JERUSALEM: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday he did not envision a permanent division of Gaza, despite Israeli troops remaining in an area prioritised for reconstruction. Under a US-brokered ceasefire, Israeli forces have withdrawn to a &quot;Yellow Line&quot;, leaving them in control of around half of Gaza. The United States has said that reconstruction aid would be focused in the area under Israeli control. Rubio said that an international force, which US and regional mediators are trying to build, would move to enforce security across the Palestinian territory. Gaza&#39;s current masters, Hamas, could have no role in the future, he added. &quot;I think, ultimately, the point of the stabilisation force is to move that line until it covers hopefully all of Gaza, meaning all of Gaza will be demilitarised,&quot; Rubio told reporters on his plane between Israel and Qatar. &quot;Ultimately, the more of Gaza is demilitarised, the more of Gaza terrorism is removed from, the more of it is going to look like that green zone -- and that line will move as a result of it,&quot; he added. &quot;That&#39;s the long-term plan. The Israelis have made it abundantly clear they have no interest in occupying Gaza.&quot; The main Palestinian factions, including Hamas, have agreed to form a committee of technocrats to administer Gaza alongside the international ceasefire and reconstruction effort. But Hamas has resisted calls for its immediate disarmament, launching a crackdown on rival Palestinian gangs and armed groups in Gaza since the two-week-old ceasefire began. On Saturday, Mousa abu Marzouk, Hamas&#39;s head of international relations and legal affairs, warned: &quot;Excluding Hamas from maintaining stability in the Gaza Strip could lead to chaos and a security vacuum.&quot; Rubio was the latest top US official to come to Israel to push forward the ceasefire, arriving on the heels of Vice President JD Vance. Rubio said he expected General Dan Caine, the top US military officer, to visit Israel next week.

Middle East

Under a US-brokered ceasefire, Israeli forces have withdrawn to a "Yellow Line", leaving them in control of around half of Gaza. 

US State Secretary says he does not see permanent division of Gaza

BRUSSELS: The EU accused Meta and TikTok of breaking the bloc&#39;s digital content rules, putting the companies at risk of hefty fines. The European Union has a bolstered legal armoury that demands Big Tech prevent the spread of illegal content and ensure digital markets are open to competition. On Friday the European Commission said Meta&#39;s Facebook and Instagram platforms and TikTok breached the Digital Services Act (DSA), the EU&#39;s content moderation law attacked by US President Donald Trump&#39;s administration. It is the first time the commission has accused Meta of breaching the DSA, which the US giant rejected. Although the announcement includes TikTok, owned by China&#39;s ByteDance, it risks angering Trump, who has threatened to impose fresh tariffs on countries with regulations that seek to &quot;harm&quot; American technology. Despite his threats, the EU has said it will enforce its rules. Brussels said in its preliminary view that Meta and TikTok were failing to grant researchers &quot;adequate access to public data&quot;. EU regulators insist the rules are not just about transparency but ensuring researchers are able to carry out essential work, such as understanding how much children are exposed to dangerous content on popular platforms. TikTok insisted it was &quot;committed to transparency&quot;. &quot;We are reviewing the European Commission&#39;s findings, but requirements to ease data safeguards place the DSA and GDPR in direct tension,&quot; a TikTok spokesperson said, referring to the bloc&#39;s landmark data protection rules. &quot;If it is not possible to fully comply with both, we urge regulators to provide clarity on how these obligations should be reconciled,&quot; the spokesperson said. Risk of fines The EU also said Meta&#39;s platforms Facebook and Instagram were not providing user-friendly mechanisms to flag illegal content, and not providing effective systems for their users to challenge content-moderation decisions. Regulators accused Facebook and Instagram of suspected deceptive practices -- known as &quot;dark patterns&quot; when it comes to the &quot;Notice and Action&quot; mechanisms. &quot;Such practices can be confusing and dissuading,&quot; the commission said. The DSA stipulates that platforms must explain content-moderation decisions, which Facebook and Instagram have been failing to do, the EU said. Meta said: &quot;We disagree with any suggestion that we have breached the DSA&quot; and continued its talks with the EU. &quot;In the European Union, we have introduced changes to our content reporting options, appeals process, and data access tools since the DSA came into force and are confident that these solutions match what is required under the law,&quot; it said in a statement. &#39;Protecting free speech&#39;&nbsp; Meta and TikTok will now be able to access the EU&#39;s files and offer commitments that address Brussels&#39; concerns. If Brussels is not satisfied with the giants&#39; proposals, it can impose fines on the companies per breach per platform. EU digital spokesman Thomas Regnier pushed back on Friday against accusations, especially from the United States, that the DSA is a tool of censorship. &quot;When accused of censorship, we prove that the DSA is doing the opposite. It is protecting free speech, allowing citizens in the EU to fight back against unilateral content moderation decisions taken by Big Tech,&quot; he said. Both Meta and TikTok are under investigation in several EU probes, including one looking into concerns they are not doing enough to combat the addictive nature of their platforms for children.

Artificial Intelligence

The European Union has a bolstered legal armoury that demands Big Tech prevent the spread of illegal content and ensure digital markets are open to competition.

EU accuses Meta, TikTok of breaking digital content rules

TEHRAN: Iran declared one of the country&#39;s largest private banks bankrupt with its assets absorbed by the state, official media reported Saturday, in a rare move in the country grappling with international sanctions. Founded in 2012, Ayandeh Bank had a network of 270 branches across the country, including 150 in the capital Tehran alone. But it had more recently been crippled by debt, with accumulated losses amounting to the equivalent of about $5.2 billion and roughly $2.9 billion in debts, according to the ISNA news agency. On Saturday, queues of customers could be seen outside a former Ayandeh Bank branch in Tehran, with police also present, an AFP journalist reported. The state-owned Melli Bank has absorbed the assets of the now-defunct Ayandeh Bank, following a decision by the Central Bank, which has given assurances that depositors will be able to recover their savings. &quot;The transfer from Ayandeh Bank to Melli Bank is now complete,&quot; said Melli Bank director Abolfazl Najarzadeh on state television on Saturday. On Thursday, Iranian Economy Minister Ali Madanizadeh said Ayandeh Bank customers had &quot;nothing to worry about&quot;. An official at the Central Bank of Iran, Hamidreza Ghaniabadi, said &quot;bad debts&quot; had prompted the bankruptcy. He told Iran&#39;s IRNA news agency that &quot;more than 90 percent of Ayandeh Bank&#39;s funds were allocated either to parties related to the bank or to projects managed by the bank itself,&quot; which were never repaid. Ayandeh Bank had been behind lavish projects such as the immense Iran Mall shopping complex in Tehran, which includes an ice rink and cinemas. In addition to Ayandeh, five other banks -- Sarmayeh, Day, Sepah, Iran Zamin and Melal -- are also facing difficulty, according to Iran&#39;s Tasnim news agency. The United Nations reimposed tough sanctions on Iran in September after months of tense diplomacy aimed at reviving nuclear talks derailed since June, when Israeli and US forces bombed Iranian nuclear facilities. The sanctions are a &quot;snapback&quot; of measures frozen in 2015 when Iran agreed to major restrictions on its nuclear program&nbsp;under a deal that President Donald Trump withdrew from in 2018 during his first term.

Banking

The bank had recently been crippled by debt, with accumulated losses amounting to the equivalent of about $5.2 billion and roughly $2.9 billion in debts.

Iran declares major lender bankrupt

KWALE:Division and suspicion have gripped five villages near Kenya&#39;s coast as global powers from the United States to China eye a forest that is rich in rare earths -- minerals vital to high-tech and low-carbon industries. The US government under President Donald Trump has made securing critical minerals central to its diplomacy in Africa, including through a peace deal in the resource-rich Democratic Republic of Congo this year. Mrima Hill -- a forest of around 390 acres near Kenya&#39;s Indian Ocean coastline -- could be another target. It sits quietly on huge rare-earth deposits that Cortec Mining Kenya, a subsidiary of UK and Canada-based Pacific Wildcat Resources, estimated in 2013 were worth $62.4 billion, including large stores of niobium, used to strengthen steel. US official Marc Dillard visited the hill in June when he was serving as the interim ambassador to Kenya. Other foreigners also attempted to visit in recent months, including Chinese nationals who were turned away, according to Juma Koja, a guard for the Mrima Hill community. An Australian consortium of mining firms RareX and Iluka Resources announced a bid this year to mine rare earths on the site, and locals say land speculators are flocking to the area. Buried riches The interest is worrying the community, mostly of the Digo ethnic group, who fear they will be evicted or denied a share in future mining windfalls. The lush forest is home to their sacred shrines and has long supported farming and livelihoods, though today more than half the population lives in extreme poverty, according to government data. AFP was initially barred access to the forest. &quot;People come here with big cars... but we turn them away,&quot; said Koja. His stance stems from past encounters with prospective investors -- a process he says was not transparent. &quot;I do not want my people to be exploited,&quot; he said. Kenya revoked a mining licence in 2013 that had been granted to Cortec Mining Kenya, citing environmental and licensing irregularities. Cortec claimed in court that the licence was revoked after it refused to pay a bribe to then&ndash;mining minister Najib Balala, an allegation he denied. The company lost multiple legal efforts over the revocation. In 2019, Kenya imposed a temporary ban on new mining licences over concerns about corruption and environmental degradation. But it now sees a major opportunity, particularly as China -- the biggest source of rare earths -- increasingly limits its exports. Kenya&#39;s mining ministry announced &quot;bold reforms&quot; this year, including tax breaks and improved licensing transparency, aimed at attracting investors and boosting the sector from 0.8 percent of GDP to 10 percent by 2030. Daniel Weru Ichang&#39;i, a retired economic geology professor at the University of Nairobi, said Kenya had a long way to go, especially in gathering reliable data on its resources. &quot;There&#39;s a romantic view that mining is an easy area, and one can get rich quickly... We need to sober up,&quot; he told AFP. &quot;Corruption makes this area, which is very high-risk, less attractive to invest in.&quot; Competition between the West and China is driving up prices, but if the country wants to profit, it &quot;must stick to the law, and individual interests must be subjugated to that of the nation,&quot; he said. &#39;Mrima is our life&#39; On Mrima Hill, locals worry for their livelihoods, sacred shrines, medicinal plants, and the forest they have known all their lives. &quot;This Mrima is our life... Where will we be taken?&quot; said Mohammed Riko, 64, vice chairman of the Mrima Hill Community Forest Association. Koja is concerned about the loss of unique indigenous trees like the giant orchid, already a problem before mining has even started. &quot;In my heart I am crying. This Mrima has endangered species that we are losing,&quot; he said. But others, like Domitilla Mueni, treasurer of the Mrima Hill association, see an opportunity. She has been developing her land -- planting trees, farming -- in order to push up the value when mining companies come to buy. &quot;Why should we die poor while we have minerals?&quot; she said.

Business

The US government under President Donald Trump has made securing critical minerals central to its diplomacy in Africa, including through a peace deal in the resource-rich Congo this year.

Global race for rare earths comes to Kenya

Gaitty Ara Anis

WASHINGTON: Pakistan has strongly rejected India&rsquo;s accusations at the United Nations, saying New Delhi&rsquo;s ruling ideology has transformed the country into what it described as the &ldquo;world&rsquo;s largest factory of hate,&rdquo; fueled by Hindutva extremism and systematic repression in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. In a right of reply during a UN Security Council debate, Pakistan&rsquo;s Counsellor Gul Qaiser Sarwani called out India&rsquo;s representative for what he termed &ldquo;baseless and diversionary claims,&rdquo; stressing that the situation in Kashmir remains one of &ldquo;custodial killings, enforced disappearances, sexual violence, demographic engineering, and sweeping media blackouts.&rdquo; Sarwani contrasted conditions in Indian-occupied Kashmir with those in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, which he said &ldquo;stands as evidence of Pakistan&rsquo;s commitment to democratic governance,&rdquo; where citizens elect their leadership and &ldquo;enjoy freedoms unimaginable under Indian occupation.&rdquo; He underlined that Jammu and Kashmir is an internationally recognized dispute, stating: &ldquo;Kashmir is not India&rsquo;s internal matter, it never was and never will be. It remains on the UN agenda, and no decree from New Delhi can alter that reality.&rdquo; Reaffirming Pakistan&rsquo;s longstanding position on the UN-mandated plebiscite, Sarwani said it is India that has &ldquo;reneged on every commitment,&rdquo; instead deploying nearly 900,000 troops to enforce control over the region, which he described as &ldquo;the densest military occupation of our time.&rdquo; He added that India&rsquo;s allegations against Pakistan aim to deflect attention from the situation in Kashmir. &ldquo;The mask of democracy slips,&rdquo; Sarwani said, &ldquo;when minorities across India face persecution, Muslims lynched in public, Christians attacked in places of worship, Sikhs vilified, and Dalits dehumanized. The tragedies of Gujarat, Delhi and Manipur speak for themselves.&rdquo;

Foreign Affairs

In a UNSC debate, Pakistan rejected India’s accusations, saying New Delhi’s Hindutva-driven policies fueled repression in Indian-occupied Kashmir and undermine democratic values, while reaffirming Kashmir as UN-recognized dispute requiring a plebiscite.

Pakistan rebuts India at UN, says Hindutva policies eroding democratic values

BEIRUT: Lebanon&#39;s health ministry said two people were killed and another wounded in two Israeli strikes on the country&#39;s south Saturday, the latest attacks despite a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. In a statement, the ministry attributed the death to an &quot;Israeli enemy strike on a car in Haruf, Nabatiyeh district&quot;. The ministry then reported another Israeli strike on a motorcycle in Qlaileh, Tyre district, which killed one person. The Israeli military said it had killed Zayn al-Abidin Hussein Fatouni, alleging he was &quot;a commander in the anti-tank unit of the Radwan Force Battalion&quot; of Hezbollah. According to the army&#39;s statement, Fatouni &quot;was involved in efforts to re-establish Hezbollah&#39;s terrorist infrastructure in southern Lebanon&quot;. The military did not immediately comment on the attack on Qlaileh. Israel has repeatedly bombed Lebanon despite a November 2024 ceasefire that sought to end over a year of hostilities with Hezbollah. The Israeli military has intensified its attacks over the past week, killing two people in two separate strikes on vehicles Friday. The military said it had killed a Hezbollah &quot;logistics commander&quot; in the first strike and a member &quot;who was involved in efforts to reestablish Hezbollah&#39;s military capabilities&quot; in the second. A series of Israeli raids Thursday on southern and eastern Lebanon killed four people, including an elderly woman, with the military saying its targets included a weapons depot, a training camp and military infrastructure. Last week, a United Nations special rapporteur told AFP that deadly Israeli strikes on civilian vehicles in Lebanon could amount to war crimes, despite Israel&#39;s assertion they targeted Hezbollah members. As part of last year&#39;s ceasefire deal, Israeli troops were to withdraw from southern Lebanon and Hezbollah was to pull back north of the Litani River and dismantle any military infrastructure in the south. Under US pressure and fearing an escalation of Israeli strikes, the Lebanese government has moved to begin disarming Hezbollah, a plan the movement and its allies oppose. Despite the terms of the truce, Israel has kept troops deployed in five border points it deems strategic.

The Israeli military said it had killed Zayn al-Abidin Hussein Fatouni, alleging he was "a commander in the anti-tank unit of the Radwan Force Battalion" of Hezbollah.

Lebanon says two killed in Israeli strikes on south

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Two Australian women cricketers were harassed while walking to a caf&eacute; in Indore on Thursday, just days before their final ICC Women&rsquo;s World Cup 2025 group-stage match against South Africa. According to Cricket Australia (CA), &ldquo;two members of the Australian women&rsquo;s team were approached and touched inappropriately by a motorcyclist while walking to a caf&eacute; in Indore.&rdquo; The incident has prompted renewed concerns over security arrangements for the tournament. The matter was reported to local authorities by the team&rsquo;s security officials. Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajesh Dandotiya told ANI that a formal complaint had been lodged regarding the &ldquo;inappropriate behaviour&rdquo; directed at the players. Australian media reported that while the players were shaken, they are safe and continuing with their tour. Cricket Australia said it remains in contact with the players and is cooperating with the police investigation. Cricket analyst Mohammad Owais said the incident raises questions about protective measures for international teams. &ldquo;This is a concerning incident because, during major international tournaments, players are typically accompanied by security personnel even for short movements,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The lack of adequate protection in this case is troubling and warrants review.&rdquo; The incident has also sparked criticism on social media, with calls for stronger safeguards for visiting athletes. Australia, currently at the top of the points table, is scheduled to face India in the second semi-final on October 30 in Navi Mumbai. South Africa will play England in the first semi-final on October 29 in Guwahati.

Cricket

Two Australian women cricketers were harassed by a motorcyclist in Indore before a World Cup match, prompting a police investigation and renewed scrutiny of security arrangements.

Two Australian players harassed in Indore during Women’s World Cup

JERUSALEM: The Israeli military said Saturday it had conducted an air strike targeting an alleged Islamic Jihad militant in central Gaza, despite a ceasefire brokered by US President Donald Trump. For the past two weeks there has been a fragile truce between Hamas, an ally of Islamic Jihad, and Israel -- although the latter reserves the right to defend itself and its forces from militant attacks. &quot;A short while ago, the IDF (army) conducted a precise strike in the Nuseirat area in the central Gaza Strip targeting a terrorist from the Islamic Jihad terrorist organisation who planned to carry out an imminent terrorist attack against IDF troops,&quot; the military said. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking to journalists as he left Israel, did not address the strike directly, but he noted that incidents are common in the immediate aftermath of ceasefires. &quot;Every night will bring new challenges on how to keep it together,&quot; he said. &quot;So we recognise that, but we also feel like we&#39;ve made tremendous progress in the last 12 or 13 days.&quot; Inside Gaza,&nbsp;the Al-Awda hospital confirmed it had received wounded for treatment after a strike in Nuseirat. &quot;The hospital has received four injured people following the Israeli occupation&#39;s targeting of a civilian car in the Al-Ahli Club area in Nuseirat Camp in central Gaza,&quot; the hospital said. The military said it would continue operations in Gaza &quot;to remove any immediate threat&quot; to its troops.

US State Secretary did not address the strike directly, but he noted that incidents are common in the immediate aftermath of ceasefires.

Israel army says targeted alleged militant in Gaza strike

DUBLIN:&nbsp;Left-wing independent Catherine Connolly on Saturday won the race to be Ireland&#39;s new president, comfortably beating her centrist opponent in a contest marred by record numbers of spoilt ballots. Connolly, 68, secured more than 63% of the votes, well ahead of Heather Humphreys of the Fine Gael party on 29.5%, according to the official count. But the seemingly comprehensive victory was marred by the number of spoilt votes and criticism over the lack of right-wing candidates, amid frustration over issues including immigration and crime. Nearly 13%&nbsp;of the 1.65 million ballots cast were &quot;invalid&quot;, a record in a modern Irish elections. &quot;It will be an absolute privilege to serve you,&quot; Connolly said in her acceptance speech at the count declaration. The lawyer is an outspoken critic of both the United States and European Union. &quot;For those who didn&#39;t vote for me and those who spoilt their votes: let me tell you, I will be an inclusive president to listen to all of you.&quot; She vowed to be &quot;a voice for peace, a voice that builds on our policy of neutrality&quot; as well as a &quot;voice that articulates the existential threat posed by climate change&quot;. Connolly&#39;s election to a role with limited political power could nonetheless herald an era of increased friction between Ireland&#39;s largely ceremonial presidency and government. Prime Minister Micheal Martin -- who heads Fianna Fail, the larger party in Ireland&#39;s power-sharing coalition with Fine Gael -- had earlier congratulated her for an &quot;impactful campaign&quot;. &quot;I look forward to working with the new President... as Ireland continues to play a significant role on the global stage,&quot; he added. &#39;Spoil your vote&#39; Conservative figures had urged voters to mar their voting paper in protest at the two-horse race and other issues. Like neighbouring Britain, Ireland has seen an increasingly divisive debate over an influx of asylum seekers, sparking sometimes violent protests, including outside facilities used to house them. Connolly will begin her seven-year term next month, replacing 84-year-old Michael Higgins, in the post since 2011. A slew of celebrities had also considered running -- including mixed martial arts star Conor McGregor, singer Bob Geldof and dancer Michael Flatley -- but their campaigns failed to materialise. A conservative Catholic candidate almost made the ballot but fell short of gaining enough parliamentary backing, sparking anger about the nomination rules and early calls to &quot;spoil your vote&quot;. Connolly and Humphreys ended up as the only effective choices after another candidate representing Fianna Fail quit the race. But he remained on ballot papers -- winning around 7%&nbsp;of the vote -- having only announced his withdrawal earlier this month. One recent poll suggested 49%&nbsp;of people did not feel represented in the contest. But while turnout had been expected to suffer, at nearly 46%, it was higher than for the last presidential election in 2018. &#39;Disastrous&#39; Connolly, supported by left-wing parties including Sinn Fein, surged ahead in opinion polls in recent weeks. But some predict her radical views on foreign policy, social justice and housing could cause friction with the government. She is an Irish-language speaker and, like many in Ireland, vehemently pro-Palestinian. She also wants to see the Ireland reunified with the UK territory Northern Ireland. Connolly has also voiced unease at Europe&#39;s growing military spending. Trinity College Dublin politics professor Lisa Keenan said the left-wing unity behind Connolly signals parties on that flank have serious hopes to &quot;end the dominance&quot; of Fine Gael and Fianna Fail. Their ultimate aim is to &quot;exclude them from government for the first time in the history of the state&quot;, she noted. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald hailed the result as showing the &quot;potential for an alternative... beyond the old politics&quot;. &quot;It is certainly my hope and desire that we can drive this politics of optimism, of hope, of activism from the grassroots forward.&quot;

Europe

The victory was also marred by and criticism over the lack of right-wing candidates, amid frustration over issues including immigration and crime.

Left-winger Catherine Connolly wins Ireland's presidential election

Mariam Ellahi

ISLAMABAD: The second round of talks between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban has not yet concluded, with deliberations on Pakistan&rsquo;s proposal still underway in Istanbul, intelligence sources told Pakistan TV Digital late Saturday.&nbsp;According to the sources, the discussions spanned approximately nine hours.&nbsp;The latest engagement follows the Doha round held last week, where both sides agreed to a ceasefire after days of cross-border clashes. The Istanbul discussions are aimed at moving toward a verifiable framework to prevent further escalation and ensure stability along the Pakistan&ndash;Afghanistan border.&nbsp;Three-point agenda under reviewSources said the talks in Istanbul focused on a three-point agenda: establishing a joint monitoring and oversight mechanism to curb cross-border militant movement; ensuring respect for national sovereignty under existing laws and international obligations; and addressing trade matters, refugee repatriation, and the separation of bilateral issues from internal political pressures.&nbsp;Possibility of longer-term understandingOfficials confirmed that both sides also discussed the prospect of a longer-term political understanding.&nbsp;Pakistan&rsquo;s Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi had earlier described the Doha engagement as a &ldquo;positive marker.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;There has been no major full-scale terrorist attack emanating from Afghan soil in the last two to three days,&rdquo; he said on Friday. &ldquo;We would like the trend to continue in Istanbul and post-Istanbul.&rdquo;&nbsp;On the Afghan side, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid stated on X that Deputy Interior Minister Haji Najib is leading Kabul&rsquo;s delegation, noting that &ldquo;the remaining issues will be discussed at this meeting.&rdquo;&nbsp;Islamabad&rsquo;s core objectiveAndrabi reiterated that Pakistan&rsquo;s central aim is to halt attacks originating from Afghan territory, adding that the ceasefire &ldquo;by and large still stands.&rdquo;&nbsp;Officials in Islamabad said the decision to re-engage in dialogue was made at Kabul&rsquo;s request and through mutual understanding to reduce tensions, emphasizing that sustained engagement is important for regional stability.&nbsp;Background to the talksThe latest engagement follows a surge in militant incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including attacks in Central Kurram and Dera Ismail Khan, in which at least 28 Pakistani security personnel, including senior officers, were martyred. In response to the deteriorating situation, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif announced that Islamabad would dispatch a delegation to Kabul, citing what he described as &ldquo;unbearable&rdquo; security conditions. Shortly afterward, explosions were reported in Kabul, which Taliban officials linked to Pakistan, a claim Islamabad did not immediately address. On October 11, heavy clashes then broke out at several points along the 2,604-kilometre border. The Afghan side&rsquo;s 201st Khalid bin Walid Army Corps said its actions came in response to Pakistan&rsquo;s earlier strikes, while Pakistan also engaged multiple Afghan positions and temporarily closed the Spin Boldak crossing. A 48-hour temporary truce was put in place on October 15 and was subsequently extended through the Doha talks held last week with the facilitation of Qatar and T&uuml;rkiye. According to Qatar, both sides agreed to maintain an immediate ceasefire and continue follow-up engagements to support its implementation.

Security

With discussions spanning nine hours, Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban have yet to conclude talks in Istanbul, where deliberations on Pakistan’s proposal continue following last week’s Doha ceasefire

US State Secretary says he does not see permanent division of Gaza

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Latest News

EU accuses Meta, TikTok of breaking digital content rules

Iran declares major lender bankrupt

Global race for rare earths comes to Kenya

Pakistan rebuts India at UN, says Hindutva policies eroding democratic values

Lebanon says two killed in Israeli strikes on south