Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Spinner Keshav Maharaj claimed 7-102 as South Africa bowled out Pakistan for 333 on day two of the second and final Test in Rawalpindi on Tuesday.&nbsp;Pakistan resumed on 259-5, but Maharaj tore through the lower order to secure his 12th five-wicket haul in Tests. Captain Shan Masood led the scoring with a solid 87, while Saud Shakeel contributed 66 and shared a 70-run stand with Agha Salman, who made 45.&nbsp;The hosts looked comfortable at 316-5 before Maharaj trapped Salman lbw, sparking a collapse. Shakeel edged to the slips soon after, and Maharaj cleaned up the tail, including Shaheen Afridi for a duck, wrapping up the innings by taking the final two wickets of Sajid Khan (5) and Asif Afridi (4). Pakistan lost their last five wickets for just 17 runs.&nbsp;South Africa reached 9-0 at lunch in response. Pakistan, who won the first Test in Lahore by 93 runs, are aiming for a series sweep in the two-match contest.

Cricket

Captain Shan Masood leads the scoring with a solid 87, while Saud Shakeel contributes 66 for Pakistan.

Maharaj bags 7 as South Africa bowl out Pakistan for 333 in second Test

OpenAI said Tuesday it is introducing its own web browser, Atlas, putting the ChatGPT maker in direct competition with Google as more internet users rely on artificial intelligence to answer their questions.&nbsp;Making itself a gateway to online searches could allow OpenAI, the world&#39;s most valuable startup, to pull in more internet traffic and the revenue made from digital advertising.&nbsp;OpenAI has said ChatGPT already has more than 800 million users, but many of them get it for free. The San Francisco-based company is losing more money than it makes and has been looking for ways to turn a profit.&nbsp;OpenAI said Atlas launches Tuesday on Apple laptops and will later come to Microsoft&rsquo;s Windows, Apple&rsquo;s iOS phone operating system and Google&rsquo;s Android phone system.&nbsp;OpenAI CEO Sam Altman called it a &ldquo;rare, once-a-decade opportunity to rethink what a browser can be about and how to use one.&rdquo;&nbsp;OpenAI&rsquo;s browser is coming out just a few months after one of its executives testified that the company would be interested in buying Google&rsquo;s industry-leading Chrome browser if a federal judge had required it to be sold to prevent the abuses that resulted in Google&rsquo;s ubiquitous search engine being declared an illegal monopoly.&nbsp;But U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta last month issued a decision that rejected the Chrome sale sought by the U.S. Justice Department in the monopoly case, partly because he believed advances in the AI industry already are reshaping the competitive landscape.&nbsp;OpenAI&rsquo;s browser will face a daunting challenge against Chrome, which has amassed about 3 billion worldwide users and has been adding some AI features from Google&rsquo;s Gemini technology.&nbsp;Chrome&rsquo;s immense success could provide a blueprint for OpenAI as it enters the browser market. When Google released Chrome in 2008, Microsoft&rsquo;s Internet Explorer was so dominant that few observers believed a new browser could mount a formidable threat.&nbsp;But Chrome quickly won over legions of admirers by loading webpages more quickly than Internet Explorer while offering other advantages that enabled it to upend the market. Microsoft ended up abandoning Explorer and introducing its Edge browser, which operates similarly to Chrome.&nbsp;Perplexity, another smaller AI startup, rolled out its own Comet browser earlier this year. It also expressed interest in buying Chrome and eventually submitted an unsolicited $34.5 billion offer for the browser that hit a dead end when Mehta decided against a Google breakup.&nbsp;A premium feature of the ChatGPT Atlas browser is an &ldquo;agent mode&rdquo; that accesses the laptop and effectively clicks around the internet on the person&rsquo;s behalf, armed with what it has learned from users&rsquo; browser history and what they are seeking to learn, and explaining its process as it searches.&nbsp;&ldquo;It&rsquo;s using the internet for you,&rdquo; Altman said.

Artificial Intelligence

OpenAI is introducing its own web browser, Atlas, putting the ChatGPT maker in direct competition with Google 

OpenAI launches web browser to compete with Google Chrome

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan set to revive its dormant steel industry through a new initiative aimed at reducing steel imports, creating jobs, and promoting sustainable industrial growth, according to a statement released Tuesday by the Press Information Department (PID), a move projected to save up to $13 billion over the next decade. Maritime Affairs Minister Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry unveiled the plan to establish a &ldquo;Sea to Steel Green Maritime Industrial Corridor&rdquo; at Port Qasim, which will link ship recycling, steel manufacturing, and green industrial practices into a single, sustainable ecosystem. &ldquo;This is not just about steel production,&rdquo; Chaudhry said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s about creating a robust, self-sustaining maritime-industrial ecosystem that supports Pakistan&rsquo;s long-term growth and prosperity.&rdquo; Speaking at a high-level meeting with the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Industries and Production, Chaudhry outlined how the corridor will be developed in partnership with the Ministry of Industries and Production. The project, he said, is designed to modernize Pakistan&rsquo;s steel production while leveraging maritime resources for a greener and more self-reliant industrial future. Cutting steel imports by 20% Pakistan currently imports about $6 billion worth of steel each year, and demand is expected to rise by roughly 6% annually through 2035, according to the World Bank. The proposed Sea to Steel Green Corridor could reduce steel imports by as much as 20%, saving the country more than $13 billion over ten years. &ldquo;By harnessing our maritime potential and reviving dormant assets, we can reduce our dependence on costly imports,&rdquo; Chaudhry said. &ldquo;This project will conserve foreign exchange and strengthen domestic industry.&rdquo; The initiative is also expected to improve Pakistan&rsquo;s capacity to produce high-quality steel locally, helping to shrink the trade deficit and support industrial recovery. Reviving Port Qasim&rsquo;s idle berth A central part of the plan is the revival of the Iron Ore and Coal Berth (IOCB) at Port Qasim, which has been inactive since 2015. The government aims to convert the underused facility into a modern ship recycling and repair complex, complete with a floating dock capable of handling Aframax-class vessels. Chaudhry said that steel recovered from dismantled ships would be supplied either to Pakistan Steel Mills or reprocessed at a new facility near Port Qasim to produce high-grade industrial steel. &ldquo;Reviving the IOCB will breathe new life into our maritime infrastructure while supporting sustainable steel production,&rdquo; he said. Boosting maritime infrastructure The project is also designed to reduce the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation&rsquo;s (PNSC) dependence on foreign shipyards for vessel maintenance. Chaudhry said developing local repair capacity will lower costs and strengthen Pakistan&rsquo;s maritime infrastructure. The Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Industries and Production welcomed the initiative, calling it a transformative step for Pakistan&rsquo;s economy. &ldquo;The project has the potential to transform Pakistan&rsquo;s industrial and maritime landscape,&rdquo; the special assistant said. &ldquo;Our combined efforts will drive sustainable development and create jobs for thousands of Pakistanis.&rdquo; The technical advisor at the maritime affairs ministry described the plan as a key component of Pakistan&rsquo;s Blue Economy vision. &ldquo;The Sea to Steel Green Corridor represents an integrated model of sustainable ship recycling, green steel production, and maritime industrialization,&rdquo; the advisor said. &ldquo;It will attract investment, generate employment, and encourage technology transfer.&rdquo; Once fully operational, the corridor is expected to revitalize idle assets and create thousands of skilled and semi-skilled jobs, particularly in the Port Qasim region. The meeting concluded with an agreement to begin developing the project&rsquo;s technical and financial frameworks, in coordination with national agencies and international partners. A formal presentation to key stakeholders is expected in the coming weeks, according to the PID statement.

Economy

The proposed Sea to Steel Green Corridor could reduce steel imports by as much as 20%, saving the country more than $13 billion over ten years.

Pakistan targets $13 billion savings with plan to revive steel sector

Maham Khan

ISLAMABAD: At the recent Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly in Geneva, an Indian representative from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Aparajita Sarangi, claimed that &ldquo;Kashmir is an integral part of India&rdquo; and that &ldquo;the accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India was completely legal and irrevocable.&rdquo;&nbsp;A fact-based review of international documents and ground realities shows that this claim does not align with historical, legal, or international facts.&nbsp;1. Kashmir&rsquo;s status is defined by UN as disputedThe United Nations Security Council (UNSC) passed resolutions in 1948 and 1949, specifically Resolutions 47 and 51, that recognized Jammu and Kashmir as a disputed territory. These resolutions called for a free and impartial plebiscite to determine whether the region&rsquo;s people wished to join India or Pakistan.&nbsp;That plebiscite has never been held, and the region&rsquo;s status therefore remains undecided under international law.&nbsp;&ldquo;Kashmir&rsquo;s future must be determined by its people, not by unilateral declarations,&rdquo; Pakistan maintains in its consistent position before international forums.&nbsp;2. World&rsquo;s most militarized regionIf Kashmir were truly an &ldquo;integral part&rdquo; of India, it would not require the presence of hundreds of thousands of troops. Independent global assessments describe Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir as one of the most militarized zones in the world, with a long history of armed resistance and civilian unrest dating back to 1947.&nbsp;3. India&rsquo;s 2019 actions contradict international commitmentsIn August 2019, India revoked Article 370 of its constitution, stripping Jammu and Kashmir of its special autonomous status. Pakistan and international observers have called this action a violation of UN resolutions and an attempt to alter the region&rsquo;s demographic and political identity.&nbsp;Since then, Pakistan has marked August 5 as &ldquo;Youm-e-Istehsal,&rdquo; or Day of Exploitation, observing it as a reminder of what it calls India&rsquo;s &ldquo;unilateral and illegal actions&rdquo; in the occupied territory.&nbsp;4. Human rights concerns remain documented&nbsp;International human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have reported arbitrary detentions, restrictions on free speech, and limitations on movement in Indian-occupied Kashmir since the revocation of Article 370.&nbsp;Reports by Reuters and AFP indicate ongoing fears of demographic changes and suppression of dissent in the region.&nbsp;5. Global and Kashmiri voices call for self-determinationThe All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) and other Kashmiri political groups continue to demand implementation of the UN-mandated plebiscite. In 2025, APHC spokesperson Abdul Rashid Minhas reaffirmed the group&rsquo;s commitment to peaceful self-determination, despite restrictions and detentions.&nbsp;&ldquo;Kashmiris remain steadfast in their demand for the right to decide their own future,&rdquo; Minhas said earlier this year.&nbsp;Prominent Kashmiri leader Yasin Malik, currently imprisoned, has also consistently called for self-determination and an internationally supervised plebiscite.&nbsp;6. International concern over India&rsquo;s stanceDebate over India&rsquo;s 2019 actions has extended to foreign parliaments and academic circles. A 2020 US Congressional discussion raised concerns that India&rsquo;s decision could destabilize South Asia and escalate tensions with Pakistan.&nbsp;The Harvard Law Review (2021) described India&rsquo;s Kashmir policy as resembling &ldquo;settler colonialism,&rdquo; referring to demographic engineering through new domicile laws.&nbsp;Dispute recognized by the worldWhile India insists that Kashmir is an &ldquo;internal matter,&rdquo; the United Nations, international law, and decades of unresolved conflict demonstrate otherwise.&nbsp;Until the promised plebiscite is held and the will of the Kashmiri people is respected, the status of Jammu and Kashmir will remain disputed, not integral to India.&nbsp;As Pakistan consistently asserts: &ldquo;Kashmir&rsquo;s future lies in the right of its people to self-determination, not in unilateral claims.&rdquo;

Indian army soldiers light earthen lamp on a fence to celebrate Diwali, near the Line of Control in Akhnoor sector, Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. October 16, 2025. (AP)

Fact Check

Kashmir remains a UN-recognized disputed territory despite Indian claims at the IPU Assembly in Geneva. International law and UN resolutions call for a plebiscite to determine the region’s final status through the will of its people.

Fact Check: Why Kashmir can never be an integral part of India?

Muhammad Usman Amin

PESHAWAR: In the bustling, historic heart of Peshawar, where centuries of faith and culture converge, two sacred buildings stand face to face within the ancient Gor Khatri complex, separated by only a few meters, yet united by generations of shared history.&nbsp;On one side stands the Goraknath Mandir, a centuries-old Hindu temple: on the other, the Abu Hanifa Mosque. Their sun-streaked walls hold stories of coexistence and quiet respect in a region too often defined by its struggles.&nbsp;For as long as anyone can remember, the rhythms of life here have been intertwined. According to the temple&rsquo;s head priest and elder, Umair Kaka Ram, his family has tended this temple for at least four centuries.&nbsp;&ldquo;My great-great-grandfather, my great-grandfather, my grandfather, my father, and now us,&rdquo; he told Pakistan TV Digital, seated on the temple steps. &ldquo;We have spent so much time here, it&rsquo;s beyond measure.&rdquo;<figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/c99b68ca-4e09-4d7d-94b6-b0644b45c21b-usman 4.jpg" alt="usman 4.jpg" class="fr-fil fr-dib"></figure> He believes the temple&rsquo;s origins stretch back more than 600 years. A lineage preserved through oral history and family record. Even the name Gor Khatri carries that spiritual legacy. &ldquo;It comes from Guru Gorakhnath, a revered healer who once set up his camp here,&rdquo; Umair explains. &ldquo;In Hindko, a shop is called hatti. Over time, Gorakh di Hatti became Gor Khatri.&rdquo; Fragrance of faithInside the temple, the air is thick with the sweet, smoky scent of incense. Sticks burn quietly in corners and along the altar, their ribbons of smoke curling toward the ceiling. The space hums with the gentle rhythm of bells, chants, and footsteps. A soundscape of devotion that has endured through centuries. Across the courtyard, the Abu Hanifa Mosque offers a different kind of serenity. Most of its worshippers have lived in the area for generations, and that sense of belonging fills the air before prayers. Men greet each other with warm handshakes, hugs, and familiar questions about family and health, the small rituals of a community deeply rooted in place.<figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/ccb06a37-a2ae-4c4b-86a1-13894cf648bd-usman 3.jpg" alt="usman 3.jpg" class="fr-fil fr-dib"></figure> &ldquo;We have all grown up together here,&rdquo; says Asad, a local resident who has prayed at the mosque since childhood, while speaking to Pakistan TV Digital. &ldquo;The Hindus worship there in peace, and we worship here in peace. There&rsquo;s no threat, no fear, just respect.&rdquo;&nbsp;Worship in harmonyAt dusk, as the day fades into amber light, Gor Khatri reveals its most poetic scene. The temple&rsquo;s evening puja begins, bells ringing, hymns rising, when suddenly, the Azaan for Maghrib prayers echoes from the mosque.<figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/00fa184b-8a52-47b1-a302-5b0837413c44-usman.jpg" alt="usman.jpg" class="fr-fil fr-dib"></figure> &nbsp;Then, silence. &ldquo;When the Azaan starts, we stop our worship,&rdquo; says Umair softly. &ldquo;We wait until it&rsquo;s finished, out of respect.&rdquo; The music halts mid-note; even the incense smoke seems to pause in the still air. When the last words of the call to prayer fade, the temple&rsquo;s melodies resume. For the people here, this moment of mutual reverence isn&rsquo;t performance. It&rsquo;s tradition.&nbsp;Quiet understandingQari Muhammad Zahir Shah, the Imam of the Abu Hanifa Mosque, smiles when asked about the temple across the courtyard. &ldquo;There has never been even a minor issue between us,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;We cooperate as neighbors and as fellow citizens. If there&rsquo;s ever a small matter to discuss, we solve it together. Life goes on peacefully.&rdquo;<figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/434ba3e1-b9ae-42ea-be92-fbe73e92a071-usman 2.jpg" alt="usman 2.jpg" class="fr-fil fr-dib"></figure> Both leaders, the Imam and the Matadhish, say their relationship is built on communication and understanding. While their daily routines rarely overlap, they remain in touch regularly. &ldquo;We are on very good terms,&rdquo; Umair says. &ldquo;Whenever we have a festival, the Muslim community helps us in every way they can.&rdquo;&nbsp;The Imam nods in agreement&ldquo;They are part of our community. We all look out for each other.&rdquo; The local government provides security for the temple, a recognition of its historical and cultural importance. The Imam notes it with a wry smile, not as a complaint but as an acknowledgment of the site&rsquo;s shared heritage.&nbsp;Harmony preservedLocals insist that Gor Khatri has never witnessed tension between its communities. Instead, it remains a rare example of interfaith coexistence that feels both ancient and alive. Once a bustling caravanserai, the complex, now dotted with archaeological relics, holds the layered story of Peshawar: a city that has hosted traders, saints, invaders, and believers of every creed. Amid its long and turbulent history, the peace of Gor Khatri endures quietly, tended by those who see faith not as division but as connection. As dusk deepens, the Azaan once again meets the temple bells, two voices rising together from Pakistan&rsquo;s northwest, echoing across stone walls and open hearts. In this small corner of Peshawar, coexistence isn&rsquo;t an ideal. It&rsquo;s simply a way of life.

Culture

Symbolizing generations of peaceful coexistence and mutual respect, a centuries-old Hindu temple and a neighboring mosque stand side by side in Peshawar’s historic Gor Khatri complex, in Pakistan’s culturally rich northwest.

In Pakistan’s northwest, mosque and temple share centuries of harmony

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Energy Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik has called for enhanced international collaboration to support the country&rsquo;s energy transition and the responsible development of its critical mineral resources, the information ministry said on Tuesday.&nbsp;Addressing the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) 2025 in Sydney, one of the world&rsquo;s leading forums for the mining and resources sector, Malik urged global partners to engage with Pakistan in unlocking what he described as &ldquo;new and promising frontiers&rdquo; for sustainable investment.&nbsp;&ldquo;With strong political alignment, a suite of investor-friendly reforms, and its rich, untapped geological potential, Pakistan offers new and promising frontiers for responsible global partnerships,&rdquo; Malik said, as quoted in the statement.&nbsp;The minister&rsquo;s remarks came during a session themed &ldquo;Pakistan&rsquo;s Energy Transition and Critical Minerals Development: Unlocking New Frontiers for Global Partnership.&rdquo;&nbsp;He outlined the government&rsquo;s ambitions to position Pakistan as a key contributor to the global shift toward clean energy and climate resilience.&nbsp;Malik emphasized Pakistan&rsquo;s vast mineral wealth, including significant deposits of copper, lithium, and rare earth elements essential for green technologies such as electric vehicles and renewable energy systems.&nbsp;&ldquo;Pakistan is committed to developing these resources responsibly, aligning economic growth with environmental sustainability,&rdquo; the minister noted.&nbsp;Citing research by the Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI), the statement highlighted that the Reko Diq site in Balochistan contains an estimated 5.9 billion tons of ore, including about 0.41 billion tons of copper content, one of the largest undeveloped copper-gold deposits in the world.&nbsp;Despite contributing less than one percent to global greenhouse gas emissions, Pakistan remains among the countries most vulnerable to climate change.&nbsp;The statement noted that the Germanwatch Climate Risk Index ranked Pakistan first among the top ten nations facing severe climate vulnerabilities, with an estimated 765,000 lives lost and $4.2 trillion in direct economic losses between 1993 and 2022.&nbsp;&ldquo;This climate injustice underscores the urgency of Pakistan&rsquo;s transition to cleaner energy systems,&rdquo; Malik said. &ldquo;It is vital for safeguarding our food and water security and ensuring long-term economic stability.&rdquo;&nbsp;The energy minister also pointed to Pakistan&rsquo;s renewable energy targets and regulatory reforms as evidence of a strong policy environment designed to attract global investors. He invited international companies to explore opportunities in mining, renewable power, and sustainable infrastructure.&nbsp;On the sidelines of the conference, Malik met with the Director General for Minerals from the Government of Western Australia, who briefed him on Australia&rsquo;s mining sector and its contribution to national economic growth.&nbsp;Malik, in turn, invited Australian companies to invest in Pakistan&rsquo;s mining industry and collaborate on technology transfer and capacity-building initiatives.&nbsp;&ldquo;Pakistan&rsquo;s mineral and energy sectors are open for responsible investment and partnership,&rdquo; Malik said. &ldquo;We welcome global stakeholders who share our vision for sustainability and innovation.&rdquo;

Foreign Affairs

Energy Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik invites Australian companies to invest in Pakistan’s mining sector, emphasizing opportunities for sustainable partnerships, technology transfer, and responsible resource development during his meeting with Western Australia’s Director General for Minerals in Sydney.

Pakistan seeks global partnerships to drive energy transition, mineral development

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan&rsquo;s Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir met with participants of the 17th National Workshop Balochistan at the General Headquarters (GHQ) on Tuesday, reaffirming the province&rsquo;s importance to Pakistan&rsquo;s unity and development, according to a statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).&nbsp;During the interaction, the Army Chief lauded the people of Balochistan, calling them the &ldquo;true wealth of Pakistan.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;Balochistan is the pride of Pakistan, endowed with highly vibrant, resilient, and patriotic people who are its true wealth,&rdquo; the COAS said.&nbsp;Field Marshal Munir highlighted the federal and provincial governments&rsquo; development initiatives aimed at improving the province&rsquo;s socio-economic landscape through a people-centric approach.&nbsp;&ldquo;The immense economic potential of Balochistan must be realized for the benefit of its people,&rdquo; he emphasized.&nbsp;Acknowledging the importance of youth and civil society, the COAS urged them to play a constructive and unifying role in the province&rsquo;s progress.&nbsp;&ldquo;The constructive role of civil society, particularly in engaging and empowering youth, is pivotal to sustainable development,&rdquo; he noted, stressing the need to &ldquo;negate vested political agendas in the interest of long-term prosperity.&rdquo;&nbsp;Commenting on security challenges, the COAS denounced Indian-sponsored proxies and militant factions attempting to destabilize the province.&nbsp;&ldquo;Indian-sponsored proxies, Fitna al Hindustan and Fitna al Khawarij, propagate anti-people and anti-development agendas with malicious intent to perpetrate violence,&rdquo; he asserted.&ldquo;All necessary actions are being taken to pursue these terrorists and rid the province of this menace.&rdquo;&nbsp;Reiterating Pakistan&rsquo;s commitment to regional peace and stability, Field Marshal Munir warned that any violation of Pakistan&rsquo;s territorial integrity would be met with a decisive response.&nbsp;&ldquo;While Pakistan seeks regional peace and stability, any violation of its territorial integrity, direct or indirect, will be met with a firm and decisive response to safeguard the lives and well-being of our citizens,&rdquo; the COAS affirmed.

Security

Field Marshal Asim Munir condemned elements involved in spreading “anti-people and anti-development propaganda,” stressing that such activities hinder peace and progress in the province.

Pakistan army reaffirms Balochistan’s vital role, vows firm response

TEL AVIV: US Vice President JD Vance arrived in Israel on Tuesday to shore up the fragile US-brokered ceasefire in Gaza, following a burst of deadly violence and questions over how to move forward with the plan for long-term peace. Vance was meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top officials and is expected to stay in the region until Thursday. His visit follows Monday&#39;s arrival of White House envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump&rsquo;s son-in-law. Vance met with them upon landing. Vance is also expected to meet with families of hostages whose remains are still in Gaza and some of the living hostages released last week. Earlier on Tuesday, Witkoff and Kushner met with nine of them. Hamas said it has recovered the remains of two more hostages and planned to hand them over Tuesday evening. The ceasefire took effect on October 10. While it has been tested by fighting on Sunday and mutual accusations of violations, both Israel and Hamas have said they are committed to the deal. Trump has made clear he wants it to succeed. Pressure for the ceasefire&#39;s second phase The head of Egypt&rsquo;s intelligence agency, Maj Gen&nbsp;Hassan Rashad, traveled to Israel on Tuesday to meet with Netanyahu, Witkoff and others over the ceasefire&#39;s implementation, according to Netanyahu&rsquo;s office. The high-level meetings highlight the urgency of launching negotiations for the second phase of the US plan. Hamas negotiators reiterated that the group is committed to ensuring the war &ldquo;ends once and for all.&rdquo; &ldquo;From the day we signed the Sharm el-Sheikh agreement, we were determined and committed to seeing it through to the end,&rdquo; Hamas chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, who is in Cairo, told Egypt&rsquo;s Al-Qahera News television late Monday. He said Israel has complied with aid deliveries in the Gaza crossings according to the agreement, but asked mediators to pressure Israel to deliver more shelter, medical supplies and cold-weather items before winter arrives. Israel identifies another body of a hostage Israel confirmed Tuesday that Hamas released the body of Tal Haimi, who was killed in the October 7, 2023 attack. Under the terms of the ceasefire, Israel is waiting for Hamas to turn over the remains of 15 hostages. Thirteen have been turned over since the ceasefire began. Under the deal, Israel is releasing 15 bodies for the remains of each dead hostage, according to Gaza&#39;s Health Ministry. It said Israel had transferred the bodies of another 15 Palestinians to Gaza, for a total of 165 since earlier this month. Aid into Gaza increases, while prices rise International organizations said they were scaling up humanitarian aid entering Gaza, while Hamas-led security forces launched a crackdown against what it called price gouging by private merchants. The World Food Program said it had sent more than 530 trucks into Gaza in the past 10 days, enough to feed nearly half a million people for two weeks. That&#39;s still well under the 500 to 600 that entered daily before the war. The WFP also said it had reinstated 26 distribution points and hopes to scale up to its previous 145 points across Gaza as soon as possible. Residents said prices for essential goods soared on Sunday. Israel has threatened to halt humanitarian aid. Mohamed al-Faqawi, a Khan Younis resident, accused merchants of taking advantage of the perilous security situation. &ldquo;Our concern stems from the wicked merchants,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;They are exploiting us.&rdquo; On Monday, Hamas-run security forces raided shops across Gaza, closing at least 10 shops and warehouses, and forced merchants to lower prices, according to a unit of Hamas focused on stopping collaboration with Israel and price gouging. Hamas also has imposed more order on the streets, allowing aid trucks to move safely and halting looting of deliveries. Nahed Sheheiber, head of Gaza&rsquo;s private truckers&rsquo; union, said there was no stealing aid since the ceasefire started. &ldquo;Trucks drive safely,&rdquo; he said. Gaza doctors say bodies returned with signs of torture A senior health official in Gaza said some bodies of Palestinians returned by Israel bore &ldquo;evidence of torture&rdquo; and called for a United Nations-launched investigation. So far, only 32 of the bodies have been identified, according to Gaza&#39;s Health Ministry. The ministry&#39;s general director, Dr Muneer al-Boursh, said in a social media post late Monday that some had evidence of being bound with ropes and metal shackles, blindfolds, deep wounds, abrasions, burns and crushed limbs. It was not immediately clear if any of the bodies had been prisoners; they are being returned without identifications or details on how they died. The bodies could include Palestinian detainees who died in Israeli custody or bodies taken out of Gaza by Israeli troops during the war. The Israel Prisons Service denied that prisoners had been mistreated, saying it had followed legal procedures and provided medical care and &ldquo;adequate living conditions.&rdquo; Israeli hostages released from Gaza have also reported being bound by metal shackles and harsh conditions, including frequent beatings and starvation. The Israel war on Gaza has killed more than 68,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza&rsquo;s Health Ministry. The ministry maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by UN agencies and independent experts. Israel has disputed them without providing its own toll. Thousands more people are missing, according to the Red Cross.

Vice President J.D. Vance arrives at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv, Israel, Tuesday, October 21, 2025. (AP)

Americas

Middle East

US Vice President JD Vance arrived in Israel to reinforce the Gaza ceasefire, meeting Prime Minister Netanyahu and regional officials amid renewed tensions, hostage recoveries, humanitarian challenges, and efforts to advance the second phase of the peace plan.

US vice president visits Israel to support fragile Gaza ceasefire

LONDON: The British royal family is once again under intense scrutiny as a memoir by Virginia Giuffre, one of the most outspoken accusers of Prince Andrew and Jeffery Epstein, hits bookstores Tuesday. &ldquo;Nobody&rsquo;s Girl&rdquo; is being published posthumously six months after Giuffre died by suicide in April. <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/97f32e3c-7e8c-40a6-afe4-9c125f921c8e-Virginia Roberts Giuffre speaks during a news conference outside a Manhattan court in New York, Aug. 27, 2019. (AP).jpg" alt="Virginia Roberts Giuffre speaks during a news conference outside a Manhattan court in New York, Aug. 27, 2019. (AP)" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">Virginia Roberts Giuffre speaks during a news conference outside a Manhattan court in New York, Aug. 27, 2019. (AP)</figcaption></figure> Giuffre had for years accused Andrew of sexually abusing her on multiple occasions when she was under 18 years old and a victim of sexual trafficking by convicted sex offender Epstein and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell. While her book didn&#39;t break new ground, it has thrown fuel on a series of new accusations against Andrew, who is trying to control the damage to the monarchy from the long-running scandal over his friendship with Epstein. The 65-year-old prince said last week that he will stop using his titles, including Duke of York, but reiterated that he &ldquo;vigorously&rdquo; denies Giuffre&rsquo;s claims. <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/9abc23fe-ac69-4e72-8ef0-c33dffb2311b-Prince Andrew looks round as he leaves after attending the Easter Matins Service at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, England, April 20, 2025. (AP).jpg" alt="Prince Andrew looks round as he leaves after attending the Easter Matins Service at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, England, April 20, 2025. (AP)" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">Prince Andrew looks round as he leaves after attending the Easter Matins Service at St. George&#39;s Chapel, Windsor Castle, England, April 20, 2025. (AP)</figcaption></figure>In her book &mdash; which leapt to number&nbsp;1 on Amazon&#39;s bestseller list on Monday before its publication &mdash; Giuffre recounts details of how she first met Andrew in March 2001, and says the royal&rsquo;s staff tried to hire &ldquo;internet trolls&rdquo; to hassle her when she sued him years later. Accounts of three interactions with Andrew Giuffre long alleged that she was recruited at age 16 by Epstein and Maxwell, who introduced her to Andrew in London in March 2001 when she was 17. She said she was forced to have sex with the royal on three separate occasions. She wrote that on the day she first met Andrew, Maxwell woke her up and told her it was going to be a special day and that &ldquo;just like Cinderella&rdquo; she will meet &ldquo;a handsome prince.&quot; She said when they met, the prince told her that &ldquo;my daughters are just a little younger than you.&quot; She said Maxwell instructed her to &ldquo;do for him what you do for Jeffrey,&quot; adding: &ldquo;I knew better than to question her orders.&rdquo; She said that Epstein gave her $15,000 soon after for having sex with Andrew. Giuffre wrote that she had sex with the royal a second time at Epstein&rsquo;s house in New York about a month later, and a third time on Epstein&rsquo;s private island in the Caribbean along with about eight other girls who she said all appeared to be under 18. 2022 lawsuit settlement Giuffre previously detailed how Epstein, Maxwell and Andrew allegedly forced her to have sex with the prince against her will in a lawsuit that she filed New York in 2021. Andrew reached an out-of-court settlement with Giuffre in 2022 for an undisclosed sum. While he didn&rsquo;t admit wrongdoing, Andrew did acknowledge Giuffre&rsquo;s suffering as a victim of sex trafficking and agreed to make a donation to her charity. Of that settlement, Giuffre wrote: &ldquo;After casting doubt on my credibility for so long &mdash; Prince Andrew&rsquo;s team had even gone so far as to try to hire internet trolls to hassle me &mdash; the Duke of York owed me a meaningful apology as well.&rdquo; &ldquo;We would never get a confession, of course. That&rsquo;s what settlements are designed to avoid,&rdquo; she added. &ldquo;But we were trying for the next best thing: a general acknowledgment of what I&rsquo;d been through.&rdquo; New allegations Andrew, the second son of the late Queen Elizabeth II, had already stepped down from all of his public duties and charity roles in 2019, after an attempt to dispel reports about his friendship with Epstein backfired badly. The prince was widely criticized for the BBC interview, in which he offered unbelievable explanations for his continued relationship with the disgraced financier. He also denied that he had ever had sexual contact with Giuffre, that he had &ldquo;no recollection&rdquo; of meeting her and &ldquo;absolutely no memory&rdquo; of a now infamous photograph showing him with his arm around her waist in 2001. Andrew also said in the same interview that he had cut off contact with Epstein in December 2010. Last week, British newspapers published an email that purportedly showed that the royal had remained in contact with Epstein longer than he had admitted. In the note, reportedly from February 28, 2011, Andrew said they were &ldquo;in this together&rdquo; and would &ldquo;have to rise above it.&rdquo; Separately, London&rsquo;s Metropolitan Police force said that it was looking into a report in the Mail on Sunday that Andrew in 2011 asked one of his police bodyguards to find out if Giuffre had a criminal record. Buckingham Palace and the UK government are under pressure to formally strip Andrew of his dukedom and princely title, and kick him out the 30-room mansion near Windsor Castle where he lives. Ghostwriter Amy Wallace, who cowrote the memoir, said that Andrew also should agree to testify in the US about what he knew of Epstein&#39;s crimes. Wallace told the BBC that Giuffre &quot;deserves all credit for whatever role she played in forcing Prince Andrew to relinquish a few more of his titles. But she deserves all credit even more than that for being brave enough to stand up to say, &lsquo;This isn&rsquo;t right.&rsquo;&rdquo;

The memoir book of Virginia Giuffre, Nobody's Girl is seen amongst other books in a store and is up for sale in London, Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025 six months after Giuffre died by suicide in April.(AP).jpg

United Kingdom

Giuffre had for years accused Andrew of sexually abusing her on multiple occasions when she was under 18 years old and a victim of sexual trafficking by convicted sex offender Epstein and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell.

Prince Andrew and Epstein scandal resurfaces following memoir from accuser

PARIS: Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived at a prison in Paris on Tuesday to begin serving a 5-year sentence for a criminal conspiracy to finance his 2007 election campaign with funds from Libya. He is the first ex-leader of modern France to be imprisoned. Sarkozy, hand-in-hand with his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, left home before getting into a police car and traveling to prison. On his way to prison, Sarkozy said in a statement released on social media that &ldquo;an innocent man&rdquo; was being locked up. Sarkozy&rsquo;s lawyers said a request for release has been immediately filed. He was convicted last month for criminal conspiracy in a scheme to finance his 2007 election campaign with funds from Libya. Sarkozy contests both the conviction and a judge&rsquo;s unusual decision to incarcerate him pending appeal. His journey from the presidential Elys&eacute;e Palace to the notorious La Sant&eacute; prison in Paris has captivated France. Minutes before entering prison, Sarkozy and his wife walked slowly to join his children and grandchildren outside his home. He waved at a crowd of supporters gathered in the high-end Paris neighborhood where he lives, then got into his car. Hundreds of supporters applauded and chanted &ldquo;Nicolas, Nicolas&rdquo; and sang the French anthem. Two French flags were hung on a nearby fence, with the inscriptions: &ldquo;Courage Nicolas, return soon&rdquo; and &quot;true France with Nicolas.&quot; Sarkozy&rsquo;s sons and daughter &mdash; Jean, Pierre, Louis and Giulia &mdash; and his grandchildren showed up at the gathering. Parisian resident Michelle Peri&eacute;, 67, said she came in support &ldquo;because there is anger, injustice.&quot; &ldquo;He&rsquo;s not like any other defendants, he&rsquo;s someone who holds state secrets, he&rsquo;s someone who has always done his job with his head held high. We don&rsquo;t understand,&rdquo; she said. Embattled centrist President Emmanuel Macron hosted the conservative Sarkozy at the presidential palace last week. &lsquo;&rsquo;I have always been very clear in my public statements about the independence of the judiciary in my role, but it was normal on a human level to receive one of my predecessors in this context,&#39;&#39; Macron said Monday. Sarkozy&#39;s lawyers said the former president will be held in solitary confinement, where he will be kept away from all other prisoners for security reasons. Sarkozy&rsquo;s lawyer Christophe Ingrain said on BFM TV that incarceration &ldquo;strengthens his determination, it strengthens his rage to prove that he is innocent.&rdquo; Ingrain said Sarkozy is planning to write a book about his prison experience. Jean-Michel Darrois, another of Sarkozy&#39;s lawyers, said on Tuesday that the former president got himself &ldquo;mentally prepared&rdquo; to be held in solitary confinement, where he would be kept away from all other prisoners for security reasons. &ldquo;First, he packed a bag with a few sweaters because it&rsquo;s cold in prison, and earplugs because it&rsquo;s very noisy,&rdquo; Darrois said on France Info news broadcaster. &ldquo;Isolation like what he&rsquo;s going to go through is painful, but he got himself prepared.&rdquo; &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not afraid of prison. I&rsquo;ll hold my head high, including in front of the doors of La Sant&eacute;,&rdquo; Sarkozy told La Tribune Dimanche newspaper. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll fight till the end.&rdquo; The paper said Sarkozy has his prison bag ready with clothes and the 10 family photos he is allowed to bring. Sarkozy also told Le Figaro newspaper that he would bring three books &mdash; the maximum allowed &mdash; including Alexandre Dumas&#39; &ldquo;The Count of Monte Cristo,&#39;&#39; in which the hero escapes from an island prison before seeking revenge. The Paris judge ruled that Sarkozy would start to serve prison time without waiting for his appeal to be heard, due to &ldquo;the seriousness of the disruption to public order caused by the offense.&rdquo; Under the ruling, the 70-year-old Sarkozy will only be able to file a request for release to the appeals court once he is behind bars, and judges will then have up to two months to process it.

Europe

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy began a 5-year prison sentence for financing his 2007 campaign with Libyan funds, becoming France’s first jailed ex-leader. He denies wrongdoing and plans to appeal while in solitary confinement.

France’s ex-president Sarkozy jailed for 5 years in campaign finance conspiracy

ISLAMABAD: Afghan officials recently&nbsp;raised objections to the&nbsp;use of the word &#39;border&#39; in&nbsp;a statement Qatar issued in the wake of a ceasefire agreement between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Doha.&nbsp; The border has long been internationally recognized as Pakistan&rsquo;s western frontier, a position Islamabad has maintained and articulated consistently. The Durand AgreementThe Durand Agreement was&nbsp;signed on Nov. 12, 1893, between the British Indian government and Afghan ruler Amir Abdur Rahman Khan. Negotiated by a British diplomat, Sir Mortimer Durand, the treaty demarcated zones of influence between the British Empire and Afghanistan. Later, the agreement was reaffirmed three times between the British Indian government and Afghan leaders &mdash; in March 1905, August 1919, and November 1921 &mdash; leading to the recognition of the Durand Line as the international border. Following Pakistan&rsquo;s creation in 1947, it inherited the line&nbsp;&mdash;&nbsp;which runs from the Chinese border in the north to the Iranian border&nbsp;in the south-west &mdash;&nbsp;as its international frontier with Afghanistan, a status it has upheld ever since. The 1988 Geneva Accords included an agreement between Afghanistan and Pakistan that underscored mutual recognition of the Durand Line as the international border. Afghanistan, however, has periodically disputed what it recognized earlier. During an online press briefing on Oct. 19, 2025, soon after the Doha agreement, Afghanistan&rsquo;s interim Defense Minister Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid said:&nbsp;&ldquo;We do not agree to the term &lsquo;border&rsquo;... the Durand Line is imaginary. Its future will be determined by the Afghan nation.&rdquo; Pakistan&rsquo;s position: &lsquo;A closed and settled issue&rsquo;In contrast, Pakistan &mdash; like countries around the world &mdash; has consistently maintained that the Durand Line is its western international border. In 2012, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) stated:&nbsp;&quot;The Durand Line between Pakistan and Afghanistan is the internationally recognized border. It is a closed and settled issue.&rdquo; In a more recent statement on Jan. 2, 2025, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar reaffirmed Pakistan&rsquo;s position: &ldquo;The Pakistan-Afghanistan border is an internationally recognized border. Anybody&rsquo;s statement cannot change the legality of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. It is not up for any discussion.&rdquo; MoFA has repeatedly emphasized that Pakistan retains the sovereign right to regulate and defend its border, condemning what it describes as &ldquo;unprovoked aggression&rdquo; from Afghan territory. Chronology of Pakistan&rsquo;s stanceThe Foreign Office has reiterated this stance on multiple occasions over the years: <blockquote>2012: It described the Durand Line as &ldquo;a closed and settled issue.&rdquo; 2019: It rejected Afghan claims of non-recognition, calling them &ldquo;irresponsible and unwarranted.&rdquo; It reaffirmed that the border was defined under &ldquo;all relevant international laws and conventions.&rdquo; 2020: In response to Afghan objections to border fencing by Pakistan, MoFA said the activity was in line with international norms and aimed at addressing Pakistan&rsquo;s security concerns without encroaching on Afghan territory. 2023: It asserted that any unauthorized construction by Afghanistan inside Pakistani territory was a violation of sovereignty. 2025: It reiterated that the border is &ldquo;not up for any discussion&rdquo; and rejected any challenges to its legitimacy.</blockquote> International recognitionWhile Afghanistan is the only country in the world that refuses to acknowledge the Durand Line, the international community recognizes it as Pakistan&rsquo;s legitimate western border. In October 2012, the US State Department formally endorsed the line. Spokesperson Victoria Nuland said: <blockquote>&ldquo;We see this [Durand Line] as the internationally recognized boundary.&rdquo;</blockquote> More recently, in February 2024, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said: <blockquote>&ldquo;We support the territorial integrity of both Afghanistan and Pakistan within their internationally recognized borders.&rdquo;</blockquote> Today, the United Nations and all countries of the world, except Afghanistan, recognize the Durand Line as the internationally recognized border of Afghanistan and Pakistan in official maps and bilateral dealings.

Asia

The 1988 Geneva Accords included an agreement between Afghanistan and Pakistan that underscored mutual recognition of the Durand Line as the international border

Maharaj bags 7 as South Africa bowl out Pakistan for 333 in second Test

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