ZURICH: Spain still topped the FIFA men&rsquo;s world rankings published Friday that show Germany back on track to be a top-seeded team in the World Cup finals tournament draw on December 5 involving US President Donald Trump.&nbsp;Germany rose two places to No. 10 after back-to-back wins in a World Cup qualifying group against Luxembourg and Northern Ireland. Germany had lost its opening qualifier last month against Slovakia.&nbsp;Croatia, runner-up at the 2018 World Cup and a semifinalist in the 2022 edition, fell to No. 11 after drawing one of its games at the Czech Republic last week.&nbsp;The 12 top-seeded nations in the 48-team draw will be the three co-hosts, the United States, Canada and Mexico plus the nine highest-ranked direct qualifiers in the updated FIFA rankings for November.&nbsp;Current No. 9 Italy is likely heading to European playoffs in March as runner-up in a qualifying group led by Norway, meaning the No. 10-ranked team should be assured of avoiding other top-seeded nations in the draw for the June 11-July 19 tournament.&nbsp;Spain leads from World Cup title holder Argentina, followed by No. 3 France, England, Portugal, the Netherlands, Brazil and Belgium in eighth.&nbsp;The World Cup draw seedings will follow the FIFA rankings through pots 2 and 3, with pot 4 including the six lowest-ranked direct qualifiers plus six placeholders awaiting the winners of playoffs in March.&nbsp;Four European teams will advance through playoffs, and two more places are on offer in a global bracket of six non-European teams that will include Bolivia and New Caledonia.

Football

Spain stayed atop FIFA men’s rankings as Germany rose to tenth, securing a likely top seed for the 2026 World Cup draw, while Croatia slipped and Italy faces playoffs.

Spain retains top FIFA spot, Germany climbs into top seeds

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday directed all federal and provincial authorities to expedite the repatriation of Afghans illegally residing in Pakistan, citing security concerns and recent cross-border attacks from Afghan soil. According to a statement from the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office, Sharif chaired a high-level meeting attended by Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, federal ministers, and provincial representatives to review the situation along the Pakistan&ndash;Afghanistan border and ongoing repatriation efforts. &ldquo;Pakistan has helped Afghanistan in every difficult time,&rdquo; the prime minister said. &ldquo;But recent terrorist attacks from Afghan soil and the involvement of Afghans in these attacks are deeply worrying.&rdquo; Sharif noted that Pakistan had &ldquo;suffered thousands of precious lives and billions of dollars in the war on terror,&rdquo; stressing that the country &ldquo;can no longer bear the burden of Afghan refugees.&rdquo; Border clashes and security concerns Hostilities erupted on the night of October 11&ndash;12, when Taliban fighters, reportedly supported by an India-backed group, launched an unprovoked assault on Pakistani forces along the border. The clashes intensified late Saturday, resulting in 23 Pakistani soldiers martyred, while around 200 Taliban and allied militants were killed in retaliatory action, according to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). Sharif commended the Pakistan Armed Forces for &ldquo;responding in a befitting manner&rdquo; under the leadership of Field Marshal Asim Munir. Repatriation efforts intensified Officials briefed the meeting that 1,477,592 Afghans had already been repatriated as part of the ongoing phased process. Only Afghans holding valid Pakistani visas will be permitted to remain in the country. Authorities said additional exit points are being opened on the Afghan border to speed up departures and ensure a smoother process. Shelter providers assisting illegal residents are being identified and prosecuted, officials added. The prime minister instructed that &ldquo;the elderly, women, children, and minorities should be treated with respect and dignity during the repatriation process.&rdquo; The forum decided to strictly enforce all recommendations and ensure full coordination among provinces for the early completion of the repatriation campaign.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chairs high-level meeting on repatriation of Afghan refugees in Islamabad. (PMO)

Foreign Affairs

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif orders an accelerated repatriation of illegal Afghan residents amid renewed border tensions and recent militant attacks from Afghan territory, while praising Pakistan’s forces for a robust response under Field Marshal Asim Munir’s leadership.

Pakistan PM orders swift repatriation of illegal Afghan nationals

Mariam Ellahi

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani security sources refuted reports that the country&#39;s delegation was&nbsp;currently in Doha for talks with the Afghan Taliban. They said the delegation will travel to the Qatari capital tomorrow, and described reports claiming the delegation is already in Doha as baseless. This is a developing story...

Security sources have denied claims that a Pakistani delegation is in Doha, stating that the team will leave Pakistan on Saturday morning.

Pakistani delegation not in Doha, scheduled to depart tomorrow: security sources

BARCELONA: Lamine Yamal is fit again and ready to play a week before the first clasico of the season, Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said Friday.&nbsp;Yamal and midfielder Ferm&iacute;n L&oacute;pez have both recovered from injuries and could play at least part of Barcelona&rsquo;s La Liga game against Girona on Saturday.&nbsp;&ldquo;They&rsquo;re back, but they can&rsquo;t yet play the full 90 minutes,&rdquo; Flick said.&nbsp;After Girona, Barcelona hosts Olympiakos on Tuesday in the Champions League and then visits Real Madrid on October 26, in the Spanish league.&nbsp;Yamal has been affected by a groin injury for weeks.&nbsp;The 18-year-old star missed four games for Barcelona before he returned for two appearances, only to aggravate the injury in a loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on October 1.&nbsp; That ruled him out of a game at Sevilla, which Barcelona lost 4-1, and then two World Cup qualifiers for Spain, which his national team won without him.&nbsp;Ferm&iacute;n has missed four games for Barcelona and was ruled out of Spain&rsquo;s qualifiers with a left-leg muscle injury.&nbsp;Flick said he hoped Brazil forward Raphinha will have recovered from a hamstring injury in time for the Madrid match.&nbsp;Barcelona&rsquo;s injury list still includes strikers Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres, midfielders Dani Olmo and Gavi P&aacute;ez and goalkeeper Joan Garc&iacute;a.&nbsp;Second-placed Barcelona trails Madrid by two points at the top of the Spanish league.

Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and Fermín López have recovered from injuries and could feature against Girona, coach Hansi Flick said. Yamal’s return boosts Barcelona before the October 26 clasico against leaders Real Madrid.

Yamal returns from injury ahead of Barcelona’s crucial Madrid clash

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday voiced strong concerns over continued border violations from Afghanistan and dismissed allegations made by the Taliban government, underscoring Islamabad&rsquo;s right to self-defense amid escalating tensions along the shared frontier. Speaking at the weekly media briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said Pakistan was &ldquo;deeply concerned&rdquo; about what he described as &ldquo;unwarranted aggression&rdquo; by militant groups affiliated with &ldquo;Fitna al-Khawarij,&rdquo; Islamabad&rsquo;s term for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and &ldquo;Fitna al-Hindustan,&rdquo; referring to what Pakistan says are Indian-sponsored proxies operating in southwestern Balochistan. &ldquo;Pakistan exercised its legitimate right to self-defense after repeated cross-border attacks,&rdquo; Khan said. &ldquo;Our retaliatory actions were carefully targeted and not directed against Afghan civilians.&rdquo; Rebuttal to Taliban and Indian remarksKhan rejected recent comments by Afghan interim Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, who during a visit to India termed terrorism &ldquo;an internal issue of Pakistan.&rdquo; &ldquo;Islamabad completely rejects such assertions,&rdquo; the spokesperson said, adding that the Taliban administration was attempting to &ldquo;divert attention from the presence of terrorist elements inside Afghanistan.&rdquo; Khan pointed to multiple United Nations Monitoring Team reports documenting the continued presence of TTP and other militant groups within Afghan territory. He also condemned the Afghanistan&ndash;India joint statement, which described Indian-administered Kashmir as part of India, calling it &ldquo;a blatant denial of the Kashmiri people&rsquo;s right to self-determination&rdquo; and a violation of UN Security Council resolutions. &ldquo;Pakistan has conveyed its objections to the Afghan envoy in Islamabad,&rdquo; Khan said. &ldquo;We remain sensitive to the sacrifices and sentiments of the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir in their struggle for self-determination.&rdquo; Ceasefire and diplomatic engagementConfirming a temporary truce, Khan said both countries had agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire at Kabul&rsquo;s request to de-escalate hostilities and pursue dialogue. &ldquo;During this time, both sides are making sincere efforts to find a constructive and sustainable resolution to these complex but solvable issues,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Pakistan believes in dialogue and remains committed to peace.&rdquo; Afghanistan&rsquo;s interim spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid told Ariana News that the ceasefire &ldquo;has been extended until the conclusion of planned talks,&rdquo; according to Reuters. Khan stressed that Islamabad continues to maintain diplomatic channels with Kabul, adding: &ldquo;There is no downgrade in relations. But Pakistan will continue to safeguard its sovereignty, security, and people at all costs.&rdquo; Refugees and governance in AfghanistanThe spokesperson reiterated that Pakistan hosts more than four million Afghan nationals and will regulate their presence &ldquo;in accordance with international norms and domestic laws.&rdquo; He urged the Taliban to act &ldquo;responsibly&rdquo; and work toward &ldquo;a peaceful, stable, friendly, and inclusive Afghanistan.&rdquo; &ldquo;We hope one day the Afghan people will be emancipated and governed by a genuine representative government,&rdquo; Khan said. militant presence and regional SecurityKhan accused India of &ldquo;training, financing, and sheltering&rdquo; militant outfits such as the TTP and Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), adding that &ldquo;India&rsquo;s negative role in Afghanistan is well-documented.&rdquo; He also condemned reports of mutilation of Pakistani soldiers&rsquo; bodies, calling the act &ldquo;unforgivable and deeply offensive.&rdquo; &ldquo;This kind of savagery cannot be condoned,&rdquo; Khan warned. &ldquo;Pakistan reserves the right to respond at a time and place of its choosing.&rdquo; Broader foreign policy and human rightsKhan reaffirmed that Pakistan&ndash;China relations remain the &ldquo;cornerstone&rdquo; of Islamabad&rsquo;s diplomacy, with both countries working to advance an upgraded phase of the China&ndash;Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). He further highlighted Pakistan&rsquo;s re-election to the UN Human Rights Council, describing it as &ldquo;a reaffirmation of the international community&rsquo;s confidence in Pakistan&rsquo;s commitment to human rights and multilateralism.&rdquo;

Islamabad and Kabul have agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire following recent cross-border clashes, officials confirmed Wednesday, with both sides saying the truce aims to ease tensions and pave the way for constructive dialogue toward a lasting resolution.


Pakistan condemns Afghan border violations, rejects Taliban allegations of aggression

BARCELONA: Barcelona coach Hansi Flick and his players are not pleased at having to travel 4,500 miles to play a regular season La Liga match near Miami in December.&nbsp;Replying to a question at a press conference on Friday, Flick made his feelings clear.&nbsp;&ldquo;My players are not happy, I am not happy, but La Liga decided that we will play this game,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;The December 20 match will be played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, home of the NFL&rsquo;s Miami Dolphins.&nbsp;Barcelona president Joan Laporta has defended the Spanish league game by saying it represents the opportunity to further push into the American sports market.&nbsp;But for Flick and his players, it represents added travel before a short winter break. Barcelona will also travel to Saudi Arabia for the Spanish Super Cup starting January 7.&nbsp;Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong has criticized playing the game in the US, saying players are already overloaded with travel and a packed playing calendar.&nbsp;Like Barcelona, Villarreal is also playing in the Champions League this season.&nbsp;La Liga president Javier Tebas has said that the league plans to make an international soccer match an annual event. The league has chartered planes to bring to Florida what it estimates will be 2,000 to 3,000 fans from Villarreal, which is the home team.&nbsp;Barcelona plays Girona in the Spanish league on Saturday.

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick and his players voiced frustration over La Liga’s decision to stage a December 20 match in Miami, citing excessive travel before their winter break and upcoming Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia.

Barcelona coach and his players are 'not happy' with Miami match

Shizza Jasmin

If you&#39;re a regular online shopper, you know the annoyance of hearing &quot;card not accepted&quot; right before you pay. Even worse is being told, &quot;You can transfer online.&quot; Navigating banking apps and entering merchant details can feel clumsy and frustrating. After recently returning to Pakistan, I decided to tackle this issue. To get more insight, I interviewed Pakistan&rsquo;s Minister of State for Finance and Railways, Bilal Azhar Kiyani, on my podcast, &quot;Chatroom with Shizza.&quot; Our goal was to explore Pakistan&#39;s digital transformation plans. The vision of a cashless Pakistan A cashless future isn&#39;t just a dream; it&#39;s becoming a reality. Kiyani said the &quot;Cashless Pakistan&quot; initiative is more than just government talk. It is a top priority for the Prime Minister, who meets biweekly with the Cashless Economy Steering Committee. The stakes are high: increased transparency, improved efficiency, and an alarming ₨18 billion ($63.8 million) lost each year in payment processing. A unified effort: Government, telecom, and banks One of the most promising aspects of this transformation is the cooperation among key players. Major telecom companies like Jazz and Easypaisa, along with the Pakistan Banks Association, are now working together. Kiyani described the effort as a comprehensive movement, merging both government and private sector goals. The strategy is built on three main pillars, each led by a government organization. The State Bank of Pakistan aims to increase the number of merchants accepting digital payments from 500,000 to 2 million. They also want to grow digital banking users from 95 million to 120 million and double annual digital transactions from 7.5 billion to 15 billion by June 2026. Economic transparency and tax reform This transformation isn&#39;t just about technology. For instance, the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) is the largest social safety net in the country. Previously, it relied on cash payments, which led to issues like middlemen and mistakes. Now, 10 million beneficiaries are receiving e-wallets, making digital banking more accessible. &quot;This isn&#39;t just about technology,&quot; Kiyani said, &quot;It&#39;s about education.&quot; The new Pakistan Digital Authority will oversee digital payments and promote financial literacy across the country. Tax reform is also critical. Pakistan&#39;s tax-to-GDP ratio improved from 8.2% to 10.6% last fiscal year. Digital transactions can help with better economic documentation and fairer tax distribution. &quot;Digital payments increase transparency,&quot; Kiyani said. &quot;They reduce wrongdoing and lessen our reliance on human resources.&quot; Expected timeline The government has set an ambitious timeline. By the end of 2026, all payments involving federal, provincial, and state-owned enterprises will be digitized. They plan to subsidize QR-based payment systems for small merchants and encourage digital payment adoption through lower processing fees. When I asked Kiyani if this effort might be too late, he remained positive. &quot;The pace has been organic,&quot; he said. &quot;But the ecosystem is maturing. The Prime Minister has set clear targets.&quot; The road ahead After the interview, I felt hopeful. The combination of improved infrastructure, political will, and private-sector cooperation appears stronger this time. Success will depend on effective implementation, education, and convincing everyday vendors that digital payments are not just feasible but preferable. As someone who prefers scanning to fumbling with cash, I&rsquo;ll be watching this digital revolution closely. Until then, I&rsquo;ll continue with manual transfers&mdash;and some grumbling. Catch the full episode of &quot;Chatroom with Shizza&quot; on our YouTube channel.

Banking

Business

Taxation

Pakistan’s digital payment push aims to boost digital transactions by 2026 through government-private cooperation, improving transparency, tax reform, and financial education.

Cashless Pakistan: A nation's ambitious leap toward transparency

RAMALLAH: Israeli forces shot dead an 11-year-old boy in the occupied West Bank, his family and health officials said Friday, while the army said its troops opened fire at rock throwers.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;The Palestinian health ministry said that Mohammad Hallaq was shot dead on Thursday by Israeli soldiers &quot;in the town of Al-Rihiya, south of Hebron. The bullet penetrated his pelvis.&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Hallaq&#39;s uncle, also named Mohammad Hallaq, told AFP the child was sitting in front of his house when an army patrol passed by during a confrontation with a group of older youths.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&quot;(The soldiers) fired directly at (the older boys), and he was killed,&quot; the uncle told AFP, adding the child was sitting away from the youths.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;The Israeli military told AFP that soldiers had shot and struck people during an altercation while deployed in Al-Rihiya.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&quot;Soldiers responded with fire toward the suspects in the rock-hurling. Hits were identified,&quot; it said, using the language it generally uses to say troops shot and hit someone.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Ayed Abu Eqtaish, an official for Defence for Children International Palestine, a rights organisation, said the incident took place around 5:00 pm (1400 GMT), after which Hallaq was transported to a nearby hospital and pronounced dead.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;The number of children and teenagers shot dead by Israeli forces in the West Bank after being suspected of throwing rocks dramatically increased in 2025.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;A Palestinian teenager who held US citizenship was shot dead by the army in April, followed by a 14-year-old in June in the town of Sinjil in June, and a 15-year-old in July.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;On each occasion, the military said the youths had thrown rocks at its troops.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;The Palestinian health ministry also reported on Thursday evening that an adult, 20-year-old Mahdi Kamil, was killed by Israeli forces in the northern West Bank town of Qabatiya.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;The Israeli military told AFP that its troops killed a Palestinian militant in Qabatiya on Thursday after he threw &quot;an explosive device&quot; towards soldiers deployed in the area.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&quot;The soldiers responded with fire and eliminated the terrorist,&quot; it said.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967 where violence has surged since the start of the war in Gaza on October 7, 2023.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Since then, Israeli troops and settlers have killed at least 986 Palestinians in the West Bank,&nbsp;including many militants, according to health ministry figures.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Over the same period, at least 43 Israelis, including members of security forces, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations, according to official figures.

 Palestinians gather for Friday prayers amid the rubble of a destroyed building in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, Friday, October 17, 2025. (AP)

Middle East

The Palestinian health ministry said that Mohammad Hallaq was shot dead on Thursday by Israeli soldiers "in the town of Al-Rihiya, south of Hebron. The bullet penetrated his pelvis."

Family says Israeli forces kill 11-year-old Palestinian in West Bank

Formula 1 announced a five-year deal Friday with Apple, which will be the global motorsports series&#39; US broadcast partner beginning next season.&nbsp;ESPN had been the broadcast partner since 2018 and through the explosion of popularity of F1 in the United States,but notified the series at the start of this year it would not be extending its deal.&nbsp;At the same time, Apple was working with the series on &ldquo;F1 The Movie,&rdquo; an original film released internationally in cinemas and IMAX in June.&nbsp; It will make its global streaming debut on Apple TV in December, has already grossed nearly $630 million globally as both the most successful sports movie in history and most lucrative of Brad Pitt&#39;s career.&nbsp;The relationship made Apple the frontrunner to land the US broadcast rights. Financial terms were not released.&nbsp;&ldquo;I feel like I am on the podium, this is amazing,&rdquo; said Eddy Cue, Apple&lsquo;s senior vice president of services. &quot;Our vision for Apple TV, we wanted to deliver customers the best story from the most creative storytellers.&nbsp; We launched in 2019, we started with nine original series, and now we&rsquo;ve got a deep library of over 300 shows and movies and 1000s of hours.&nbsp;&ldquo;And everyone on Apple TV in the US will now get Formula 1,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re going to get everything that Formula 1 has to offer.&rdquo;&nbsp;Apple plans to air F1 on Apple TV as well as amplify the series across Apple News, Apple Maps, Apple Music, Apple Sports and Apple Fitness+. Apple TV will also host all practice, qualifying, sprint sessions and races.&nbsp;Select races and all practice sessions throughout the season will also be available to watch for free in the Apple TV app. F1 TV Premium, F1&rsquo;s own premier content offering, will continue to be available in the US via an Apple TV subscription and will be free to Apple subscribers.&nbsp;Apple TV is available in over 100 countries and regions on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone and other products, including PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles.&nbsp;Cue said Apple&#39;s reach will only help grow F1 in the United States, which currently hosts races in Miami, Las Vegas and this weekend in Austin, Texas.

Racing

Apple secured exclusive US media rights for Formula 1 under a five-year deal starting next season, ending ESPN’s tenure, and expanding F1 coverage across Apple platforms including TV, Music, and News.

Apple clinches US media rights for F1 races under five-year deal

DHAIKA: Bangladesh&#39;s most powerful political parties signed a charter on Friday aimed at ensuring democratic reform after next year&#39;s elections, following a mass uprising that toppled the previous government. However, celebrations of the government led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus were muted after one party refused to sign, with police also firing tear gas to quash rock-throwing protesters ahead of the ceremony. Yunus, 85, has championed the document as his legacy, saying he inherited a &quot;completely broken down&quot; system and that reforms are needed to prevent a return to authoritarian rule. &quot;This is the moment we are ushering in a new Bangladesh,&quot; Yunus told the ceremony, held in front of parliament in Dhaka. &quot;We have been reborn.&quot; The South Asian nation of 170 million people has been in political turmoil since Sheikh Hasina was ousted as prime minister by a student-led revolt in August 2024. The document, dubbed the &quot;July Charter&quot; after last year&#39;s uprising, has sparked intense arguments between parties jostling for power ahead of polls slated for February. Yunus, who has pledged to step down after elections, says it will strengthen checks and balances between the executive, judicial and legislative branches. It includes proposals for a two-term limit for prime ministers and expanded presidential powers. It also aims to enshrine the recognition of Bangladesh as a multi-ethnic and multi-religious nation. Leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), seen as among the election front-runners, as well as Jamaat-e-Islami, the Muslim-majority nation&#39;s largest Islamist party, signed the charter. However, the National Citizen Party (NCP), made up of many students who spearheaded the uprising that ended Hasina&#39;s rule, boycotted the ceremony. Ahead of the ceremony, police and protesters clashed, including those who took part in demonstrations last year, demanding compensation for those who were injured. &quot;The bloodshed of martyrs is now forgotten,&quot; said Khandakar Mashruk Sarkar, 48. The charter was given a last-minute amendment to include monthly allowances for injured protesters. The document is expected to be ratified either by a referendum or by the new parliament to be elected. Mohammad Ibrahim Hossain, 25, an electrician, among the crowd watching the ceremony, was unclear exactly what changes the charter would make. &quot;I don&#39;t know what is in it, or what good it will bring for us,&quot; he said. &quot;I just don&#39;t want to see people die anymore.&quot;

Bangladesh

Violent clashes erupted in Dhaka as police dispersed protesters opposing Bangladesh’s new political charter, introduced by interim leader Muhammad Yunus, ahead of its signing by major parties excluding Hasina’s Awami League.

