Maham Khan

&quot;Someone like me and someone like you shouldn&#39;t work&quot; &ndash; or should they?&nbsp; Welp, it was bound to happen: Pakistan meets South Korea, or is it? Our very own &ndash; or maybe half? &ndash; Zayn Malik collaborated with Blackpink&#39;s Jisoo on a new track &quot;Eyes Closed&quot;, released today. The power of Pakistani fans meets the global K-pop fandom &ndash; the official music video already has over 5 million views! On Wednesday, Zayn shared a picture of him and Jisoo on Instagram, with the post stating &quot;JISOO X ZAYN. Digital Single &#39;𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒 𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐃&#39;&quot;. Spotify&#39;s official account remarked almost a day later: &quot;We have our eyes wide open for this one!&quot; Even Spotify knows the power of Jisoo stans and Zayn&#39;s diehard desi fans! <div class="fr-embed instagram-embed" style="width: 50%; display: block; max-width: 600px;"><div class="fr-embed instagram-embed" style="width: 50%; display: block; max-width: 600px;"><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-1" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DPhbeI1EyxA/embed/captioned/?cr=1&v=14&wp=444&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com&rp=%2Farticles%2F1206%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A1%2C%22os%22%3A136185%2C%22ls%22%3A839%2C%22le%22%3A1273%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="720" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-1" scrolling="no" style="background: white; max-width: 540px; width: calc(100% - 2px); border-radius: 3px; border: 1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219); box-shadow: none; display: block; margin: 0px 0px 12px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> While Zayn kept it professional with an official announcement, Blackpink&#39;s Jisoo knew exactly how to grab attention. She amped up the relatability factor by sharing cute pics of her and Zayn goofing off like besties! The post garnered more than 2.1 million likes in just an hour. Artists, take notes! &ndash; or their PR teams, we suppose. <img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/2c4dc61e-e748-4b81-a9ca-b71c9edd7be0.png" style="width: 494px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Screenhot of Jisoo's Instagram account">Screenshot of Jisoo&#39;s Instagram account The music video: A cosmic journey of love and confusion The MV opens with a spaceship straight out of 1960s science fiction, with Jisoo emerging from a cryopod, crooning about how &quot;time is standing still&quot;. <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/cd3d07d8-80e8-43cf-aaaa-0ef96fb62cfe-1.png" alt="Spaceship hurtling through space (Screenshot from the music video " class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">Spaceship hurtling through space (Screenshot from the music video &quot;Eyes Closed&quot; by Jisoo and Zayn on YouTube, uploaded October 10, 2025)</figcaption></figure> Zayn, equally lovelorn, responds that he knows &quot;what you&#39;re feeling and I know you wanna say it&quot;, while nestled in his own cryopod. The video then pauses over their interstellar personnel identification cards: <table style="border: 1pt solid windowtext; width: 37%; margin-right: calc(63%);" id="isPasted"><thead><tr><td style="border: 1pt solid windowtext; padding: 0.75pt; width: 36.3373%; text-align: center;">Detail</td><td style="border: 1pt solid windowtext; padding: 0.75pt; width: 63.372%; text-align: center;">Information</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td style="border: 1pt solid windowtext; padding: 0.75pt; width: 36.3373%; text-align: center;">Traveler</td><td style="border: 1pt solid windowtext; padding: 0.75pt; width: 63.372%; text-align: center;">Z A Y N</td></tr><tr><td style="border: 1pt solid windowtext; padding: 0.75pt; width: 36.3373%; text-align: center;">Destination</td><td style="border: 1pt solid windowtext; padding: 0.75pt; width: 63.372%; text-align: center;">LV-500</td></tr><tr><td style="border: 1pt solid windowtext; padding: 0.75pt; width: 36.3373%; text-align: center;">Cryosleep Chamber</td><td style="border: 1pt solid windowtext; padding: 0.75pt; width: 63.372%; text-align: center;">[Number not fully visible]</td></tr></tbody></table> <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/e1b00842-eb5d-4977-81e3-768b815e5974-2.png" alt="Interstellar personnel identification (Screenshot from the music video " class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">Interstellar personnel identification&nbsp;</figcaption></figure> Jennifer Lawrence&rsquo;s Passengers vibes, anyone? Decked out in all black &ndash; that jacket is magic, we tell ya! &ndash; Zayn reassures his beloved that he feels the same, but &quot;we gotta be patient&quot;. <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/410097d5-0f29-47f2-b5b6-2826c285fbe7-3.png" alt="(Screenshot from the music video " class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">(Screenshot from the music video &quot;Eyes Closed&quot; by Jisoo and Zayn on YouTube, uploaded October 10, 2025)</figcaption></figure> Floating like a space-age Romeo, Zayn turns zero-gravity into a metaphorical love dance. Tilted precariously in his chair, he&#39;s the poster child for cosmic recklessness &ndash; defying gravity while crooning about falling in love with eyes closed. Who needs watching where you&#39;re going when you can drift romantically through the universe, one anti-gravity chair-tilt at a time? It&#39;s part love song, part physics-defying performance art &ndash; a zero-gravity trust fall into romance? <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/4318fd13-bfcf-4106-8c44-3742e14d4bf2-5.png" alt="Zayn's flirtation with zero-gravity (Screenshot from the music video " class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">Zayn&#39;s flirtation with zero-gravity&nbsp;</figcaption></figure> Visual oddities and lyrical musings The duo unite in an endless white hallway with a red carpet, declaring &quot;ain&#39;t nobody perfect but it&#39;s all good&quot;. Weird mercury-like liquid mechanisms float inexplicably in between shots of the duo &ndash; because why not? <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/1665b49f-9cd7-4047-8eed-361e75cfda9f-4.png" alt="(Screenshot from the music video " class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">(Screenshot from the music video &quot;Eyes Closed&quot; by Jisoo and Zayn on YouTube, uploaded October 10, 2025)</figcaption></figure> &quot;The past can&#39;t hurt us if we don&#39;t look, let&#39;s let it go,&quot; they sing, with Jisoo standing eerily still in a black sleeveless dress, reminiscent of the twins in Kubrick&#39;s The Shining. The camera pans out with a 360-degree flip that would make a cinematographer dizzy. <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/31f40123-292b-4ce1-8290-b59d75a6a478-6.png" alt="Jisoo staring at the camera while standing in the hallway a la The Shining (Screenshot from the music video " class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">Jisoo staring at the camera while standing in the hallway a la The Shining&nbsp;</figcaption></figure> Very next moment, Jisoo is sure to inform us how she has &ldquo;got tunnel vision every second&rdquo;. It might be about love but hey, if it fits! A hovering robot follows her every move. Veiled threat? Media metaphor? Your guess is as good as ours. <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/60a5f43c-dcfa-45d9-a506-9ba027638b2f-7.png" alt="(Screenshot from the music video " class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">(Screenshot from the music video &quot;Eyes Closed&quot; by Jisoo and Zayn on YouTube, uploaded October 10, 2025)</figcaption></figure> The two could also be seen circling each other like cosmic kindergarteners playing an intergalactic version of &quot;Ring Around the Rosie&quot;. Who says you&#39;re too old for childhood games? Not them! as they sing simultaneously about &quot;the names and faces of who we were with&quot; &ndash; part nostalgic waltz, part space ballet? <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/e5363b76-1535-401b-a8a9-0e89665a8183-8.png" alt="Jisoo and Zayn's galactic " class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">Jisoo and Zayn&#39;s galactic &quot;Ring Around the Rosie&quot;&nbsp;</figcaption></figure> The Saturn surprise and final thoughts Just when you were getting immersed in the futuristic setting, Jisoo appears with a smartphone, cradled by impossibly long, spiky nails &ndash; peak 2020s fashion and tech, ladies and gentlemen! <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/28463204-a6a7-4eb7-b2a0-bbc66bea4804-9.png" alt="Spiky nails meets smartphone - peak 2020s! (Screenshot from the music video " class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">Long spiky nails and smartphones - peak 2020s!&nbsp;</figcaption></figure> The climax? They pass&nbsp;Saturn! Yes, with all this advanced interstellar transportation, they end up at Saturn. Because why not? A glimpse of four other passengers suggests this might be an exclusive elite space party. Technology advances, but human nature? Stubborn as ever. The MV ends before revealing the final destination, but hey &ndash; they crossed Saturn! Why this ringed planet? Your guess is as good as ours &ndash; probably somewhere between &quot;random cosmic dartboard&quot; and &quot;we thought it looked cool&quot;. The video&#39;s theme matches the lyrics about as well as a penguin matches a desert landscape &mdash; and about&nbsp;as well as Zayn and Jisoo&#39;s on-screen chemistry. Chemistry or lack thereof They share less screen time than a celebrity&#39;s attention span &ndash; a grand total of 30 seconds! It&#39;s the musical equivalent of a long-distance relationship where both parties forgot to turn on their video call. Compare this to the electric collaboration between Bruno Mars and Blackpink&#39;s Lisa in &quot;APT&quot;. While the &quot;Eyes Closed&quot; MV is racking up impressive numbers, will it reach the heights of &quot;APT&quot;? We aren&#39;t so sure! The existential question So what are we left with? A music video that&#39;s part sci-fi fever dream, part love ballad, and entirely a testament to the beautiful chaos of cross-cultural collaboration. Zayn and Jisoo have created something that defies easy categorization &ndash; is it a love song? A space odyssey? A commentary on modern relationships? Perhaps the most profound moment comes when they sing, &quot;Really shouldn&#39;t work, yeah, the history is proof&quot; &ndash; a line that could apply just as much to their musical collaboration as to the relationship in the song. The video leaves us with more questions than answers: 1. &nbsp; &nbsp;Why Saturn? 2. &nbsp; &nbsp;What&#39;s with the hovering robot? 3. &nbsp; &nbsp;How many passengers are actually on this spaceship? 4. &nbsp; &nbsp;Is this a love story or a sci-fi narrative? Only Zayn and Jisoo know for sure &ndash; and they&#39;re keeping their Eyes Closed.

Jisoo and Zayn in the music video "Eyes Closed" 

Entertainment

Zayn Malik and Blackpink's Jisoo launch "Eyes Closed" – a cosmic love saga where zero gravity, Saturn, and 30 seconds of screen time collide in deliriously bizarre musical matrimony.

'Eyes Closed': Zayn Malik and Blackpink's Jisoo's cosmic confusion cruise 

ISLAMABAD: Under the bright lights of the Apparel Textile Sourcing (ATS) Canada 2025 show floor, Pakistani fabrics shimmered like living art. Bold, colorful, and unapologetically authentic. From intricate dupattas to sleek sportswear, Pakistan&rsquo;s textile industry didn&rsquo;t just participate, it stole the show, weaving heritage and innovation into every thread - a testament to craftsmanship, culture, and confidence.&nbsp; At a time when sustainability and inclusivity dominate global fashion, Pakistan&rsquo;s textile manufacturers showcased why their blend of tradition and innovation&nbsp;continues to command the world&rsquo;s attention. Pakistan showcased its textile prowess at the ATS, reaffirming its place as a global textile powerhouse, the Pakistan Information Department said earlier this week. The country&rsquo;s top manufacturers displayed a wide range of high-quality fabrics and apparel at one of Canada&rsquo;s famous&nbsp;international trade exhibitions. The ATS show brought together textiles from North America, Asia, and beyond, featuring exhibitions from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and China. Pakistani participants particularly stood out, unveiling an impressive collection of sportswear, technical textiles, and protective apparel. Desis shining in Canada is nothing new &ndash; and the numbers tell a compelling story. According to the 2021 Canadian Census, South Asians form 7.1% of Canada&#39;s population, with a vibrant diaspora of more than 2.5 million people. Of these, 303,260 proudly reported Pakistani ethnic or cultural origin. These aren&#39;t just numbers; they&#39;re a testament to a thriving, dynamic community that&#39;s weaving its cultural fabric into the Canadian landscape. Walk down any street in Toronto, Vancouver, or Montreal, and you&#39;ll spot the unmistakable flair of South Asian fashion &ndash; particularly Pakistani textiles. But it&#39;s not just about looking good,&nbsp;it&#39;s about world-class quality. Pakistani manufacturers have become global textile titans, adhering to rigorous international standards that would make even the most demanding quality control expert nod in approval. Take their certifications, for instance: ISO 9001 for quality management, Oeko-Tex Standard 100 ensuring textiles are free from harmful substances, GOTS certifying organic textile standards, and BSCI auditing social and ethical compliance. The Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) confirms the country&#39;s textile supremacy, ranking as a key supplier of home textile products to the USA and Europe. Let&#39;s talk about the show-stoppers &ndash; the garments that make Pakistani fashion truly unique. Dupattas: The fabric of rebellion (literally!) What&#39;s one thing that sets Pakistan and South Asian clothing apart from others? The dupatta is especially beautiful when worn around the neck. Who can forget the &#39;Scandinavian scarf&#39; controversy? This traditional garment became the center of a cultural appropriation storm when a fashion rental company tried to rebrand it as a European trend. South Asian social media warriors fought back, reclaiming the dupatta&#39;s rich cultural heritage. It&#39;s more than just a piece of fabric &ndash; it&#39;s a story against cultural erasure. <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/60f8e571-9abc-45dd-a347-49963b4aae8c-dpuaatas.jpg" alt="Dupattas on display at the Apparel Textile Sourcing (ATS) in Canada. (ATS)" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic" style="line-height: 2;">Dupattas on display at the Apparel Textile Sourcing (ATS) in Canada. (ATS)</figcaption></figure> But it seems the trend is changing. Not only is our traditional wear being embraced, but it&#39;s actually being credited to our region. And specifically, Pakistani dupattas are getting their due &ndash; no longer just lumped under &quot;Indian&quot; clothing, but celebrated as uniquely Pakistani! Kameez: Color rebels unite! While the rest of the world drowns in boring, monochrome t-shirts, South Asian men are painting the textile world with bold, unapologetic colors. At the ATS show, kameez proved that fashion is not about blending in &ndash; it&#39;s about standing out. Who said men&#39;s fashion has to be bland? Not the Pakistani designers! Pakistani companies leave their mark! A special shout-out for Shaja Pak, the rockstars of the Pakistani textile scene at the ATS Canada 2025. These aren&#39;t just manufacturers; they&#39;re cultural ambassadors turning heads and being noticed by the local Canadian fashion industry. From Canadian hockey jerseys to international sportswear, Pakistani textiles are quietly conquering global fashion. <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/bd9c29c6-e491-461c-a6f1-0fbc7176b79d-233a3612-1d71-492a-82f0-c9871ab8b72a.jpg" alt="Shaja Pak exhibition at the Apparel Textile Sourcing (ATS) Canada 2025 (Instagram)" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic" style="line-height: 2;">Shaja Pak exhibition at the Apparel Textile Sourcing (ATS) Canada 2025 (Instagram)</figcaption></figure> The company summed it up perfectly in their Instagram post: &quot;We&#39;re thrilled to have represented Pakistan at ATS Canada, one of the leading platforms for global trade and industry networking. &ldquo;Our exhibition booth saw great engagement, and it was a pleasure connecting with professionals and potential partners from around the world. A big thank you to everyone who stopped by and supported us!&quot; The message is clear: Pakistani textiles aren&#39;t just clothing &ndash; they&#39;re a cultural landmark stitched with threads of quality and unabashed pride.

Different textiles and apparel on display at the Apparel Textile Sourcing (ATS) Show (Apparel Textile Sourcing/Instagram)

From intricate dupattas to sleek performance wear, Pakistan’s textile industry didn’t just participate, it stole the show, weaving heritage and innovation into every thread.

Vibrant Pakistani textiles steal spotlight at ATS Canada 2025

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan hosted two high-level Saudi delegations on Wednesday in a series of meetings that underscored the deepening partnership between Islamabad and Riyadh, marking a renewed phase of strategic, economic, and parliamentary cooperation between the two long-standing allies.&nbsp;The first visit, led by Prince Mansour bin Muhammad bin Saad Al Saud, chairman of the Saudi-Pakistan Joint Business Council (JBC), focused on strengthening economic linkages and investment collaboration across key sectors. The second delegation, headed by Dr Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al-Sheikh, chairman of the Shura Council of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, highlighted growing institutional and parliamentary engagement between the two nations.&nbsp;Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hosted a banquet in honor of the Saudi business delegation led by Prince Mansour, commending the Kingdom&rsquo;s enduring support for Pakistan and reaffirming Islamabad&rsquo;s commitment to deepening bilateral economic relations, his office said in a statement.&nbsp;PM Sharif said the visit represented &ldquo;a formalization of our long-standing brotherly ties,&rdquo; emphasizing that Saudi Arabia &ldquo;has always stood by Pakistan through thick and thin&rdquo; and remains a trusted partner in every era.&nbsp;Reflecting on his recent visit to Riyadh, the prime minister praised Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s transformation under the leadership of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, noting that Pakistan &ldquo;is eager to learn, collaborate, and grow together&rdquo; with the Kingdom.&nbsp;&ldquo;We have gathered with our Saudi brothers to strengthen business ties, promote trade, and explore joint ventures,&rdquo; he added, underscoring the mutual vision for shared prosperity.&nbsp;The Saudi&ndash;Pakistan Joint Business Council meeting, organized in collaboration with the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) and the Ministry of Commerce, brought together leading Saudi investors and Pakistani business leaders, the SIFC said.&nbsp;Discussions centered on trade, energy, minerals, agriculture, tourism, and infrastructure &mdash; sectors identified as priorities under Pakistan&rsquo;s investment-led growth strategy and Saudi Vision 2030.&nbsp;During the meeting, government officials briefed the Saudi side on Pakistan&rsquo;s evolving investment climate and recent reforms aimed at ensuring transparency and predictability for investors, the statement added.&nbsp;The SIFC also hosted a dedicated session detailing sector-specific opportunities, particularly in the energy, mining, real estate, and technology sectors.&nbsp;Prince Mansour praised Pakistan&rsquo;s investment facilitation framework and reaffirmed Riyadh&rsquo;s commitment to long-term economic engagement, the SIFC said.&nbsp;The statement quoted Prince Mansour as saying that Pakistan is &ldquo;an important regional partner with strong potential in agriculture, mining, energy, and technology,&rdquo; adding that the Saudi&ndash;Pakistan Joint Business Council remains one of the most successful bilateral business forums globally.&nbsp;The Saudi delegation is also scheduled to visit Karachi and Lahore to meet provincial leaders and major business houses, exploring opportunities for joint ventures and public&ndash;private partnerships.&nbsp;Parallel to the business-focused engagements, Dr Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al-Sheikh, chairman of the Saudi Shura Council, met Prime Minister Sharif in Islamabad to discuss avenues for closer parliamentary and institutional cooperation, the PMO said.&nbsp;The meeting underscored the shared commitment to strengthening legislative collaboration and policy dialogue between the two nations&rsquo; representative bodies.&nbsp;Officials described both visits as complementary pillars of a broader effort to transform Pakistan&ndash;Saudi relations into a multidimensional partnership encompassing economic, institutional, and strategic cooperation. <img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/54731148-710b-48dd-b31b-c563731b577a.jpeg" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> &nbsp;Separately, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who also received Prince Mansour and his delegation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the foreign office said, expressed satisfaction at the &ldquo;growing momentum in bilateral economic relations&rdquo; and reaffirmed Islamabad&rsquo;s readiness to facilitate Saudi investments.&nbsp;This week&rsquo;s engagements mark a significant milestone in the evolving partnership between Riyadh and Islamabad, aligning Pakistan&rsquo;s development agenda with Saudi Arabia&#39;s transformative vision for economic diversification.&nbsp;As the two delegations concluded their engagements in Islamabad, both sides reaffirmed their shared resolve to translate historic fraternal ties into a future-oriented economic partnership.

Foreign Affairs

Economy

Islamabad hosted two high-level Saudi delegations to strengthen economic, strategic, and parliamentary ties. Meetings focused on trade, investment, and institutional cooperation, aligning Pakistan’s development agenda with Saudi Vision 2030 for mutual growth and regional prosperity.

Saudi delegations bolster strategic, economic, and parliamentary ties with Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Israel has significantly increased its global arms imports over the past decade, becoming one of the world&rsquo;s largest importers. Most imports are high-tech systems that are either co-developed or financed through US military aid. Israel&rsquo;s volume of arms imports rose from the 34th highest in the world to become the 15th largest between 2020 and 2024, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). The country now accounts for 1.9% of global arms imports, with primary sources from the US, Germany, and Italy. While these three countries were main suppliers, other countries, including the UK and France, also provided military components and services. United States: Primary arms supplier The US emerged as Israel&#39;s most significant arms supplier, accounting for 66% of the country&#39;s major arms imports during the 2020-24 period, according to SIPRI. These imports included combat aircraft, guided bombs, and armored vehicles, with 61 combat aircraft pending delivery by the end of 2024. According to a US Congressional Research Service report in May 2025, the US commitment to Israel&#39;s military capabilities extends beyond direct sales, with over $174 billion in bilateral assistance and missile defense funding provided since 1948. Throughout 2024 and 2025, the US continued substantial military support. Reuters reported that in February 2025, the US State Department approved multiple arms packages, including a $2.04 billion sale of 35,529 2000-pound bombs, a $675.7 million package of nearly 5,000 1000-pound bombs, and a $295 million sale of Caterpillar D9 bulldozers. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced nearly $12 billion in major Foreign Military Sales since the beginning of 2025. Germany: Second major supplier Germany ranked as the second-largest arms provider to Israel, accounting for 33% of the country&#39;s major arms imports between 2020 and 2024, according to SIPRI. German contributions were predominantly naval, with 81% of transfers consisting of frigates and 10% comprising torpedoes. The remaining 8.5% included armored vehicle engines. Following the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, Germany significantly increased military support. The country&#39;s parliament reported granting export licenses for 485 million euros&#39; worth of military equipment between October 7, 2023, and May 13, 2025 &mdash; a tenfold increase in arms exports to Israel compared to previous periods, as reported by Reuters. Italy Italy contributed the smallest portion of Israel&#39;s arms imports, accounting for 1% of major arms transfers between 2020 and 2024, according to SIPRI. Italian imports primarily consisted of light helicopters (59%) and naval guns (41%). Additional European arms support United Kingdom The United Kingdom maintained a complex arms export relationship with Israel. As of July 31, 2025, the UK had 167 non-suspended military export licenses authorizing a maximum export value of &pound;180 million. Of these, 55 listed the government of Israel as the end-user, covering components for trainer aircraft, missile defense systems, and submarines. The Business and Trade Committee within the House of Commons noted that the UK approved licenses for &pound;127.6 million worth of military equipment to Israel in the fourth quarter of 2024 &mdash; exceeding the combined total for 2020-23. France France maintained a limited arms relationship with Israel, with no major arms exports since 1998, SIPRI noted. However, the country continued to supply critical components, including parts for Israel&#39;s Iron Dome air-defense system. In 2024, French new orders to Israel totaled &euro;27.1 million, primarily consisting of components for re-export or defensive systems. Private defense contractors In addition to government-funded sales, several private companies also played central roles in Israel&#39;s arms supply chain. Boeing Co. was involved in munitions supply, providing guidance kits and fuses as part of a $6.75 billion military sales package, according to Reuters. Similarly, Lockheed Martin secured a $660 million missile deal for Hellfire Missiles. Israeli defense contractors have also played a crucial role in developing the country&rsquo;s military capabilities. Elbit Systems reported revenues of $1.63 billion in the second quarter of 2024, with 27% of sales originating from Israel and an order backlog of $21.1 billion. Reuters noted the company has been developing advanced technologies, including unmanned aerial vehicles, communication systems, and AI capabilities, with approximately 40 subsidiaries worldwide. Despite its advanced domestic defense industry, Israel continues to rely heavily on imports to project power beyond its borders in ways that punish, control, or weaken neighboring states and non-state actors rather than only defend its territory. Large-scale arms transfer and military aid have enabled these operations, fueling criticisms that military superiority is being used to impose strategic outcomes across the Middle East.

Articles

Israel's arms imports, mainly from the US, Germany, and Italy, have surged to support military superiority used not just for defense but to suppress and control neighboring states.

Inside the countries and companies supplying weapons to Israel

ISLAMABAD: Paris just got a heavy dose of desi drama, and the fashion world may never be the same again. From shalwars strutting down the runway to prints straight out of your dadi&rsquo;s old trunk, South Asian flair stormed the world&rsquo;s most exclusive catwalk with all the confidence of a mehndi bride walking in late on purpose.&nbsp;This wasn&rsquo;t just fusion, it was a fashion takeover wrapped in nostalgia and stitched with sass. The City of Lights found itself awash in color, comfort, and culture, as designers borrowed, blended, and sometimes blatantly celebrated the subcontinent&rsquo;s timeless silhouettes. Think luxury meets Lahore, couture meets Karachi, and Paris falling head over heels for the rhythm of the rickshaw.&nbsp;Forget the stiff collars and minimal palettes, this season, it&rsquo;s all about the shalwar shuffle, sari sass, and prints that whisper childhood chai memories. South Asia didn&rsquo;t just inspire Paris Fashion Week; it owned it, one pleat, pattern, and perfectly ironic nod at a time. Let&#39;s break down these runway moments that scream &quot;DESI&quot; louder than getting married to your cousin:&nbsp; Shalwar showstopper<figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/b133e976-7acb-4b39-8edf-31dca3db112e-Models wear creations as part of the Giorgio Armani SpringSummer 2026 collection show in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. (AP PhotoLuca Bruno).jpg" alt="Models wear creations as part of the Giorgio Armani SpringSummer 2026 collection show in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. (AP)" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">Models wear creations as part of the Giorgio Armani SpringSummer 2026 collection show in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. (AP)</figcaption></figure> Honey, this isn&#39;t just a pair of pants &ndash; it&#39;s a cultural statement so bold, it could make your nani do a runway walk! Who needs Western tailoring when you&#39;ve got the ultimate comfort wear that&#39;s been killing it for centuries?&nbsp; Shalwar: 1, Western Fashion: 0 <img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/526ea172-e13b-4697-af7b-50b9475b6afb-Models present creations from the Giorgio Armani SpringSummer 2026 collection during Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, September 28, 2025 (Reuters).jpeg" alt="Models present creations from the Giorgio Armani SpringSummer 2026 collection during Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, September 28, 2025 (Reuters)" class="fr-fic fr-dii"><figcaption>Models present creations from the Giorgio Armani SpringSummer 2026 collection during Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, September 28, 2025 (Reuters)</figcaption> <figure><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/33c1f8b1-4ead-4fcf-b4d4-d48091017a06-Models present creations from the Giorgio Armani SpringSummer 2026 collection during Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, September 28, 2025. (Reuters).png" alt="Models present creations from the Giorgio Armani SpringSummer 2026 collection during Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, September 28, 2025. (Reuters)" class="fr-fic fr-dii"><figcaption>Models present creations from the Giorgio Armani SpringSummer 2026 collection during Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, September 28, 2025. (Reuters)</figcaption></figure> Okay, fashion world, we see what&#39;s happening here. Shalwar is officially the star of two fashion weeks. Milan, Paris &ndash; doesn&#39;t matter. This trend is spreading faster than gossip at a family gathering. Shalwar, shalwar, and more shalwar &ndash; we&#39;re not complaining! Nostalgia on the runway<figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/3adf9a9c-c3cf-49a5-8539-49cf338bb6fc-Untitled.png" alt="Models wear creations as part of the Giorgio Armani SpringSummer 2026 collection show in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. (AP)" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">Models wear creations as part of the Giorgio Armani SpringSummer 2026 collection show in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. (AP)</figcaption></figure> Close your eyes and smell the chai&nbsp;with rusk! This look is giving pure desi summer evening realness. Picture it: golden sunset, crows cawing, desi uncles striking their signature pose &ndash; hands on hips, white bunyan&nbsp;bursting over biryani bellies, shalwar hanging just right, and those trusty flip-flops completing the look.&nbsp; The only thing missing? That legendary handlebar moustache! It&#39;s not just fashion; it&#39;s a time machine to every childhood memory you&#39;ve ever cherished. The half-baked kameez conspiracy<figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/319e957f-ee3a-4de0-a460-1a89d888f65d-A model wears a creation as part of the Vivienne Westwood SpringSummer 2026 collection presented in Paris, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. (AP.jpg" alt="A model wears a creation as part of the Vivienne Westwood SpringSummer 2026 collection presented in Paris, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. (AP)" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">A model wears a creation as part of the Vivienne Westwood SpringSummer 2026 collection presented in Paris, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. (AP)</figcaption></figure> Dear Designer, did you run out of fabric? Why stop at a shirt when you could&#39;ve given us a full-blown kameez? It&#39;s like serving biryani without the raita &ndash; something&#39;s definitely missing! Fabric shortage or intentional tease? Print perfection Listen up &ndash; this print is the ultimate desi girl uniform. Every single South Asian girl has owned something like this at least once in her life. It&#39;s not just a print; it&#39;s a cultural rite of passage. Deny it, we dare you! <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/3519acd0-9ecd-4eed-b2fd-8d53deb38d85-AP25277545677013.jpg" alt="A model wears a creation as part of the Vivienne Westwood Spring/Summer 2026 collection presented in Paris, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. (AP)" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">A model wears a creation as part of the Vivienne Westwood Spring/Summer 2026 collection presented in Paris, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. (AP)</figcaption></figure> Sari, not sorry This look is so desi, even the most silver-tongued lawyer would throw in the towel. The blouse, the skirt, the way it&#39;s tied &ndash; this screams DESIIIIIIIII louder than your mom screaming at you for demolishing her favorite dinner set! Peak desi energy: confirmed! <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/43586c89-fbd5-4643-95a9-57beb0fe13d2-AP25277536327327(1).jpg" alt="A model wears a creation as part of the Vivienne Westwood Spring/Summer 2026 collection presented in Paris, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. (AP)" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">A model wears a creation as part of the Vivienne Westwood Spring/Summer 2026 collection presented in Paris, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. (AP)</figcaption></figure> The takeawayFashion, darling, is borrowing our look with a wink and a smile. From the legendary Paul Smith&#39;s &pound;300 &quot;Robert&quot; sandal (which is basically a &pound;4 Peshawari chappal with a designer label) to these runway moments, South Asian culture is the secret muse of the fashion world. Stella Jean gets a gold star for actually collaborating with Bhutanese artisans. The rest? It&#39;s a copy-fest that we&#39;re highlighting&nbsp;with all the subtlety of a Bollywood dance number! Dear&nbsp;designers: Next time, try more collaboration! Your runway could use some authentic desi magic &ndash; handlebar moustaches optional, but highly encouraged!

A model wears a creation as part of the Vivienne Westwood SpringSummer 2026 collection presented in Paris, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. (AP)

Paris Fashion Week is showcasing desi style—shalwars slaying, half-kameez teasing, and prints screaming nostalgia—copy-paste much? Designers, more authentic desi collab, please!

Desi designs shine bright at Paris Fashion Week

ISLAMABAD: Youth-led protests are reshaping political activism across Asia and Africa in 2025, with digital media emerging as a powerful tool for demanding systemic change. The &quot;Gen Z Protests&quot; began in Bangladesh in July 2024, led by young Bengali students demanding the removal of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. In 2025, similar youth-led protests spread from Timor-Leste and the Philippines to Nepal, Morocco, and Madagascar, driven by issues like corruption, economic inequality, infrastructure failures, and mass censorship. Madagascar targets elite control In Madagascar, protests erupted in September 2025 over prolonged water and power outages, widespread poverty, and government corruption. Protestors also condemned political elites. The World Bank reported that Madagascar&#39;s income per capita has fallen by 45% since 1960, with a &quot;small, unaccountable elite&quot; maintaining tight control over the economy, according to Reuters. Protesters have highlighted this inequality, using digital platforms to expose systemic issues. According to Reuters, the demonstrations have been &quot;the largest the Indian Ocean island has seen in years,&quot; with protesters demanding the president&#39;s resignation and the dissolution of key government institutions. <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/83df9db8-ae2c-41ce-8eb3-626969019c3d-Madagascar police react to protesters demonstrating against chronic electricity and water cuts in Antananarivo, Madagascar, Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (AP).jpg" alt="Madagascar police react to protesters demonstrating against chronic electricity and water cuts in Antananarivo, Madagascar, Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (AP)" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic" style="line-height: 2;">Madagascar police react to protesters demonstrating against chronic electricity and water cuts in Antananarivo, Madagascar, Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (AP)</figcaption></figure>Social media fuels coordination The digital strategy driving these protests is remarkably sophisticated. Inspired by youth-led movements in Kenya and Nepal, Madagascar&#39;s Gen Z activists have used social media to coordinate nationwide demonstrations. &quot;This is not a retreat but a strategy: we will come back together more united, stronger,&quot; the protest movement&#39;s leadership declared in a Facebook post, as reported by Reuters on Thursday. The protests have spread beyond the capital, with protestors in far-off cities also chanting &quot;Rajoelina Out&quot; and carrying banners denouncing the government. Despite the country&rsquo;s president dissolving the government on Monday, AP reported that public anger continues to simmer. Nepal&rsquo;s activism blueprint Nepal&#39;s recent protests offer a blueprint for digital activism. When the government banned 26 social media platforms on September 4, 2025, activists shifted to alternative channels like Discord and used VPNs to bypass restrictions. The widespread youth-led protests escalated, leading to violent clashes and the eventual resignation of Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli. The movement showed how digital tools can directly challenge political power. Digital power driving change These movements reveal a fundamental shift in political engagement. Digital platforms have transformed from communication tools to instruments of political change, allowing young people to organize, broadcast their messages, and challenge existing power structures with unprecedented speed and coordination.

People protest against corruption and calling for healthcare and education reform, in Casablanca, Morocco, Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025. (AP)

Blogs

Youth-led Gen Z protests began in Bangladesh in 2024 and spread across Asia and Africa by 2025. Using digital platforms, activists oppose corruption, inequality, and poor infrastructure, demanding political change and elite accountability.

Gen Z protests: Digital platforms fuel change from Asia to Africa

ISLAMABAD: Insomniac Games and Sony Interactive Entertainment dropped the gameplay trailer for the highly anticipated title, Marvel&rsquo;s Wolverine. The game is set to release exclusively on PlayStation 5 in late 2026. Marvel&rsquo;s Wolverine puts players in the role of one of the franchise&rsquo;s most iconic and brutal characters. The trailer doesn&rsquo;t shy away from delving into Wolverine&rsquo;s fierce nature and graphic violence. Trailer overview The trailer opens with Wolverine growling fiercely, setting the tone for the gritty and violent gameplay that is to follow. He can be seen slashing and clawing through his enemies in a range of environments &ndash; snowy mountains, Japanese streets, and urban cityscapes. The footage shows Wolverine sliding down tin rooftops, leaping from rope to rope, while tearing through his enemies and, in one instance, riding a motorcycle in his classic yellow suit. The visuals heavily focus on realism. Wolverine&rsquo;s claws extend with sharp, painful detail, skin giving way for the metal to slide through. The combat scenes depict him tearing apart enemies, including brutal sequences that feature blood and gore. The game adopts a mature approach, as indicated by the trailer&#39;s 17+ age rating. The dialogue chills the viewer as Wolverine reflects, &ldquo;Drama has a way of finding me.&rdquo; The trailer closes with Marvel&rsquo;s most iconic character going, &ldquo;I am no hero, I am Wolverine!&rdquo; Characters and settings In addition to Wolverine, the trailer features other familiar Marvel characters, such as Mystique. Their appearance suggests that the game will delve into the wider X-Men mythos. The settings vary widely, from rustic snowy mountains to neon-lit Japanese streets and dense urban areas. This variety promises a mix of exploration and combat in different environments. Development and background Marvel&rsquo;s Wolverine is developed by Insomniac Games, known for its successful Marvel&rsquo;s Spider-Man series. This game is a standalone title but shares the same continuity with the Spider-Man universe. The game is directed by Marcus Smith and Mike Daly, who replaced the original directors following changes in 2024. The writing team includes Mary Kenney, Walt Williams, Nick Folkman, and Joe Halstead. Issues during development In December 2023, Insomniac Games suffered a ransomware attack. The breach leaked various development assets and sensitive company information. Despite the setback, the studio confirmed that development on Marvel&rsquo;s Wolverine would continue without major delays. The hack also revealed that Marvel&rsquo;s Wolverine is planned as the first game in a new trilogy focusing on the X-Men universe. This marks a new partnership between Insomniac, Sony Interactive Entertainment, and Marvel to produce exclusive X-Men games. Release The gameplay trailer has already gained over 3 million views, showing strong interest from fans.&nbsp; The trailer was well received, with praise levied on the game&rsquo;s realistic graphics, immersive action, and a mature tone fitting for Wolverine&rsquo;s character.

Marvel’s Wolverine aims to deliver a deep, violent, and personal experience centered around Logan’s character. (Screengrab from Marvel's Wolverine/Playstation)

Video Game

Marvel’s Wolverine aims to deliver a deep, violent, and personal experience centered around Logan’s character.

 Marvel’s Wolverine trailer delivers cutting-edge graphics, gritty violence 

ISLAMABAD: Israeli airstrikes and military operations escalated overnight across Gaza and the West Bank as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Israel, amid a U.N. vote supporting a two-state solution&mdash;aimed at pursuing peace in the long-standing conflict.&nbsp;&nbsp;Rubio reportedly has gone with a clear focus on securing the release of hostages and preventing Hamas from taking power in the region.&nbsp;&nbsp;UNGA resolution&nbsp;supports two-state solutionThe UN General Assembly passed a resolution Friday with overwhelming support for the two-state solution. The resolution calls for an immediate ceasefire, Hamas disarmament, and normalization of relations between Israel and Arab states.&nbsp;&nbsp;Israel and the U.S. voted against it, calling it &ldquo;one-sided.&rdquo;&nbsp;Against this backdrop, diplomatic efforts continue, with U.S. President Donald Trump holding talks with Qatar&rsquo;s prime minister following Israeli airstrikes on Hamas officials attending ceasefire negotiations in Doha.&nbsp;The flurry of activities comes as the&nbsp;relentless air raids and heavy ground operations continue&nbsp;in Gaza City, where&nbsp;Israeli forces have carried out over 500 strikes this week alone. The occupying troops claim they are targeting Hamas &lsquo;strongholds&rsquo;, including weapons caches, tunnels, and sniper positions.&nbsp;Much of Gaza has been destroyed, with Israeli forces fully blockading the area. Despite this, many Palestinian families have decided to stay, with one resident describing a grim scene to Reuters: relentless bombings trapping Gazans between violence and a lack of safe places.&nbsp;&nbsp;The humanitarian toll is mounting, with more than 64,000 people having&nbsp;perished in Gaza since Israel laid siege to the enclave. Hundreds have died of starvation and malnutrition this year alone.&nbsp;Medical infrastructure has collapsed due to ongoing shelling, while aid deliveries face challenges amid persistent restrictions. Israel has announced plans to increase humanitarian crossing capacity, but it is becoming harder to deliver essential food, water, and medicine.&nbsp;Increase in violence, expansion plansPalestinians in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem are seeing&nbsp;an increase in violence. Israeli forces killed two 14-year-old Palestinian boys during raids in Jenin, followed by the detention of hundreds of residents in sweeping operations, according to the AP.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also proposed plans to expand settlements in the controversial &quot;E1&quot; area near Jerusalem, a plan critics warn will divide the West Bank and impede the formation of a viable Palestinian state.&nbsp;The severity and scale of these actions have drawn widespread international condemnation, but efforts to curb the violence remain limited.&nbsp;As Israeli military operations continue and diplomatic efforts go on, it is&nbsp;the Palestinians on the ground who&nbsp;are paying a heavy price.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Israel ramped up attacks on Gaza and the occupied West Bank, with the US State Secretary in the country, as the UN endorses the two-state solution. Image courtesy: Reuters

Americas

Middle East

Israel ramped up attacks on Gaza and the occupied West Bank, even as the US Secretary of State visited the country, with the UN endorsing a two-state solution.  

Israel ramps up attacks in Gaza and West Bank as US State Secretary visits

Residents travel on a boat with their supplies, through a flooded area, following monsoon rains and rising water levels of the Indus River, in Ghano Khan Jatoi village in Dadu district, Sindh province, Pakistan, September 12, 2025. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro

Climate & Environment

The former foreign minister demanded that the country’s federal government urgently launch an international aid appeal for devastating floods. 

Bilawal Bhutto calls for immediate global aid as floods devastate millions

Cricket

Pakistan comes into this match after winning the recent tri-series in the U.A.E, while Oman is making its Asia Cup debut this year.

Pakistan win toss, elects to bat first against Oman in T20 Asia Cup opener

DOHA: A Hamas source close to the group&#39;s negotiating committee told AFP on Sunday that it will not participate in post-war Gaza governance, as world leaders prepare to converge on Egypt for a Gaza peace summit. The source&#39;s comments come days after an Israel-Hamas ceasefire came into effect, and as both sides discuss implementing US President Donald Trump&#39;s 20-point plan to end the war, which calls for Hamas&#39; disarmament and for the group not to be involved in running post-war Gaza. &quot;For Hamas, the governance of the Gaza Strip is a closed issue. Hamas will not participate at all in the transitional phase, which means it has relinquished control of the Strip, but it remains a fundamental part of the Palestinian fabric,&quot; the source told AFP, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. Unlike other more top-heavy militant organisations in the region, Hamas&#39; leadership has in the past been divided on key issues, including on the future administration of Gaza. But where there appears to be no division among top members is on the question of disarmament, which the group has long described as a red line. &quot;Hamas agrees to a long-term truce, and for its weapons not to be used at all during this period, except in the event of an Israeli attack on Gaza,&quot; the source said. Another Hamas official who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive topics had earlier told AFP that Hamas&#39; disarmament was &quot;out of the question&quot;. The first clause of Trump&#39;s 20-point plan calls for Gaza to become a &quot;deradicalized terror-free zone that does not pose a threat to its neighbors&quot;. The plan also states Hamas will not have a role in future governance of the Strip, and that its military infrastructure and weapons should be &quot;destroyed and not rebuilt&quot;. Under Trump&#39;s plan, a temporary technocratic and apolitical Palestinian committee would be charged with the day-to-day running of public services. The source close to the negotiators said they had asked for mediator Egypt to call a meeting before the end of next week to agree on the composition of this committee, adding that &quot;the names are almost ready&quot;. &quot;Hamas, along with the other factions, have submitted 40 names. There is absolutely no veto over them, and none of them belong to Hamas,&quot; he added.

Palestinian children walk past destroyed buildings in the Shati refugee camp in Gaza City, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, after Israel and Hamas agreed to a pause in their war and the release of the remaining hostages. (AP)

A Hamas source said the group will not govern post-war Gaza, supporting a technocratic committee instead, amid US-brokered ceasefire and peace plan talks.

Hamas to relinquish control of Gaza after war, says source close to negotiators

CAIRO: Preparations were underway Sunday for a ramp-up of aid entering the war-battered Gaza Strip under a new ceasefire deal that many are hoping will signal an end to the devastating 2-year-long war. The Israeli defense body in charge of humanitarian aid in Gaza, COGAT, said that the amount of aid entering Gaza Strip is expected to ramp up on Sunday to around 600 trucks per day, as stipulated in the agreement. Egypt said it is sending 400 trucks carrying aid into Gaza Sunday. The trucks will have to be inspected by Israeli forces before being allowed in. Associated Press footage showed dozens of trucks crossing the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing. The Egyptian Red Crescent said the trucks include medical supplies, tents, blankets, food and fuel. The trucks will head to the inspection area in the Kerem Shalom crossing for screening by Israeli troops. In recent months, the UN and its partners have been able to deliver only 20% of the aid needed in Gaza because of the fighting, border closures and Israeli restrictions on what enters. Expanding Israeli offensives and restrictions on humanitarian aid have triggered a hunger crisis, including famine in parts of the territory. The United Nations has said that it has about 170,000 metric tons of food, medicine and other humanitarian aid ready to enter Gaza once Israel gives the green light. Gaza Humanitarian Fund future in questionThe fate of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an Israeli- and US-backed contractor that replaced the UN aid operation in Gaza in May as the primary food supplier, remains unclear. Food distribution sites operated by the group in the southernmost city of Rafah and central Gaza were dismantled following the ceasefire deal, several Palestinians said Sunday. Hoda Goda, who used to go to the GHF sites in Rafah earlier this year, said people had dismantled the structures and taken wood and metal fences GHF workers used to control the crowds. Another Palestinian, Ehab Abu Majed, said the site in eastern Khan Younis was also dismantled, and there was no food distribution in the past two days. Ahmed al-Masri, a man living in the central Nuseirat refugee camp, said a third site in the Netzarim corridor area was also dismantled. GHF had been touted by Israel and the United States as an alternative system to prevent Hamas from taking over aid. However, its operations were mired in chaos and hundreds of Palestinians were killed by Israeli gunfire while heading to its four sites. The Israeli military has said its troops fired warning shots to control crowds. A GHF representative declined to comment Sunday. Preparations for hostage, prisoner release, Trump visitPreparations were also underway Sunday for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. A message sent Saturday from Gal Hirsch, Israel&rsquo;s coordinator for the Hostages and the Missing and obtained by The Associated Press, told hostage families to prepare for the release of their loved ones starting Monday morning. One of the families of the hostages confirmed the note&rsquo;s authenticity. Hirsch said preparations in hospitals and in Rei&rsquo;im camp were complete to receive the live hostages, while the dead will be transferred to the Institute of Forensic Medicine for identification. An international task force will start working to locate deceased hostages who are not returned within the 72-hour period, said Hirsch. Officials have said the search for the bodies of the dead, some of whom may be buried under rubble, could take time. Israeli officials believe about 20 of the hostages out of 48 held by Hamas and other Palestinian factions in Gaza are still alive. All of the living hostages are expected to be released Monday. US President Donald Trump, who pushed to clinch the ceasefire deal, is expected to arrive in Israel Monday morning. He will meet with families of hostages and speak at the Knesset, Israel&rsquo;s parliament, according to a schedule released by the White House. Trump will then continue on to Egypt, where the office of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has said he will co-chair a &ldquo;peace summit&rdquo; on Monday with attendance by regional and international leaders. Timing has not yet been announced for the release of some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel who are to be freed under the deal. They include 250 people serving life sentences in addition to 1,700 people seized from Gaza during the war and held without charge. Gaza residents return homePalestinians continued to move back to areas vacated by Israeli forces Sunday, although many were returning to homes reduced to rubble. Satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press showed a line of vehicles traveling north to Gaza City. The photos taken Saturday showed a line of vehicles on Al Rashid Street, which runs north-south along the Gaza Strip&rsquo;s coastline on the Mediterranean Sea. Tents along the coast also could be seen near Gaza City&rsquo;s marina. Many people have been living along the sea to avoid being targeted in Israeli bombardment of the city. Armed police were seen in Gaza City and southern Gaza patrolling the streets and securing aid trucks driving through areas from which the Israeli military had withdrawn, according to residents. The police force is part of the Hamas-run Interior Ministry. Two years of war have wrought devastationThe war began when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, in which some 1,200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage. In Israel&rsquo;s ensuing offensive, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to Gaza&rsquo;s Health Ministry, which doesn&rsquo;t differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around half the deaths were women and children.&nbsp; The war has destroyed large swaths of Gaza and displaced about 90% of its 2 million residents. It has also triggered other conflicts in the region, sparked worldwide protests and led to allegations of genocide that Israel denies. While both Israelis and Palestinians in Gaza welcomed the initial halt to the fighting and plans to release the hostages and prisoners, the longer-term fate of the ceasefire remains murky. Key questions about governance of Gaza and the post-war fate of Hamas have yet to be resolved. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a post on X that he had instructed the Israel military to prepare to begin destroying the network of tunnels built by Hamas under Gaza &quot;through the international mechanism that will be established under the leadership and supervision of the US&rdquo; once the hostages are released.

A ceasefire in Gaza has enabled increased aid deliveries, with 600 trucks expected daily. Hostage and prisoner releases are set to begin, while uncertainty remains over Gaza’s governance and post-war reconstruction.

Aid preparations ramp up in Gaza as ceasefire sparks hope to end 2-year war

Reuters

HONG KONG: US semiconductor manufacturer Qualcomm admitted that it had not informed Chinese authorities when it completed its acquisition of Israel&#39;s Autotalks in June, China&#39;s market regulator said on Sunday.&nbsp;The disclosure was made two days after China launched an antitrust investigation into Qualcomm, examining whether the US firm violated China&#39;s antitrust law by not declaring some details of its acquisition of the Israeli chip designer.&nbsp;Qualcomm did not immediately respond to Reuters&#39; request for comment.&nbsp;China&#39;s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) said it informed Qualcomm in March 2024 that the deal requires approval by the regulator, and the US firm in the same month notified SAMR it wouldn&#39;t pursue further.&nbsp;However, Qualcomm in June this year completed the deal without informing the authority, the regulator said, adding Qualcomm &quot;acknowledged above facts,&quot; based on which Beijing launched the antitrust probe.&nbsp;Qualcomm&#39;s shares fell more than 5% on Friday after US President Donald Trump threatened to hike tariffs against China and cancel a planned meeting with President Xi Jinping.

Business

The disclosure comes two days after China launched an antitrust investigation into Qualcomm, examining whether it violated China's antitrust law by not declaring some details of its acquisition of the Israeli chip designer.

China says Qualcomm admitted to acquiring Autotalks without informing regulator

<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">YAOUNDE: Polls opened in Cameroon on Sunday in an election that could see Africa&rsquo;s oldest leader extend his rule by another 7 years. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Around 8 million voters, including over 34,000 overseas, are registered to participate at more than 31,000 polling stations in the Central African nation. Cameroon had over 29 million people in 2024, and like many sub-Saharan African countries, its population is overwhelmingly young. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Polls are expected to close at 6 p.m., and the results are expected at the latest by Oct. 26. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Analysts have predicted a victory for current President Paul Biya, who first became president in 1982 following the resignation of Cameroon&#39;s first president, Ahmadou Ahidjo, and has ruled the country since then. Biya was declared the winner of seven subsequent elections. Cameroon has seen just two leaders since independence in 1960. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">&ldquo;In the face of increasingly difficult international environment, the challenges facing us are more and more pressing,&rdquo; Biya said in announcing another run. &ldquo;In such a situation, I cannot shirk my mission.&rdquo; He did not give details. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If victorious, Biya would be 99 years old by the time his term finishes. His health has routinely been a topic of speculation as he spends most of his time in Europe, leaving day to day governing to key party officials and family members. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Biya faces nine opposition candidates, including some former allies and appointees. They include Bello Bouba Maigari, who was minister for tourism, and Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who until recently served as the minister of employment. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At his first campaign rally, held last week in the northern city of Maroua, Biya promised change for one of Cameroon&rsquo;s poorest areas. The predominately Muslim north accounts for nearly 20% of the country&rsquo;s eligible voters, and Maigari and Bakary command strong followings in the Far North. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The country faces escalating security crises. In the western region, a secessionist war is being fought between mainly English-speaking separatists who claim they are marginalized by the French-speaking majority, and government forces. In the north, the Boko Haram insurgency spills over from neighboring Nigeria, with armed groups routinely attacking border towns. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At least 43% of the country&rsquo;s citizens live in poverty as measured by core living standards such as income, education and health, according to UN estimates.

Election officials arrange stacks of ballot papers before the start of voting at a polling station in Garoua, Cameroon, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025.(AP Photo/Welba Yamo Pascal)

Africa

Polls opened in Cameroon on Sunday in an election that could see Africa’s oldest leader extend his rule by another 7 years.

Cameroon votes as President Paul Biya seeks historic eighth term

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: In a landmark achievement for Pakistan&rsquo;s medical community, Dr. Ayesha Siddiqua, a senior gynecologist and medical academic, has been elected as a Trustee of the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) at the FIGO World Congress 2025 in Cape Town, becoming the first Pakistani woman to hold the position. Dr. Siddiqua was also honored with the FIGO Women&rsquo;s Award 2025 in recognition of her contributions to reproductive health and medical education in underserved areas of Pakistan, particularly in the fields of obstetrics and gynecology. Belonging to the Badizi tribe in Qila Abdullah district of Balochistan, she previously made headlines when she was elected Vice President of the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP) &mdash; the first woman from Balochistan to be elected. Dr. Siddiqua&rsquo;s contributions to healthcare have been recognized nationally. &nbsp;In 2022, she was awarded the Presidential Award for Excellence (Tamgha-e-Husn-e-Karkardagi), and recently received an Honorary Fellowship (FRCOG) from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, UK. Speaking to local media, Dr. Siddiqua said her appointment was &ldquo;not just a personal achievement but a recognition for the people of Balochistan, Pakistani women, and all those striving to improve maternal healthcare in difficult conditions.&rdquo; She currently serves as a Councillor at CPSP and is the President of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Pakistan (SOGP).

Health

Dr. Ayesha Siddiqua of Balochistan has become the first Pakistani woman elected as a FIGO Trustee. She also received the FIGO Women’s Award 2025 for her contributions to reproductive healthcare in Pakistan.

Prestigious global health body welcomes first Pakistani trustee

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani military forces have taken control of 19 Afghan border posts following a series of cross-border attacks, according to security sources, who described the operation as a response to what they called &ldquo;unprovoked aggression&rdquo; from Afghanistan. The offensive began late Saturday night and continued into the early hours of Sunday, with Pakistani forces deploying heavy artillery to strike Taliban positions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan frontier. Security sources said Afghan forces manning the posts were either killed or fled, leaving behind weapons, uniforms, and abandoned installations. Video footage obtained by Pakistan TV Digital shows extensive destruction at multiple locations, including fires at captured posts and the interiors of seized installations strewn with military gear. In one clip, an Afghan Taliban fighter appears to surrender to Pakistani troops. Among the key positions targeted were posts in Qila Abdullah&rsquo;s Liaoband sector, Barabcha, Kharchar Fort in Chitral, and the Taliban&rsquo;s Manojba Camps 2 &amp; 3. Pakistani sources alleged that Kharchar Fort had served as a command hub for militant operations, while the Barabcha battalion was facilitating cross-border terrorist infiltration into Pakistan. A tank position located on a peak across from Pakistan&rsquo;s Kurram district was also hit, destroying several Taliban tanks, according to the sources. Officials described the operation as a &ldquo;targeted response&rdquo; against terrorist hideouts and training centers, stressing that Pakistan had no intention of harming Afghan civilians or public infrastructure. They accused the Afghan interim government and &ldquo;Indian-sponsored terrorist networks&rdquo; of orchestrating the aggression. &ldquo;This is not a war between the people of Pakistan and Afghanistan,&rdquo; the security sources said. &ldquo;It is a fight against terrorist elements operating in Afghanistan under Indian patronage. Pakistan reserves the right to respond more forcefully to any future aggression or terrorism.&rdquo; The Taliban government&rsquo;s chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, presented counter-claims&nbsp;in a press conference in Kabul, saying that &ldquo;the situation on all official borders and de facto lines of Afghanistan is under complete control, and illegal activities have been largely prevented.&rdquo; Saudi Arabia, Iran, Qatar urge restraintSaudi Arabia, Iran, and Qatar on Sunday expressed concern over the escalating border clashes, calling on both nations to exercise restraint and resolve their differences through dialogue. &ldquo;The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia follows with concern the tensions and clashes witnessed in the border areas between the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the State of Afghanistan,&rdquo; the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on X, formerly Twitter. Qatar&rsquo;s Foreign Ministry also warned of the potential repercussions for regional stability, urging both sides to prioritize &ldquo;dialogue, diplomacy, and restraint.&rdquo; Iran&rsquo;s Foreign Ministry issued a similar statement, calling on Islamabad and Kabul to avoid escalation. &ldquo;Iran is closely monitoring developments and calls on both sides to engage diplomatically to prevent further escalation,&rdquo; a spokesperson in Tehran said. &ldquo;Peace and cooperation must prevail over confrontation.&rdquo; Border crossings closedKey crossings between Pakistan and Afghanistan were closed Sunday after intense overnight clashes, following Taliban accusations that Islamabad had conducted airstrikes earlier in the week, officials said. Officials on both sides confirmed that the Torkham crossing, connecting Pakistan&rsquo;s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province with Afghanistan&rsquo;s Nangarhar, and the Chaman crossing, more than 800 kilometers (500 miles) southwest, were shut down. &lsquo;Provocations by Afghanistan&rsquo;Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned what he described as &ldquo;provocations by Afghanistan&rdquo; along the border overnight. &ldquo;There will be no compromise on Pakistan&rsquo;s defense,&rdquo; Sharif said in a statement. &ldquo;Every provocation will be met with a strong and effective response.&rdquo; Sharif also slammed the Taliban government for allowing Afghan soil to be used by &ldquo;terrorist elements&rdquo; targeting Pakistan.

Security

Security sources report that Afghan forces manning the posts were either killed or fled their positions; video footage shows widespread destruction at multiple locations.

Captured 19 Afghan posts in response to unprovoked cross-border aggression: Pak security sources

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday strongly condemned Afghanistan&rsquo;s recent acts of aggression and reaffirmed Pakistan&rsquo;s resolve to safeguard its national interests, regional sovereignty, and security.&nbsp;In a statement, President Zardari said Pakistan would never accept any &ldquo;controversial or misleading stance&rdquo; on Jammu and Kashmir, adding that India&rsquo;s claims regarding the disputed territory were illegal and contrary to international law and UN resolutions.&nbsp;He expressed regret that the Afghan leadership had &ldquo;turned away from the oppressed people of Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir,&rdquo; calling it an injustice to both history and the Muslim Ummah.&nbsp;Zardari noted that the use of Afghan soil for attacks by the so-called &ldquo;Fitna-al-Khawarij&rdquo; &mdash; a reference to militant groups &mdash; was a documented fact acknowledged even in UN reports. He warned that the nexus between &ldquo;the Khawarij and India&rdquo; was targeting Pakistani civilians and security personnel.&nbsp;The president urged the Afghan leadership to take concrete steps against anti-Pakistan terrorist groups operating from its soil, stressing that terrorism was a shared regional challenge that could not be borne by one country alone.&nbsp;He reiterated that Pakistan would make no compromise on its sovereignty and had consistently extended all possible facilitation to Afghanistan in trade, economy, and connectivity.&nbsp;&ldquo;Mutual cooperation and economic partnership form the foundation for lasting peace and prosperity in the region,&rdquo; he said, adding that Pakistan desired a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Afghanistan. <div class="fr-embed instagram-embed" style="width: 50%; display: block; max-width: 600px;"><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-1" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPspi-oDdV1/embed/captioned/?cr=1&v=14&wp=485&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com&rp=%2Farticles%2F1265#%7B%22ci%22%3A1%2C%22os%22%3A1889589.199999988%2C%22ls%22%3A637.3999999761581%2C%22le%22%3A648.8999999761581%7D" allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="1023" scrolling="no" style="background: white; max-width: 540px; width: calc(100% - 2px); border-radius: 3px; border: 1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219); box-shadow: none; display: block; margin: 0px 0px 12px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px;">&nbsp;</iframe></div>Separately, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the cross-border aggression, saying Pakistan&rsquo;s armed forces were fully capable of defending every inch of the motherland.&nbsp;He said Islamabad had always acted with restraint and responsibility but would respond firmly to any violation of its sovereignty.&nbsp;&ldquo;The government will take all necessary measures to protect Pakistan&rsquo;s territorial integrity and ensure peace in the region,&rdquo; the prime minister added.&nbsp;The prime minister also lauded the Pakistan Army&rsquo;s swift and professional response under the leadership of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, saying the forces not only repelled the aggression but also neutralized several enemy positions, forcing a retreat.&nbsp;He emphasized that Pakistan&rsquo;s defense was in strong hands and that the nation stood united with its security forces against any provocation. Dar urges Taliban to act against terrorists Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said he was &ldquo;deeply concerned&rdquo; over the developments along the Pak‑Afghan border, calling unprovoked firing and raids by the Taliban government a &ldquo;serious provocation.&rdquo; <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" 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=1977301437160779869&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F1265%2F&sessionId=3cf72649712ea0166c123d48be461eb7eec96caf&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 345px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>&nbsp;The statement said Pakistan&rsquo;s retaliatory strikes targeted Taliban infrastructure and aimed to neutralize Fitna‑al‑Khawarij and Fitna‑al‑Hindustan terrorist elements operating from Afghan soil.&nbsp;He said that the defensive response was not directed at the peace‑loving Afghan civilian population and that, unlike Taliban forces, Pakistan was exercising &ldquo;extreme caution&rdquo; to avoid civilian casualties.&nbsp;Dar also reiterated its long‑standing position that combating terrorism is a shared regional responsibility and said it had repeatedly provided Kabul with information on terrorist networks operating from Afghan territory.

President Zardari says Pakistan would never accept any 'controversial or misleading stance' on Jammu and Kashmir. PM Shehbaz says armed forces are fully capable of defending every inch of the motherland.

President, PM condemn Afghan aggression, vow to defend national sovereignty

ISLAMABAD: Russian and Pakistani military forces concluded their joint &ldquo;Druzhba 2025&rdquo; exercises in southern Russia, the Embassy of Russia in Pakistan said in a post on the social media platform X. The annual drills brought together about 200 servicemen from both countries, including Russia&rsquo;s Southern Military District Special Operations Forces and special forces units of the Pakistan Army, to work on actions to counter international terrorism. According to the statement, the exercises focused on joint tactical operations to counter international terrorism, enhance coordination, and strengthen operational readiness between the two forces. The training concluded with an awards ceremony recognizing distinguished participants, followed by an exchange of souvenirs featuring the Druzhba 2025 insignia &mdash; a tradition marking the enduring defense cooperation between Russia and Pakistan. Launched in 2016, the Druzhba (meaning &ldquo;friendship&rdquo; in Russian) exercises alternate between Russia and Pakistan each year. The 2025 edition continues efforts to expand bilateral defense collaboration, military understanding, and partnership between the two nations.

Pakistan Army and Russian Special Forces personnel pose for a group photo during the Druzhba 2025 joint military exercises in southern Russia (Embassy of Russia in Pakistan/ X).

Both military forces concluded their joint 'Druzhba 2025' exercises in southern Russia, the Embassy of Russia in Pakistan said in a post on the social media platform X.

Pakistan, Russia hold joint counterterrorism drills in southern Russia

McEWEN: A blast in rural Tennessee that leveled an explosives plant and was felt for miles around killed 16 people and left no survivors, authorities said. The explosion left a smoldering wreck of twisted and charred metal and burned-out vehicles at the Accurate Energetic Systems plant, which supplies and researches explosives for the military. The cause of the blast is not known. Investigators are combing the incinerated property foot by foot, searching for possible evidence. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a gauntlet of emotions there,&rdquo; Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis said during a news conference, pausing to clear his throat before he asked for prayers for the families of the victims in a shaky voice. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve recovered no survivors,&rdquo; he added. During a vigil at Hurricane Chapel in McEwen, senior pastor Tim Farris noted that many in attendance knew each other, as well as the victims and their families. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a lot of people hurting. A lot of people who are crying a lot of tears,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We are sad that our community is going through this, but it&rsquo;s a tremendous opportunity for the church to minister to a lot of those people today.&rdquo; Farris said he spoke with some families of victims on Friday who were in shock and numb, and they did not show much emotion. That had changed by Saturday, he said. &ldquo;Speaking with some of the families today, they were very emotional,&rdquo; Farris said. &ldquo;They can hardly speak or anything, they are so emotional. I think as this goes on, it&rsquo;s going to hit more people. The depth of this, the reality of it. That&rsquo;s when they&rsquo;re going to need people the most.&rdquo; Pamela Jane Brown was among those who came out to pray for friends missing in the blast and their families. She said an acquaintance of her family was driving by the plant when it exploded, and he was &ldquo;hurt pretty good ... all cut up and bruised,&rdquo; but is now recovering at home. &ldquo;I was heartbroken,&rdquo; she said, after learning of the explosion on social media. Meeting others for prayer &ldquo;was a coming together of the community &ndash; a good feeling.&rdquo; State officials brought in a &ldquo;rapid DNA&rdquo; team to help identify the remains of people recovered at the site. Davis said about 300 responders are working in a &ldquo;slow, methodical method&rdquo; as they deal with explosive material that has been damaged and remains volatile. An ambulance and a helicopter used for air evacuations were brought in for the safety of first responders. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not like working an accident. It&rsquo;s not like working a tornado. We&rsquo;re dealing with explosions. And I would say at this time, we&rsquo;re dealing with remains,&rdquo; he said. Guy McCormick, a supervisory special agent with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said explosive specialists and bomb technicians are trying to make the area safe for national ATF investigators. He said the nature of the scene can change because of the heat and pressure caused by the explosion. Davis said it could be days, weeks, or even months before foul play is ruled out. The site is located in a heavily wooded area of middle Tennessee, between the economically vital Tennessee River to the west and the bustling metropolis of Nashville to the east. Modest homes dot the wooded landscape, residences belonging to &ldquo;good old country people,&rdquo; as local man Terry Bagsby put it. &lsquo;A lot of grief&rsquo;Bagsby, 68, is retired, but he helps out working the register at a gas station near the site. He said people in the close-knit community are &ldquo;very, very sad.&rdquo; He said he knows people who worked at the site. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know how to explain it. &hellip; Just a lot of grief.&rdquo; Officials at an evening news conference said counselors would be available for grieving students on Monday. Earlier Saturday afternoon at the church in McEwen, about 30 people gathered to pray for victims of the explosion and their families. Music played, and mourners bowed their heads and closed their eyes. Some knelt at an altar, placing their hands on each other&rsquo;s backs and shoulders. Some wept softly, among the whispered prayers. After the vigil, Farris, the pastor, told the media that the area has seen its share of tragedy and loss of life, including a deadly flood a few years ago. He asked for prayers for first responders. &ldquo;This is tiresome physically. This kind of thing weighs on you mentally. They carry that home. They need prayer and encouragement as well,&rdquo; he said. The company&rsquo;s website says it processes explosives and ammunition at an eight-building facility that sprawls across wooded hills in the Bucksnort area, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) southwest of Nashville. It is not immediately known how many people work at the plant or how many were there when the explosion happened. Accurate Energetic Systems, based in nearby McEwen, said in a post on social media on Friday that the company&#39;s &ldquo;thoughts and prayers&quot; are with the families and community impacted. &ldquo;We extend our gratitude to all first responders who continue to work tirelessly under difficult conditions,&rdquo; the post said. Explosion jolts residents from sleepThe company has been awarded numerous military contracts, largely by the U.S. Army and Navy, to supply different types of munitions and explosives, according to public records. The products range from bulk explosives to landmines and small breaching charges, including C4. When the explosion occurred, residents in Lobelville, a 20-minute drive from the scene, said they felt their homes shake, and some people captured the loud boom of the explosion on their home cameras. The blast rattled Gentry Stover from his sleep. &ldquo;I thought the house had collapsed with me inside of it,&rdquo; he told The Associated Press. &ldquo;I live very close to Accurate, and I realized about 30 seconds after I woke up that it had to have been that.&rdquo; Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee posted on the social platform X that he is monitoring the situation and asked &ldquo;Tennesseans to join us in prayer for the families impacted by this tragic incident.&rdquo; A small group gathered for a vigil Friday night at a nearby park, clutching candles as they prayed for the missing and their families and sang &ldquo;Amazing Grace.&quot; The US has a long history of deadly accidents at workplaces, including the Monongah coal mine explosion that killed 362 men and boys in West Virginia in 1907. Several high-profile industrial accidents in the 1960s helped lead President Richard Nixon to sign a law creating the Occupational Safety and Health Administration the next year. In 2019, Accurate Energetic Systems faced several small fines from the US Department of Labor for violations of policies meant to protect workers from exposure to hazardous chemicals, radiation, and other irritants, according to citations from OSHA. In 2014, an explosion occurred at another ammunition facility in the same small community, killing one person and injuring at least three others.

A powerful explosion at a Tennessee explosives factory killed 16 people, leaving no survivors. Authorities continue investigating the cause, while the community mourns the loss and supports grieving families through vigils and prayer.

16 dead in Tennessee factory blast as community mourns loss

Web Desk/AP

<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">GAZA:&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Egypt will host an international summit in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday to finalize an agreement aimed at ending the war in Gaza, Egyptian presidential spokesperson Ahmed Fahmy said on Saturday. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">More than 20 world leaders, including US President Donald Trump, are expected to attend the meeting. The summit seeks to build consensus on a plan that would halt hostilities and lay the groundwork for Gaza&rsquo;s postwar governance. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Trump&rsquo;s 20-point proposal envisions Israel maintaining a long-term security presence along its border with Gaza, while an international force, primarily composed of troops from Arab and Muslim countries, would oversee security within the enclave.&nbsp; <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has called for the force to be authorized by the UN Security Council. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">According to the Israeli military, its troops will continue operating defensively in the roughly 50 percent of Gaza still under its control after recent withdrawals to designated lines.&nbsp; <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The United States, meanwhile, plans to set up a coordination center in Israel to manage Gaza-related issues until a permanent administration is established, an official familiar with the discussions said. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" id="isPasted">More than <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">67,000 Palestinian casualties&nbsp; <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Israel&rsquo;s military campaign after <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" id="isPasted">Oct. 7, 2023 has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza&rsquo;s Health Ministry, which reports that roughly half of the dead are women and children.&nbsp; <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The ministry&rsquo;s figures are widely regarded by the United Nations and independent experts as the most reliable available. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The conflict has fueled broader instability across the Middle East, triggered global protests and prompted international calls for accountability over alleged human rights violations. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Sharm el-Sheikh summit is expected to focus on securing a lasting cease-fire, coordinating humanitarian aid delivery, and outlining a framework for Gaza&rsquo;s reconstruction and governance once the fighting stops.

Egypt will host an international summit in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday to finalize an agreement aimed at ending the war in Gaza, Egyptian presidential spokesperson Ahmed Fahmy said on Saturday.

Articles by Maham Khan