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August 11, 2026August 11, 2026World

Colombia rescue efforts press on after earthquake; death toll stands at 164, expected to rise

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Rescue efforts across western Colombia carried into a second day on Tuesday as emergency workers dug through collapsed buildings and flattened homes, amid expectations that the death toll from the country’s most powerful earthquake in decades could rise. The 7.4-magnitude earthquake tore through Colombia’s coffee-growing heartland early on Monday, killing at least 164 people. The quake reduced...

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August 11, 2026August 11, 2026Pakistan

President Zardari approves additional judges’ appointments to high courts, ending weeks-long deadlock

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ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday gave his assent to the appointment of 19 additional judges for five high courts, along with confirmation of another five as permanent judges, ending a weeks-long deadlock between the Presidency and the government over the judicial appointments. “The president has approved the appointment of additional judges in the Lahore High...

Tourists Heading to Murree on Independence Day Alerted!
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August 11, 2026August 11, 2026Pakistan, Travel

Tourists Heading to Murree on Independence Day Alerted!

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With only a few days remaining until Independence Day is celebrated across the nation with great fervor and national zeal, a major update has emerged for tourists planning to visit Murree on August 14. According to an official notification released by the Murree district administration, Section 144 has been enforced across the entire district to...

Govt rejects CNN’s ‘Blackout’ claims on Imran Khan, Releases prison and medical records
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August 10, 2026August 10, 2026Politics, Technology, World

Govt rejects CNN’s ‘Blackout’ claims on Imran Khan, Releases prison and medical records

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The Government of Pakistan has formally rejected claims aired by international media outlets, including CNN, regarding a prolonged communications and medical blackout of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Citing official prison and administrative records, government officials presented a detailed timeline and dataset that challenge allegations of severe isolation and neglect. According to government figures, Imran...

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August 10, 2026August 10, 2026Pakistan

Ambassador Rizwan Sheikh Calls for Expanded U.S. Investment in Pakistan’s Mineral and Surgical Sectors

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Chicago, (Shazia Nayyar) ; Ambassador of Pakistan to the United States Rizwan Saeed Sheikh engaged key business leaders across Chicagoland to promote bilateral trade, commercial partnerships, and increased U.S. investment in Pakistan, highlighting the high-potential mineral and surgical instrument sectors. Consul General of Pakistan in Chicago accompanied the Ambassador during these high-level engagements. During a...

Kuwait felicitates Pakistan on Makkah Joint Defence Agreement as DPM Ishaq Dar holds key diplomatic contacts
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August 10, 2026August 10, 2026ECNOMICS, Politics, World

Kuwait felicitates Pakistan on Makkah Joint Defence Agreement as DPM Ishaq Dar holds key diplomatic contacts

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Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar received a telephone call from Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, during which the Kuwaiti dignitary extended felicitations to Pakistan on the signing of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye, the Foreign Office (FO) stated on Monday. According to the...

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August 10, 2026August 10, 2026Business, Pakistan

KPMG-Led Consortium Hired to Advise on HBFCL Privatisation

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ISLAMABAD: The Privatisation Commission has signed a Financial Advisory Services Agreement with a consortium led by KPMG to steer the privatisation of the House Building Finance Corporation Limited (HBFCL), marking the government’s second attempt to sell off the state-owned housing lender. Who’s on Board Alongside KPMG, the consortium brings together corporate finance advisory firm Bridge...

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August 10, 2026August 10, 2026Pakistan

Voting Underway in AJK’s Third Election Phase Amid Tight Security, Rigging Claims Polling opened at 8am today in four constituencies of Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch Division, covering the Bagh and Haveli districts, as the third phase of the region’s staggered elections gets underway. Voting will run until 5pm. Heavy Security Deployment Authorities are bracing for potential unrest. The Election Commission has flagged most of the 803 polling stations across the four constituencies as sensitive or highly sensitive, and has moved in reinforcements to match. Election Commission Secretary Raja Mohammad Shakeel said more than 10,000 additional troops have been deployed alongside local police from both districts to keep order and give voters a secure environment to cast their ballots. Where Things Stand AJK’s elections are being held in stages, and tensions between demonstrators and officials have shadowed the process throughout. The first two phases — in Mirpur and Muzaffarabad divisions — took place on July 27 and August 2. The PML-N has come out ahead so far with 24 seats, while the PPP trails with 10. Today’s round was originally supposed to cover all 11 constituencies of Poonch Division, but the Election Commission scaled it back last week to just Bagh and Haveli, citing law-and-order concerns. The remaining seven constituencies — five in Poonch district and two in Sudhnoti — may go to the polls around August 20 or 21. Rigging Allegations Fly Again As in earlier phases, the PPP and PML-N — rivals in AJK despite being coalition partners at the federal level — have traded accusations. The PPP has posted a string of complaints on X alleging misconduct in Bagh and Haveli, including: Roads blocked near Banni Marasira, allegedly to stop voters and monitors from reaching polling stations where PML-N supporters were accused of illegally stamping ballots Delayed voting at several stations due to late-arriving staff PPP polling agents forcibly removed from multiple stations, allegedly allowing unsupervised ballot stamping Agents blocked from stations in Kahuta City by PML-N workers The Election Commission confirmed it had received complaints against two presiding officers accused of manipulating results and said both had been pulled from election duty. Key Races to Watch Roughly 460,000 voters are registered across the four constituencies, choosing among 82 candidates for 803 polling stations. Three heavyweight names are on the ballot: AJK Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore (PPP) is defending his seat in LA-17 against PML-N’s Mohsin Aziz and independent Khawaja Tariq Saeed — a former ally turned rival after a falling-out over a seat-sharing agreement. Former PM Sardar Tanveer Ilyas is contesting LA-15 after briefly threatening to boycott the phase. He faces PML-N’s Mushtaq Ahmed Minhas, PPP’s Sardar Ziaul Qamar, and Jamaat-i-Islami’s Dr Mohammad Khan. Former PM Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan, longtime leader of the Muslim Conference, faces a serious challenge in LA-14 from Sajid Iqbal Abbasi, a self-funded philanthropist-turned-candidate from the same tribe as Attique. In LA-16, former ministers Sardar Mir Akbar (PML-N) and Sardar Qamar Zaman (PPP) are the main contenders. Results from this phase are expected to shape the balance of power as PML-N looks to consolidate its lead heading into the final rounds of voting.

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Polling opened at 8am today in four constituencies of Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch Division, covering the Bagh and Haveli districts, as the third phase of the region’s staggered elections gets underway. Voting will run until 5pm. Heavy Security Deployment Authorities are bracing for potential unrest. The Election Commission has flagged most of the 803...

Opposition MP Throws Eggs at Acting Prime Minister During Parliamentary Session
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August 9, 2026August 9, 2026World

Opposition MP Throws Eggs at Acting Prime Minister During Parliamentary Session

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In a dramatic turn of events, an opposition Member of Parliament threw eggs at Kosovo’s Acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti during a parliamentary session. The incident triggered high tension inside the assembly hall as opposition members voiced strong protests against the government. According to international media reports, the incident took place during an official sitting...