WORLD

 ISLAMABAD, 14 October, 2026 (Kamran Raja): China has never recognized the so-called “Union Territory of Ladakh,” which it describes as having been unilaterally and illegally established by India, and firmly opposes New Delhi’s announcement of standardized place names in the disputed border region, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Tuesday. Mao made the remarks while responding to a question regarding India’s Ministry of Home Affairs announcement of standardized names for 28 locations, including areas along the disputed border and places under China’s actual control, and their inclusion on official maps. She said the move was illegal and invalid and could not change China’s position that the relevant areas in the western sector of the China-India boundary have...

ISLAMABAD, 14 October, 2026 (Ghufran): A container ship has sunk near the Strait of Hormuz after being struck by a projectile, while a separate bulk carrier damaged in an earlier attack has also been reported to be sinking, according to maritime security sources. The Singapore-flagged container ship GFS Pride, with a capacity of 2,824 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), sank in the incident, the sources said. Pakistan’s Hydrographer issued a navigational warning to ships on October 14, reporting that the vessel had sunk and containers were floating in the surrounding waters, cautioning mariners to remain alert. The vessel’s UAE-based manager, GFS Ship Management FZE, was not immediately available for comment. According to data from the International Maritime Organization, the United Natio...

ISLAMABAD, 14 October, 2026 (Kamran Raja): China has purchased 8 to 10 cargoes of US soybeans in its first such deals since the September summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington, according to three trade sources. The cargoes, each carrying approximately 65,000 metric tons, are scheduled for shipment from December onwards. The purchases were made by state-owned Chinese trading firms amid renewed market expectations for Chinese demand following several weeks of limited buying. Traders said the companies paid premiums of $3.10 to $3.20 per bushel over the January Chicago Board of Trade soybean futures contract. The latest deals come after the two countries announced a proposed list of tariff reductions following the September summit, which exclu...

 AZERBAIJAN, 14 October, 2026 (Kamran Raja): Protests against restrictions on schoolgirls wearing hijab have spread across Azerbaijan, with students boycotting classes in solidarity with their classmates who were reportedly barred from entering classrooms. According to Iran’s Tasnim News Agency, demonstrations and class boycotts have been reported in the capital, Baku, as well as in several other areas, including School No. 322, School No. 69, Masalli and Jalilabad. In some areas, parents have reportedly threatened to withdraw their children from schools in protest against the restrictions. The controversy began after Cabinet Resolution No. 309 was adopted on September 21, prohibiting additional clothing that conflicts with school uniform regulations. Although the resolution does ...

LONDON, 13 October, 2026 (Ghufran): British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said it is highly likely that a suspected plot targeting RAF Fairford air base was coordinated in Iran and almost certainly directed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), raising tensions between London and Tehran. Addressing Parliament on Monday, Burnham said the British government would not tolerate threats on its soil and would take further action against Iran’s alleged use of criminal networks, including targeting their funding sources and imposing additional sanctions. The RAF Fairford base in southwest England, previously used by US bombers to launch strikes against Iran, became the focus of a major security operation after five British men were arrested nearby in the early hours of September 27 on...

 BRUSSELS, 13 October, 2026 (Kamran Raja): NATO’s top military commander has warned Russia that the alliance would destroy anything and everything supporting an attack if Moscow were to launch an assault on NATO territory. Speaking at the Warsaw Security Forum, US Air Force General Alexus Grynkewich stressed that NATO is a defensive alliance but said it was prepared to block, blunt and break enemy forces to ensure any attack against its members proved “utterly futile.” His remarks come amid rising tensions between Europe and Russia and continuing concerns among European allies over US President Donald Trump’s commitment to NATO’s mutual defence pact. Trump has recently announced a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin allowing Russia to supply diesel to global markets and ren...

 SANAA, 13 October, 2026 (Nosheen): Yemen’s armed forces have claimed that approximately 950 Houthi fighters were killed and 380 military vehicles and other assets were destroyed or disabled during 1,879 operations conducted under “Operation Dawn of Yemen.” According to Arab media reports, Yemeni armed forces spokesperson Colonel Majid Al-Nazili said the operations targeted Houthi military positions using fighter aircraft, drones, artillery, rocket launchers and sniper units. He said preliminary estimates indicated that around 950 Houthi fighters had been killed, while 380 military vehicles, logistical assets and other equipment had been destroyed or rendered inoperable. Al-Nazili stated that the operations disrupted Houthi firing positions and affected the group’s command-and-con...

BEIRUT, 13 October, 2026 (Ghufran): Hezbollah has announced financial assistance of up to $14,000 for families whose homes were destroyed or rendered uninhabitable during the war with Israel. Ali Daamoush, head of Hezbollah’s Executive Council, announced the initiative at a news conference on Tuesday, accusing the Lebanese state of failing to fulfil its responsibilities towards displaced families. According to Daamoush, families who lost their homes in Beirut and its southern suburbs will receive $14,000 each, while those in other parts of Lebanon will be given $12,000. Each payment includes $8,000 for furniture, with the remaining amount intended to cover rental expenses. Daamoush did not disclose the total number of eligible families or the overall cost of the initiative. The funding sou...