Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan defeated India by 191 runs to win the ACC Men&rsquo;s Under-19 Asia Cup final on Sunday, successfully defending a total of 347 for 8 at the ICC Academy Ground in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.&nbsp; The victory marks Pakistan&#39;s first Under-19 World Cup title in 13 years.&nbsp; After posting 347-8 in their 50 overs, Pakistan&#39;s pace attack dismantled India&#39;s chase, bowling them out for just 156 in 26.2 overs to claim a strong&nbsp;victory. Pakistan&#39;s batting foundation Pakistan&#39;s substantial total provided the platform for victory, with their batsmen capitalizing on favorable conditions to post a difficult&nbsp;target of 348 runs. India&#39;s collapse India&#39;s chase never gained momentum as wickets fell at regular intervals. Ali Raza led the bowling attack with 3 wickets, while Abdul Subhan and Mohammad Sayyam claimed 2 wickets&nbsp;each. Vaibhav Suryavanshi showed brief resistance with 26 runs off 10 balls. He hit three 6s before falling to Ali Raza. Aaron George scored 16 runs at a loss of 9 balls, before Mohammad Sayyam dismissed him. The middle order offered little resistance. Captain Ayush Mhatre managed only 2&nbsp;runs before Ali Raza removed him. Vedant Trivedi, Vihaan Malhotra, and Abhigyan Kundu combined for just 23 runs as Pakistan&#39;s bowlers maintained pressure. Khilan Patel provided late fireworks with 19 runs including two 6s, but the outcome was never in doubt. Deepesh Devendran&#39;s unbeaten 36 off 16 balls came too late to affect the result. Pakistan bowlers&#39; onslaught Pakistan&#39;s pace attack exploited the conditions effectively. Ali Raza finished with figures of 6-0-38-3, while Abdul Subhan claimed 2-13 from 8 overs, including one maiden. Mohammad Sayyam and spinner Huzaifa Ahsan took 2 wickets each. The bowling performance marked a stark contrast to India&#39;s tournament form, as Pakistan executed their plans with discipline and precision. 13-year wait ended&nbsp; Since 1989, Pakistan has never won an outright U19 Asia Cup. The team claimed the 2004 and 2006 ICC U19 World Cups. In 2012, they shared the Asia Cup title with India after a tied final.

Cricket

Pakistan Under-19 defeated India in the Asia Cup final, dominating with a 347-run total and a clinical bowling performance.

Pakistan demolish India by 191 runs to win U19 Asia Cup 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari met with Iraqi President Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid at Baghdad Palace on Sunday to discuss bilateral relations, according to an official statement released by the presidential office. President Zardari received a guard of honor upon arrival.&nbsp;The two leaders held a one-on-one meeting followed by delegation-level talks.&nbsp;The Iraqi president also hosted a lunch for President Zardari and his delegation. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 648px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2002717186293649785&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=2a023e6f76d61186cbf97d6719bfb28dcce18fc1&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div><div class="fr-embed"> </div> President Zardari congratulated the Iraqi president on the country&rsquo;s recent parliamentary elections. He said Pakistan supports Iraq&#39;s sovereignty, territorial integrity and national unity. The leaders reviewed bilateral relations and noted recent high-level exchanges, including the ninth session of the Pakistan-Iraq Joint Ministerial Commission. The Pakistani president said that current trade levels do not reflect the potential of Pakistan-Iraq relations. He cited opportunities in trade, investment, agriculture, defense production, information technology, construction and pharmaceuticals. He called for stronger business engagement, trade delegations and direct banking channels. Pakistan offered to support Iraq&#39;s reconstruction through skilled and semi-skilled workers under an existing agreement. President Zardari said Pakistan could also provide support in medical services, financial expertise and digital governance. He requested improved facilitation for Pakistani pilgrims visiting Iraq and urged finalization of an agreement on pilgrim management. He said Pakistan will work with Iraq to prevent illegal entry and overstay by Pakistani nationals. <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/2db3a606-c358-4724-828a-ddfb0400a592-69645-e1766323612113-696x309.jpg" alt="69645-e1766323612113-696x309.jpg" style="width: 805px;" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">The two leaders held a one-on-one meeting followed by delegation-level talks. (APP)</figcaption></figure> Both presidents agreed to cooperate against extremism, terrorism and narcotics trafficking. They said they will coordinate at the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. The Iraqi president said he appreciated Pakistan&#39;s role in the Islamic world and its support for Palestinians. Zardari was accompanied by Senators Sherry Rehman and Saleem Mandviwala, Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan, Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, Sindh Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, former Senate Chairman Syed Nayyer Hussain Bukhari and Pakistan&#39;s ambassador to Iraq.

Foreign Affairs

President Asif Ali Zardari arrives in Baghdad, meets Iraqi President, reaffirms support for Iraq, expands trade and security cooperation, and seeks improved facilitation for Pakistani pilgrims.

Pakistan, Iraqi president pledge deeper cooperation during Baghdad talks  

MIAMI: The Kremlin on Sunday denied that three-way talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States were on the cards, as diplomats gathered in Miami for talks on ending the conflict.&nbsp;A day earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had said that Washington had mooted the trilateral format, which would mark Moscow and Kyiv&#39;s first face-to-face negotiations in half a year, but expressed scepticism that they would lead to progress.&nbsp;&quot;At present, no one has seriously discussed this initiative, and to my knowledge, it is not in preparation,&quot; Russian President Vladimir Putin&#39;s foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov told reporters, according to Russian news agencies.&nbsp;After revealing the US three-way proposal, Zelensky told journalists on Saturday that he was &quot;not sure that anything new could come of it&quot;, and urged the United States to step up pressure on Russia to end the war.&nbsp;But the Ukrainian leader struck a more upbeat note on Sunday, adding that &quot;constructive&quot; talks between US, European and Ukrainian negotiators were &quot;moving at a fairly rapid pace&quot;, while cautioning that &quot;much depends on whether Russia feels the need to end the war for real&quot;.&nbsp;&quot;Unfortunately, the real signals coming from Russia remain only negative: assaults along the frontline, Russian war crimes in border areas, and continued strikes against our infrastructure,&quot; Zelensky posted on X.&nbsp;Russian envoy in townRussian envoy Kirill Dmitriev arrived on Saturday in Miami, where Ukrainian and European teams have also been gathering since Friday for the negotiations, mediated by US special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump&#39;s son-in-law Jared Kushner.&nbsp;Dmitriev &quot;will return to Moscow, make his report, and we will discuss what to do next&quot;, Uskakov said.&nbsp;The top Kremlin aide also told Russian journalists Sunday that he had &quot;not seen&quot; the revised US proposal to end the conflict.&nbsp;Washington last month stunned Ukraine and its European allies by presenting a 28-point plan to end the war widely seen as caving in to the Kremlin&#39;s key demands, which has since been redrafted following Kyiv and Europe&#39;s involvement.&nbsp;While little is known of the latest version, Kyiv is likely to be expected to surrender some territory -- a prospect resented by many Ukrainians -- in exchange for US security guarantees.&nbsp;Moscow&#39;s troops have been steadily advancing at the eastern front in recent months, with Putin on Friday hailing the Russian army&#39;s territorial gains -- and threatening more in the coming weeks.&nbsp;Putin-Macron call?The last time Ukrainian and Russian envoys held official direct talks was in July in Istanbul, which led to prisoner swaps but little else in the way of concrete progress to stop the fighting.&nbsp;Russian and European involvement in Miami marks a step forward from before, when the Americans held separate negotiations with each side in different locations.&nbsp;But the extremely strained relations between the two sides after nearly four years of Europe&#39;s bloodiest conflict since World War II have cast doubt over the prospect of direct Ukraine-Russia talks.&nbsp;Moscow, which sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022, also argues that European involvement in the talks only hinders the process.&nbsp;According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov in an interview published Sunday, Putin however expressed his willingness to talk with France&#39;s Emmanuel Macron on the conflict.&nbsp;Macron held several calls with Putin in the run-up to and during the early months of the conflict, in an attempt to press the veteran Kremlin leader on the war.&nbsp;Putin has &quot;expressed readiness to engage in dialogue with Macron&quot;, Peskov told state news agency RIA Novosti.&nbsp;&quot;Therefore, if there is mutual political will, then this can only be assessed positively.&quot;&nbsp;In response, Macron&#39;s office said Putin&#39;s stated willingness to talk was &quot;welcome&quot;, but stressed that any discussion with Moscow would be conducted &quot;in full transparency&quot; with Zelensky and European allies.&nbsp;Meanwhile, Zelensky said on X that &quot;over the past week, Russia has launched approximately 1,300 attack drones, nearly 1,200 guided aerial bombs, and 9 missiles of various types against Ukraine&quot; with the Odesa region and the south of the country &quot;hit particularly hard&quot;.&nbsp;Moscow on Saturday claimed the capture of two villages in the northern Sumy and eastern Donetsk regions, while Ukraine said it had destroyed two Russian fighter jets in the occupied Crimean peninsula.

Americas

Europe

Kremlin denies talks between Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S. in Miami. Ukrainian President Zelensky remains skeptical but optimistic about ongoing U.S.-European-Ukrainian discussions. Russian envoy Dmitriev reports back to Moscow, signaling continued tensions.

Kremlin denies three-way US-Ukraine-Russia talks in preparation

ISLAMABAD: Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defense Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir underscored the need for national unity, rejection of extremism, and adherence to the writ of the state, saying that no individual or group has the authority to declare jihad in any Islamic state.&nbsp;He made these remarks during his address at the National Ulema and Mashaikh Conference held in Islamabad on Dec. 10, according to the details shared by PTV on Sunday. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 722px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2002667282426908833&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=e0d8b861ad4673be6b7289b636bec3e477aecac6&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>&nbsp;Field Marshal Munir spoke at length on the challenges facing Pakistan, including terrorism, national security, regional developments, military preparedness, and the importance of knowledge.&nbsp;The conference was attended by religious scholars and clerics representing various schools of thought from across the country.&nbsp;The army chief said Pakistan had been bestowed with the responsibility of being &ldquo;protector of the holy sites,&rdquo; adding that there was a deep ideological and historical linkage between the State of Madinah and the State of Pakistan.&nbsp;He noted that both were established on the foundation of the Kalima during the holy month of Ramazan.&nbsp;He said nations that abandoned their intellectual and scholarly heritage and the power of the pen eventually declined, stressing the importance of knowledge and thought leadership for national progress.&nbsp;Referring to counter-terrorism operations, Field Marshal Munir said Pakistan had witnessed divine assistance during Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos. He reiterated that the state alone had the authority to issue decrees related to jihad, warning against the misuse of religious narratives.&nbsp;The army chief also expressed concern over terrorism targeting innocent civilians, including women and children, alleging that such acts were being carried out with the backing of Afghan Taliban elements. He said formations linked to &ldquo;Fitna al-Khawarij&rdquo; operating from Afghanistan included a significant number of Afghan nationals.&nbsp;Field Marshal Munir said Afghanistan would have to choose between supporting extremist elements and maintaining relations with Pakistan, adding that terrorism posed a serious threat to regional stability.&nbsp;The army chief concluded by calling for collective efforts to counter extremism, safeguard national security, and promote unity based on Pakistan&rsquo;s ideological foundations.

Security

Army chief says Pakistan has been bestowed with the responsibility of being 'protector of the holy sites.'

CDF calls for unity against terrorism, stresses state’s authority on jihad

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan U-19 posted a strong total of 347 for 8 in their allotted 50 overs against India Under-19 in the final of the ACC Men&rsquo;s Under-19 Asia Cup at the ICC Academy Ground on Sunday.&nbsp;After India won the toss and elected to field, Pakistan were anchored by a commanding innings from Sameer Minhas, who scored 172 off 113 balls, hitting 17 fours and nine sixes. It was the highest individual score of the innings and the backbone of Pakistan&rsquo;s total.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 874px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2002663550934999237&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=e0d8b861ad4673be6b7289b636bec3e477aecac6&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="2002663550934999237"></iframe></div></div>Hamza Zahoor gave Pakistan a brisk start with 18 off 14 balls before being dismissed early. Usman Khan contributed 35, while Ahmed Hussain added 56 to provide stability through the middle overs. Captain Farhan Yousaf scored 19. Pakistan lost wickets in quick succession towards the end, but unbeaten contributions from Niqab Shafiq (12) and Mohammad Sayyam (13) helped push the total close to 350.&nbsp;For India, Deepesh Devendran was the most successful bowler, claiming 3 for 83, while Khilan Patel and Henil Patel took two wickets each. Pakistan&rsquo;s innings ended at 347 for 8, setting India a challenging target in the final.

Sameer Minhas is the start for the Greenshirts with 172 runs off 113 balls, hitting 17 fours and nine sixes.

Pakistan set 348-run target for India in U19 Asia Cup final

JERUSALEM: Israel&#39;s security cabinet approved the establishment of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, bringing the total number approved over the past three years to 69, an official statement said Sunday. &ldquo;The proposal by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Defense Minister Israel Katz to declare and formalize 19 new settlements in Judea and Samaria has been approved by the cabinet,&rdquo; a statement from Smotrich&rsquo;s office said, without specifying when the decision was taken. &ldquo;On the ground, we are blocking the establishment of a Palestinian terror state. We will continue to develop, build and settle the land of our ancestral heritage, with faith in the justice of our path,&rdquo; Smotrich said in the statement. Relentless expansion Earlier this month, a report by the UN chief seen by AFP said the expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank was at its highest level since at least 2017, when the United Nations began tracking such data. In 2025, &ldquo;plans for nearly 47,390 housing units were advanced, approved or tendered, compared with some 26,170 in 2024,&rdquo; the report said. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the &ldquo;relentless&rdquo; expansion, saying it &ldquo;continues to fuel tensions, impede access by Palestinians to their land and threaten the viability of a fully independent, democratic, contiguous and sovereign Palestinian state.&rdquo; &ldquo;These figures represent a sharp increase compared to previous years,&rdquo; he added, noting an average of 12,815 housing units were added annually between 2017 and 2022. Excluding east Jerusalem, which was occupied and annexed by Israel in 1967, some 500,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank, along with about three million Palestinian residents. &ldquo;These developments are further entrenching the unlawful Israeli occupation and violating international law and undermining the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination,&rdquo; Guterres said. Guterres also condemned the &ldquo;continued escalation of violence and tensions in the occupied West Bank,&rdquo; pointing out operations by the Israeli Defense Forces in the northern West Bank that have killed a &ldquo;high number&rdquo; of people, displaced residents and destroyed homes and other infrastructure. In October, Pakistan strongly condemned Israel&rsquo;s attempt to extend its so-called &ldquo;sovereignty&rdquo; over parts of the occupied West Bank, including illegal Israeli settlements, saying the move constituted a violation of international law, relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and the rights of the Palestinian people.

Middle East

New settlements are set to be developed in the occupied West Bank, pushing the total number authorized over three years to 69, according to an official statement.

Israel security cabinet approves 19 new West Bank settlements

ISLAMABAD: The commissioning ceremony of the second Pakistan Navy MILGEM class ship, PNS Khaibar, was held at the Istanbul Naval Shipyard in T&uuml;rkiye, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attending as the chief guest, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Sunday. The Milli Gemi Projesi (MILGEM) or National Ship Project is the national warship program managed by the Turkish Navy. According to ISPR, the Pakistan military&#39;s media wing, the ceremony was also attended by Admiral Naveed Ashraf, Chief of the Naval Staff of Pakistan, along with senior officials from both countries.<div class="fr-embed"> </div>Addressing the ceremony, President Erdoğan described the Pakistan-T&uuml;rkiye relationship as a close and enduring partnership. He termed the brotherly ties between the two countries &ldquo;exemplary&rdquo; and stressed the importance of expanding cooperation in defence production, ISPR said. Speaking on the occasion, Admiral Naveed Ashraf acknowledged the roles of the Turkish state-owned defense company ASFAT, the Istanbul Naval Shipyard, and the original equipment manufacturers involved in the planning, design, and construction of the Pakistan Navy MILGEM ships. &ldquo;The Chief of the Naval Staff appreciated the deepening defence partnership between Pakistan and T&uuml;rkiye,&rdquo; ISPR said, adding that he highlighted how bilateral engagements between the Pakistan Navy and Turkish Naval Forces &ldquo;contribute immensely towards strengthening Pakistan-T&uuml;rkiye defence collaboration and reflect an enduring partnership.&rdquo; Following the commissioning ceremony, the Turkish president visited PNS Khaibar, where he was presented with a guard of honor and interacted with the ship&rsquo;s crew, according to the military&rsquo;s media wing.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2002650419223539938&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=5e4eb668e8337f688a4ffc25095335b6777ba6f2&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 1055px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="2002650419223539938"></iframe></div></div></div>ISPR said President Erdoğan and Admiral Naveed Ashraf also exchanged views on regional maritime security and discussed avenues for future joint initiatives between the Pakistan Navy and Turkish Naval Forces. The Pakistan Navy MILGEM ships are among the most technologically advanced surface platforms in the fleet. ISPR said the vessels are equipped with modern command-and-control systems and advanced weapons and sensors. The contract for the construction of four MILGEM-class ships for Pakistan was signed in 2018 between Pakistan&rsquo;s Ministry of Defence Production and ASFAT of T&uuml;rkiye. Under the agreement, two ships were to be built in T&uuml;rkiye and two in Pakistan. ISPR said the commissioning of PNS Khaibar marked the completion of the construction of both MILGEM ships being built in T&uuml;rkiye, representing a major milestone in bilateral defence cooperation. In a message shared on social media platform X, President Erdoğan recalled the origins of the MILGEM project, saying, &ldquo;In September 2018, we signed a construction contract for 4 MILGEM ships.&quot; He added, &ldquo;We delivered the first ship, PNS Babur, to Pakistan on 24 May 2024. Today, we also completed the delivery of PNS Khaibar, which has successfully completed all tests and trials.&rdquo; <div style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 550px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2002401103602987445&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=c217259fef387add13882394658ca23afbba96c7&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 873px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>

Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf hands over Command scroll to CO PNS Khaibar during the commissioning ceremony held at Istanbul Naval Shipyard, Türkiye (X / DGPR Navy) 

The commissioning ceremony of the second Pakistan Navy MILGEM class ship, PNS Khaibar, was held at Istanbul Naval Shipyard in Türkiye, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attending as the chief guest.

Pakistan Navy commissions PNS Khaibar, strengthening defence partnership with Türkiye

SAN FRANCISCO: A huge electricity outage hit San Francisco on Saturday, leaving 130,000 residents without power and prompting city authorities to ask residents to stay home, according to the utility provider and the mayor.&nbsp;Large parts of the West Coast tech hub, which has a population of more than 800,000 people, were plunged into darkness with disruptions to public transport and many traffic lights not working on a busy Christmas shopping weekend.&nbsp;&quot;We are working with first responders and city officials on an outage in San Francisco affecting approximately 130,000 customers,&quot; said Pacific Gas &amp; Electric Company, the city&#39;s main power provider, in a statement on X.&nbsp;A spokeswoman for the company said in a video posted on social media that crews were working to fix the problem.&nbsp;&quot;We do expect restorations later this evening,&quot; she said.&nbsp;Parts of the city were blanketed in fog and many businesses were forced to close for the day at the height of the holiday shopping period, the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper reported, leaving normally bustling commercial areas quiet.&nbsp;The city&#39;s mayor told residents to stay off roads if possible, adding some traffic signals were out and authorities had sent police and traffic officers to manage intersections.&nbsp;&quot;But we&#39;ve got rain coming, it&#39;s night time. If you don&#39;t need to go out, stay home and I&#39;ll keep you posted,&quot; Mayor Daniel Lurie said at the city&#39;s emergency operations center in a video posted on X.&nbsp;A fire at a substation had caused the blackout, Lurie added, saying it was not clear when power would be completely restored.

Pacific Gas & Electric Company says they are working with first responders and city officials on an outage in San Francisco affecting approximately 130,000 customers.

San Francisco hit by electricity outage, leaving 130,000 people without power

ADELAIDE: A dominant Australia collected the last four wickets they needed Sunday, to win the third Test and retain the Ashes in just 11 days of cricket, crushing the dreams of an England side who finally showed some fight.&nbsp;England&#39;s dogged resistance on day five at Adelaide Oval lasted into the second session before Scott Boland removed Josh Tongue for an 82-run victory to ensure the famous urn remains in Australian hands.&nbsp;The tourists needed a win to keep the five-match series alive after being crushed by eight wickets at Perth and Brisbane, with two more Tests still to play at Melbourne and Sydney.&nbsp;But despite showing more grit, they were again outplayed by an Australian team who suffered a setback with spin wizard Nathan Lyon hurting his hamstring and hobbling off.&nbsp;Chasing 435 was always going to be a huge challenge, with no side ever reeling in more than 418 to win in Test history, but England at least gave it a crack as they scored 352 all out.&nbsp;Their demise in just 11 days is the joint second quickest in more than a century since the 1921 series was completed in eight days, with their &quot;Bazball&quot; style of ultra-attacking cricket exposed.&nbsp;England&#39;s capitulation over three Tests is a far cry from the pre-Ashes hype where they were touted as having their best chance in a generation to win a series in Australia.&nbsp;And it made a mockery of former fast bowler Stuart Broad&#39;s claim that the hosts had their weakest side in 15 years, written off by others as a &quot;Dad&#39;s Army.&quot;&nbsp;The reality for Ben Stokes&#39;s men is that England have now gone 18 Tests since winning in Australia, dating back to their last series victory there in 2010-11.&nbsp;Their last three trips yielded one-sided scorelines of 5-0, 4-0 and 4-0, with more of the same on the cards unless there is a dramatic shift in their fortunes.&nbsp;&#39;Livin&#39; on a Prayer&#39;They resumed on 207-6 with Will Jacks on 11 and Jamie Smith two.&nbsp;Smith showed early intent by slog-sweeping Lyon over deep midwicket for six then banged another off Cameron Green as the Barmy Army fans broke into Bon Jovi&#39;s &quot;Livin&#39; on a Prayer.&quot;&nbsp;After four days of searing heat and sunshine, the lights were on with dark clouds looming and after 40 minutes the players went off as fine rain returned.&nbsp;It was a passing shower and they were back out 40 minutes later with lunch pushed back by half an hour.&nbsp;Lyon limped off soon after the restart after pulling a hamstring in sliding to save a boundary.&nbsp;He was sent for scans and ruled out of the rest of the Test, later seen on crutches with rest of the series for him in peril.&nbsp;When Mitchell Starc took the new ball, Smith began hitting out, crunching two fours in a row, and it proved his downfall when he skied to Pat Cummins at midwicket.&nbsp;Will Jacks produced his highest Test score of 47 and steered England&#39;s chase below 100.&nbsp;But he fell to another spectacular catch from Marnus Labuschange, diving to his left in front of wicketkeeper Alex Carey after an edge off Starc.&nbsp;Starc struck again to send Jofra Archer packing before Boland took out Tongue, sparking huge celebrations.&nbsp;England took six wickets before lunch on Saturday to wrap up Australia&#39;s second innings for 349 with Travis Head slamming 170.&nbsp;They then survived for two sessions, but the wheels came off courtesy of Lyon.&nbsp;He bowled Harry Brook and Ben Stokes before tempting Zak Crawley down the wicket to be stumped by Alex Carey for 85, with Cummins accounting for danger man Joe Root on 39.&nbsp;It was left to Smith and Jacks to ensure it would go to a fifth day.

England fall 82 runs short of 435-run target in Adelaide.

Australia beat England in third Test to retain Ashes

MOUNT MAUNGANAUI:&nbsp;Devon Conway became just the 10th player in Test history to hit a double century and a century in the same match on Sunday when he reached three figures before tea in New Zealand&#39;s second innings against the West Indies at Mount Maunganui.&nbsp;Conway was on 100 at the break and opening partner Tom Latham on 80 as New Zealand raced to 192-0 and a lead of 347 on the fourth day, backing up his 227 in the first innings.&nbsp;He and captain Latham, who put on a mammoth 323 opening partnership in the first innings with Latham contributing 137, have combined for 515 runs in the match.&nbsp;Conway joins an illustrious list in scoring a double century and a century in the same Test match.&nbsp;Only Doug Walters, Greg Chappell, Marnus Labuschagne, Sunil Gavaskar, Shubman Gill, Lawrence Rowe, Brian Lara, Graham Gooch and Kumar Sangakkara had achieved the feat.&nbsp;Conway&#39;s 327 runs so far are the third highest for New Zealand in a single Test, behind Stephen Fleming&#39;s 343 (274 and 69) against Sri Lanka in 2003, and Martin Crowe&#39;s 329 (30 and 299) against Sri Lanka in 1991.&nbsp;Conway and Latham added 157 runs in the middle session at more than five an over as they looked for quick runs to set up a declaration before the close.&nbsp;New Zealand took four wickets in the morning session as West Indies were 420 all out, with Kavem Hodge left stranded unbeaten on a fine 123 from 275 balls, including 15 boundaries.&nbsp;Jacob Duffy finished with 4-86, including the first two wickets of the day, taking his tally for the three-match series to 18.&nbsp;The West Indies resumed on 381-6, with Hodge on 109 batting alongside Anderson Phillip.&nbsp;Phillip lasted just nine balls and Shai Hope, who missed the last two days because of food poisoning, fell for four.&nbsp;Jayden Seales briefly showed some resistance, making 15 from 53 balls until he was bowled by Ajaz Patel with a ball that grazed the off stump on the way through to the keeper.&nbsp;Kemar Roach was the last man to bat, nursing a hamstring strain suffered on day one, but lasted only two balls.&nbsp;Patel took 3-113 in 41 overs, his first wickets on home soil, while Michael Rae had 2-89.&nbsp;New Zealand made 575-8 declared in their first innings.

Becomes only 10th player in history to achieve this milestone in Test cricket. 

Pakistan demolish India by 191 runs to win U19 Asia Cup

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