News Archives for Latest - 2025-12-15

Terrorists in Afghanistan hinder regional economic integration, pose serious security challenges: envoy

Afghanistan’s neighbours, Russia back Kabul-Islamabad reconciliation; Pakistan envoy holds separate meetings with counterparts from China, Uzbekistan.

Published 15 Dec, 2025 11:53pm

India charges six over Pahalgam attack

Three of those named in the chargesheet are dead and two are in Indian custody.

Published 15 Dec, 2025 11:34pm

KP & FATA

Militants blow up girl’s school in North Waziristan’s Mir Ali

At least 250 girls were enrolled at the school; district administration says additional security measures are being implemented to protect schools.

Published 15 Dec, 2025 11:30pm

Punjab

2 cops martyred, 3 injured as train collides with police vehicle in Sargodha

Railways official says incident occurred at unmanned railroad crossing; one cop in critical condition.

Updated 16 Dec, 2025 01:37am

KP & FATA

ATC orders forensic examination of Radio Pakistan attack videos

Allows plea of PBC for facial recognition of accused through NADRA;

Published 15 Dec, 2025 10:49pm

Punjab

ATC Lahore hands 35-year imprisonment to banned TLP leader for inciting violence against chief justice

Prosecution presents 15 witnesses in support of charges against the cleric; convict sent to Lahore's Kot Lakhpat jail.

Updated 15 Dec, 2025 10:13pm

UN at a crossroads: Time for a woman — or Muslim — secretary-general

Member States have encouraged nominating a woman while also underscoring the importance of regional diversity.

Published 15 Dec, 2025 08:50pm

Punjab

No fly zone: Punjab Assembly passes stringent bill regulating kite-flying

Bill to only permit kite-flying only on specific days; minors involved in kite-flying will be tried under the Juvenile Justice System Act and be fined Rs50,000 for the first offence.

Published 15 Dec, 2025 08:39pm

‘Hero’ who disarmed Bondi gunman recovers in hospital as donations pour in

GoFundMe campaign set up for Ahmed has raised more than A$1.1 million within one day.

Published 15 Dec, 2025 07:59pm

Shaheen pulled out for dangerous bowling on BBL debut

In the 18th over of the Renegades’ innings, the left-armer delivered two waist-high full tosses.

Published 15 Dec, 2025 07:44pm

Punjab

Punjab to field new riot control force for ‘unlawful’ protests

Bill grants legal protection to Riot Management Unit personnel for actions taken “in good faith” during riot control, shielding them from lawsuits, prosecutions for lawful use of force.

Published 15 Dec, 2025 07:27pm

MQM-P proposes disbursing local bodies’ share through NFC as provinces fail to transfer funds to districts

These ministries … that we have are not a benediction bestowed upon us, I keep them at the tip of my toe: Mustafa Kamal

Published 15 Dec, 2025 07:02pm

Messi mania peaks in India’s pollution-hit capital

The 38-year-old Argentine great greeted chanting supporters at a nearly packed Arun Jaitley Stadium.

Published 15 Dec, 2025 06:56pm

KP & FATA

Soldier martyred in DI Khan counter-insurgency operation: ISPR

Seven terrorists killed and weapons seized, says military's media wing.

Published 15 Dec, 2025 05:32pm

Aurangzeb highlights Pakistan’s strategic shift to restore economic confidence

Discussions regarding Free Trade Agreement with GCC are at an 'advanced stage', said Senator Aurangzeb.

Published 15 Dec, 2025 05:26pm

Central bank slashes policy rate by 50 bps to 10.5pc

The last reduction in the policy rate came in May. Since then, the benchmark rate has held at 11 per cent.

Updated 15 Dec, 2025 06:57pm

A week in social media: A hero hailed, Cardi B takes over the Kingdom and Dhurandhar saga continues

A recap of the biggest events on social media this week, ICYMI!

Published 15 Dec, 2025 04:01pm

Overseas minister says PM Shehbaz has taken notice of passengers being offloaded at airports, committee formed

Minister notes passengers being offloaded despite having complete documentation; committee to meet this week, he says.

Updated 15 Dec, 2025 05:40pm

Desperate England looking for Ashes miracle in Adelaide

With the Ashes on the line, England have axed paceman Gus Atkinson with Josh Tongue coming in as a like-for-like replacement.

Published 15 Dec, 2025 02:48pm

Meet Nasreen Askari — the force behind the Mohatta Palace Museum

After a 28-year stint at Mohatta, the curator is leaving to start her own museum dedicated to textiles.

Published 15 Dec, 2025 02:43pm

The 27th Constitutional Amendment and the limits of military reorganisation

History shows that organisational redesign alone cannot overcome the realities of conflict.

Published 15 Dec, 2025 01:58pm

Punjab

Lahore court grants pre-arrest bail to content creators Rajab Butt, Nadeem Mubarak

Case concerns the alleged promotion of gambling apps; NCCIA restrained from arresting them till January 6.

Published 15 Dec, 2025 01:50pm

No ‘out-of-pocket expenses’ for childbirth in China from 2026

By 2026, China will aim to offer nationwide full reimbursement for all policy-covered medical expenses related to childbirth, including prenatal checkups.

Published 15 Dec, 2025 01:31pm

Pakistan Idol is back and betting on the grassroots — but will that be enough to fix our music industry woes?

Small-town singers, forgotten songs and a gentler judging panel define the franchise’s unlikely comeback.

Published 15 Dec, 2025 01:29pm

Year’s last nationwide polio campaign to immunise 45m children begins

Week-long drive to run till December 21; Sindh CM Murad, PPP's Aseefa call on people to cooperate with polio workers.

Published 15 Dec, 2025 01:24pm

Justice Jahangiri objects to IHC CJ-led division bench hearing fake degree case

Takes exception to "haste" in proceedings, criticises earlier order barring him from work; court summons KU registrar in person at next hearing on Dec 18.

Updated 15 Dec, 2025 02:46pm

Pakistan fires back at Dhurandhar with its own film on Lyari set to release next month

Provincial Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon revealed the movie's posters and called the Indian film 'negative propaganda'.

Published 15 Dec, 2025 12:55pm

Top Featured

Karachi’s infrastructure is killing us, literally

Infrastructure is meant to protect people. In Karachi, it has become the reason people are dying.

Published 15 Dec, 2025 12:26pm

Pakistan-origin man living in Sydney falsely identified as Bondi Beach gunman fears his life is in danger

Man, who shares the same name as with one of the suspected shooters, issues plea for help; says he "can't go outside safely".

Updated 15 Dec, 2025 02:20pm

Pakistan condemns ‘heinous’ attack on UN peacekeepers in Sudan, calls for holding perpetrators responsible

“We pay homage to the ultimate sacrifice made by these Blue Helmets in the line of duty for peace and stability in the region,” Foreign Office says.

Published 15 Dec, 2025 12:03pm

Witnesses tell of courage, panic in wake of Bondi Beach shootings

A father-and-son duo opened fire during a Jewish celebration, killing 15 people and wounding dozens more.

Published 15 Dec, 2025 11:50am

Cardi B, brimming with praise for Saudi Arabia, goes viral in kingdom

The rapper welcomed thousands at Riyadh’s MDLBEAST Soundstorm festival with 'Salam alaikum,' then later said, 'everything is mashallah.'

Published 15 Dec, 2025 11:35am

Director Rob Reiner, wife Michele have died, family spokesperson confirms after bodies found in LA home

Reiner directed classic rom-coms such as The Princess Bride and When Harry Met Sally.

Published 15 Dec, 2025 11:14am

Hong Kong court finds tycoon Jimmy Lai guilty in landmark security trial

Pre-sentencing hearing scheduled for January 12; Lai to decide whether to appeal after sentencing, says lawyer.

Published 15 Dec, 2025 11:05am

Police to release man detained over Brown University mass shooting

A man in his 20s had been taken into custody in connection with the shooting; Providence mayor says investigation going into a “different direction.”

Published 15 Dec, 2025 10:58am

Father and son behind Bondi Jewish festival shooting that killed 15, Australian police say

Police say the father was killed at the scene, while the son is in critical condition; bystander captured on video tackling and disarming an armed man during the attack hailed a hero.

Updated 15 Dec, 2025 11:49am

None of South Asia’s regional rivalries will matter if climate change renders our lands uninhabitable

The combination of climate change and conflict politics is fast turning this region into one of the world’s most dangerous flashpoints.

Published 15 Dec, 2025 09:20am

2025 — A year of living anxiously in Pakistan

2025 saw democratic erosion, greater military dominance and elusive political stability.

Published 15 Dec, 2025 09:07am

Editorial: Pak-India rivalry remains the biggest obstacle in transforming Saarc into a dynamic regional body

No multilateral body can function when members seek to assert their hegemony over smaller states, or attempt to isolate other members.

Published 15 Dec, 2025 08:55am

The road to cotton revival

Any agriculture policy that overlooks its impact on farmers’ earnings is bound to fail.

Published 15 Dec, 2025 08:45am

Balochistan

The ‘far-flung area’ located mere hours from Quetta

Due to a lack of economic opportunities, dozens of youths from Sanzala can be found working in ubiquitous ‘Quetta tea hotels’ across the entire country.

Published 15 Dec, 2025 08:41am

Rethinking Pakistan’s food plate

Viewed through a corporate window, Pakistan’s food plate reflects decades of incentive structures, subsidy regimes, and investment patterns that have quietly shaped both production and consumption.

Published 15 Dec, 2025 08:40am

Pakistan Ulema Council urges Kabul to implement Afghan clerics’ resolution against militancy abroad

“It is now the responsibility of the Afghan interim government to ensure the implementation of the recent declaration issued by its scholars,” says PUC Chairman Hafiz Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi.

Updated 15 Dec, 2025 08:39am

Balochistan

700 militants killed in Balochistan IBOs this year: official

“In various operations and attacks, 202 security personnel and 280 civilians were martyred in the province this year,” says Additional Chief Secretary Hamza Shafqaat.

Published 15 Dec, 2025 07:49am

Why a South-first, export-oriented industrial strategy is an economically efficient way forward for Pakistan

Any coherent and economically sound industrial policy would want to maximise the benefits available from the low-cost unused power.

Published 15 Dec, 2025 07:40am

The state taxes broadband as if it were a luxury product rather than the backbone of the 21st century

The country claims it wants digital growth, but it taxes the very oxygen that allows digital ecosystems to breathe.

Updated 15 Dec, 2025 08:37am

Business

Recognising the merit of the 7th NFC award

Analysts fear that the Centre will not refrain from attempting to slash the provincial share or, alternatively, impose new expenditures on the provinces as talks move forward.

Updated 15 Dec, 2025 07:25am

KP & FATA

Refusals against vaccination major obstacle to polio eradication in KP

The campaign against polio will take place from December 15 to 18 in the province.

Updated 15 Dec, 2025 10:12am

KP & FATA

Dubair valley residents await rehabilitation of schools, roads

Four years after the 2022 floods, Dubair valley residents still await reconstruction of schools, roads, and healthcare facilities.

Updated 15 Dec, 2025 10:16am

KP & FATA

Main suspect in Dr Warda murder case killed in ‘encounter’

According to sources, the suspect was killed on the spot while resisting arrest.

Updated 15 Dec, 2025 10:06am

KP & FATA

PHC sets aside orders of ombudsperson about women’s property rights

Rules the forum lacks jurisdiction in complicated ownership issues, partition of properties.

Updated 15 Dec, 2025 09:52am

Islamabad

Grand National Olive Gala draws 25,000 visitors in Islamabad

Significant interest witnessed in value-added products, particularly olive oil-based cosmetics.

Updated 15 Dec, 2025 09:36am

Islamabad

Lack of cleanliness leads to piles of garbage in Islamabad’s rural areas

Issue will be resolved soon when door-to-door collection will start under new contracts, CDA official says.

Updated 15 Dec, 2025 09:37am

Islamabad

Main project of T-Chowk Flyover in Islamabad ready 2 months before deadline

Project is complete and hopefully will be inaugurated anytime this week, says CDA official

Updated 15 Dec, 2025 09:42am

Punjab

Year’s last anti-polio drive in Punjab to target 17m children

Environmental surveillance indicated a decline in virus positivity, falling from 43pc in June to 26pc in November, says Tasawur.

Updated 15 Dec, 2025 10:01am

Punjab

JI for fair polls under proportional representation

Announces nation-wide sit-ins on Dec 21.

Updated 15 Dec, 2025 09:45am

Punjab

Goods transport owners strike forces development projects in Punjab to stop

Public and private sector development projects in Punjab have come to a grinding halt owing to the lack of construction material.

Updated 15 Dec, 2025 10:04am

Sindh

Stench, toxic gases from garbage dump along Karachi’s Malir river plague residents, commuters

Residents and commuters near Malir river endure foul odours and toxic gases from a government-managed garbage transfer station.

Updated 15 Dec, 2025 10:03am

Sindh

Murad wants work on BRT Red Line expedited

“Development projects must be completed at the earliest with minimal inconvenience to citizens," he says.

Updated 15 Dec, 2025 09:02am

Sindh

Pakistan Navy conducts firing of surface-to-air missile at sea

PN ship successfully engages highly manoeuvrable aerial targets.

Updated 15 Dec, 2025 09:51am

Sindh

Victory for medicinal plant highly prized for its resin

Gughar has now been listed in the Appendix II of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna.

Updated 15 Dec, 2025 09:04am

International

French farmers keep up road blocks over cow ‘mass slaughter’

Many farmers in southern and southwest France have been incensed by the use of police force and the government’s mass slaughter policy to contain the spread of nodular dermatitis.

Updated 15 Dec, 2025 08:13am

International

We have legitimate right to weapons, says Hamas chief

Confirms the head of the group's weapons production was killed in an Israeli strike in the Gaza Strip.

Updated 15 Dec, 2025 08:06am

International

Syrian who killed Americans was part of security forces

Two US troops and a civilian interpreter were killed in what the Syrian government described as a “terrorist attack” on Saturday.

Updated 15 Dec, 2025 08:30am

Business & Finance

Fixing the water crisis in Karachi with lining work

Though lining barrages will offer some relief to Karachi’s water crisis, permanent resolution is only possible if extension plans at the water source are set in motion.

Updated 15 Dec, 2025 08:51am

Business & Finance

3 global shifts reshaping markets

Global markets tend to shift long before anyone notices.

Updated 15 Dec, 2025 08:58am

Balochistan

Child killed, five hurt in Khuzdar grenade attack

According to police, unidentified assailants hurled a hand grenade into the courtyard of a home in Wadh area.

Published 15 Dec, 2025 05:52am

Balochistan

Cadet colleges providing quality education: Bugti

Says such institutions equip the youth with practical training, military traditions and positive values.

Published 15 Dec, 2025 05:52am

Balochistan

Mines legislation widens gap between Centre and province, says Raisani

Ex-senator says new legislation surrendered autonomy and powers, achieved after a long struggle, to federal govt.

Updated 15 Dec, 2025 08:11am

Balochistan

CTD official found shot dead in Panjgur

CTD official identified as Khalil Ahmed, who was kidnapped at gunpoint from the Tusp area of Panjgur.

Published 15 Dec, 2025 05:52am

Back Page

Washington, New Delhi press for UN terror designations

Jointly call on UN to impose fresh sanctions on affiliates of Islamic State group and Al Qaeda, as well as on Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and their alleged proxy networks.

Updated 15 Dec, 2025 08:03am

Back Page

When the CIA ‘lost’ a nuclear device in the Himalayas

Designed to power spy equipment to track Chinese N-tests, the generator was abandoned atop Nanda Devi during a blizzard.

Updated 15 Dec, 2025 08:38am

Back Page

Islamabad puts drivers on notice as smog crisis worsens

Checkpoints set up this month are part of a crackdown by authorities to combat the city’s soaring smog levels.

Updated 15 Dec, 2025 08:27am

Front Page

Multi-state forum presses Afghanistan on terror support

Host Iran taps regional players as reliable actors, warns against prescriptions "imported" from foreign powers; Kabul regime declines invitation to attend.

Updated 15 Dec, 2025 07:33am

PSL 11 dates announced as PCB unveils plans during New York roadshow

PCB chief says efforts under way to make sure Muzaffarabad Cricket Stadium is ready for the tournament.

Published 15 Dec, 2025 12:00am

Monday, December 15, 2025