ISTANBUL: T&uuml;rkiye on Friday appointed an ambassador to Syria, whose new rulers it has supported since they came to power in December, a diplomatic source told AFP. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan named his deputy, Nuh Yilmaz, as T&uuml;rkiye&#39;s ambassador to Damascus, the source said. Until now, T&uuml;rkiye had been represented in its southern neighbour by a charge d&#39;affaires. The appointment of a close associate of the foreign minister is being interpreted as an important diplomatic signal. Yilmaz has served as deputy foreign minister since May 2024, said the ministry. Like Fidan, Yilmaz hails from the National Intelligence Organization and is fluent in English, having held several posts in Washington and taught in the United States. Ankara and Damascus had severed diplomatic ties under Syria&#39;s toppled ruler Bashar al-Assad Since December, the two countries have been strengthening their ties and cooperation, both economically and militarily.&nbsp;

Middle East

Türkiye has appointed an ambassador to Syria, whose new rulers it has supported since they came to power in December

Türkiye appoints ambassador to Syria

US President Donald Trump will meet Saturday with the emir and prime minister of Qatar, a key ally in preserving the fragile Gaza peace deal, during a refueling stop on his way to Asia, officials said.&nbsp;The Qatari leaders will board Air Force One late in the day when it lands at Al Udeid Air Base, which hosts the regional headquarters for the US military and thousands of American troops, a White House official said.&nbsp;Trump is travelling to Asia for the first time since retaking office in January, with two regional summits and a face-to-face meeting with China&#39;s Xi Jinping and other leaders on the agenda.&nbsp;Qatar has played a key mediating role in indirect talks between Israel and Hamas since the outbreak of the war and is among the guarantors of the fragile peace deal, along with Egypt, the United States and Turkey.&nbsp;Qatar&#39;s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani hosted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan this week to discuss the highly sensitive next steps in the deal, including the establishment of a security force in Gaza and the fate of Hamas.

US President Donald Trump will meet Qatar’s emir and prime minister on Saturday during a refueling stop at Al Udeid Air Base en route to Asia.


Trump to meet Qatar leaders on way to Asia

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Egypt reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation and working together for regional peace and stability during a meeting held in Cairo on Saturday.&nbsp;According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the meeting took place at the Itihadia Presidential Palace, where both sides exchanged views on bilateral relations, reaffirming the long-standing friendship between the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Arab Republic of Egypt.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pakistan&#39;s Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir lauded Egypt&rsquo;s leadership for its vital role in promoting peace and stability in the region, while President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi appreciated Pakistan&rsquo;s proactive and constructive contributions to global and Islamic causes.&nbsp;Both dignitaries reaffirmed their long-standing friendship and emphasized enhancing coordination in socio-economic development, technology, and security cooperation.&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;They also agreed to promote people-to-people contacts and deepen economic and defense partnerships&rdquo;, the statement added.&nbsp;The meeting concluded with both leaders confident that stronger economic and security ties would enhance regional peace and prosperity.

Foreign Affairs

Field Marshal Asim Munir and President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi meet in Cairo to reaffirm bilateral cooperation, discussing enhanced security coordination, economic collaboration, and people-to-people ties while underscoring shared commitment to regional stability and long-term strategic partnership

Pakistan, Egypt vow to deepen cooperation for regional peace, stability

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Kazakhstan successfully concluded their joint military exercise &#39;Dostarym-V&#39; at Cherat on Saturday, aimed at enhancing counter-terrorism skills, tactical coordination, and mutual defence cooperation between the two countries.&nbsp;According to an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement, combat teams from the Special Services Group (SSG) of Pakistan Army and Kazakhstan&rsquo;s Special Forces participated in the two-week-long exercise, which commenced on October 14, 2025.&nbsp;The Commandant of the Special Operations School, Cherat, was the chief guest at the closing ceremony. The Ambassador and Defence Attach&eacute; of Kazakhstan were also present.&nbsp;The exercise focused on refining drills, procedures, and techniques involved in counter-terrorism operations through combined training.

Security

Pakistan and Kazakhstan concluded their two-week joint military exercise Dostarym-V at Cherat, focusing on counter-terrorism training, tactical coordination, and strengthening defense ties through joint drills between Pakistan’s SSG and Kazakhstan’s Special Forces.

Pakistan, Kazakhstan conduct counter-terrorism exercise

ISLAMABAD: India is set to begin a large-scale tri-services military exercise, codenamed Trishul, along its border with Pakistan in Rajasthan from October 30, Indian media reported on Friday. According to reports in Times of India and India Today, the 12-day exercise will run until November 10 and involve all three branches of the Indian military &mdash; the Army, Navy, and Air Force &mdash; conducting joint operations across multiple terrains, from the desert region of Jaisalmer to the coastal areas near Sir Creek in Gujarat. India&rsquo;s Defense Ministry said the exercise aims to demonstrate the combined operational capability of its forces, self-reliance (Atmanirbharta), and technological innovation. &ldquo;Troops from Southern Command will actively participate to validate joint operations across diverse and challenging terrains, including offensive maneuvers in the creek and desert sectors, amphibious operations off the Saurashtra coast, and joint multi-domain operational exercises,&rdquo; India Today quoted the ministry as saying. Indian media reports said nearly 30,000 personnel will take part in the drills, which will include deep strike simulations and multi-domain warfare exercises. Operations are expected to extend to altitudes of up to 28,000 feet, making it one of the largest Indian military exercises in recent years. The Trishul exercise will also feature India&rsquo;s indigenously developed and advanced weapon systems, including T-90S and Arjun tanks, Howitzer artillery, Apache attack helicopters, and heavy-lift transport aircraft, Dainik Bhaskar reported. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh recently reviewed security preparations in Gujarat and discussed the Sir Creek border region, a long-standing point of dispute between India and Pakistan, during his visit, according to India.com. Indian outlets noted that the upcoming drills are aimed at strengthening coordination among the three armed forces and testing new technologies for unified combat readiness.

India

India’s Defense Ministry says the exercise aims to demonstrate the combined operational capability of its forces, self-reliance (Atmanirbharta), and technological innovation.

India schedules military exercise near Pakistan border

ISLAMABAD: The second round of talks between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban has formally begun in Istanbul, T&uuml;rkiye, official sources confirmed on Saturday. The latest engagement follows the first round of discussions in Doha, where both sides agreed to a ceasefire after days of cross-border clashes. According to sources who spoke with Pakistan TV Digital, the Istanbul discussions are centered on a three-point agenda: establishing a joint monitoring and oversight mechanism to curb cross-border militant movements; ensuring respect for national sovereignty under existing laws and international obligations; and addressing issues related to trade flows, refugee repatriation, and the separation of bilateral matters from domestic politics. Exploring long-term political understandingOfficials also noted that both sides are exploring the possibility of reaching a longer-term political understanding. Pakistan&rsquo;s Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi speaking at a weekly briefing on Friday, called the Doha engagement a &ldquo;positive marker.&rdquo; &ldquo;There has been no major full-scale terrorist attack emanating from Afghan soil in the last two to three days,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We would like the trend to continue in Istanbul and post-Istanbul.&rdquo; On the Afghan side, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid earlier confirmed on X that Deputy Interior Minister Haji Najib is leading Kabul&rsquo;s delegation, noting that &ldquo;the remaining issues will be discussed at this meeting.&rdquo; Islamabad&rsquo;s primary expectationAndrabi reiterated that Pakistan&rsquo;s central objective is to stop attacks originating from Afghan territory, adding that the ceasefire &ldquo;by and large still stands.&rdquo; Pakistan has faced a renewed surge in militancy in its western border regions since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Clashes escalated earlier this month when Afghan forces targeted Pakistani posts while Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi was on an official visit to India. Officials in Islamabad say the decision to re-enter dialogue was made at Kabul&rsquo;s request and through mutual understanding to pursue de-escalation. Pakistan maintains that continued engagement is vital for regional peace and stability. Prelude to Istanbul talksThe talks come after a series of deadly militant attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including incidents in Central Kurram and Dera Ismail Khan that claimed the lives of at least 28 Pakistani security personnel, among them senior officers. Following the attacks, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said Pakistan would send a delegation to Afghanistan due to &ldquo;unbearable&rdquo; security concerns. Hours later, explosions were reported in Kabul, which the Taliban blamed on Islamabad. Pakistan did not immediately comment. Subsequently, Pakistan conducted aerial strikes in Paktika&rsquo;s Birmal district, which the military described as targeting militant hideouts. The next day, on October 11, clashes erupted along multiple points of the 2,604-kilometer border. Afghanistan&#39;s 201st Khalid bin Walid Army Corps claimed the attacks were in response to Pakistan&rsquo;s earlier strikes. Pakistan countered by targeting several Afghan bases and also temporarily closed the Spin Boldak crossing. A temporary 48-hour ceasefire was reached on October 15 and later extended until the Doha round of talks, which took place last week with Qatar and T&uuml;rkiye mediating. Qatar&rsquo;s Foreign Ministry stated that both sides agreed to an immediate ceasefire and committed to further follow-up meetings to ensure implementation and stability.

Focus on establishing a verifiable monitoring mechanism, Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban resume talks in Istanbul after a Doha-brokered ceasefire, following deadly cross-border clashes and strikes on militant hideouts along the Pak-Afghan frontier

Pakistan, Afghan Taliban in second round of talks in Istanbul: sources

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday emphasized the need for national unity, social harmony, and collective effort to ensure Pakistan&rsquo;s peace, progress, and prosperity, saying that the entire nation must work together as one family to build a stronger and more developed country. Addressing participants of the National Workshop Balochistan in Islamabad, the prime minister said every citizen has a role to play in strengthening national cohesion and promoting love, tolerance, and sacrifice. &ldquo;Pakistan is one household, wherever there&rsquo;s a fire, we must join hands to put it out,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Only through love, unity, and selflessness can we make Pakistan a great nation.&rdquo; Sharif said that Pakistan&rsquo;s provinces form one &ldquo;family,&rdquo; and harmony among them is vital for a strong federation. &ldquo;We are Pakistanis first and then Baloch, Sindhi, Punjabi or Pashtun,&rdquo; he noted, recalling the spirit of consensus during the 2010 NFC Award when Punjab made &ldquo;historic sacrifices&rdquo; to strengthen national unity. He praised Balochistan&rsquo;s unique culture, history, and natural wealth, stressing that its development is essential for Pakistan&rsquo;s overall prosperity. &ldquo;Balochistan&rsquo;s natural resources are a blessing that remain untapped. The province&rsquo;s progress will lead to the country&rsquo;s collective success,&rdquo; he added, noting that better roads, power supply, and infrastructure were key to bringing education, healthcare, and industry to remote areas.&nbsp;The prime minister also reflected on the country&rsquo;s security challenges, recalling that Pakistan had successfully defeated terrorism by 2018. &ldquo;We must now ask ourselves &mdash; why did divisions re-emerge? We need to confront these hard questions and work together to restore lasting peace,&rdquo; he said. Sharif further emphasized that peace, brotherhood, and development are the true guarantees of progress. Referring to the reconstruction of the Karachi-Chaman highway, once known as the &ldquo;bloody road,&rdquo; he said the government has approved its dualization project worth Rs350 billion to ensure safer travel and better connectivity for Balochistan. He added that the government&rsquo;s reform agenda is delivering positive results across institutions. &ldquo;The journey of improvement in every sector of Pakistan is moving ahead with determination,&rdquo; he said. PM hails PIA&rsquo;s comeback flight to UKMeanwhile, the prime minister congratulated the nation, especially overseas Pakistanis in the United Kingdom, on the resumption of Pakistan International Airlines&rsquo; (PIA) direct flights from Islamabad to Manchester. He lauded the efforts of Aviation Minister Khawaja Asif, the Civil Aviation Authority, and PIA officials, saying the airline&rsquo;s reputation, once damaged by restrictions, was being restored after years of effort. &ldquo;By the grace of Allah, Pakistan&rsquo;s image is being revived globally,&rdquo; he remarked, adding that the new direct flights would further strengthen people-to-people ties between Pakistan and the UK.

The prime minister says every citizen has a role to play in strengthening national cohesion and promoting love, tolerance, and sacrifice.

PM Sharif calls for unity, inclusive growth to strengthen Pakistan’s future

ISLAMABAD: Malaysia will play host to the 47th ASEAN Summit and related summits at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC), under the theme &ldquo;Inclusivity and Sustainability&rdquo; from 26 to 28 October 2025, said a press release issued by the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday. &nbsp; As chair of ASEAN for the year, Malaysia will bring together regional and global leaders for three days of high-level discussions aimed at advancing regional integration, economic growth, and long-term cooperation. Series of meetings&nbsp;The event will encompass a series of meetings including the ASEAN Summit, ASEAN Plus One Summits with seven dialogue partners, Australia, China, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, Russia, and the United States, as well as the ASEAN Plus Three Summit, the East Asia Summit, the ASEAN&ndash;United Nations Summit, and the ASEAN&ndash;New Zealand Commemorative Summit marking 50 years of dialogue relations.&nbsp; On the sidelines, Malaysia will also convene the 5th Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Summit and the 3rd Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) Leaders&rsquo; Meeting. The opening ceremony on 26 October 2025 will gather all ASEAN leaders, alongside the president and prime minister of Timor-Leste, the guests of the ASEAN chair, and other invited dignitaries, the press release said.&nbsp; Admission of Timor-Leste into ASEANA historic highlight of the ceremony will be the signing of the declaration on the admission of Timor-Leste into ASEAN, officially welcoming the nation as ASEAN&rsquo;s 11th Member State. Prime Minister Dato&rsquo; Seri Anwar Ibrahim will chair the 47th ASEAN Summit, divided into plenary and retreat sessions.&nbsp; Plenary session&nbsp;The plenary session will include participation from the prime minister of Canada, the president of the European Council, and the managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).&nbsp; Discussions will center on strengthening the ASEAN Community, deepening regional integration, stimulating economic growth, and enhancing connectivity.&nbsp; Leaders will also deliberate on ASEAN unity, centrality, and the importance of a rules-based multilateral order.&nbsp; Canada and the EU will share perspectives on their partnership with ASEAN, while the IMF will brief leaders on global macroeconomic trends and ASEAN&rsquo;s policy outlook, the press release said. Retreat session&nbsp;In the retreat session, ASEAN leaders will review the implementation of the five-point consensus on Myanmar, discussing steps forward to address the ongoing political and humanitarian crisis, alongside other regional and global matters of shared concern. From 26 to 28 October, the ASEAN Plus One Summits will focus on trade, investment, supply chain resilience, digitalization, renewable energy, and green growth.&nbsp; A major milestone will be the ASEAN-New Zealand Commemorative Summit, during which leaders are expected to announce the ASEAN-New Zealand Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. On 27 October, the 28th ASEAN Plus Three (APT) Summit will convene ASEAN, China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea to discuss cooperation in the digital economy, maritime affairs, energy, health, education, and connectivity.&nbsp; The ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) and East Asia Business Council (EABC) will brief leaders on economic and financial outlooks. The same day, the 20th East Asia Summit will gather all 19 EAS participants, joined by the presidents of Brazil and South Africa as guests of the ASEAN chair, according to the Malaysian Foreign Affairs Ministry&rsquo;s press release. Lula-Trump possible meeting&nbsp;There is a possibility of a meeting between the Brazilian president with the US president on the sidelines of the summit, according to AFP. &nbsp; Brazil&#39;s Minister of Mines and Energy, Alexandre Silveira, there is &quot;a convergence of interests between our mineral potential and American capital.&quot; The issue could feature at a possible meeting this weekend between Trump and Brazil&#39;s leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Kuala Lumpur.Lula himself said Friday he was willing to &quot;talk about everything&quot; with Trump, &quot;from Gaza to Ukraine, Russia, Venezuela, critical minerals, rare earths.&quot; The South American giant holds the world&#39;s second-largest reserves of these elements used in everything from electric vehicles, solar panels and smartphones to jet engines and guided missiles. 20th anniversary&nbsp;Marking its 20th anniversary, the summit will reaffirm cooperation to promote peace, stability, and prosperity across East Asia, according to the Malaysian Foreign Affairs Ministry&rsquo;s press release. Following several ministerial and senior officials&rsquo; meetings from 22 to 25 October, the summits will conclude on 28 October with the handing over of the ASEAN chairmanship from Malaysia to the Philippines, symbolizing another milestone in ASEAN&rsquo;s ongoing journey toward a united, peaceful, and prosperous region, the press release concluded.

Asia

The event will encompass a series of meetings, including ASEAN Summit and ASEAN Plus One Summits; the plenary session will include participation from premier of Canada, president of the European Council, and IMF managing director. 

Malaysia to host 47th ASEAN Summit from October 26-28

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Coast Guards carried out a series of intelligence-based operations in Balochistan&rsquo;s coastal areas over the past week. The estimated value of the seized narcotics is worth over $35 million.&nbsp;&nbsp; During a raid in the Pleri area of Gwadar, officials recovered 201 kilograms of high-quality hashish concealed in a single-cabin vehicle, said an official statement on Saturday. In another operation in Pasni&rsquo;s Prag area, the Coast Guards seized 42 kilograms of crystal meth (ice), while at the Badok Road check post, a suspicious vehicle was stopped and searched, leading to the discovery of 1,183.71 grams of gold hidden in a bag. At the Hub Bypass Road check post, a passenger bus was intercepted, and 250 kilograms of hashish were found concealed in secret compartments. Market value&nbsp;According to a Pakistan Coast Guards spokesperson, the recovered narcotics were intended to be smuggled within or outside the country.The confiscated drugs and gold have been taken into custody, and legal proceedings have been initiated.The estimated international market value of the seized narcotics is around 35.95 million USD, while the gold is valued at approximately 0.15 million USD.The spokesperson added that Pakistan Coast Guards will continue their efforts to curb narcotics and all forms of smuggling to help strengthen the national economy.

In another operation in Pasni’s Prag area, Coast Guards seized 42 kilograms of crystal meth (ice), while at Badok Road check post, a suspicious vehicle was stopped and searched, leading to the discovery of 1.1kg of gold hidden in a bag.

Pakistan Coast Guards seize narcotics worth over $35 million 

ISLAMABAD: &nbsp;India&rsquo;s largest conglomerate, Tata, is complicit in &lsquo;providing the hardware of genocide, the machinery of daily oppression, and the digital backbone of apartheid&rsquo; in Gaza, according to a new report released by SALAM, a New York City-based South Asian political organization. The report states, &ldquo;Tata&rsquo;s emergence as a cornerstone of Indian capitalism is deeply entangled with colonial power and imperial war economies.&rdquo; &ldquo;Through its subsidiary, Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL), it is a core global provider of wings for all new F-16 fighter jets and fuselages for all AH-64 Apache attack helicopters&mdash;the primary aircraft used by the Israeli Air Force to bombard Gaza,&rdquo; the extensively referenced report says. Critical command systems &nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Through its partnership with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), TASL manufactures the critical command systems for the Barak-8 missile, a weapon actively deployed by the Israeli Navy,&rdquo; the report highlights. The report says, &ldquo;Tata Motors, via its subsidiary, Jaguar Land Rover, supplies the foundational chassis for the MDT David light armored vehicle, a ubiquitous tool of the Israeli military used for patrols, raids, and the violent suppression of protests in the occupied West Bank.&rdquo; Reputation laundering and sports washing&nbsp;To shield these operations, the report says, &ldquo;the Tata Group has meticulously cultivated a global image of corporate benevolence, leveraging its philanthropic trusts and a significant US presence.&rdquo; &ldquo;This strategy of reputation laundering culminates in its title sponsorship of the New York City Marathon, a textbook case of sportswashing designed to mask its role in profiting from genocide.&rdquo; Tata-Lockheed Martin joint venture&nbsp;According to the report, &ldquo;the joint venture Tata-Lockheed Martin Aerostructures Limited (TLMAL) is a core global provider of wings for all new Fighting Falcon fighter jets. The F-16 is a supersonic, multirole tactical fighter that has been the workhorse and backbone of the Israeli Air Force (IAF) for over four decades.&rdquo; &ldquo;The aircraft has been central to nearly every major Israeli military operation since the 1980s. IAF F-16s have played a major role in Israel&rsquo;s ongoing genocide115 in Gaza, carrying out thousands of airstrikes,&rdquo; it adds. India&rsquo;s complicity in genocide in Gaza&nbsp;&ldquo;During the ongoing genocide in Gaza, India&rsquo;s complicity has become overt,&rdquo; says the report. &ldquo;The government has abstained on UN resolutions calling for a truce and an arms embargo, while Indian corporations have reportedly exported Hermes 900 drones back to Israel, a fact made clear in May 2024 when a ship from Chennai carrying 27 tons of munitions for the Israeli military was blocked in Spain (these drones are partially manufactured in India to lower costs, through joint ventures with Israeli firms),&rdquo; the report highlights. Moreover, according to the report, &ldquo;the Indian state has sent thousands of migrant workers to replace Palestinian labor.&rdquo; &ldquo;During the genocide in Gaza, the Indian government has sent over 20,000 migrant workers to Israel to replace the Palestinian labor force whose work permits were canceled,&rdquo; according to the report. Diaspora lobbyist groupsThe report points out: &ldquo;This alliance is further supported by diaspora lobbyist groups in the US, like the Hindu American Foundation (HAF), which emulate Zionist organizations such as AIPAC to build political support.&rdquo; &ldquo;Under the current right-wing government of Narendra Modi, this longstanding affinity has materialized into a strategic state partnership,&rdquo; it adds. &lsquo;Israel model&rsquo;&nbsp;This is most evident in India&rsquo;s colonial occupation of Kashmir, where the &ldquo;Israel model&rdquo; is being explicitly replicated through new land laws that facilitate settlement by mainland Indians in &ldquo;Israeli-like&rdquo; guarded, Hindu-only enclaves. India and Israel -- explicit parallels&nbsp;&nbsp;The explicit parallels between the two states were made brutally clear after the Pahalgam incident in April 2025, the report says. It further points out: &ldquo;Framing the attacks as &ldquo;India&rsquo;s October 7th,&rdquo; prominent Indian figures made public calls for an &ldquo;Israel like&rdquo; response against Kashmiris, urging the state to replicate Israel&rsquo;s genocidal war on Gaza.&rdquo; Highlighting the alliance between Israel and India, the report states: &ldquo;When the Indian military later launched &ldquo;Operation Sindoor&rdquo; against Pakistani civilian targets using Israeli weapons, the Israeli government was the first and only foreign government to enthusiastically express its support.&rdquo; Shared ideology of ethno-racial supremacy&nbsp;&ldquo;This shared rhetoric and mutual affirmation of violence demonstrates that the material relationship rests on a deep, shared ideology of violent anti-Muslim racism, ethno-racial supremacy and settler-colonial entitlement to land,&rdquo; the report underlines.

Says during the ongoing genocide in Gaza, India’s complicity has become overt; states Tata Group’s strategy of reputation laundering is designed to mask its role in profiting from genocide.

India's Tata complicit in Israel’s genocide of Palestinians: report  

Cricket

Gambhir allegedly spends nearly five million Indian rupees on PR efforts following the team’s 0-2 loss in Australia.