Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Jordan&rsquo;s King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein expressed gratitude for the &ldquo;gracious hospitality&rdquo; extended to him and his delegation during his state visit to Pakistan last week.&nbsp;In a statement released from Jordan, the King said, &ldquo;Now back in Jordan, I thank our friends in Japan, Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia, and Pakistan for the gracious hospitality.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;Our talks covered economic cooperation and strategic partnerships,&rdquo; the Jordanian King said on a social media platform X. &ldquo;I look forward to following up on these prospects through our public and private sectors.&rdquo;&nbsp;During his two-day visit, the King visited Global Industrial &amp; Defence Solutions (GIDS) in Islamabad, where he was briefed on Pakistan&rsquo;s research, development, and production of defense and military equipment using modern technology.&nbsp;The visit explored potential avenues for cooperation and expertise exchange between the Jordan Armed Forces and GIDS within the framework of Pakistan-Jordan military collaboration.&nbsp;The King, accompanied by Princess Salma bint Abdullah II, Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad, and top Jordanian officials including Maj. Gen. Yousef Huneiti, also attended a joint military drill with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, witnessing multi-domain operations demonstrating Pakistan&rsquo;s operational capabilities.&nbsp;According to the Royal Hashemite Court, the visit reinforced the strategic partnership and longstanding fraternal ties between Jordan and Pakistan, highlighting opportunities for economic, defense, and technological collaboration.

Middle East

King Abdullah II, with Princess Salma, thanks Pakistan for hospitality, visits GIDS, explores defense cooperation, and witnesses joint military exercises with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Jordanian King thanks Pakistan for ‘gracious hospitality’ during state visit

ISLAMABAD: President Donald Trump said Monday he will move forward with selling F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, unveiling the decision on the eve of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman&rsquo;s high-profile visit to Washington, his first trip to the United States in more than seven years.&nbsp;Asked directly whether he intended to sell the advanced aircraft to the Kingdom, Trump replied, &ldquo;I will say that we will be doing that.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll be selling F-35s,&rdquo; he added, during a media briefing in the Oval Office.&nbsp;The sale is expected to be one of several major agreements announced during the crown prince&rsquo;s visit, which comes as Trump intensifies efforts to encourage a normalization deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel.&nbsp;The president has repeatedly framed an expanded version of his first-term Abraham Accords as central to achieving long-term stability in the Middle East.&nbsp;&ldquo;I hope that Saudi Arabia will be going into the Abraham Accords very shortly,&rdquo; Trump told reporters last week aboard Air Force One as he traveled to Florida.&nbsp;However, Trump&rsquo;s optimism contrasts with the realities of ongoing diplomacy. Saudi Arabia has publicly maintained that it will not join the accords without a credible pathway to a Palestinian state, a condition Israel continues to reject.&nbsp;The development comes as the UN Security Council on Monday approved a US-drafted plan for Gaza authorizing an International Stabilization Force to provide security in the devastated territory and outlining a potential future path toward Palestinian statehood.&nbsp;This is not the first time Trump has pushed advanced fighter jet sales in the region. In November 2020, his administration formally notified Congress of plans to sell 50 F-35 jets to the United Arab Emirates as part of a $23 billion arms package following the signing of the Abraham Accords.&nbsp;Then-President Joe Biden later placed that sale on hold shortly after taking office.

Americas

Trump says the US will sell F-35 jets to Saudi Arabia ahead of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Washington visit, tying the move to broader Middle East peace efforts.

Trump announces F-35 sale to Saudi Arabia ahead of crown prince’s visit

PARIS: Germany and Netherlands went on goal sprees as they wrapped up World Cup qualification with resounding wins in their last European group matches on Monday. &quot;Every player played well today and worked like a dog,&quot; Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann told German broadcaster ZDF. Both European giants needed only to draw to be sure of reaching the global footballing showpiece in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Instead, both went on the attack. Germany took early control as they beat Slovakia 6-0 in Leipzig. The Netherlands took longer to pull away before overcoming Lithuania 4-0 in Amsterdam. Slovakia finished second in Group A. Poland, who survived a scare to win 3-2 in Malta, ended up second to the Dutch in Group G. Second spot secures a place in the 16-team European play-offs in March. Northern Ireland&#39;s 1-0 win over Luxembourg in Belfast could not lift them out of third in Group A but they will make the play-offs because of their Nations League performance. In Group L, Croatia, already assured of first place, scored twice in the last 18 minutes to cone from behind and win 3-2 away to Montenegro. The Czech Republic, in second, slaughtered visiting Gibraltar 6-0. In Leipzig, four times winners Germany started the night level on points with opponents Slovakia atop Group A but with an edge in goal difference. Slovakia, who beat Germany earlier in qualifying, created some threatening moments but could not take them. Nick Woltemade headed the Germans into an 18th minute lead. Once Serge Gnabry added a second 11 minutes later, the hosts were in total control. Leroy Sane scored twice before half time and substitutes Ridle Baku and Assan Ouedraogo struck in the second half. &quot;We&#39;re relieved. It&#39;s a great moment,&quot; Woltemade told Germany&#39;s ZDF. &quot;I&#39;m playing, I&#39;m scoring goals and I&#39;m hopefully playing at the World Cup.&quot; &quot;Tonight we showed the quality we have in this team. It was a pleasure.&quot; Nagelsmann praised his team&#39;s attitude. &quot;We showed incredible team spirit and pushed ourselves on the pitch from the very beginning,&quot; he said. High-tempo DutchIn Amsterdam, Ronald Koeman&#39;s Dutch team entertained the 50,000 spectators as their high-tempo play constantly pinned Lithuania back in their own half. Tijani Reijnders perfectly set up by Frenkie de Jong gave the hosts a 15-minute lead but the massed visiting defence and a spectacular first-half display by goalkeeper Edvinas Gertmonas held the Dutch at bay until the 58th minute. Cody Gakpo added a second from the penalty spot before Xavi Simons and Donyell Malen struck in the next four minutes allowing Koeman to bring on five substitutes. Like Woltemade, the 27-year-old Reijnders was excited to be heading to the World Cup. He did not make his Netherlands debut until after the 2022 Qatar finals. &quot;I watched it at home, on the couch, with my Oranje shirt on,&quot; he said. &quot;This time round it&#39;s obviously going to be very different for me. I&#39;ll have to wait a while until it comes around, but I&#39;m really looking forward to taking part for the first time.&quot; In Malta, Poland were given a scare on the way to a victory which ultimately did not lift them out of second place. Robert Lewandowski, whose unhappiness at a reduced role in the team led to a coaching change earlier in the campaign, gave the Poles the lead after 32 minutes. Irvin Cardona replied for the home four minutes later. Lewandowski then set up Pawel Wszolek after 59 minutes but the game took a wild swing to Malta in the 68th minute. Karol Swiderski finished a Polish counter-attack by sticking the ball into the net but a video check showed that at the start of the move Jakub Kiwior had fouled Cardona in the Polish box. Teddy Teuma levelled from the penalty. But Piotr Zielinski&#39;s long-range strike flew in off a post after 85 minutes to give Poland victory.

Football

Germany and the Netherlands secured World Cup spots with 6-0 and 4-0 wins, while Poland survived a scare, finishing second for March play-offs qualification.

Germany, Netherlands lock up World Cup spots in style

BEL&Eacute;M: COP30 hosts Brazil on Monday extended negotiations into the night at the UN climate talks as they pushed for a rapid compromise among countries very much at deep odds. Following a difficult first week, Brazil set a deadline for nations to finalize &ldquo;a significant part&rdquo; of the negotiations by Tuesday evening for approval the following day. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s super difficult as you know... but all involved thought that it&rsquo;s worth a try&rdquo; said COP30 President Andre Correa do Lago in the rainforest city of Belem where the talks are underway. Sleepless nights are assured, with Correa do Lago extending the program so negotiators were &ldquo;able to continue working at night.&rdquo; They have their work cut out. No progress has been made to reconcile differences over weak climate commitments, insufficient financial pledges and trade measures. China and India are leading a push for COP30 to adopt a decision against unilateral trade barriers, singling out the EU&rsquo;s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) for attack. Tested since 2023 and set to become fully operational in 2026, CBAM targets imports of carbon-intensive goods such as steel, aluminum, cement, fertilizers, electricity and hydrogen. The head of China&rsquo;s COP30 delegation, Li Gao, told AFP last week that nations should &ldquo;avoid the negative impact of, for example, geopolitical unilateralism or protectionism.&rdquo; But the EU&rsquo;s climate commissioner, Wopke Hoekstra, hit back at attacks over the bloc&rsquo;s flagship policy and defended carbon pricing as &ldquo;something that we need.&rdquo; &ldquo;We&rsquo;re not going to be lured into the suggestion that actually CBAM is a unilateral trade measure. And in that realm, we&rsquo;re also not going to discuss it,&rdquo; Hoekstra said in a news conference. EU and Chinese officials were due to hold talks later Monday. Sleepless in BelemUN climate chief Simon Stiell urged negotiators to tackle &ldquo;the hardest issues fast&rdquo; to avoid going into overtime at the summit&rsquo;s close on Friday. &ldquo;When these issues get pushed deep into extra time, everybody loses. We absolutely cannot afford to waste time on tactical delays or stonewalling,&rdquo; he said. The COP30 presidency published a memo Sunday evening summarizing the divergent viewpoints and proposing options. Money is again at the heart of the negotiations, after last year&rsquo;s summit in Baku ended with an agreement for developed countries to provide $300 billion annually in climate finance to poorer nations &mdash; a figure criticized as greatly insufficient. Developing countries, especially from Africa, want COP30 to point the finger at developed nations for falling short on providing financing to help adapt to climate change and cut emissions. Another divisive issue was a push by island states &mdash; backed by Latin American nations and the EU &mdash; for COP30 to respond to the latest projections showing the world will fail to limit warming to 1.5C. But major emerging countries, from China to Saudi Arabia, are wary of any text that implies they are not doing enough to curb climate change. &ldquo;For Small Island Developing States, 1.5C is not a political slogan. It is a non-negotiable survival threshold for our people, our culture, and our livelihoods,&rdquo; said Steven Victor, the environment minister of Palau, which is chairing the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS). Fossil fightVictor told fellow ministers that AOSIS was disappointed over a lack of progress since nations agreed in 2023 at COP28 in Dubai to transition away from fossil fuels. Host nation Brazil wants COP30 to send an ambitious signal on fossil fuels, but it remains unclear what form this might take. Even supporters are doubtful that stronger language on fossil fuels could be agreed by all countries at COP30 given fierce opposition from major oil-producing nations, among others. &ldquo;At the end of the day... it&rsquo;s about phasing out fossil fuels if we are to solve this problem,&rdquo; a delegate from a European country supportive of Brazil&rsquo;s fossil fuel push told AFP. &ldquo;They are not talking about it in the negotiating rooms. Someone has to do something about it.&rdquo; Brazil&rsquo;s Vice President Geraldo Alckmin urged ministers on Monday to agree to &ldquo;integrated action plans&rdquo; for transitioning away from fossil fuels. Alckmin said President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva might come to Belem this week, which would be &ldquo;extremely positive.&rdquo; &ldquo;Brazil is committed to combating climate change,&rdquo; he said.

Climate

COP30 climate talks in Belem extend into the night as nations clash over finance, fossil fuels, trade barriers, and 1.5C warming targets, says UN chief.

Climate talks run into night as COP30 hosts seek breakthrough

ISLAMABAD: The United Nations Security Council on Monday voted in favor of a US-drafted resolution endorsing President Donald Trump&rsquo;s comprehensive plan to end the Gaza conflict, including the deployment of a Temporary International Stabilization Force (ISF) and steps toward a future Palestinian state.&nbsp;The resolution, adopted with 13 votes in favor and abstentions from Russia and China, establishes the Board of Peace, a transitional oversight body for Gaza with a mandate until 2027.&nbsp;The ISF is tasked with protecting civilians, securing humanitarian aid corridors, supporting border security, and assisting in the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip, with its full effectiveness contingent on the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops.&nbsp;Trump hailed the development, saying it would lead to &quot;further Peace all over the World.&quot;&nbsp;The vote was &quot;acknowledging and endorsing the BOARD OF PEACE, which will be chaired by me,&quot; he wrote on social media. &quot;This will go down as one of the biggest approvals in the History of the United Nations [and] will lead to further Peace all over the World.&quot;&nbsp;Commenting on the resolution, Pakistan&rsquo;s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said Islamabad voted in favor &ldquo;with the primary objective, in the immediate term, to stop the bloodshed, to save the lives of innocent Palestinians including women and children, to maintain the ceasefire, to ensure much-needed large-scale humanitarian relief, and to secure the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.&rdquo;&nbsp;He emphasized Pakistan&rsquo;s support for the plan as part of a coalition of eight Arab-Islamic countries, adding, &ldquo;We have welcomed that initiative because not only it got the ceasefire on ground, it subscribed to the need for humanitarian assistance, reconstruction, provision of a secure and stable environment, and the hope for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood.&rdquo;&nbsp;Ahmad stressed that the establishment of the Temporary International Stabilization Force could be stabilizing if guided by a clear peacekeeping mandate consistent with UN norms.&nbsp;He noted that protection of civilians would be a key priority for the ISF and that the force&rsquo;s mandate would only be effective after a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops.&nbsp;The Pakistani ambassador underlined that executive and administrative authority in Gaza must remain with Palestinians through a Palestinian Committee, and that the Palestinian Authority&rsquo;s role is central to ensuring credible governance, reconstruction, and Palestinian ownership of the process.&nbsp;He also called for ending the occupation and opening a credible, time-bound political process toward a Palestinian state, anchored in international law and relevant UN resolutions.&nbsp;&ldquo;Pakistan stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the people of Palestine,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Their suffering is our anguish; their resilience is our pride; their aspirations our cause.&rdquo;&nbsp;The resolution further emphasizes resuming large-scale humanitarian aid through the UN, Red Crescent, and other international agencies, while affirming no annexation or forced displacement of Palestinians and maintaining the territorial contiguity of Gaza and the West Bank as essential for a viable, sovereign state.&nbsp;The adoption of the resolution signals a significant international effort to stabilize Gaza, enforce the ceasefire, and create mechanisms that could eventually pave the way for a two-state solution.

The Security Council votes to deploy an international force in Gaza, with US President Donald Trump hailing the move, saying it will bring “further Peace all over the World.”

UN approves peacekeeping force for Gaza, Pakistan demands full Israeli withdrawal

ISLAMABAD: Analysts and investigative observers say India&rsquo;s probe into the recent Delhi blast is increasingly mired in contradictions, shifting allegations and unverified media leaks, raising doubts about the credibility and direction of the investigation.&nbsp;According to Indian media reports, investigators have identified a woman named Shaheen, also referred to as &ldquo;Madam Surgeon,&rdquo; as the prime suspect. Outlets have claimed she possessed three different Indian passports issued under separate addresses in Kanpur, Lucknow and Faridabad.&nbsp;Analysts said these assertions &ldquo;defy basic passport regulations&rdquo; and expose &ldquo;deep inconsistencies within India&rsquo;s identity-verification system.&rdquo;&nbsp;Indian agencies have also acknowledged that Faridabad Police carried out passport verification just days before the blast, during which the suspect was reportedly present, photographed and officially cleared.&nbsp;Observers say this acknowledgement &ldquo;sits in direct conflict&rdquo; with India&rsquo;s later allegations that she had been running a sophisticated terror network undetected.&nbsp;Following the explosion, Indian media circulated a series of evolving accusations, including claims of &ldquo;multiple guardian identities,&rdquo; unproven visits to Pakistan, Hawala transactions and foreign travel patterns, without producing documentary evidence.&nbsp;Reports further speculated about weapons allegedly found in a vehicle, unexplained financial transfers and a purported &ldquo;Pakistani handler in Turkey,&rdquo; which some outlets described as part of a &ldquo;D-6 serial-blast plot.&rdquo; Independent analysts described these assertions as &ldquo;speculative, contradictory and lacking forensic grounding.&rdquo;&nbsp;Commentators note that investigators have not released immigration data, bank records, surveillance material or other technical evidence to support the allegations. They argue that the probe&rsquo;s oscillating narrative, combined with sensationalist reporting by outlets known for political alignment, reflects a recurring pattern in which media speculation precedes formal verification.&nbsp;Channels such as Republic TV, frequently criticized by analysts for promoting government-leaning conspiracy theories, have amplified the claims despite what observers describe as &ldquo;a lack of credible substantiation.&rdquo;&nbsp;Security specialists argue that the unresolved contradictions raise fundamental questions about the integrity of the investigation. They say that the case highlights potential failures within India&rsquo;s own security and verification architecture and caution that the ongoing media-driven narrative risks overshadowing the need for a transparent, evidence-based inquiry.&nbsp;Diplomatic observers add that the public framing of the case, marked by rapid speculation and unverified claims, &ldquo;undermines confidence in investigative professionalism&rdquo; and risks eroding trust in India&rsquo;s institutional processes.&nbsp;They stress that the unanswered questions surrounding the Delhi blast require clarity, consistency and verifiable evidence rather than shifting narratives and politically charged media commentary.

India

Blast in Indian capital sparks scrutiny as analysts question contradictory claims, shifting narratives and unverified allegations in India’s investigation, raising concerns over credibility and investigative integrity.

Analysts flag contradictions undermining India’s Delhi blast investigation credibility

ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Tuesday said Pakistan has emerged as &ldquo;extremely relevant&rdquo; on the global stage, shifting &ldquo;from isolation to relevance&rdquo; following the May conflict with India.&nbsp;He made the remarks while addressing a seminar titled &ldquo;Pakistan in the Changing World&rdquo; in Islamabad.&nbsp;Recalling the escalation earlier this year, Tarar noted that tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi intensified after the attack on tourists in the Pahalgam area of Indian-occupied Kashmir. &ldquo;India, without evidence, linked the incident to Pakistan,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;Tarar stressed that Pakistan&rsquo;s international image had strengthened significantly in recent months. &ldquo;In a very short span of time, Pakistan has become extremely relevant globally,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve seen the past two years, and especially after the May war, I think that has redefined who we are, right after the Pahalgam incident.&rdquo;&nbsp;He described the &ldquo;turning point&rdquo; as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif&rsquo;s decision to offer an impartial investigation into the Pahalgam attack.&nbsp;&ldquo;We were often blamed for acts of terror that were not our fault,&rdquo; he noted. &ldquo;By offering this investigation, Pakistan made a good diplomatic move which was well received across the world.&rdquo;&nbsp;According to the minister, the gesture triggered &ldquo;immense diplomatic engagement&rdquo; at multiple levels. &ldquo;The prime minister, the field marshal, and the deputy prime minister all engaged constantly, and that really helped us prove our point to the world,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;Tarar reiterated that Pakistan has long been among the biggest victims of terrorism. &ldquo;You can&#39;t be a victim and an aggressor at the same time. It&#39;s an oxymoron. It&rsquo;s an inherent contradiction. It is not possible,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;He emphasized the magnitude of national sacrifice. &ldquo;No other country has sacrificed 90,000 lives in the war against terrorism,&rdquo; he stated, adding that Pakistan had &ldquo;lost hundreds of billions of dollars in economic losses.&rdquo;&nbsp;These sacrifices, he said, created a &ldquo;shield wall&rdquo; between terrorists and the global community. &ldquo;When a Pakistani lays down his or her life, it is not only for the motherland but to make the world a safer place.&rdquo;&nbsp;Synergy and Gen ZDiscussing domestic unity during the conflict with India, the minister credited coordinated communication for countering misinformation. He praised the Pakistan Army&rsquo;s media wing for its role, saying effective messaging &ldquo;wouldn&rsquo;t have been possible without the ideal synergy we created.&rdquo;&nbsp;Tarar also lauded Gen Z for their performance during what he described as a &ldquo;meme war.&rdquo;&nbsp;He said, &ldquo;The enemy was shocked that our youngsters, in a very serious situation, were making memes and ridiculing them in their own way.&rdquo;&nbsp;Pakistan&rsquo;s rising global standingTurning to foreign policy, the minister said Pakistan&rsquo;s diplomacy had reached its &ldquo;peak&rdquo; over the past 18 months, marked by strengthened global engagement, new regional partnerships, and expanding economic cooperation.&nbsp;He cited Pakistan&rsquo;s role in the Gaza peace process and a series of high-level exchanges as evidence of rising international relevance.&nbsp;The information minister also highlighted Islamabad&rsquo;s hosting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Heads of Government Summit for the first time in 14 years.&nbsp;&ldquo;Twelve prime ministers came to Islamabad for discussions on cooperation, counterterrorism, and connectivity,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;Tarar announced that Pakistan will host the SCO Heads of State Summit in 2027, calling it a &ldquo;major diplomatic milestone.&rdquo;&nbsp;He also hailed the Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement with Saudi Arabia as a &ldquo;breakthrough&rdquo; in regional relations. He recalled that during recent visits, Saudi cities displayed Pakistani flags in celebration of the partnership.&nbsp;During the latest visit to Riyadh, both countries launched a new economic cooperation framework designed to support Pakistan&rsquo;s economic revival. Tarar said the framework had &ldquo;cemented bilateral ties&rdquo; and would play a central role in Pakistan&rsquo;s economic turnaround.&nbsp;Concluding his remarks, Tarar said the recent period marked &ldquo;unprecedented diplomatic activity&rdquo; that had significantly strengthened Pakistan&rsquo;s geopolitical and economic standing.

Foreign Affairs

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar says Pakistan reclaims global relevance through strengthened diplomacy, strategic alliances, counterterror sacrifices, and renewed international engagement following the Pahalgam incident and May conflict with India.

Pakistan marks ‘turning point’ in global standing after May conflict

WASHINGTON: More than 22 million people, many of them children, could die preventable deaths by 2030 due to aid cuts by the United States and European countries, new research said Monday. The findings are an update of a study earlier this year that focused only on US assistance and said that sweeping reductions by President Donald Trump could lead to 14 million additional deaths.

Europe

 More than 22 million people could die by 2030 due to aid cuts by the United States and European countries

US, European aid cuts could cause 22.6 million deaths: research

ISLAMABAD: A 4&deg;C rise in global temperatures could melt up to 85% of Pakistan&rsquo;s glaciers, threatening the country&rsquo;s water supply, agriculture, and food security, Pakistan&rsquo;s climate minister said ahead of the 30th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP30). The country&#39;s&nbsp;Minister for Climate Change Dr Musadik Malik called the glaciers &quot;the bloodline and lifeline of our civilization.&quot; He said they feed Pakistan&rsquo;s rivers and sustain agriculture. &quot;A 4&deg;C rise in temperature can wash away about 85% of these glaciers,&quot; he said. &quot;That would devastate our irrigation systems and agriculture, threatening food security for millions.&quot; The climate minister also criticized the inequity of climate finance, noting that 55% of global carbon emissions come from just three countries. &quot;Countries like Pakistan, which contribute little to the carbon footprint, are among the most vulnerable,&quot; he said. He urged wealthier nations to take more responsibility and help developing countries adapt to climate change. &quot;This is not just an issue of civilization; it is an issue of justice and rights,&quot; he said. The minister highlighted Pakistan&rsquo;s efforts to combat climate change, including the installation of over 14 gigawatts of solar power, policies promoting electric vehicles, and reforestation projects. &quot;We are doing this for our children,&quot; he said. Malik also pointed to early warning systems designed to help communities prepare for climate-induced disasters such as floods and heatwaves. COP30 The COP30 is taking place in Bel&eacute;m, Brazil, from November 10 to 21. It brings together world leaders, climate scientists, NGOs, and indigenous peoples to advance climate action. Key goals include assessing progress on the Paris Agreement, increasing climate finance, and focusing on forest protection and indigenous rights, with special attention to the Amazon.

Climate & Environment

A 4°C rise in temperature could melt 85% of Pakistan’s glaciers, threatening agriculture and water security, Pakistan’s climate minister said at COP30 in Brazil.

Higher temperatures to affect Pakistan's water supplies, threaten food security: climate minister

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Zimbabwe will contest a seven-match T20 International Tri-Series in Rawalpindi beginning Nov. 18, the first time a tri-nation T20I event will be played on home soil. All three sides will play each other twice, creating a four-match league stage per team. The top two will meet in the final, scheduled for the evening of Nov. 29.&nbsp;The green shirts will enter the series in strong momentum under skipper Salman Ali Agha. The T-20 captain led Pakistan to the Asia Cup final, beat South Africa at home, and dominated Bangladesh earlier this year.&nbsp;The squad&rsquo;s recent calendar has been intense, including a full Test, ODI, and T20I series against South Africa. Pakistan also completed a clean sweep against Sri Lanka in the ODI series that concluded earlier this month in Rawalpindi.&nbsp;Agha said the series will also help the side prepare for the World Cup.&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;The tri-series comes at an ideal time for us. It allows the group to play consistent cricket against two competitive sides and further refine our T20I plans ahead of the all-important ICC Men&rsquo;s T20 World Cup next year,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;&ldquo;We have seen great support for the home side from the Rawalpindi fans, and we are expecting quality contests throughout the series,&rdquo; Agha added.&nbsp;Security officials have prepared comprehensive measures for the event, building on earlier matches that drew large, enthusiastic crowds in Rawalpindi.&nbsp;&nbsp;Fans are expected to turn out in strong numbers again, encouraged by the city&rsquo;s successful hosting record and the high-stakes nature of the tri-series.&nbsp;Pakistan&rsquo;s 15-member T20I squad includes: Salman Ali Agha (capt), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan (wk), Usman Tariq. The schedule for the series is as follows: 18 November &ndash; Pakistan v Zimbabwe 20 November &ndash; Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe 22 November &ndash; Pakistan v Sri Lanka 23 November &ndash; Pakistan v Zimbabwe 25 November &ndash; Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe 27 November &ndash; Pakistan v Sri Lanka 29 November &ndash; Final

Cricket

Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Zimbabwe will contest a seven-match T20I tri-series in Rawalpindi from November 18. Pakistan enters in strong form under Salman Ali Agha, using the series to prepare for next year’s T20 World Cup.

Jordanian King thanks Pakistan for ‘gracious hospitality’ during state visit

Latest News

Trump announces F-35 sale to Saudi Arabia ahead of crown prince’s visit

Germany, Netherlands lock up World Cup spots in style

Climate talks run into night as COP30 hosts seek breakthrough

Jordanian King thanks Pakistan for ‘gracious hospitality’ during state visit

UN approves peacekeeping force for Gaza, Pakistan demands full Israeli withdrawal