Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: The United States and Pakistan on Wednesday agreed to deepen cooperation in new areas of mutual interest, promoting precision agriculture and digital farming technologies to improve efficiency and sustainability. &nbsp; In a meeting held by Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain today with Acting US Ambassador to Pakistan Natalie A. Baker, the delegation from two countries met &ldquo;to discuss ways to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in the agriculture sector and increase agricultural trade between the two countries.&rdquo; According to a press release issued late on Wednesday, the minister appreciated the long-standing partnership between Pakistan and US in agriculture, food security, and research, noting that US has been a key partner in Pakistan&rsquo;s agricultural development. Major initiatives being implemented under Pak-US agricultural cooperation were also reviewed during the meeting, the press release said.&nbsp; It said that the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) side &ldquo;expressed interest in collaborating on genetic improvement programs for dairy and beef cattle to further enhance productivity and export competitiveness.&rdquo; &ldquo;Both sides agreed to deepen cooperation in new areas of mutual interest, including joint research for the development of hybrid and disease-resistant crop varieties, local vaccine production, livestock breed improvement, and agricultural mechanization,&rdquo; the press release said.&nbsp; It said that the discussion also focused on promoting precision agriculture and digital farming technologies to improve efficiency and sustainability.&nbsp; The minister emphasized Pakistan&rsquo;s keen interest in expanding its agricultural exports, particularly mangoes and horticultural products, to the US through improved compliance, certification, and export protocols, it added. The minister also reaffirmed Pakistan&rsquo;s commitment to advancing a resilient, sustainable, and technology-driven agriculture sector through continued collaboration with the US, thanking the US government for its &ldquo;consistent support and expressed confidence that this partnership will open new avenues for agricultural innovation, investment, and trade between the two countries.&rdquo;

Foreign Affairs

Major initiatives being implemented under Pak-US agricultural cooperation were also reviewed during the meeting; Federal Minister Rana Tanveer appreciates the long-standing partnership between Pakistan, US in agriculture.

Pakistan, US deepen bilateral cooperation, agree to enhance agricultural trade

Pakistan TV Satellite

After nearly two years of relentless violence, people in Gaza are welcoming the ceasefire with relief but also with fear that it may not last.&nbsp;Yousrah Abu Sharekh, Program Coordinator at INARA Gaza, said on Pakistan TV &#39;morning show&#39; that while the truce is &ldquo;a very positive and welcome development,&rdquo; it marks &ldquo;only the beginning of a very complex chapter ahead.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;There are more than 40,000 children who have sustained life-altering injuries &mdash; and many have lost family members, homes, and a sense of safety,&rdquo; she said, adding that the emotional toll is &ldquo;enormous.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed youtube-embed"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fwAStlkrViI" title="Pakistan-IMF Deal I Gaza Crisis I Harsh Winter Ahead I World This Morning" 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>Humanitarian groups say trauma among Gaza&rsquo;s children is deep and widespread, with many showing signs of severe distress and fear of renewed fighting.&nbsp;&ldquo;People are happy, yes, but they are also anxious. There&rsquo;s a constant fear that the ceasefire might collapse,&rdquo; Abu Sharekh warned.&nbsp;Crowds celebrated the truce across Gaza, yet uncertainty remains. &ldquo;Children have lost so much, they don&rsquo;t want to lose more,&rdquo; she said.&nbsp;The INARA coordinator also cautioned about the lingering dangers of unexploded ordnance and debris, calling them &ldquo;a serious threat to civilians, especially children.&nbsp;&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not just about rebuilding homes; it&rsquo;s about restoring safety and hope,&rdquo; she stressed. &ldquo;The road ahead is long, but the ceasefire gives us a small window of hope.&rdquo;

Middle East

‘It’s the start of a complex chapter,’ says INARA Gaza coordinator as over 40,000 children live with life-altering injuries.

Ceasefire brings relief — and anxiety — in Gaza: INARA’s Yousrah Abu Sharekh

ISLAMABAD: Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of T&uuml;rkiye, Numan Kurtulmuş, has called for greater unity among Muslim nations and stronger cooperation between Pakistan and T&uuml;rkiye, describing their ties as &ldquo;deep-rooted, time-tested, and anchored in shared values.&rdquo; &quot;The relationship between Pakistan and T&uuml;rkiye goes beyond politics &mdash; it&rsquo;s a bond of the heart, built on mutual respect and a shared vision for the Muslim world,&quot; Kurtulmuş said. &nbsp;&lsquo;Global order is collapsing&rsquo;The Turkish Speaker warned that the post&ndash;World War II balance of power is breaking down, creating global instability. &quot;We are witnessing a systemic disorder. The institutions built after World War II can no longer deliver peace or justice,&quot; he told Pakistan TV. &quot;The United Nations has failed to protect civilians in Gaza and other conflict zones.&quot; He reiterated T&uuml;rkiye&rsquo;s call for comprehensive UN reform, saying &ldquo;justice and equality must replace privilege and veto power.&rdquo;<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UXyYy6rSr5Q?&wmode=opaque&rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe> &nbsp;&lsquo;Parliaments can bridge nations&rsquo;Kurtulmuş highlighted the importance of parliamentary diplomacy as a tool for dialogue and peace. &quot;Parliaments connect nations directly. Parliamentary diplomacy can build a fairer world by bringing people together beyond governments,&quot; he said. He said legislatures have a moral responsibility to advocate for justice and humanity, especially in the Muslim world.&nbsp;Trilateral cooperation &amp; regional connectivityOn the trilateral partnership among Pakistan, T&uuml;rkiye, and Azerbaijan, the Turkish Speaker said closer coordination would enhance regional stability and economic connectivity. &quot;Our cooperation is practical, not symbolic. Strengthening parliamentary relations will produce real results on the ground,&quot; he said.&nbsp;He pointed to the Development Road Project in Iraq as a model of how regional energy and trade corridors could integrate the broader region.

Asia

Numan Kurtulmuş says the world needs a fairer order as old power structures collapse.

Turkish speaker calls for Muslim unity, stronger Pakistan–Türkiye partnership

ANTANANARIVO: Military officers who seized power in Madagascar in a protest crisis said their leader would be sworn in as the country&#39;s new president on Friday. The military leadership under Colonel Michael Randrianirina has promised elections within two years after President Andry Rajoelina was impeached following weeks of popular demonstrations. The international community voiced alarm, with the United Nations censuring what it called an &quot;unconstitutional&quot; takeover. The poor Indian Ocean nation was plunged into its worst political upheaval in years after the CAPSAT elite military unit took power moments after parliament voted to impeach Rajoelina on Tuesday. The 51-year-old president, in power since 2009, appeared to have fled the country as street protests escalated. Madagascar is the latest of several former French colonies to have fallen under military control since 2020, after coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Gabon and Guinea. CAPSAT commander Randrianirina will be sworn in as transitional president during a &quot;solemn hearing&quot; of the country&#39;s top court on Friday, the new leadership said on Wednesday. It made the announcement in a statement attributed to the &quot;Presidential Council for the Refoundation of the Republic of Madagascar&quot; and signed by Randrianirina himself. The colonel has said the transition to civilian leadership would take under two years and include the restructuring of major institutions. &quot;It wasn&#39;t a coup, it was a case of taking responsibility because the country was on the brink of collapse,&quot; Randrianirina said on television earlier on Wednesday. He pledged elections in 18 to 24 months and told local media that consultations were under way to appoint a prime minister and form a new government. International concern Randrianirina had long been a vocal critic of Rajoelina&#39;s administration and was reportedly imprisoned for several months in 2023 for plotting a coup. His swift takeover drew international concern. The African Union on Wednesday told AFP it was suspending Madagascar &quot;with immediate effect.&quot; The United Nations said they were &quot;deeply concerned by the unconstitutional change of power.&quot; The capital Antananarivo remained calm on Wednesday, though uncertainty lingered over what might come next. A concert was held on the symbolic Place du 13 Mai square, in front of the city hall, where thousands of protesters and armed vehicles had clashed days before. The youth-led Gen Z movement that initiated the protests on September 25 over lack of water and energy welcomed Randrianirina&#39;s intervention. The colonel had said he is &quot;ready to talk to the youth and we are ready to answer the call,&quot; Gen Z said in a post on Facebook, reiterating its calls for &quot;systemic change.&quot; &quot;We&#39;re worried about what comes next, but we&#39;re savoring this first victory that gave us hope,&quot; 26-year-old Fenitra Razafindramanga, captain of Madagascar&#39;s national rugby team, told AFP. In the northern city of Antsiranana, an entrepreneur who identified herself only as Muriella was relieved that Rajoelina was no longer in power. &quot;It feels like we&#39;ve just been released from prison,&quot; she told AFP, adding: &quot;This is also a message to his successor: learn from this and don&#39;t make the same mistakes.&quot; Rajoelina&#39;s location unknown Rajoelina&#39;s office said on Wednesday the constitutional court&#39;s decision was riddled with procedural illegalities and risked destabilizing the country. &quot;This decision, tainted by multiple defects in both substance and form, is illegal, irregular, and unconstitutional,&quot; it said. Rajoelina first came to power in a 2009 military-backed coup denounced by the international community. He was elected president in 2018 and re-elected in disputed polls in 2023. In recent weeks he resisted mounting calls to step down, saying in a national address from an unknown location on Monday that he was seeking solutions to Madagascar&#39;s problems. Amid reports that he had been helped to leave with assistance from France, the former colonial power, he said he was in a &quot;safe place to protect my life.&quot;

Africa

International community voices alarm, with the UN censuring what it called an "unconstitutional" takeover.



Madagascar vows to install colonel as president after takeover

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has said that the country has achieved macroeconomic stabilization and is now focused on sustaining growth through structural reforms and digital transformation. According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Finance, the finance minister made these remarks during a meeting with IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, as well as finance ministers and central bank governors from the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan (MENAP) region in Washington, D.C. In his address as a lead speaker, Aurangzeb expressed satisfaction over the staff-level agreement reached with the IMF under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and reaffirmed Islamabad&rsquo;s commitment to continuing reforms in taxation, energy, state-owned enterprises (SOEs), and privatization. He underscored that the government&rsquo;s ongoing digital transformation and tariff policy are designed to enhance industrial competitiveness and boost exports, which are key to sustaining Pakistan&rsquo;s economic recovery. &ldquo;Pakistan remains committed to staying the course on reforms and unlocking growth through modernization, efficiency, and private sector-led investment,&rdquo; the minister said. Aurangzeb also invited international investors to explore opportunities in minerals, mining, digital infrastructure, agriculture, oil and gas, and pharmaceuticals, highlighting the government&rsquo;s focus on creating an enabling business environment. The remarks came a day after the IMF announced a staff-level agreement with Pakistan, paving the way for a disbursement of about $1.2 billion under the EFF. The Fund noted that Pakistan&rsquo;s recovery remains on track, supported by prudent fiscal management, a current account surplus, and stabilizing inflation. The IMF&rsquo;s previous support in September 2024 had helped stabilize Pakistan&rsquo;s $370 billion economy after a severe crisis that weakened the currency and strained reserves, according to Reuters.

Economy

Aurangzeb highlights country’s digital transformation, government tariff policy aimed at increasing competitiveness and boosting exports. 


Pakistan achieves economic stability, seeks investment in key sectors: finmin

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump indicated on Wednesday that he had authorized covert CIA action against Venezuela and said he was considering strikes against alleged drug cartels on land in the South American country. Trump&#39;s comments triggered outrage from leftist Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, who decried &quot;coups d&#39;etat&nbsp;orchestrated by the CIA&quot; and ordered military exercises following a fresh US strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean. Republican Trump declined to comment in detail about a New York Times report that he had secretly approved the CIA to conduct covert action in Venezuela against Maduro. &quot;But I authorized for two reasons, really,&quot; he said, before listing familiar talking points accusing Maduro of leading a &quot;narco-terrorist&quot; regime and of releasing prisoners from jails and sending them to the United States. Asked if he had given the CIA authority to &quot;take out&quot; Maduro, Trump replied: &quot;That&#39;s a ridiculous question for me to be given. Not really a ridiculous question, but wouldn&#39;t it be a ridiculous question for me to answer?&quot; Trump added that he was weighing up whether to expand US military actions against alleged Venezuelan drug cartels to the land after a series of deadly naval strikes on alleged drug boats. &quot;We are certainly looking at land now, because we&#39;ve got the sea very well under control,&quot; Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. At least 27 people have been killed so far in the US attacks. Experts have questioned the legality of using lethal force in foreign or international waters against suspects who have not been intercepted or questioned. &#39;No to regime change&#39;Trump&#39;s comments come amid a major US naval build-up in the Caribbean that Washington says is part of an anti-drug operation. But the moves have been widely condemned in Latin America, and fears are mounting in Caracas that Trump is seeking regime change. &quot;No to war in the Caribbean ... No to regime change ... No to coups d&#39;etat orchestrated by the CIA,&quot; Maduro said in an address on Wednesday to a committee set up after Washington deployed warships in the region. Maduro earlier ordered military exercises in the country&#39;s biggest shantytowns after the latest alleged drug-boat strike on Tuesday, which Trump said had killed six &quot;narcoterrorists.&quot; Under Maduro&#39;s direction, exercises were conducted across the entire Atlantic Caribbean coast of Venezuela, and other military activities are planned in the states on the border with Colombia. In a message on the social network Telegram, Maduro said he was mobilizing the military, police, and a civilian militia to defend Venezuela&#39;s &quot;mountains, coasts, schools, hospitals, factories, and markets.&quot; Trump accuses Maduro of heading a drug cartel &mdash; charges Maduro denies. Ahead of ramping up military actions, the US Justice Department in August doubled a bounty for information leading to Maduro&#39;s capture to $50 million. Trump has previously said that he is not looking at regime change in Venezuela, while at the same time accusing Maduro of stealing last year&#39;s presidential election and being &quot;illegitimate.&quot; The pressure on Maduro inched higher last week when US-backed opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for leading peaceful resistance to his 12-year rule. Machado dedicated the award to Trump, who had campaigned for the award for himself.

Americas

At least 27 people have been killed so far in the US attacks; experts have questioned the legality of using lethal force in foreign or international waters against suspects who have not been intercepted or questioned.

Trump indicates approval of CIA action against Venezuela

Reuters

WASHINGTON: &nbsp;US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged to stop buying oil from Russia, adding he would next try to get China to do the same as Washington intensifies efforts to cut off Moscow&rsquo;s energy revenues. India and China are the two top buyers of Russian seaborne crude exports, taking advantage of the discounted prices Russia has been forced to accept after European buyers shunned purchases and the US and the European Union imposed sanctions on Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Trump has recently targeted India for its Russian oil purchases, imposing tariffs on Indian exports to the US to discourage the country&#39;s crude buying as he seeks to choke off Russia&#39;s oil revenues and pressure Moscow to negotiate a peace deal in Ukraine. &ldquo;So I was not happy that India was buying oil, and he assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia,&rdquo; Trump told reporters during a White House event. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s a big step. Now we&rsquo;re going to get China to do the same thing.&rdquo; The Indian embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to emailed questions about whether Modi had made such a commitment to Trump. Russia is India&#39;s top oil supplier. Moscow exported 1.62 million barrels per day to India in September, roughly one-third of the country&#39;s oil imports. For months, Modi resisted US pressure, with Indian officials defending the purchases as vital to national energy security. While imports from other producers would likely cost India more, lower oil prices would temper the impact. Benchmark Brent crude futures LCOc1 hit a five-month low on Wednesday on concerns about a growing surplus in the market. A move by India to stop imports would signal a major shift by one of Moscow&rsquo;s top energy customers and could reshape the calculus for other nations still importing Russian crude. Trump wants to leverage bilateral relationships to enforce economic isolation on Russia, rather than relying solely on multilateral sanctions. The announcement comes just days after Trump&rsquo;s new pick for Indian ambassador, Sergio Gor, met with Modi. The two discussed defense, trade, and technology issues. The appointment of Gor, a close confidant of Trump, was widely seen as a positive move for the US-India bilateral relationship. During his comments to reporters, Trump added that India could not &quot;immediately&quot; halt shipments, calling it &quot;a little bit of a process, but that process will be over soon.&quot; Despite his push on India, Trump has largely avoided placing similar pressure on China. The US trade war with Beijing has complicated diplomatic efforts, with Trump reluctant to risk further escalation by demanding a halt to Chinese energy imports from Russia. Trump imposed a 25% tariff on India this summer after the two countries failed to reach an initial trade agreement. He followed up with an additional 25% because of the country&rsquo;s purchases of Russian oil. India chafed at the move because no other top purchasers of Russian oil, like China or Turkey, were hit with similar tariffs.

The Indian embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to the update; US president says India could not "immediately" halt shipments, calling it "a little bit of a process, but that process will be over soon."

Trump says Modi has assured him India will not buy Russian oil

WASHINGTON: Dozens of reporters turned in access badges and exited the Pentagon on Wednesday rather than agree to government-imposed restrictions on their work, pushing journalists who cover the American military further from the seat of its power.&nbsp; The US government has called the new rules &ldquo;common sense.&rdquo; News outlets were nearly unanimous in rejecting new rules imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that would leave journalists vulnerable to expulsion if they sought to report on information &mdash; classified or otherwise &mdash; that had not been approved by Hegseth for release. Many of the reporters waited to leave together at a 4 p.m. deadline set by the Defense Department to get out of the building.&nbsp; As the hour approached, boxes of documents lined a Pentagon corridor and reporters carried chairs, a copying machine, books and old photos to the parking lot from suddenly abandoned workspaces. &nbsp;Shortly after 4, about 40 to 50 journalists left together after handing in badges. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s sad, but I&rsquo;m also really proud of the press corps that we stuck together,&rdquo; said Nancy Youssef, a reporter for The Atlantic who has had a desk at the Pentagon since 2007.&nbsp; She took a map of the Middle East out to her car. It is unclear what practical impact the new rules will have, though news organizations vowed they&rsquo;d continue robust coverage of the military no matter the vantage point. Images of reporters effectively demonstrating against barriers to their work are unlikely to move supporters of President Donald Trump, many of whom resent journalists and cheer his efforts to make their jobs harder.&nbsp; Trump has been involved in court fights against The New York Times, CBS News, ABC News, the Wall Street Journal and The Associated Press in the past year. Trump supports the new rulesSpeaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday, Trump backed his defense secretary&rsquo;s new rules.&nbsp; &ldquo;I think he finds the press to be very disruptive in terms of world peace,&rdquo; Trump said. &ldquo;The press is very dishonest.&rdquo; Even before issuing his new press policy, Hegseth, a former Fox News Channel host, has systematically choked off the flow of information.&nbsp; He&rsquo;s held only two formal press briefings, banned reporters from accessing many parts of the sprawling Pentagon without an escort and launched investigations into leaks to the media. He has called his new rules &ldquo;common sense&rdquo; and said the requirement that journalists sign a document outlining the rules means they acknowledge the new rules, not necessarily agree to them.&nbsp; Journalists see that a distinction without a difference. &ldquo;What they&rsquo;re really doing, they want to spoon-feed information to the journalist, and that would be their story. That&rsquo;s not journalism,&rdquo; said Jack Keane, a retired US Army general and Fox News analyst, said on Hegseth&rsquo;s former network. When he served, Keane said he required new brigadier generals to take a class on the role of the media in a democracy so they wouldn&rsquo;t be intimidated and also see reporters as a conduit to the American public.&nbsp; &ldquo;There were times when stories were done that made me flinch a little bit,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But that&rsquo;s usually because we had done something that wasn&rsquo;t as good as we should have done it.&rdquo; Youssef said it made no sense to sign on to rules that said reporters should not solicit military officials for information.&nbsp; &ldquo;To agree to not solicit information is to agree to not be a journalist,&rdquo; she said.&nbsp; &ldquo;Our whole goal is soliciting information.&rdquo; Reporting on US military affairs will continue &mdash; from a greater distanceSeveral reporters posted on social media when they turned in their press badges. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s such a tiny thing, but I was really proud to see my picture up on the wall of Pentagon correspondents,&rdquo; wrote Heather Mongillo, a reporter for USNINews, which covers the Navy.&nbsp; &ldquo;Today, I&rsquo;ll hand in my badge. The reporting will continue.&rdquo; Mongillo, Youssef and others emphasized that they&rsquo;ll continue to do their jobs no matter where their desks are.&nbsp; Some sources will continue to speak with them, although they say some in the military have been chilled by threats from Pentagon leadership. In an essay, NPR reporter Tom Bowman noted the many times he&rsquo;d been tipped off by people he knew from the Pentagon and while embedded in the military about what was happening, even if it contradicted official lines put out by leadership.&nbsp; Many understand the media&rsquo;s role. &ldquo;They knew the American public deserved to know what&rsquo;s going on,&rdquo; Bowman wrote.&nbsp; &ldquo;With no reporters able to ask questions, it seems the Pentagon leadership will continue to rely on slick social media posts, carefully orchestrated short videos and interviews with partisan commentators and podcasters. No one should think that&rsquo;s good enough.&rdquo; The Pentagon Press Association, which has 101 members representing 56 news outlets, has spoken out against the rules.&nbsp; Organizations from across the media spectrum, from legacy organizations like The Associated Press and The New York Times to conservative outlets like Fox and Newsmax, told their reporters to leave instead of signing the new rules. Only the conservative One America News Network signed on.&nbsp; Its management likely believes it will have greater access to Trump administration officials by showing its support, Gabrielle Cuccia, a former Pentagon reporter who was fired by OANN earlier this year for writing an online column criticizing Hegseth&rsquo;s media policies, told the AP in an interview.

The US government has called the new rules “common sense”. It is unclear what practical impact the new rules will have.





Journalists exit Pentagon, turn in badges in response to new reporting rules

President Donald Trump’s administration for now must stop firing workers during the government shutdown, a federal judge in San Francisco ordered

Judge temporarily blocks Trump administration from firing workers during shutdown

Gaza City: Hamas said Wednesday it has handed back to Israel the remains of all the deceased hostages that it can reach, and that it will need special recovery equipment to reach more bodies promised under a ceasefire deal. &quot;The Resistance has fulfilled its commitment to the agreement by handing over all living Israeli prisoners in its custody, as well as the corpses it could access,&quot; the Palestinian movement&#39;s armed wing said in a statement on social media. &quot;As for the remaining corpses, it requires extensive efforts and special equipment for their retrieval and extraction. We are exerting great effort in order to close this file.&quot;

Hamas announced it has returned all deceased Israeli hostages it can access under the ceasefire deal, saying recovery of remaining bodies requires special equipment and ongoing efforts to fulfill its obligations

Pakistan, US deepen bilateral cooperation, agree to enhance agricultural trade

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Latest News

Ceasefire brings relief — and anxiety — in Gaza: INARA’s Yousrah Abu Sharekh

Turkish speaker calls for Muslim unity, stronger Pakistan–Türkiye partnership

Madagascar vows to install colonel as president after takeover

Pakistan achieves economic stability, seeks investment in key sectors: finmin

Trump indicates approval of CIA action against Venezuela