WORLD

 Islamabad, 11 October, 2026 (Ghufran): Hurricane Simon has intensified into a powerful Category 4 storm off Mexico’s Pacific coast, threatening destructive winds, heavy rainfall, storm surges and life-threatening flooding. The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported that Simon was located about 185 kilometres south-southwest of Manzanillo on Saturday, with maximum sustained winds of 240 kilometres per hour. The storm is expected to approach Mexico’s west-central coast late Saturday or early Sunday. Authorities have issued hurricane warnings for coastal areas south of Puerto Vallarta, including Manzanillo, while a tropical storm watch remains in effect farther south toward Lazaro Cardenas. Residents have been urged to complete emergency preparations to protect lives and proper...

 Islamabad, 11 October, 2026 (Kamran Raja): Yemen’s Houthi movement has renewed warnings to airlines, travellers and airport workers to avoid Saudi airports and airspace following a deadly attack on Riyadh’s international airport that reportedly killed 12 people and injured more than 300 others. The attack, described as the deadliest of its kind in Saudi Arabia in more than a decade, comes amid escalating clashes between the Iran-backed Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces. In a statement posted on social media platform X on Sunday, the Houthis warned that Saudi airports and airspace had become potential targets, while excluding airports in the holy cities of Makkah and Madina from the warning. The group also cautioned that Saudi Arabia would bear responsibility for a...

Islamabad, 11 October, 2026 (Ghufran): At least 12 people have been killed and 309 injured in a suspected attack by Iran-backed Houthi militants on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, according to officials briefed on the incident. The attack prompted the suspension of airport operations, the Saudi Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement. More than a dozen ambulances were reportedly dispatched to the airport, while doctors were called to hospitals to respond to what medical sources described as a serious emergency. An eyewitness at the domestic terminal said Gate 401 had been hit and injured people were seen at the scene as passengers ran for safety. The US Embassy in Saudi Arabia acknowledged reports of attacks on the airport and urged American citizens to avoi...

 BEIJING, 10 October, 2026 (Nosheen): China and the European Union have agreed to explore tariff reductions on selected goods, strengthen cooperation on export controls and address outstanding market access issues to stabilise bilateral trade and economic relations. The agreement was reached during the second China-EU Trade and Investment Consultation Mechanism meeting held in Beijing on October 8–9, co-chaired by Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and European Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to resolving trade disputes under World Trade Organisation rules and promoting balanced economic ties. They also agreed to continue consultations on hybrid vehicles, Chinese electric vehicles and access to medical device markets. The two sides will...

TEHRAN, 10 October, 2026 (Ghufran): Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has called for practical regional diplomacy focused on dialogue, crisis management and cooperation to prevent escalation, while US President Donald Trump warned that Washington could take further action against Iran, describing the country as being in serious trouble. Meanwhile, Trump announced an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin for Russia to supply more than 300,000 metric tons of diesel to US and global markets, with additional shipments expected in the coming months. The US temporarily eased sanctions to allow Russian diesel imports until April 7, aiming to address rising fuel prices ahead of the November midterm elections. The agreement drew criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and...

WASHINGTON, 10 October, 2026 (Kamran Raja): US President Donald Trump has appealed to the Supreme Court to revive his dismissed lawsuit against former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, former FBI Director James Comey and others, accusing them of conspiring to undermine his 2016 election campaign by linking it to Russia. The lawsuit, filed in 2022, alleged that Clinton and her allies promoted a false narrative about collusion between Trump's campaign and Russia. A federal judge dismissed the case and imposed nearly $1 million in sanctions against Trump and his lawyer, Alina Habba, describing the lawsuit as frivolous and intended to advance a political narrative. The Atlanta-based 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the dismissal and sanctions in 2025. Meanwhile, a 2019 ...

 TEL AVIV, 10 October, 2026 (Kamran Raja): Yair Golan, leader of Israel’s opposition Democratic Party, has described the killing of Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei at the beginning of the US-Israeli war against Iran as a “mistake,” arguing that the action did not serve Israel’s national interests. Speaking during an event in Rishon LeZion, south of Tel Aviv, Golan said the killing of Khamenei was a mistake, not because he did not deserve to die, but because it failed to advance Israel’s interests. He also pointed out that Khamenei was 86 years old at the time. Golan argued that the succession of Khamenei by his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, had left Iran under the leadership of individuals he described as more extreme and violent. The Israeli opposition leader also criticised P...

MOSCOW, 10 October, 2026 (Nosheen): Russian President Vladimir Putin told US President Donald Trump during a telephone conversation on Friday that Ukraine’s drone attacks had undermined the possibility of an immediate resumption of trilateral peace talks, the Kremlin said. Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said Kyiv’s attacks on Moscow, other cities and polling stations during last month’s Russian parliamentary elections had disrupted prospects for an early return to negotiations involving the United States, Russia and Ukraine. He said Moscow had been prepared to resume talks with Kyiv after the elections, but the attacks had put the peace process in jeopardy. Ushakov added that Russia would now consider when negotiations could resume. US President Donald Trump has been seeking a pe...

 RIYADH, 9 October, 2026 (Kamran Raja): Saudi Arabia’s National Society for Human Rights has urged the United Nations and the Security Council to take decisive action to end the recruitment and exploitation of children by Yemen’s Houthi militia, calling for the release of recruited minors and accountability for those responsible. According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the society condemned the continued recruitment and use of children in combat operations, warning that the practice exposes them to serious danger, deprives them of education and a safe childhood, and threatens their future. It cited international reports documenting the recruitment of children by the Iran-backed Houthis and urged concrete measures to prevent further recruitment, secure the release of affected ch...

 GENEVA, 9 October, 2026 (Ghufran): Nearly all residents of Gaza require tents or other shelter assistance ahead of winter, as the El Niño weather phenomenon is expected to bring heavier rainfall and increase the risk of flooding, the UN migration agency said on Friday. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) warned that the weather conditions could further weaken already unsafe buildings and trigger flooding because of the enclave’s severely damaged drainage systems. According to IOM Director General Amy Pope, nearly two million people in Gaza, much of which has been devastated by the war launched by Israel in response to Hamas’ October 2023 attack, require humanitarian assistance. However, only around 17 percent of the identified needs for winter shelter supplies have...