Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: A race with no finish line, the Margalla Backyard Ultra 5th Edition, began today, Saturday, in Islamabad&rsquo;s F-9 Park. The last person standing will win the race.&nbsp;Organizers say the race has a unique format because runners are required to run till they cannot anymore. Each loop is 6.7 kilometers long, and runners must complete it within one hour.&nbsp;After every hour, they return to the starting point and restart. It is considered one of the ultimate tests of stamina, human grit, and endurance, organizers say.&nbsp;Men, women and children from all over Pakistan take part in the race.&nbsp;This year, 165 participants, including foreigners have joined the race.&nbsp;One of the participants, Sana Mujahid, told Pakistan TV Digital, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m recovering from an injury&hellip;the biggest challenge for me was the pain that started kicking in after a while. Honestly, these challenges are what make the journey worthwhile.&rdquo;&nbsp;First-time participant Sarah Rehman said that for her, this race was all about endurance. &ldquo;You repeat the same loop again and again, you need to stay mentally very strong.&rdquo;

Shorts

The Margalla Backyard Ultra launched in Islamabad, where 165 runners, including foreigners, tackle repeated 6.7-kilometer loops, testing stamina and mental strength until only one remains.

Margalla Backyard Ultra begins in Islamabad with relentless endurance challenge

Muhammad Imad Abbas

ISLAMABAD: Afghan border forces fired unprovoked artillery rounds into Pakistan&rsquo;s northwestern District Kurram Saturday night, district police confirmed to Pakistan TV Digital. According to a police official, the incident occurred at approximately 8:00 p.m., when Afghan forces &ldquo;fired 6&ndash;7 artillery rounds&rdquo; into the Upper Kurram area. The official said Pakistani forces &ldquo;responded with heavy weaponry.&rdquo; &ldquo;It was initiated from the Afghan side,&rdquo; the police official told Pakistan TV Digital. He added that &ldquo;relative calm had returned&rdquo; by the time the report was filed. This is a developing story.&nbsp;Please refresh the page to see updated information as it becomes available.

Security

Afghan border forces fired artillery rounds into Pakistan’s Upper Kurram district, prompting a heavy retaliatory response from security forces

Pakistan retaliates after Afghan border forces launch unprovoked shelling: police

ISLAMABAD: Egypt&rsquo;s Foreign Minister Dr Badr Ahmed Mohamed Abdelatty arrived in Islamabad on an official visit, aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and expanding cooperation between the two countries on Saturday, Pakistan&#39;s Foreign Office said. According to foreign ministry, the visit underscores the &ldquo;historic brotherly ties between Pakistan and Egypt&rdquo; and will help place the relationship on a broader trajectory with a focus on political, economic, defense, cultural and people-to-people cooperation. During the visit, Egyptian foreign minister will hold a t&ecirc;te-&agrave;-t&ecirc;te meeting and delegation-level talks with his Pakistani counterpart, Ishaq Dar, where both sides will review the full range of bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and international developments, including the situation in Gaza. Both dignitaries is expected to reinforce Pakistan-Egypt cooperation and further advance the longstanding partnership between the two brotherly countries. Last month, Pakistan and Egypt agreed to deepen economic and security cooperation during a meeting between Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in Cairo.&nbsp; The two countries also agreed to enhance cooperation in the maritime and industrial sectors to boost industrial activity and regional trade.

Foreign Affairs

Egyptian Foreign Minister Dr Badr Abdelatty arrived in Islamabad to strengthen Pakistan-Egypt ties. He will meet Pakistan's FM Ishaq Dar for talks on political, economic, defense and regional issues, including Gaza, building on recent agreements to deepen security and industrial cooperation.

Cairo, Islamabad seek 'strategic direction' as Egyptian FM lands in Pakistan

RAWALPINDI: Mohammad Nawaz and Shaheen Shah Afridi starred with the ball as Pakistan won the T20I tri-series with a thumping six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the final on Saturday. Nawaz took 3-17 and Shaheen 3-18 as Sri Lanka were dismissed for a paltry 114 in 19.1 overs, before Pakistan romped home with eight balls to spare at Rawalpindi Stadium. Zimbabwe were the third team in the tri-series but lost three of their four matches to finish bottom. Sri Lanka were never in the hunt in the decider after posting a below-par total as Saim Ayub (36) and Sahibzada Farhan (23) gave Pakistan a solid 46-run opening partnership inside the first eight overs. Babar Azam hit 37 not out to ensure Pakistan did not derail despite losing skipper Salman Agha (14) and Fakhar Zaman (three) in quick succession. &quot;It was a great performance from us,&quot; said Agha. &quot;This has been a very good two months for us, we won against South Africa and now against Sri Lanka.&quot; Earlier, Sri Lanka, sent in to bat, lost nine wickets for a mere 30 runs after being well set on 84-1 in the 11th over. Opener Kamil Mishara hit a robust 47-ball 59, with the help of four sixes and two boundaries, to set a platform for a good total for the visitors. Mishara added 64 runs for the second wicket with Kusal Mendis, who scored 14, but once both departed in the space of three overs the innings fell apart. Nawaz dismissed Mendis, while Mishara holed out off Ayub, as the Pakistan bowlers relentlessly cranked up the pressure. None of the later Sri Lankan batters could reach double figures as Nawaz and Shaheen tore through the middle and lower order. &quot;We couldn&#39;t build on a good platform because Pakistan bowled very well,&quot; said Sri Lankan skipper Dasun Shanaka. &quot;We need to fine-tune our game ahead of the next series and the World Cup.&quot; India and Sri Lanka co-host the Twenty20 World Cup in February-March next year.

Cricket

Mohammad Nawaz and Shaheen Shah Afridi took three wickets each as Pakistan bowled out Sri Lanka for 114 and chased the target comfortably, sealing the T20I tri-series title, with Zimbabwe finishing bottom.

Pakistan rout Sri Lanka to win T20I tri-series

GAZA CITY: The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza on Saturday said more than 70,000 people have been killed since the war between Israel and Hamas erupted more than two years ago.&nbsp;The milestone comes as a fragile US-brokered ceasefire largely holds, but with both sides accusing the other of violating the terms of the deal.&nbsp;In a statement, Gaza&#39;s health ministry said the death toll from the war had risen to 70,100.&nbsp;The ministry said that since the ceasefire came into effect on October 10, 354 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli fire.&nbsp;Two bodies arrived at hospitals in the Gaza Strip in the past 48 hours, the ministry said, one of which had been recovered from beneath the rubble.&nbsp;It noted that the spike from the last death toll was due to the fact that the data relating to 299 bodies had been processed and approved by the authorities.&nbsp;Despite the ceasefire, the Palestinian territory remains in a deep humanitarian crisis.&nbsp;The Gaza war was sparked by Hamas&#39;s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,221 people.&nbsp;On that day, militants abducted 251 people into Gaza.&nbsp;At the start of the latest ceasefire, militants were holding 20 living hostages and 28 bodies of deceased captives.&nbsp;Hamas has since released all the living hostages and returned the remains of 26 dead hostages.&nbsp;In exchange, Israel has released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in its custody and returned the bodies of hundreds of dead Palestinians.

Middle East

Gaza’s health ministry reports over 70,000 deaths since the Israel-Hamas war began, as a fragile ceasefire holds amid violations. Hostage and prisoner exchanges continue, but Gaza faces a severe humanitarian crisis despite reduced fighting.

Death toll from Gaza war surpasses 70,000: health ministry

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday stated that the request by the United Nations (UN) to allow humanitarian aid to Afghanistan would be considered, and the process would begin from Sunday, during his media briefing at the Foreign Office. The foreign minister was addressing journalists in Islamabad, highlighting important official tours and developments that took place during the visits. Speaking on Afghanistan, Dar stated that, following a request from the UN, Pakistan would resume humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. &ldquo;I received a request from the UN via the Foreign Office yesterday to reconsider the suspension of humanitarian aid [food, etc.] for Afghanistan,&rdquo; Dar added. &ldquo;I believe we should take positive action for the common Afghan people,&rdquo; he said. The foreign minister said that he had consulted the Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, and would soon consult the prime minister. He stated that he was hopeful that permission for humanitarian relief would be granted by tomorrow. &ldquo;We will hopefully grant permission for essential food relief on humanitarian grounds by tomorrow,&rdquo; Dar stated. Discussing terrorism-related activities across the country, the foreign minister said that since the Afghan interim regime came into power in 2021, 2,000 people had been martyred while another 20,000 had been injured, stressing that the &ldquo;situation is not sustainable.&rdquo; &ldquo;I stressed that Pakistan has the power to take kinetic action, but that it is undesirable against a brother nation,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;If they don&#39;t resolve the TTP [Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan] issue, we have other options. Dialogue and diplomacy are the answers, but they must look inward and address their weaknesses,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;It takes two to tango,&rdquo; he remarked. Dar recalled that Qatar and T&uuml;rkiye hosted mediation between Pakistan and Afghanistan, however, power centers in Afghanistan did not allow a unanimous decision to be reached. &ldquo;Qatar and T&uuml;rkiye attempted mediation, but two power centers in Afghanistan prevented decisions from taking effect,&rdquo; he added. Dar stated that Pakistan was prepared to launch a cleanup operation in Afghanistan when Qatar, alongside T&uuml;rkiye, offered to mediate between the two countries.&nbsp; &ldquo;They were likely aware of our planned kinetic operation, and their government was in contact with me on an hourly basis to facilitate mediation,&rdquo; he said. &nbsp;He added that the mediators withdrew in embarrassment after the Taliban refused to soften their position. Regarding border issues, the foreign minister said that Pakistan had hosted over &ldquo;4 million Afghan brothers for decades.&rdquo; Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said that during his visit to Kabul the Afghan interim foreign minister informed him that the Taliban had detained around a hundred TTP terrorists along with several of their facilitators. Dar acknowledged the arrests but stressed that &ldquo;this is not enough.&rdquo;&nbsp; He said Kabul had invited Pakistan to send a delegation to verify the detentions, yet Islamabad maintains that far more decisive and sustained action is needed against TTP elements operating from Afghan soil. Recalling the Economic Cooperation Council virtual meeting, Dar stated that Afghanistan&rsquo;s interim Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi &ldquo;provoked me&rdquo; by accusing Pakistan. The foreign minister reiterated that stability in Afghanistan was imperative for peace and stability in the entire region. &lsquo;Positively consider sending our force&rsquo;Responding to a question on the International Stabilization Force (ISF), Dar said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had given an &ldquo;in principle indication&rdquo; that Pakistan would also positively consider sending its forces. &ldquo;My counterproposal was that if it is not a UN Peacekeeping Force, it must be sanctioned by the UN Security Council. The subsequent US resolution&rsquo;s wording was unacceptable to us.&rdquo; He added that there was &ldquo;a thought&rdquo; that the ISF might be mandated to disarm and de-weaponize Hamas. To this, he stated: &ldquo;We are not ready for that. Our job is peacekeeping, not peace enforcement, that is the role of Palestinian law enforcement agencies.&rdquo;

Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar says Pakistan is considering resuming humanitarian aid to Afghanistan following a UN request, stressing regional stability, dialogue over force, and conditional support for international stabilization efforts


Pakistan weighing resumption of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan: FM Dar

ISLAMABAD: Airlines around the world rushed on Saturday to fix a software glitch grounding thousands of Airbus A320-family aircraft, after a partial recall halted flights across Asia and Europe and threatened US travel during one of the busiest weekends of the year.&nbsp;Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury apologized for the disruption, saying, &ldquo;I want to sincerely apologize to our airline customers and passengers who are impacted now.&rdquo; The recall covers more than 6,000 aircraft, over half of the global A320 fleet.&nbsp;The alert followed an October 30 JetBlue flight incident in which an unexpected loss of altitude injured 10 passengers, according to France&rsquo;s BEA, which is investigating. Regulators ordered airlines to complete the software fix before resuming flights.&nbsp;Many Asian and European carriers avoided severe delays because the notice arrived late in their operating day. Flyadeal CEO Steven Greenway told Reuters that the timing &ldquo;avoided more serious disruption,&rdquo; noting the airline had repaired all 13 affected jets. Clarifying its status, Pakistan&#39;s national flag carrier stated that it did not load the faulty software patch and that its flights remained safe, with no disruption reported. &ldquo;It is clarified that PIA [Pakistan International Airlines] did not load the faulty software patch; hence, our aircraft are perfectly safe and there will be no flight disruption,&rdquo; the statement said on its official X account. The fix, described as simple but essential, takes two to three hours per aircraft. Wizz Air said it completed all updates overnight, while AirAsia aimed to finish within 48 hours. India&rsquo;s aviation regulator said IndiGo had reset 184 of 200 affected planes and Air India had done 69 of 113.&nbsp;Japan&rsquo;s ANA Holdings canceled 95 flights, impacting about 13,500 travelers, and South Korean officials said upgrades to 42 aircraft were expected by Sunday morning.&nbsp;American Airlines reported that 209 of its 480 A320-family jets needed the update, most expected to be cleared by Saturday.&nbsp;Despite the Thanksgiving travel surge in the United States, analysts said European carriers may avoid major financial fallout because the recall landed during a seasonal lull before end-of-year holidays.

Americas

Europe

Asia

Over 6,000 Airbus A320-family jets were grounded worldwide as airlines rushed to install a mandatory software fix, causing flight disruptions and urgent repairs across multiple regions.

Airlines race to repair A320 jets after Airbus issues recall

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump warned on Saturday that the airspace above and near Venezuela should be considered closed, the latest escalation in a standoff with leftist leader Nicolas Maduro. &quot;To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers,&quot; Trump wrote on his Truth Social network, &quot;please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY.&quot; The US president did not elaborate. Trump&#39;s administration is piling pressure on Venezuela, with a major military deployment in the Caribbean that includes the world&#39;s largest aircraft carrier. Washington says the aim is to curb drug trafficking, but Caracas insists regime change is the ultimate goal. US forces have carried out strikes against more than 20 alleged Venezuelan drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean since early September, killing more than 80 people. Washington has yet to release evidence that the vessels it targeted were used to smuggle drugs or posed a threat to the United States. Regional tensions have flared as a result of the campaign and the accompanying military buildup. US aviation authorities last week urged civilian aircraft operating in Venezuelan airspace to &quot;exercise caution&quot; due to the &quot;worsening security situation and heightened military activity in or around Venezuela.&quot; That warning prompted six airlines that account for much of the travel in South America to suspend flights to Venezuela. The move infuriated Caracas and led it to ban the companies -- Spain&#39;s Iberia, Portugal&#39;s TAP, Colombia&#39;s Avianca, Chile and Brazil&#39;s LATAM, Brazil&#39;s GOL and Turkish Airlines -- for &quot;joining the actions of state terrorism promoted by the United States government.&quot; The New York Times reported on Friday that Trump and Maduro had spoken by phone last week and discussed a possible meeting in the United States. The report about the Trump-Maduro call came a day after the US president said efforts to halt Venezuelan drug trafficking by land were imminent, further ratcheting up tensions with Caracas.

Washington escalated tensions with Venezuela as President Trump warned airspace was closed and deployed major military assets, citing anti-drug efforts. Airstrikes, airline suspensions, and Caracas’ retaliatory bans fueled the standoff, despite reports of a recent Trump–Maduro phone call.

Trump says Venezuela airspace should be considered 'closed in its entirety'

ISLAMABAD: Hong Kong entered a formal three-day mourning period on Saturday as thousands of residents laid white and yellow flowers near the burned-out Wang Fuk Court complex, where at least 128 people died in one of the city&rsquo;s worst fires on record. The Standard reported that crowds &ldquo;kept growing&rdquo; throughout the day as mourners lined a small park beside the charred towers. Chief Executive John Lee led top government officials in three minutes of silence at Admiralty, with flags across all government buildings lowered to half-mast. State-run Radio Television Hong Kong noted that senior mainland officials, including Nong Rong and Xu Qifang, joined the ceremony. &ldquo;During this period, government officials will cancel all non-essential public events,&rdquo; RTHK reported, adding that entertainment and celebratory activities funded by the government would be postponed. Books of condolence were opened in all 18 districts. At the Fu Heng Neighbourhood Community Centre, Chung, a resident who came to leave a message, said she wrote: &ldquo;Deeply mourning the victims of the fire at Wang Fuk Court. May residents of Wang Fuk Court be able to move beyond their grief as soon as possible.&rdquo; Another mourner said she was &ldquo;devastated&rdquo; by the scale of the tragedy, adding, &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t do much, all I can do is pray.&rdquo; The disaster prompted international sympathy. Britain&rsquo;s King Charles described the fire as an &ldquo;appalling tragedy&rdquo; and said &ldquo;our most heartfelt thoughts are with all those who have lost loved ones and with those that are now living with shock and uncertainty.&rdquo; Police confirmed the death toll at 128 and said 44 victims were &ldquo;awaiting body identification.&rdquo; Officers from the Disaster Victim Identification Unit, wearing white full-body protective gear, completed searches in two of the eight tower blocks without finding additional bodies. Rescuers were still trying to clarify the status of about 150 people reported missing, noting that the quality of information varied. More than 40 people remained hospitalised, including 11 in critical condition and 21 in serious condition. Authorities said flames swept rapidly through the Tai Po estate on Wednesday, consuming seven of the eight towers. Early findings suggested the fire ignited on lower-floor protective netting and was intensified by &ldquo;highly flammable&rdquo; foam boards and bamboo scaffolding. Fire services chief Andy Yeung said alarms in all eight blocks &ldquo;were malfunctioning,&rdquo; pledging action against responsible contractors. Meanwhile, China launched a campaign targeting &ldquo;major fire risks and hazards&rdquo; in high-rise buildings, according to state announcements. Hong Kong&rsquo;s anti-corruption watchdog arrested eight people in connection with the blaze, in addition to three earlier police arrests, as investigations intensify into the circumstances behind the city&rsquo;s deadliest residential fire in decades.

At least 128 people killed in Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Court fire as the city begins three days of mourning, intensifies investigations, and continues searches for missing residents.


Hong Kong begins mourning after catastrophic Wang Fuk Court fire

Pakistan TV Satellite

ISLAMABAD: Russia has expressed that the ongoing war rhetoric from Europe regarding the Ukraine conflict comes as no surprise.&nbsp; While speaking exclusively to Pakistan TV, Dir CIR Dr. Roxolana Zigon said, so-called military illusions have replaced genuine strategic insight within the European Union, particularly in its alignment with NATO over the past decades. This lack of foresight, she said, has weakened Europe&rsquo;s ability to play a decisive role in addressing global crises. Russian authorities emphasize that their concern is not merely with European statements but with the persistent unwillingness of European officials to pursue meaningful diplomacy. Analysts argue that this stubbornness underscores a larger geopolitical reality: between two global powers, the United States and the European Union, there is effectively only one superpower shaping international strategy, particularly in conflict zones such as Ukraine. The United States, under the &ldquo;America First&rdquo; doctrine and Trump administration, continues to assert itself as the dominant global force. In contrast, Europe&rsquo;s influence is perceived as steadily declining, particularly in military and diplomatic arenas related to the Ukrainian crisis. Recent peace talks in Geneva further illustrate this dynamic. Observers note that the U.S. appears to be gradually moving away from the Ukrainian agenda, step by step, leaving the European Union with limited leverage. For Russia, the combination of Europe&rsquo;s strategic missteps and America&rsquo;s dominant position on the global stage confirms a long-standing belief: true superpower status lies with Washington, not Brussels. European rhetoric, may grab headlines, but it does little to shift the balance of power or influence the unfolding events in Ukraine, said Dir CIR.

SAT News Desk

Russian analyst Dr Zigon says so-called military illusions have replaced genuine strategic insight within the European Union, particularly in its alignment with NATO over the past decades.

Margalla Backyard Ultra begins in Islamabad with relentless endurance challenge

Latest News

Margalla Backyard Ultra begins in Islamabad with relentless endurance challenge

Pakistan retaliates after Afghan border forces launch unprovoked shelling: police

Cairo, Islamabad seek 'strategic direction' as Egyptian FM lands in Pakistan

Pakistan rout Sri Lanka to win T20I tri-series

Death toll from Gaza war surpasses 70,000: health ministry