Blaze News - Pakistan

There have been many debates about American democracy being indirect. The electoral college mechanism was inserted into the system in order to what was then called "excess of democracy". There is another thing, which I always found quite baffling. An American president is elected after making certain promises to the citizens. He then proceeds to do, in many cases, exactly the opposite of what he promised on campaign trail or does exactly similar to what his opponent stood for, opposition to which got the man elected in the first place. Bush's "read my lips no new taxes", Obama's troop surge in Afghanistan and his sickening surveillance regime, Trump's promise to release the Epstein Files and then him being the only reason they weren't are some of such examples. There is practically nothing the American citizenry can do to stop an American president from doing what they never wanted or asked for. For four years, an American president can wage w...

Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan turned heads at Paris Fashion Week, stepping onto the runway in a dramatic black velvet ensemble topped with a sparkling tiara. The actor appeared in a corset-style black velvet fishtail gown, complemented by a crystal-covered cape that added a theatrical touch to her look. She completed the outfit with a dazzling jewel-encrusted tiara, dewy makeup and her signature red lipstick.         View this post on Instagram                       Photos and videos from the event quickly made their way across social media, with fans praising Aishwarya’s glamorous appearance. Aishwarya, who represented L’Oréal Paris at the event, was also spotted mingling with fellow celebrities during rehearsals. A video showing her speaking with British actress Simone Ashley and warmly holding her hands gained attention online. She lat...

The federal government on Monday decreased the price of petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs2.27 and Rs3.56 per litre, respectively, for September 29. According to a notification issued by the Petroleum Division, the price of petrol was fixed at Rs389.03 per litre, while HSD would cost Rs404.97 per litre for Tuesday. The latest revision comes after the government increased the price of petrol by Rs2.02 per litre, while decreasing the price of HSD by Rs3.59 per litre from September 26 to September 28. Read: Govt increases petrol by Rs2.02, cuts diesel by Rs3.59 till Sept 28 On July 17, the government announced a new pricing mechanism under which petroleum product prices would be reviewed and notified daily, replacing the weekly pricing mechanism, as renewed tensions between the United States and Iran continued to drive volatility in global oil markets and raise concerns over fuel supplies. Earlier this month, PM Shehbaz...

University Road is finally within touching distance of completion, Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said, announcing that the entire project would be completed within two months. “Now we can say University Road has been built.” Sharjeel made the announcement while inaugurating the Mosamiyat Flyover, a key component of the Red Line BRT project, on Sunday. Sindh Minister Saeed Ghani and Karachi Deputy Mayor Salman Abdullah Murad were also present at the inauguration. Memon said work on University Road had reached the final stages and that the difficulties faced by commuters had largely been overcome. He said the Sindh government was working round the clock for Karachi’s development, with different departments engaged in infrastructure and other development projects across the city. “Those who say that no work is being done in Karachi, I want to tell them that work is taking place,” he said. The senior minister said Karachi’s size brought chal...

The University of Health Sciences (UHS), which conducted the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) 2026 in Punjab on September 20, has activated an online Recount and Review Portal for candidates seeking verification of their results. The applications are to be processed within five working days and no complaints will be entertained after September 30. The university’s decision in recounting will be final. "A candidate may question the calculation of marks, reading of the response sheet, an answer contained in the official key or even a particular question. Each matter requires a different form of verification,” said a health department official. Under the UHS procedure, a candidate seeking recounting or review has to provide the reason for the application and upload the result card. A carbon copy of the bubble sheet can also be uploaded. The applicant then generates the bank challan, pays the fee and uploads proof of payment before final submission...

Limousines whisked world leaders away from the United Nations on Friday after a week of speeches, meetings and hallway diplomacy. While they reached no breakthroughs on the world's most intractable conflicts, talks on the Iran and Ukraine wars inched forward, and global powers used the venue to debate AI risks with industry leaders. Here are the big takeaways from scores of panels, hundreds of meetings, hours spent in ​lines and listening to speeches — and countless cups of coffee: Reboot of Iran diplomacy The UN was probably most useful for facilitating the first shuttle talks between American and Iranian officials since ‌the collapse of a ceasefire in July. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner communicated through mediators. The efforts must continue, a senior Iranian official told Reuters, even as Iranian and American leaders exchanged sharp words at the General Assembly hall, with the US threatening to...

President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping drank tea at the White House on Friday and visited the National Archives, capping a three-day summit that showcased personal diplomacy ​rather than big breakthroughs in economic relations. The two leaders praised each other in remarks while they had tea in the White House Red Room. Trump said the summit between ‌the world's two largest economies had produced great strides and that "I think our farmers are going to be happy" but did not provide details. .@POTUS: "I think our farmers are going to be very happy — a lot of very positive things happened... Great things for both countries. It's just been very, very productive." https://t.co/nUByGPElXk pic.twitter.com/69wDC0xWCj — Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 25, 2026 "America is very happy about this visit, and I'm sure China is very happy also," he said. Trump: America is very happy about this vi...

US e-commerce retailer Amazon will invest $3 billion to expand ​its India quick commerce business by 2030, two sources said, its biggest bet yet on a sector where rivals have raced ahead by ‌popularising deliveries within minutes. The instant deliveries sector, dubbed "quick commerce", has become a rapidly growing force and reshaped how urban Indians shop for everything from milk and chocolates to iPhones and electronics, which were once only bought from retail stores or major e-commerce websites where deliveries took time. Walmart's Flipkart and Amazon, which dominate India's e-commerce space, are late entrants in quick commerce. The $19 billion sector is set ​to more than double in size to $41 billion by 2030, according to Datum Intelligence. Amazon plans to invest $1 billion in the quick commerce sector by the ​end of 2027, and another $2 billion by 2030, two people with direct knowledge of the plans said. The planned investment has ⁠not previously been...

Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral Naveed Ashraf on Wednesday called for translating maritime policies, regulations and international commitments into practical action, stressing that Pakistan’s maritime potential could only be realised through a safe, secure and sustainable maritime environment. In a message issued on the occasion of World Maritime Day 2026, being observed on September 24, the naval chief extended his felicitations to Pakistan’s maritime community and the international maritime fraternity. CNS Ashraf acknowledged the contributions of seafarers, maritime professionals, fishermen and coastal communities, saying their efforts remained vital to maritime connectivity, economic prosperity and the country’s overall economy. He said Pakistan’s coastline and Exclusive Economic Zone offered significant opportunities for growth in shipping, shipbuilding, ship recycling, fisheries, offshore resources, energy, tourism and other activities linked ...

Pakistan and the United States have seized approximately 463 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine, valued at $21 million, in a coordinated operation targeting an illicit narcotics network originating in Afghanistan, the US Embassy in Islamabad said on Tuesday. In a statement, the embassy said the seizure took place on August 30 after its Drug Enforcement Administration office in Islamabad (DEA Islamabad) coordinated with the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), in cooperation with Sri Lanka’s Police Narcotics Bureau and the DEA’s New Delhi office. “Between August 14-29, ANF’s Karachi-based Port Control Unit identified containers scheduled for transport from Pakistan to Colombo, which ANF suspected to be carrying illicit narcotics that originated in Afghanistan,” the statement said. Read: ANF says Afghan drug network disrupted, 671kg of meth seized The identification of the containers prompted the ANF to alert DEA Islamabad, which worked with authorities a...

A University of Karachi professor and the man accused of assaulting him and his nephew have settled after the suspect apologised to the professor. Professor Dr Arif Khan Saqi, chairman of KU’s Islamic Learning Department, told The Express Tribune that Konain Ali Shah visited his residence on Sunday night along with his father-in-law, relatives and family elders and apologised for the incident. Prof Saqi said he accepted the apology and forgave Konain, adding that the two sides had reached an understanding. He said Konain’s father had also been visiting his residence from time to time to meet him. “They came to my home on Sunday night and I forgave Konain Ali Shah,” he said. Read More: Karachi court sends main suspect on three-day remand over alleged threats to KU professor The professor added that compensation had also been paid for damage caused to his nephew’s vehicle during the incident. On September 8, Prof Saqi and his nephew were subjected ...

Tehran on Monday praised Pakistan's peace efforts as Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met Iranian counterpart Eskandar Momeni on Monday and exchanged views on bilateral relations and the latest situation in the region. In a post on X, the interior ministry noted that progress was reviewed in the meeting on the ongoing cooperation between the interior ministries of both countries in various sectors. وفاقی وزیر داخلہ محسن نقوی کی ایرانی وزات داخلہ آمد، ایرانی ہم منصب اسکندر مومنی سے ملاقات پاک ایران دوطرفہ تعلقات اور خطے کی تازہ ترین صورتحال پر تبادلہ خیال ملاقات میں دونوں ممالک کی وزارت داخلہ کے درمیان مختلف شعبوں میں جاری تعاون پر پیش رفت کا جائزہ لیا گیا pic.twitter.com/bEjeAaTKj5 — Ministry of Interior GoP (@MOIofficialGoP) September 21, 2026 According to the ministry, Momeni stated that Naqvi's recent visit was "very beneficial" and thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Fiel...

Israeli forces on Sunday blew up military sites formerly used by the former regime of Bashar al-Assad near Jandal Castle on Mount Hermon (Jabal al-Sheikh) in southwestern Syria, Syrian state television reported. Alikhbariah TV said Israeli forces also shelled an area southeast of the town of Al-Rafid in the southern Quneitra countryside in southwestern Syria. In a separate attack, Israeli forces fired several artillery shells at the Bir Ajam woodland west of the village of Zubaida in the central Quneitra countryside, the broadcaster added. No information was immediately available on casualties or damage from the attacks. Read More: Israeli fire kills three Palestinians in Gaza Southwestern Syria has seen repeated Israeli incursions involving raids, arrests, land clearing and shelling, which Damascus denounces as violations of its sovereignty and the 1974 Disengagement Agreement. Syria has repeatedly demanded the withdrawal of Israeli forces from its territory and called on t...

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Saturday that the Makkah defence alliance involving Pakistan, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia is at an advanced stage, with the establishment of its headquarters and deployment of personnel as the remaining steps towards its institutionalisation, describing it as a potentially “game-changing platform”. Signed by Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on August 7, the pact is based on the principles of shared responsibility and regional ownership amid growing regional and global instability. The agreement aims to promote security, peace, stability and prosperity while strengthening collective deterrence. Under the agreement, an attack against any one of the signatory states will be considered an attack against all parties. Speaking in a live interview on Turkish broadcaster NTV, Fidan said there was “very strong will” behind the alliance and expressed confidence that further discussions would take place on expand...

For years, the race to build ever-more powerful artificial intelligence followed a well-worn Silicon Valley principle: move fast and break things. But in a series of cascading events over a 10-day stretch, the largest AI labs found themselves reeling as their own creations threatened to break humanity itself. An Anthropic researcher quit the firm, warning that the pace of AI development poses an ​existential threat, possibly within a decade. Another researcher at the firm said the odds of human extinction exceeded 10%. Reports emerged of swarms of AI agents colluding, breaching computer systems and evading safeguards. In a rare show of unity, the CEOs of rivals Anthropic, ‌OpenAI, Google’s DeepMind, Microsoft and xAI called to slow the development of increasingly capable AI systems. Not since the invention of the nuclear bomb more than 80 years ago has humanity grappled so seriously with its own demise, according to some AI safety advocates and researchers. At a New ...

A five-month-old Afghan baby suffering from a heart condition has been allowed to enter Pakistan for treatment without documents on humanitarian grounds, after authorities granted the child and the family special permission to cross the Torkham border. The baby was shifted to the Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) in Peshawar, where the child has been admitted and is receiving treatment. According to Khyber district social worker Islam Badshah Afridi, the baby and the parents were allowed to enter Pakistan through the Torkham gate with special permission from the relevant authorities on humanitarian and goodwill grounds. Afridi welcomed the move, saying this was the second child to be allowed entry into Pakistan through the Torkham gate without documents on special humanitarian grounds so that timely medical treatment could be provided. Since February, the Torkham border — a key trade route between Pakistan and Afghanistan — has been closed due to tensions and intermit...

Lambeth Palace, the London residence and office of the Archbishop of Canterbury, has withdrawn the Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation 2026, days after presenting it to Pakistan Ulema Council Chairman Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi, citing previous comments over Osama bin Laden. Ashrafi was presented with the award on the 25th anniversary of 9/11 at a ceremony held at Lambeth Palace in London in recognition of his services to interfaith reconciliation and cooperation. Read: Tahir Ashrafi receives Hubert Walter Award for reconciliation, interfaith cooperation in London The comment that led to the withdrawal dated back to 2007, when Ashrafi said he would confer the title “Saifullah”, meaning “Sword of God”, on then-Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden — the orchestrator of the Sept 11 attacks — in protest against Britain awarding a knighthood to writer Salman Rushdie, whose book he described as blasphemous. In a vi...

Paris prosecutors have opened a criminal probe into suspected sexual harassment involving smart glasses, while French data protection authorities have received complaints from businesses, as countries around the world grapple with the devices' social impact. There are several smart glasses available, but US ​tech giant Meta's glasses made in collaboration with Essilor Luxottica are the market leader, with a roughly 76% share globally. Meta's AI-enabled glasses, which ‌have a small embedded camera allowing the wearer to record discreetly, have been a global hit, selling 7 million units last year. Essilor's latest sales figures point to "exponential growth" in 2026. But their success has led to growing international scrutiny from prosecutors, regulators, rights groups and companies over issues including sexual harassment, corporate wrongdoing and illicit surveillance. Some UK cinemas ​have banned smart glasses, and a German consumer advocacy group h...

A lightning advance by Yemen's Houthi group has brought the vital Bab el-Mandeb Strait under its control, making the once ragged highland militia a regional player with global clout. This is how the group evolved into a formidable fighting force with Iranian support that can disrupt vital shipping and strike critical oil and gas facilities in neighbouring Saudi Arabia. Who are Houthis? Starting out in the late 1990s as a Zaydi Shia Muslim revival movement in ​north Yemen under the Houthi family, the group waged six wars against the government, building a strong local militia. When Yemen's central state disintegrated during the 2011 Arab Spring, the Houthis took advantage, ‌gaining more ground and developing a relationship with Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah. In 2014, they seized the capital Sanaa, ousting the government and halting a Gulf-backed political transition. That prompted a Saudi-led military intervention to support the government, leading to ...

A major scandal involving the alleged "plunder, illegal extraction, and cross-border smuggling" of placer gold along the Indus and Kabul rivers has engulfed Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP), raising questions over the regulation and protection of the province’s mineral resources. According to a first information report (FIR), hundreds of heavy excavators were being used for unauthorised extraction of gold along stretches of the Indus and Kabul rivers, particularly in Nowshera, Swabi and Kohat districts. The FIR alleged that more than 1,500 heavy excavators were operating along the riverbanks, with each machine allegedly generating between Rs500,000 and Rs700,000 a week through the illegal activity. Based on these figures, the FIR put the estimated proceeds from the operations at around Rs750 million per week. It further alleged that the gold extracted through these operations was untaxed and was subsequently channelled through international smuggling networks into ...