Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud reviewed &#39;the evolving regional situation and recent developments&#39; in a telephonic conversation, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement on Tuesday.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Saudi Foreign Minister reaffirmed Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s commitment to strengthening and deepening bilateral ties with Pakistan, highlighting the importance Riyadh attaches to its longstanding relationship with Islamabad, the statement said.&nbsp; Dar expressed satisfaction over the positive progress of bilateral relations between Islamabad and Riyadh, the statement added.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 770px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2005958717796417881&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=0a4277fff51fc9779360cb27c73be39ad1b5ef70&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Dar also conveyed season&rsquo;s greetings and best wishes for the New Year to his counterpart, the statement said.&nbsp;Prince Faisal warmly reciprocated, the FO statement added.

Foreign Affairs

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister held a phone call to discuss regional developments, exchange new year greetings, express satisfaction over growing bilateral ties, and agree on further strengthening cooperation and long-standing relations.



Pakistan, Saudi Arabia review regional situation, reaffirm bilateral cooperation 

ISLAMABAD: The United States embassy in India on Tuesday warned Indians of &ldquo;significant criminal penalties&rdquo; for illegally immigrating to the US, according to a statement posted on its official X account. &ldquo;If you break U.S. law, you will be punished with significant criminal penalties,&rdquo; the statement said. The warning comes as part of the current US administration&rsquo;s commitment to ending illegal immigration and protecting national borders. According to estimates by the Pew Research Center and the Center for Migration Studies of New York (CMS), around 700,000 Indian people were residing illegally in the US as of 2022, making them the third-largest group after Mexico and El Salvador. However, official data from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) suggests that around 220,000 unauthorized Indians are based in the US. Whereas, this year in February, a US military aircraft carrying 104 deported Indians landed in Amritsar. US President Donald Trump has made the mass deportation of undocumented foreign nationals a key policy, with the North American&nbsp;country reportedly identifying about 18,000 Indian nationals it believes entered the country illegally, according to the BBC. Earlier this year, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India would take back its nationals who were in the US illegally and would also crack down on the &ldquo;human trafficking ecosystem.&rdquo; &ldquo;These are children of very ordinary families, and they are lured by big dreams and promises,&rdquo; he said during his visit to Washington. In recent times, relations between Washington and New Delhi have become strained. This is attributed to President Trump&rsquo;s sweeping 50% tariffs on Indian goods, according to Chatham House in August, and India&rsquo;s discomfort over US engagement with Pakistan following the May conflict between the two South Asian rivals. Regarding the recent statement, neither the US State Department nor US missions in Pakistan or other countries, including Afghanistan, Syria, Myanmar, or China, have issued similar warnings, Pakistani local media reported.&nbsp;

Asia

The US Embassy in India warned Indians of criminal penalties for illegal immigration, citing border enforcement priorities, amid strained US-India relations this year.

US warns Indian nationals of ‘criminal penalties’ for illegal immigration

ISLAMABAD: Turkish authorities arrested 357 suspected Islamic State (ISIS) group members in coordinated raids across 21 provinces Tuesday, T&uuml;rkiye Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said. &quot;This morning, in 21 provinces, we apprehended 357 suspected ISIS members in simultaneous operations conducted by our police,&quot; Yerlikaya said in a statement on X (formerly Twitter). The operations were conducted by the national police&#39;s counterterrorism and intelligence departments in coordination with prosecutors&#39; offices, according to the statement. Raids took place in Adana, Ağrı, Ankara, Antalya, Bing&ouml;l, &Ccedil;orum, Denizli, Erzincan, Gaziantep, Giresun, Istanbul, Kastamonu, Kilis, Konya, Muğla, Niğde, Osmaniye, Şanlıurfa, Şırnak, Yalova and Van. The announcement came a day after three police officers and six suspected militants were killed during an eight-hour standoff in the northwestern town of Yalova. Eight police officers and one security force member were wounded, local media reported. Last week, Turkish authorities arrested 115 suspects accused of planning attacks targeting non-Muslims during Christmas and New Year&#39;s celebrations, local media reported. Several detainees are suspected of collecting money under the guise of charity and funneling it to ISIS-linked networks in Syria, according to prosecutors, Al-Arabiya reported. &quot;Just as we have never given an opportunity to those who try to bring this country to its knees with terrorism, we will never give them an opportunity in the future either,&quot; Yerlikaya said. The ISIS has carried out multiple deadly attacks in Turkey, including a shooting at an Istanbul nightclub on January 1, 2017, which killed 39 people.

Europe

Türkiye said 357 suspects were apprehended across 21 provinces in coordinated raids as Ankara intensifies actions against ISIS.

Turkish police detain more than 350 suspects in raids against ISIS

ISLAMABAD:&nbsp;Saudi Arabia declared a UAE-backed separatist advance in Yemen a threat to the kingdom&#39;s national security on Tuesday, while calling Abu Dhabi&#39;s actions &quot;highly dangerous,&quot; as the rivalry between the Gulf monarchies boiled into an open dispute. Earlier today (Tuesday),&nbsp;the leader of Yemen&#39;s presidential council declared a state of emergency and cancelled a security pact with the United Arab Emirates after Abu Dhabi-backed separatists seized swathes of territory. The announcements by Rashad al-Alimi, head of the Presidential Leadership Council, come after the Saudi-led coalition in divided Yemen said it struck a UAE weapons shipment destined for the separatists. In a statement, the UAE &ldquo;expressed its deep regrets&rdquo; regarding the statement issued by Saudi Arabia and denied the assertion of fueling the conflict in Yemen. &ldquo;The United Arab Emirates affirms its unwavering commitment to the security and stability of the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, its full respect for its sovereignty and national security, and its rejection of any actions that threaten the security of the Kingdom or the region,&rdquo; said the statement. The foreign ministry statement came hours after the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen said it had struck a UAE weapons shipment destined for separatist forces. &quot;The steps taken by the UAE are considered highly dangerous,&quot; it said, adding &quot;the Kingdom stresses that any threat to its national security is a red line, and the Kingdom will not hesitate to take all necessary steps and measures to confront and neutralise any such threat.&quot; In recent weeks, separatists reportedly backed by the UAE seeking to revive the formerly independent state of South Yemen have made sweeping territorial gains in a lightning offensive. Experts say their successes have embarrassed Saudi Arabia, a regional heavyweight and the main backer of the internationally recognized Yemeni government. &quot;Given the danger and escalation posed by these weapons... the coalition air forces carried out a limited military operation this morning targeting weapons and combat vehicles that had been unloaded from the two ships at the port of Al-Mukalla,&quot; the alliance said, according to the Saudi state news agency. AFP footage of the port showed dozens of parked military vehicles and pick-ups, several of which were burnt out and smouldering as workers hosed them down. After the strikes, the leader of Yemen&#39;s presidential council, which sits atop the Aden-based government, declared a state of emergency and cancelled a security pact with Abu Dhabi after the forces of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) seized swaths of territory. The STC is also a key member of the government&mdash;a fractious patchwork of groups held together by its opposition to the Iran-backed Houthi rebels who control swaths of northern and western Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa. &#39;A red line&#39;Saudi Arabia and the UAE&mdash;traditionally close allies who joined forces in Yemen against the Houthis&mdash;have increasingly been at odds over the conflict on their doorstep, as well as the war in Sudan. &quot;The Kingdom expresses its disappointment by the actions taken by the brotherly United Arab Emirates, pressuring the Southern Transitional Council&#39;s forces to conduct military operations on the southern border of the Kingdom,&quot; the Saudi foreign ministry statement said. It called them &quot;a threat to the Kingdom&#39;s national security, as well as to security and stability in the Republic of Yemen and the region,&quot; it said. A source close to the Saudi military coalition told AFP on Tuesday after the strikes that a diplomatic solution remained on the table. &quot;The coalition was forced to do that. All diplomacy efforts met deaf ears,&quot; said the source. &quot;Diplomacy is still an option to stop any further escalation.&quot; 24-hour deadlineRiyadh also backed a demand from Yemen&#39;s presidential council for Emirati forces to withdraw from the country within 24 hours, and urged Abu Dhabi to cut off military and financial support for Yemeni groups. Rashad al-Alimi, head of the Presidential Leadership Council, issued decrees on Tuesday announcing a 90-day state of emergency and annulling a security pact with the UAE over the separatists&#39; advance. The STC members of the council later rejected the decision, saying the move threatened to &quot;drag Yemen into new confrontations or target its regional allies&quot;. Following the strikes, broadcasters in Saudi Arabia aired segments showing surveillance footage of the alleged Emirati ships delivering the combat equipment to the port of Mukalla in southern Yemen. The Saudi-led coalition said the ships had arrived from the UAE port of Fujairah, adding that the operation was conducted in accordance with international humanitarian law and without causing collateral damage. An official at the port said a warning to evacuate was received at 4:00 am (0100 GMT) local time. &#39;Unacceptable to God&#39;Abdullah Bazuhair, whose home overlooks the port, showed AFP the damage to his property, with windows blasted clear out of the walls and glass strewn across the floor. The strikes were &quot;unacceptable to God&quot; he said, adding &quot;the children were terrified and the women frightened&quot;. The Saudi-led coalition had warned that it would back Yemen&#39;s government in any military confrontation with separatist forces and urged them to withdraw &quot;peacefully&quot; from recently seized territories in Hadramawt and Mahra governorates. Tuesday&#39;s strike came days after reported Saudi air raids on separatist positions in resource-rich Hadramawt last week. A Yemeni military official said on Friday that around 15,000 Saudi-backed fighters were massed near the Saudi border but had not been given orders to advance on separatist-held territory.

Middle East

Saudi Arabia condemned UAE-backed separatists’ advance in Yemen as a security threat and bombed alleged Emirati arms shipments, while the UAE denied fueling conflict, expressing regret amid escalating Gulf rivalry

Saudi Arabia condemns ‘dangerous’ UAE actions in Yemen as Abu Dhabi denies fuelling conflict 

ISLAMABAD: In 2025, Israel launched an unprecedented series of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/the-bitter-relationship-between-israel-and-arab-states" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">military attacks across six countries in the Middle East</a>, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED).&nbsp; The data analysis group&rsquo;s report, &ldquo;Israel recalibrates its military campaigns in a region still on edge,&rdquo; highlights the growing scope and intensity of Israel&rsquo;s actions in the region. ACLED, an independent global conflict monitor, reported that Israel launched military attacks in Iran, Lebanon, Palestine, Qatar, Syria, and Yemen throughout the year, marking the widest geographic reach of any military worldwide in 2025. &ldquo;In 2025, Israel launched attacks in Iran, Lebanon, Palestine, Qatar, Syria, and Yemen,&rdquo; ACLED states, noting that between January 1 and November 28 alone, Israel &ldquo;undertook more than 12,500 military actions across the Middle East.&rdquo; Deadliest zone: Palestine (Gaza Strip and West Bank)ACLED identified the Palestinian territories, particularly Gaza, as the deadliest theater of Israel&rsquo;s military activity in 2025. &ldquo;Gaza remained the deadliest arena; the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/gaza-civil-defense-says-7-killed-in-israeli-strikes" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">IDF killed thousands</a>&nbsp;&mdash; the majority civilians &mdash; in strikes,&rdquo; the report details. Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) strikes reportedly killed over 16,100 Palestinians in Gaza. The report further stated that Israel broke a ceasefire in January and, by October, had &ldquo;confined Palestinians in Gaza to less than 25% of the enclave and was pushing to establish full control over Gaza City.&rdquo; In the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/14-countries-condemn-israels-expansion-of-west-bank-settlements" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">West Bank</a>, ACLED documented intensified Israeli military operations: &ldquo;The IDF conducted its largest operations in decades, displacing tens of thousands from the Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur al-Shams camps.&rdquo; Lebanon: ongoing air and artillery strikesDespite a ceasefire, ACLED recorded that Israel continued to carry out air and artillery strikes in Lebanon. &ldquo;The IDF conducted nearly 1,600 air- and artillery strikes, as well as shooting attacks, in Lebanon,&rdquo; the report said. Israeli forces withdrew ground troops in February but continued &ldquo;hundreds of near-daily strikes, mainly in the south but also in the Bekaa Valley and Beirut,&rdquo; killing hundreds of Hezbollah fighters, including nearly 25 commanders. Iran: strategic campaignACLED describes Israel&rsquo;s campaign in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-says-missile-programme-defensive-nonnegotiable" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Iran</a>&nbsp;as the most strategically consequential foreign operation of 2025. &ldquo;Israel launched a 12-day military campaign consisting of over 350 airstrikes across 27 provinces, including in the capital Tehran,&rdquo; the report notes. Targets included missile sites, military bases, nuclear facilities, and government buildings, with assassinations of senior military leaders and nuclear scientists. Syria: expanded presence and strikesIsrael maintained and expanded its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/three-wounded-in-southern-syria-after-israeli-incursion-state-media" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">military presence in Syria</a>, according to ACLED. &ldquo;In Syria, the IDF targeted Syrian military assets despite al-Assad&rsquo;s ouster,&rdquo; the report says, noting that Israel &ldquo;established six additional outposts in the demilitarized buffer zone, deploying up to 15 kilometers inside Syria.&rdquo; Yemen: targeted operations against HouthisIn Yemen, Israel escalated its military campaign against Houthi forces. &ldquo;The IDF conducted operations on 16 separate days in 2025, killing over 120 people,&rdquo; ACLED states, highlighting strikes that decimated the Houthi de facto government and killed the military chief of staff. Qatar: Rare but significant targetACLED points out Israel&rsquo;s rare&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/qatar-says-us-claims-of-warnings-prior-to-doha-attack-are-%E2%80%98baseless%E2%80%99" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">military action in Qatar</a>, related to its pursuit of Hamas leaders. &ldquo;From Palestine to Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Iran, and even Qatar, the Israel Defense Forces projected military power across the region in 2025,&rdquo; the report says. The strike in Qatar marked a diplomatic turning point affecting regional relations later in the year. ACLED concludes that Israel&rsquo;s 2025 military posture shifted from a status quo power to a more revisionist one, noting: &ldquo;Israel established or expanded buffer zones and military outposts in three countries.&rdquo; This data underscores the complex and far-reaching nature of Israel&rsquo;s military campaigns in the Middle East throughout 2025, marking one of the most active and geographically expansive years in recent regional history.

ACLED says Israel launched military attacks in Iran, Lebanon, Palestine, Qatar, Syria, and Yemen throughout the year.

Israel attacked six Muslim countries in 2025: Report

NOTTINGHAM, UK: A dozen girls whizzed around an English karting track, part of a pioneering drive to draw women into motorsports and maybe even race to the top in male-dominated Formula 1. A special test day in October in Nottingham aimed to address a major gender gap in F1, one of the flashiest of sports. Italian Lella Lombardi was the last woman to compete in an F1 Grand Prix in 1976, and the absence of women on the circuit is linked to young girls&#39; limited exposure to motorsports, according to gender parity organisations. More Than Equal, a non-profit that supports women drivers, said girls start karting on average two years later than boys. Seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton, for example, got into the format aged just eight. &quot;These are the first steps that a girl could take,&quot; Cameron Biggs, coaching and academy pathway manager at Motorsport UK, told AFP. &quot;We&#39;re really trying to join the dots between grassroots and elite.&quot; The enthusiasm was palpable among the youngsters, who were mostly new to karting. Some attended the taster day, supported by makeup company Charlotte Tilbury, after watching F1, while others were encouraged by their parents. None seemed put off by F1&#39;s breakneck speed, the thrumming engines and the prospect of driving a vehicle years before they are old enough to have a driver&#39;s licence. &quot;On the second time, I came first and I&#39;m very proud,&quot; beamed 11-year-old Megan. &quot;I watch Formula 1 quite often, and so I kind of know how to get around the track,&quot; said Erin, also 11. F1 paradoxF1&#39;s official website boasts a global fanbase of 827 million people -- a 63 percent increase since 2018. But there is a paradox: F1 is one of the world&#39;s few non-gender-segregated sports yet one of the most male-dominated. &quot;We know that the pathway for female drivers hasn&#39;t successfully got a woman into Formula One competitively in the last 50 years,&quot; More Than Equal&#39;s head of driver development Lauren Forrow told AFP. That means that girls are &quot;not thriving within&quot; the current system, she said. The organisation has pledged to &quot;make history&quot; by training a woman not just to compete but to win. &quot;We know that this is a real challenge and that it&#39;s never been done before,&quot; CEO Tom Stanton told AFP. More Than Equal lists limited access to motorsports at an early age, cultural and structural biases, sponsorship gaps and a lack of role models at the top as barriers obstructing women&#39;s entry into F1. Forrow said the organisation&#39;s unique Driver Development Programme &quot;acknowledges the physiological, psychological and technical differences&quot; women face, such as the impact of menstruation on athletic abilities and daily life. These realities &quot;inform what the kind of right recipe is for supporting female athletes in this space&quot;, she said, of the programme created for young female racing drivers. &#39;Nobody to look up to&#39;Fifteen-year-old Skye Parker, from Trelogan, North Wales, told AFP she is determined to become &quot;Formula 1 world champion&quot;, having started karting aged six and now loving the &quot;feeling of excitement&quot; she gets on the track. On a wet December day, the assured teenager did laps in a Formula 4 car on Spain&#39;s Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. It has a challenging layout and is used by More Than Equal to hone female drivers&#39; skills. F4, for junior drivers, is an essential stepping stone for drivers on their way to the top. Parker&#39;s personalised pink-and-green helmet distinguished her from other drivers as she drove for 45-minute stretches, concluding each session with a technical debrief. Parker told AFP there are more women than before, but noted &quot;boys definitely outnumber us&quot;. &quot;It is quite sad that there is nobody to look up to female-wise in Formula One,&quot; she said. On top of obstacles unique to women, F1 is an &quot;incredibly expensive&quot; sport to pursue, Forrow said. In Nottingham, Marcus McKenzie stood on the sidelines, using a headpiece to instruct his eight-year-old daughter Georgia as she rocketed around the karting track -- at 25 miles (40 kilometres) per hour, somewhat slower than the average speeds of 220 miles per hour characteristic of a Grand Prix. The single father conceded that the cost of the sport made things difficult, but he is hoping to secure sponsorship for Georgia and her 11-year-old brother, who is also passionate about F1. But money was far from the minds of the youngsters, who were exhilarated as they stepped off the track. &quot;Don&#39;t be shy to do it. Just be brave and have fun,&quot; was eight-year-old Thea&#39;s message to other girls her age.

This photo taken on November 15, 2025 shows 15-year-old Skye Parker posing during a day out at the Shenington Kart Racing Club track in Shenington, central England. A dozen girls whizzed around an English karting track, part of a pioneering drive to draw 

Racing

F1 is one of the world's few non-gender-segregated sports yet one of the most male-dominated. There has been no woman in Formula One competitively in the last 50 years.

The race to find Formula 1's first-ever woman champion

RIYADH: The leader of Yemen&#39;s presidential council declared a state of emergency and cancelled a security pact with the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday after Abu Dhabi-backed separatists seized swathes of territory.&nbsp;&quot;The Joint Defense Agreement with the United Arab Emirates is hereby cancelled,&quot; a statement said, while a separate decree announced a 90-day state of emergency including a 72-hour air, sea and land blockade.&nbsp;The announcements by Rashad al-Alimi, head of the Presidential Leadership Council, come after the Saudi-led coalition fighting in divided Yemen said it struck a UAE weapons shipment destined for the separatists.<div class="fr-embed"><div></div></div>The UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (SCT) forces have swept through the south of Yemen this month, taking most of resource-rich Hadramawt province and swathes of neighboring Mahrah.&nbsp;Alimi ordered the SCT to hand over the territory to Saudi-backed forces, calling the separatists&#39; advance an &quot;unacceptable rebellion&quot; in a televised address.&nbsp;The confrontation risks tearing apart the already fractured Yemeni government, which has different factions backed by oil-rich Gulf powers Saudi Arabia and the UAE. It also threatens slow-moving peace negotiations with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who ousted the government from the capital Sanaa in 2014, triggering a military intervention by the Saudi-led coalition. The announcement comes moments after the country cancelled its defense pact with the UAE. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has declared &quot;UAE-backed&quot; separatists a threat to Saudi security, with its Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressing clear disappointment and concern over Abu Dhabi&rsquo;s actions.&nbsp;&ldquo;The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia expresses its disappointment with the actions taken by the brotherly United Arab Emirates,&rdquo; said a statement from the Saudi foreign office, asking that &quot;all its forces leave the Republic of Yemen within twenty-four hours. It said the steps taken by the UAE do not serve the coalition&rsquo;s purpose of achieving security and stability for Yemen, reaffirming commitment to the security, stability, and sovereignty of Yemen.&nbsp;&ldquo;The Southern cause is a just cause that has historical and social dimensions, and the only path to resolve it is through dialogue within a comprehensive political solution in Yemen,&rdquo; the Saudi foreign office said.&nbsp;&ldquo;The Kingdom hopes that wisdom, the principles of brotherhood, good neighborliness, and the interest of brotherly Yemen will prevail.&rdquo; It called on the UAE to take the necessary steps to preserve bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries. The latest developments come after the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/saudiled-coalition-says-targeted-shipments-in-yemen-unloaded-from-vessels-from-uae" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Saudi-led coalition said it targeted</a>&nbsp;a large quantity of weapons and combat vehicles destined for separatist forces that were being offloaded from ships at a port in Yemen, coming from the UAE. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="fr-embed"><div></div></div> </div>Yemen has been fighting a crippling war, as armed factions loosely grouped under the government and backed by the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia turn on each other. The UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), which seeks to revive the formerly independent state of South Yemen, has in recent weeks swept through swathes of the country, expelling other government forces and their allies. The Saudi-led coalition warned on Saturday that it would back Yemen&#39;s government in any military confrontation with separatist forces and has urged them to withdraw &quot;peacefully&quot; from recently seized provinces.&nbsp;&quot;At 4:00 am, we received a call to evacuate the port of al-Mukalla a quarter of an hour before the strike,&quot; an official at the Yemeni port told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media.&nbsp;&quot;The evacuation completed, and the strike occurred a quarter of an hour later in a dirt area within the port. The fire is still burning,&quot; he said.&nbsp;The coalition targeted two ships carrying &quot;a large quantity of weapons and combat vehicles to support the Southern Transitional Council forces,&quot; the state news agency, Saudi Press Agency, reported. <div class="fr-embed"><div></div><div class="fr-embed"><div></div></div> </div>&quot;Given the danger and escalation posed by these weapons... the Coalition air forces carried out a limited military operation this morning targeting weapons and combat vehicles that had been unloaded from the two ships at the port of al-Mukalla,&quot; it said.&nbsp;The ships had arrived from the port of Fujairah, on the east coast of the United Arab Emirates, the SPA said, adding that the operation was conducted in accordance with international humanitarian law and that no collateral damage occurred.&nbsp;Aerial footage showing docked boats and a large number of vehicles driving through the port was shared by the SPA.

Saudi Arabia declares separatists a threat to its security; expresses clear disappointment and concern over Abu Dhabi’s actions; orders its forces to leave Yemen within twenty-four hours.

Yemen cancels defense pact with UAE after 'separatists' seize territory

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has strongly condemned Israel&rsquo;s unilateral recognition of the so-called &ldquo;Somaliland&rdquo; region, calling it a violation of Somalia&rsquo;s sovereignty and international law, during a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) briefing on Monday.&nbsp;Speaking at the UNSC, Ambassador Usman Jadoon, Acting Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, reaffirmed Pakistan&rsquo;s &ldquo;unwavering and steadfast support&rdquo; for the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia.&nbsp;Ambassador Jadoon described Israel&rsquo;s move as a &ldquo;direct assault on Somalia&rsquo;s internationally recognized borders,&rdquo; stressing that Somaliland remains an &ldquo;integral, inseparable, and inalienable part of Somalia.&rdquo; He emphasized that no external actor has the legal or moral authority to alter Somalia&rsquo;s territorial integrity.&nbsp;Pakistan also highlighted that a group of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries, including Pakistan, has jointly rejected Israel&rsquo;s action. The joint statement warned that recognizing parts of sovereign states violates the United Nations Charter and could have serious repercussions for peace and security in the Horn of Africa, the Red Sea region, and beyond.&nbsp;The Pakistani envoy noted that Israel&rsquo;s recognition comes at a sensitive moment when Somalia is making tangible progress in political reconciliation, constitutional reform, and institution-building under the leadership of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. He pointed to positive developments in economic legislation, preparations for inclusive elections, and the ongoing transition of the United Nations presence in Somalia.&nbsp;According to Ambassador Jadoon, the first phase of the United Nations Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNTMIS) has been completed, with the mission scheduled to conclude operations by 31 October 2026. He warned that actions undermining Somalia&rsquo;s unity risk reversing these hard-won gains.&nbsp;Pakistan also acknowledged the sacrifices of the Somali people and their security forces, supported by AU-UN missions, in combating Al-Shabaab, stressing the need for continued international support for Somalia&rsquo;s security and stabilization efforts.&nbsp;Linking the issue to the wider regional context, Ambassador Jadoon expressed concern over Israel&rsquo;s previous references to Somaliland as a potential destination for the deportation of Palestinians from Gaza. He said such actions reflect a broader pattern of destabilization and warned against exporting conflict to the Horn of Africa.&nbsp;Pakistan unequivocally rejected any proposals involving the forced displacement of Palestinians, recalling that UN Security Council Resolution 2803 clearly states that no one will be forced to leave Gaza. The envoy reaffirmed Pakistan&rsquo;s support for the Palestinian people&rsquo;s right to self-determination and reiterated its backing for a two-state solution, with an independent Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders and Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.&nbsp;Ambassador Jadoon called on the Security Council and the international community to speak with one voice against actions that undermine Somalia&rsquo;s unity, reaffirming Pakistan&rsquo;s commitment to standing with the Somali government and people in their pursuit of peace and prosperity.

Ambassador Usman Jadoon describes Israel’s move as a 'direct assault on Somalia’s internationally recognized borders.'

Pakistan condemns Israel’s recognition of 'Somaliland' at UN Security Council

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday strongly condemned the reported targeting of the residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling it a grave threat to peace and regional stability.&nbsp;In a statement posted on social media platform X, the prime minister said Pakistan stood in solidarity with the government and people of the Russian Federation and reiterated Islamabad&rsquo;s firm rejection of all forms of violence aimed at undermining peace and security. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2005822489709142201&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=92548bd0643675c14bf9567fc2f63c551b5729ac&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 345px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="2005822489709142201"></iframe></div></div>The statement comes hours after Russia accused Ukraine of launching a large-scale <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/russia-says-ukraine-attacked-putins-home-kyiv-calls-this-lie" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">attack on one of President Vladimir Putin&rsquo;s residences</a> &mdash; an allegation Kyiv dismissed as false and politically motivated.&nbsp;Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claimed that Ukraine fired 91 long-range unmanned aerial vehicles at Putin&rsquo;s residence in the Novgorod region between late Sunday and early Monday, all of which were allegedly intercepted. No evidence was provided.&nbsp;Lavrov warned that Russia would reconsider its negotiating position, accusing Kyiv of shifting toward what he described as &ldquo;state terrorism.&rdquo;&nbsp;Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected the accusation, calling it &ldquo;a complete fabrication&rdquo; aimed at undermining US-led peace efforts.&nbsp;US President Donald Trump, who held a phone call with President Putin earlier on Monday, criticised the timing of the alleged incident.&nbsp;&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t like it. It&rsquo;s not good,&rdquo; Trump told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago residence. &ldquo;You know who told me about it? President Putin told me about it.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a delicate period of time. This is not the right time,&rdquo; he added.

Calls it a grave threat to peace and regional stability.

PM Sharif condemns attack on Russian president’s residence

RIYADH: A Saudi-led coalition said it targeted Tuesday a large quantity of weapons and combat vehicles destined for separatist forces that were being offloaded from ships at a port in Yemen, coming from the UAE.&nbsp;Yemen has been fighting a crippling war, as armed factions loosely grouped under the government and backed by the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia turn on each other.&nbsp;The UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), which seeks to revive the formerly independent state of South Yemen, has in recent weeks swept through swathes of the country, expelling other government forces and their allies.&nbsp;The Saudi-led coalition warned on Saturday that it would back Yemen&#39;s government in any military confrontation with separatist forces and has urged them to withdraw &quot;peacefully&quot; from recently-seized provinces.&nbsp;&quot;At 4:00 am, we received a call to evacuate the port of al-Mukalla a quarter of an hour before the strike,&quot; an official at the Yemeni port told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media.&nbsp;&quot;The evacuation completed, and the strike occurred a quarter of an hour later in a dirt area within the port. The fire is still burning,&quot; he said.&nbsp;The coalition targeted two ships carrying &quot;a large quantity of weapons and combat vehicles to support the Southern Transitional Council forces&quot;, the Saudi state news agency SPA reported.&nbsp;&quot;Given the danger and escalation posed by these weapons... the Coalition air forces carried out a limited military operation this morning targeting weapons and combat vehicles that had been unloaded from the two ships at the port of al-Mukalla,&quot; it said.&nbsp;The ships had arrived from the port of Fujairah, on the east coast of the United Arab Emirates, the SPA said, adding that the operation was conducted in accordance with international humanitarian law and that no collateral damage occurred.&nbsp;Aerial footage showing docked boats and a large number of vehicles driving through the port was shared by the SPA.&nbsp;&#39;Sensitive moment&#39;The attack came days after reported Saudi air strikes on separatist positions in Yemen&#39;s Hadramawt province -- and after Washington called for restraint in the rapidly escalating conflict.&nbsp;US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said: &quot;We urge restraint and continued diplomacy, with a view to reaching a lasting solution.&quot;&nbsp;Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman posted Saturday on X that troops from the separatist STC should &quot;peacefully hand over&quot; two regional governorates to the government.&nbsp;&quot;It&#39;s time,&quot; he posted, &quot;at this sensitive moment, to let reason prevail by withdrawing from the two provinces and doing so peacefully.&quot;&nbsp;But the STC had warned on Friday they were undeterred after strikes blamed on Saudi Arabia hit their positions, following their seizure of large swathes of territory in the Hadramawt and Mahrah provinces.&nbsp;Since the takeover, supporters of the separatists have been gathering regularly in cities including Aden to demand they declare independence, with the largest rallies taking place every Friday.&nbsp;On Saturday, hundreds of Yemeni tribesmen gathered in Aden to ask the STC&#39;s leaders to announce the independence of South Yemen, according to the separatist-affiliated Aden Independent Channel.&nbsp;The channel aired footage of a large crowd marching and waving the South Yemen independence flag alongside the UAE&#39;s flag.&nbsp;A Yemeni military official said on Friday that around 15,000 Saudi-backed fighters were massed near the Saudi border but had not been given orders to advance on separatist-held territory.&nbsp;The areas where they were deployed are at the edges of territory seized in recent weeks by the UAE-backed STC.&nbsp;The government is a patchwork of groups that includes the separatists, and is held together by shared opposition to the Iran-backed Houthis.&nbsp;The Houthis pushed the government out of Yemen&#39;s capital Sanaa in 2014 and secured control over most of the north.

Saudi state news agency says two ships arrived from the port of “Fujairah entered the port of Mukalla on Saturday and Sunday, without obtaining official permits from the Joint Forces Command of the Coalition."

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia review regional situation, reaffirm bilateral cooperation

Latest News

US warns Indian nationals of ‘criminal penalties’ for illegal immigration

Turkish police detain more than 350 suspects in raids against ISIS

Saudi Arabia condemns ‘dangerous’ UAE actions in Yemen as Abu Dhabi denies fuelling conflict

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia review regional situation, reaffirm bilateral cooperation

Israel attacked six Muslim countries in 2025: Report