in resolving regional issues. &ldquo;Pakistan is very dear and honourable to the Iranian people,&quot; Larijani said, adding we can help ease regional tensions. Earlier, addressing a press conference, the senior Iranian official said: &ldquo;We are prepared to give the Pakistanis a &lsquo;blank cheque&rsquo; to help resolve the regional issues, to be used whenever they deem necessary.&rdquo; <div class="fr-embed youtube-embed"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4FfT1CCdgvQ?si=_GiRA_uvmnUEmz-l" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen="" style="width: 100%; height: auto; aspect-ratio: 16 / 9; max-width: 100%; display: block;"></iframe>&nbsp;</div> He said this is the blank cheque for peace, and Pakistan can encash it whenever it wants. In the interview with Pakistan TV, Ali Larijani said: &ldquo;We have left this matter to our Pakistani brothers and are ready to move forward if they see a role for us. Our goal is to support the solution for the people of Pakistan.&rdquo; Larijani also noted that Iran has shown &ldquo;expressive readiness&rdquo; to help facilitate dialogue and cooperation between Pakistan and Afghanistan, following discussions with Pakistani leadership. Pakistan and Iran share historically friendly ties, with cooperation spanning trade, energy and regional security. Over the past decade, both countries have worked on multiple initiatives, including energy pipelines, cross-border trade agreements and joint efforts to maintain stability in Afghanistan. Iran has previously too shown its interest in fostering peace and stability in the region. Pakistan also emphasised the importance of regional collaboration in trade, transport and energy infrastructure, seeking to strengthen bilateral ties through tangible projects. Larijani also touched upon bilateral trade and investment initiatives. He noted that following the recent visit of Iran&rsquo;s president, both countries have intensified efforts to enhance economic cooperation, particularly in agriculture, railway networks and pipeline projects. &ldquo;Work has begun on promoting trade and economic ties between our countries, especially in agriculture, as per the directives of our leaders. We are exploring various avenues to elevate trade volume,&rdquo; Larijani stated. He added that both sides have discussed multiple strategies to expand and strengthen these relations, with optimism for tangible outcomes in the near future.

The Newsroom

Iran offers a “blank cheque” to help Pakistan ease tensions with Afghanistan, while urging stronger trade, energy and investment cooperation following recent high-level engagements and economic discussions.

Iran offers ‘blank cheque’ to support Pakistan-Afghanistan peace, eyes stronger bilateral ties

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday unveiled a proposal for a Regional Maritime Dialogue, a multicontinental framework aimed at bringing together countries from the Gulf Cooperation Council, Central Asia and Africa to address shared maritime challenges and strengthen cooperation, according to an official statement.&nbsp;The initiative was introduced by Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry during a breakfast reception hosted by Pakistan at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) headquarters in London.&nbsp;Delegations from more than 173 countries, including over 100 maritime ministers, attended what officials described as one of the most widely participated events of the IMO Assembly week.&nbsp;Calling the IMO &ldquo;the pinnacle of maritime diplomacy,&rdquo; Junaid told delegates that Pakistan was &ldquo;ready to play a proactive role in shaping regulations that reflect the needs of our region.&rdquo;&nbsp;Junaid and IMO Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez also jointly inaugurated a model of the PNSC ship Karachi, one of three new vessels the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation intends to acquire.&nbsp;The minister said the rapidly evolving maritime environment required new regional mechanisms capable of addressing &ldquo;operational, environmental, regulatory and technological needs.&rdquo;&nbsp;He added, &ldquo;Our maritime policies must reflect our vulnerabilities and our priorities.&rdquo;&nbsp;According to the proposal, the Regional Maritime Dialogue would prioritize emissions reduction, maritime safety, coordinated search-and-rescue operations and navigational safety.&nbsp;Junaid highlighted Pakistan&rsquo;s current role as coordinator of NAVAREA IX, one of 21 global navigational zones under the World-Wide Navigational Warning Service, responsible for ensuring ships receive timely and reliable safety alerts.&nbsp;To support long-term capacity building, the minister also proposed the establishment of a Regional Maritime University and a Regional Maritime Training Institute, arguing that new IMO regulations, autonomous shipping and digitalization demand updated skills.&nbsp;&ldquo;We want to prepare our workforce for the future of shipping, where technology, environmental compliance and digital skills will be essential,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;Reaffirming Pakistan&rsquo;s ambition to emerge as a regional maritime leader, Junaid said the country remained committed to working closely with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and partners across Central Asia and Africa to shape global maritime policy and advance shared development priorities.

Climate & Environment

Economy

At IMO headquarters in London, Islamabad proposes a multicontinental maritime dialogue linking Gulf, Central Asian and African states to strengthen cooperation on safety, emissions, regulation and future shipping technologies.

Pakistan seeks multicontinental alliance to shape future of global shipping

ISLAMABAD: Bahrain has conferred its highest state award on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as both countries move to deepen political, economic and defense cooperation, according to the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office (PMO).&nbsp;In a meeting in Manama, King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa presented Pakistani PM with the Order of Bahrain (First Class), described by the PMO as &ldquo;the highest award Bahrain confers on heads of state and government.&rdquo;&nbsp;The PMO said PM Sharif thanked the King for the warm reception and for what he called Bahrain&rsquo;s &ldquo;longstanding goodwill and friendship toward Pakistan.&rdquo; He also commended &ldquo;His Majesty&rsquo;s leadership in promoting peace, tolerance and coexistence.&rdquo;&nbsp;According to the PMO, King Hamad told Sharif that Bahrain had &ldquo;the privilege of being represented at a legal forum by none other than Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah,&rdquo; adding that Pakistan&rsquo;s founding father &ldquo;remained Bahrain&rsquo;s lawyer for a long time.&rdquo;&nbsp;Both sides reviewed the &ldquo;encouraging momentum&rdquo; in bilateral ties and agreed to strengthen cooperation in political, economic, defense and cultural fields.&nbsp;The PMO quoted PM Sharif as reaffirming Pakistan&rsquo;s commitment to deepening relations &ldquo;based on shared faith and mutual respect.&rdquo;&nbsp;The prime minister thanked the King for Bahrain&rsquo;s continued support, including the establishment of the King Hamad University for Nursing and Allied Medical Sciences in Islamabad, inaugurated in September 2025.&nbsp;He also expressed gratitude for Bahrain&rsquo;s solidarity following recent terrorist incidents in Pakistan.&nbsp;On economic ties, the PMO said the prime minister highlighted Pakistan&rsquo;s desire to expand trade and investment, noting that bilateral commerce is expected to grow with the upcoming Pakistan&ndash;GCC Free Trade Agreement, now in its final stages.&nbsp;He invited Bahraini investors to explore opportunities through the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), particularly in food security, IT, construction, mining, tourism and healthcare.&nbsp;The PMO added that PM Sharif expressed appreciation for Bahrain&rsquo;s support to the more than 150,000 Pakistanis living in the Kingdom and thanked King Hamad for pardoning Pakistani prisoners.&nbsp;Both leaders reaffirmed the importance of the defense partnership and agreed to continue cooperation in training, logistics, manpower and defense production.&nbsp;They also discussed developments in Gaza, agreeing that peace and stability are &ldquo;long overdue for the people of Gaza,&rdquo; the PMO said.&nbsp;At the end of the meeting, the PMO noted that both sides expressed confidence that the visit would &ldquo;further consolidate the enduring friendship and cooperation between Pakistan and Bahrain.

Foreign Affairs

In Manama, PM Shehbaz Sharif receives Bahrain’s highest honor, strengthens Pakistan-Bahrain ties, discusses trade, defence, regional issues, and affirms commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation, says PMO.

 Bahrain awards top honor as leaders deepen strategic Pakistan ties

GAZA CITY: The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said Israel returned the bodies of 15 Palestinian prisoners on Wednesday under the US-brokered ceasefire exchange deal.&nbsp;&quot;The Ministry of Health announces the receipt of 15 bodies of martyrs released today by the Israeli occupation via the International Committee of the Red Cross, bringing the total number of bodies received to 345,&quot; the ministry said in a statement.&nbsp;A medical source at Gaza&#39;s Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Yunis confirmed it had received 15 bodies via the Red Cross.&nbsp;Under the ceasefire deal, which came into effect on October 10, Israel was required to turn over the bodies of 15 Palestinians for every deceased Israeli returned.&nbsp;The 15 bodies returned on Wednesday were in exchange for the remains of Dror Or, one of the last three deceased hostages held in the Palestinian territory, whose body was handed over to Israel on Tuesday by militants, via the ICRC.&nbsp;Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said in a statement that the handover &quot;reflects Hamas&#39;s steadfast commitment to fully complete the exchange process and its ongoing efforts to finalize it despite significant difficulties.&quot;&nbsp;The last two hostages&#39; bodies still in Gaza are those of Israeli Ran Gvili and Thai national Sudthisak Rinthalak.&nbsp;At the start of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, militants were holding 20 living hostages and 28 bodies of deceased captives.&nbsp;Hamas has since released all the living hostages and returned the remains of 26 dead hostages.&nbsp;In exchange, Israel has released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in its custody and returned the bodies of hundreds of dead Palestinians

Israel returned 15 Palestinian bodies to Gaza under a US-brokered ceasefire deal, exchanging them for the remains of Israeli hostage Dror Or, Hamas says it remains committed to completing the process, with two hostage bodies still in Gaza.

Flydubai announces deal with Boeing for 75 planes worth $13B

Related Articles

Bangladesh orders 25 Boeing planes, Airbus eyes deals

Latest News

Macron to announce France restoring voluntary military service

Pakistan honors outgoing top military official after four decades’ service

Drone strike hits Iraq gas complex, cuts supply: official

Two National Guard soldiers shot near White House, suspect in custody

Hong Kong high-rise fire kills at least 44, still burning