Category: INTERNATIONAL

Xinjiang Urdu Community in Pakistan: A Story of Identity, Language and Belonging

Kainat R
Members of the Xinjiang Urdu community in Pakistan gathered together preserving their cultural heritage

The Xinjiang Urdu community in Pakistan represents one of the most quietly resilient diaspora groups in South Asia. Originating from the Uyghur population of Xinjiang, China, this community has settled mainly in Gilgit-Baltistan, Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Over the decades, many members of the Xinjiang Urdu community in Pakistan have adopted Urdu as their primary language, even as they continue striving to preserve their ancestral Uyghur identity. Background The roots of the Xinjiang Urdu community in Pakistan stretch back generations. Migration from the Xinjiang region began as early as the late…

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IMF’s Governance and Corruption Diagnostic Assessment Exposes Pakistan’s Deepening Governance Crisis

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IMF headquarters building symbolizing Pakistan's Governance and Corruption Diagnostic Assessment report

The International Monetary Fund has released its long-awaited Governance and Corruption Diagnostic Assessment Pakistan report, and the findings are hard to ignore. The document describes governance failures and corruption as a central drag on the economy rather than a side issue. According to the assessment, weak institutions and entrenched corruption are costing Pakistan roughly six to six and a half percent of its GDP every single year. Background Pakistan requested this diagnostic itself back in January 2025, as part of the conditions tied to its ongoing seven billion dollar IMF…

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 The World Calls It August 14; For Us, It Is a Day of Gratitude and Prostration

Amir Muhammad Khan

 The World Calls It August 14; For Us, It Is a Day of Gratitude and Prostration Jeddah Diary — Amir Muhammad Khan Pakistan-Saudi Arabia relations are playing an important role in Pakistan’s economic development, says Consul General Syed Mustafa Rabbani **Pakistanis in Saudi Arabia should project a positive image of their homeland through their character and conduct, says Farina Arshad** **Photo exhibition held at the Consulate to mark the 150th birth anniversary year of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah** The relationship between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan extends far beyond defence and…

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Bolan Gas Pipeline Blown Up: Gas Supply Suspended Across Parts of Balochistan

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Damaged gas pipeline with flames and smoke in Bolan area of Balochistan Pakistan

A main gas pipeline in the Bolan area of Balochistan was blown up in an explosion that has cut supply to Quetta and several surrounding districts, gas utility officials confirmed. The blast struck an 18-inch-diameter Sui Southern Gas Company pipeline near Gokart in the Bolan River Bed, forcing the suspension of supply to Kolpur, Mach, Mastung, Kalat, Pishin and Ziarat, with parts of Quetta also facing reduced pressure. Background Bolan, a mountainous district that sits along the strategic Quetta–Sibi corridor in Balochistan, has repeatedly been the site of attacks on…

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Justice Musarrat Hilali: Biography, Career Milestones and Retirement From Pakistan’s Supreme Court

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: Justice Musarrat Hilali in judicial robes at Supreme Court of Pakistan farewell reference

Justice Musarrat Hilali, the second woman ever elevated to Pakistan’s Supreme Court, formally retired from the bench on August 7, 2026, after reaching the constitutionally mandated retirement age of 65. Her departure was marked by a full court reference in Islamabad and a separate farewell reception in Karachi, both attended by Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi and senior judges who paid tribute to her three-decade legal career. Background Justice Hilali’s path to the country’s highest court began decades before her elevation. Born in Peshawar on August 8, 1961, she…

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Pakistan Role in Iran War Ceasefire: Why Islamabad Is Mediating Between Washington and Tehran

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Pakistan role in Iran war ceasefire — Pakistani and Iranian officials meeting in Islamabad for peace talks

Pakistan has stepped into one of the most sensitive diplomatic roles in recent Middle Eastern history. As the 2026 Iran war between the United States, Israel, and Iran pushed the region toward deeper instability, Islamabad quietly positioned itself as the bridge that neither Washington nor Tehran could fully do without. The Pakistan role in Iran war ceasefire has grown from a single overnight diplomatic push into an ongoing mediation effort that continues to shape the future of the region even now, in August 2026. For many readers, the immediate question…

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Total Solar Eclipse 2026 Path Plunges Spain Into Darkness, First Such Sight in Over a Century

Kainat R
Total solar eclipse 2026 path over Spain showing the moon covering the sun during totality

Spain witnessed a rare celestial spectacle on Wednesday evening as the total solar eclipse 2026 path swept across the northern half of the country, turning daylight into darkness for over a minute in several major cities. It was the first total solar eclipse to touch mainland Europe since 1999, and the first ever recorded over Spanish soil in more than a hundred years. Crowds gathered on rooftops, beaches, and hillsides from Galicia to the Balearic Islands to catch a glimpse of the moon completely blocking out the sun, an event…

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USS Abraham Lincoln Sailors Jumping Overboard Amid Extended Deployment Crisis

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: USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier at sea during extended Middle East deployment

Multiple reports have confirmed that USS Abraham Lincoln sailors jumping overboard has become a growing concern for families and Navy officials as the aircraft carrier remains stuck on an extended deployment in the Middle East. The carrier, home to roughly 5,000 sailors and Marines, has now been at sea for more than eight months, well past its original return date, and relatives say the strain is pushing some crew members to the breaking point. Background The USS Abraham Lincoln departed the United States on November 21 and was originally scheduled…

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Gold Price in Pakistan Today: 24K Rate Jumps to Rs459,736 Per Tola

Kainat R
Gold bars and coins with Pakistani rupee notes representing today's gold price in Pakistan

Gold price in Pakistan today climbed once again, extending a rally that has kept local jewellers and buyers on edge for weeks. The 24-karat rate per tola touched Rs459,736, up Rs2,400 from the previous session, according to figures shared by the All Pakistan Gems and Jewellers Sarafa Association. Ten grams of 24K gold also moved higher, settling at Rs394,149 after adding Rs2,058 during the day. The jump came alongside a stronger international market, where gold opened at $4,373 per ounce, up $24 from the last close. Background Pakistan’s gold market…

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Typhoon Dolphin Slams China, More Than a Million Evacuated as Beijing Braces for Floods

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Typhoon Dolphin flooding streets in Zhejiang province China

Typhoon Dolphin has torn through eastern China, dumping torrential rain across several provinces and forcing more than a million residents out of their homes. The storm made landfall in Zhejiang as the strongest typhoon to hit China this year. It has since weakened but is still dragging heavy rain deep into the country’s interior. Authorities are now watching Beijing closely. The capital could see a third of its entire annual rainfall in a single 24-hour stretch, and flood emergency responses have already been triggered on the city’s outskirts. Background Typhoon…

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