Trump team begins transition after MoU signed with Biden admin

WASHINGTON: US President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Biden administration, marking the formal commencement of the transition process. The agreement, announced by his incoming chief of staff on Tuesday, came in the wake of weeks of delays. The move will allow Trump’s team to coordinate directly with federal agencies and access documents. The unusual delay in signing the agreement after the Nov. 5 election had raised concerns among some critics about potential hiccups in government operations or conflicts of interest. “This engagement allows…

Security forces foil infiltration bid on Pak-Afghan border, eliminates three terrorists

Security forces have gunned down three terrorists, belonging to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), by thwarting their attempt to infiltrate through Pak-Afghan border on Monday night in general area of Hassan Khel in North Waziristan District, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement on Tuesday. According to the military’s media wing, the security forces detected the movement of a group of terrorists, who were trying to sneak into Pakistan via the Afghanistan border. However, the security personnel successfully thwarted the infiltration bid by surrounding and eliminating three militants in an…

Internet, mobile services disrupted in major cities, including Karachi, Islamabad

Communication services across Pakistan are hit by significant disruptions as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) gears up for its much-anticipated “do-or-die” protest in Islamabad. Major cities like Karachi, Islamabad, and Rawalpindi have reported interruptions in mobile internet and other services, causing inconvenience for residents and businesses alike.  These outages are part of the government’s intensified security measures to manage the situation surrounding the protest. Mobile data services have been suspended in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Meanwhile, Peshawar has experienced partial internet disruptions, though mobile phone networks remain unaffected. Karachi has been experiencing…

Donald Trump joins Elon Musk to watch SpaceX Starship’s liftoff

US President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday watched Elon Musk’s SpaceX successfully launching the sixth test flight of its Starship rocket alongside the billionaire. The roughly 400-foot-tall (122-meter-tall) rocket system, designed to land astronauts on the moon and ferry crews to Mars, lifted off at 4 pm CT (2200 GMT) from SpaceX’s sprawling rocket development site in Boca Chica, Texas. The first stage, called Super Heavy, unexpectedly made a splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico instead of attempting to return to its launchpad, indicating something went wrong. Starship, in space, will…

Punjab, Islamabad police gear up for upcoming PTI protest

The Punjab and Islamabad police have intensified their preparations to uphold law and order ahead of the November 24 protest announced by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as authorities vowed to take firm action against any efforts disturbing the peace. Over 10,700 police personnel from across Punjab have been put on standby, according to a letter issued by the Additional Inspector General (AIG) of Operations to all the relevant officers at the behest of Punjab’s police chief. The standby force includes 3,500 personnel from the Punjab Highway Patrol, 1,000 personnel from…

G20 leaders take group shot without Biden

US President Joe Biden, at his final summit as US president on Monday, headed for the group photo with fellow G20 leaders in Rio de Janeiro, only to find they had already taken the picture without him. Biden missed out on the shot, along with the Canadian and Italian prime ministers in an incident blamed by frustrated US officials on “logistical issues”. It came during a South American tour during which Biden’s counterparts have been looking past the outgoing US president in political terms — and towards his successor Donald…

Sharif family reacts to Hasan Nawaz company bankruptcy ruling

LONDON: The Sharif family has stated that companies facing bankruptcy are exempt from paying taxes, a stance supported by the British court in the case involving Hasan Nawaz. This clarification came through a statement from the family’s spokesperson in response to the recent UK court decision declaring Hasan Nawaz’s company bankrupt. Hasan, the son of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, has been declared bankrupt by the London High Court in a tax and liability case, according to the court papers. According to UK laws, a bankruptcy order is part of…

Russian lawmakers warn of ‘world war three’ if Ukraine strikes using US missiles

Washington’s move to allow Kyiv to target deep within Russia using long-range US missiles has escalated the Ukraine conflict and could provoke World War Three, senior Russian lawmakers warned on Sunday. The shift marks a major reversal in US policy, as revealed earlier on Sunday by two US officials and a source familiar with the decision. “The West has decided on such a level of escalation that it could end with the Ukrainian statehood in complete ruins by morning,” Andrei Klishas, a senior member of the Federation Council, Russia’s upper…