Category: INTERNATIONAL

Pakistan’s Dar Arrives in Manila for 33rd ASEAN Regional Forum Ministerial Meeting

Kainat R
Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar arriving at Manila, Philippines, to attend the 33rd ASEAN Regional Forum Ministerial Meeting 2026

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar arrived in Manila on Wednesday to participate in the 33rd ASEAN Regional Forum Ministerial Meeting, the Foreign Office confirmed. The high-stakes diplomatic gathering is bringing together top foreign ministers and security officials from across the Asia-Pacific and beyond, as the region faces a complex web of geopolitical pressures. Upon his arrival, Dar was received by Elmer G. Cato, Assistant Secretary at the Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs, along with Pakistan’s Ambassador to the Philippines Asima Rabbani and other officials. The warm…

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US-Iran Conflict Costs Washington $37.5 Billion, Pentagon Tells Senate

Nadeem Ali
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during a Senate hearing on the $37.5 billion cost of the Iran conflict.

WASHINGTON: The United States has spent an estimated $37.5 billion on its military campaign against Iran, according to US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who disclosed the latest figure during a Senate hearing on Tuesday. Hegseth shared the estimate while appearing before the Senate Appropriations Committee, where he and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine defended the administration’s proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget. The spending plan includes nearly $70 billion earmarked for military operations linked to the conflict with Iran. During the hearing, Senator Dick Durbin asked…

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Pakistan Ambassador Meets Pakistan Investors Forum Jeddah Delegation

Amir Muhammad Khan

 Pakistan Ambassador Meets Pakistan Investors Forum Jeddah Delegation Both Sides Reaffirm Commitment to Strengthening Pakistan–Saudi Arabia Trade, Investment and Economic Cooperation **Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia:** H.E. **Ahmed Farooq**, Ambassador of Pakistan to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, held a meeting with a delegation of the **Pakistan Investors Forum (PIF) Jeddah**, led by its President **Chaudhry Shafqat Mahmood Dhool**, to discuss ways to enhance bilateral trade, investment, and economic cooperation between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. The delegation comprised prominent Pakistani investors, industrialists, entrepreneurs, and business leaders based in the Kingdom.…

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South China Sea Dispute: Which Countries Are Involved, What Is the History, and What Is Happening Now

Kainat R
Map showing overlapping territorial claims in the South China Sea dispute between China, Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan

The South China Sea dispute involves overlapping territorial claims from six countries and one territory: China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan. The conflict centers on control of strategically vital waters, hundreds of small islands, vast fishing grounds, and enormous underwater reserves of oil and natural gas. Despite a landmark international ruling in 2016, the South China Sea dispute remains unresolved, and confrontations at sea continue to occur on a near-regular basis. Background: Why Is the South China Sea So Important? To understand the South China Sea dispute, it…

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Who Has Climbed Mount Everest Most Times? Kami Rita Sherpa’s Record Explained

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Kami Rita Sherpa celebrating his record-breaking Mount Everest summit after becoming the climber with the most ascents.

Nepali guide Kami Rita Sherpa has climbed Mount Everest more times than anyone in history, reaching the summit for a record 32nd time in May 2026. His achievement, alongside Lhakpa Sherpa’s own women’s record on the same mountain, has renewed global interest in who holds the biggest Everest summit records today. Background Kami Rita Sherpa, known worldwide as the “Everest Man,” first stood on top of the world’s highest peak in 1994 while working for a commercial expedition. Since then, he has returned to the summit almost every climbing season,…

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Africom News Today: US Strikes in Somalia Continue as Washington Reframes Its Africa Strategy

Kainat R
US Africa Command (AFRICOM) operations in Somalia as Washington reshapes its Africa strategy amid ongoing security challenges.

United States Africa Command has carried out multiple airstrikes against al-Shabaab in Somalia this month, continuing a campaign that has run alongside a broader debate over what the U.S. military is doing in Africa. The latest strikes come as Washington shifts from traditional aid programs toward a security-first approach across the continent. Background United States Africa Command, widely known as AFRICOM, was established in 2007 and became fully operational the following year. It is headquartered at Kelley Barracks in Stuttgart, Germany, rather than on the African continent itself, a setup…

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Trump Says Qatar-Gifted Air Force One to Receive Major Security Upgrade

Nadeem Ali

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has confirmed that the Qatar-gifted Air Force One will soon undergo a month-long security upgrade to equip it with full defensive capabilities, following reports that the aircraft currently lacks some of the advanced protection systems used on the traditional presidential fleet. Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews after returning from the FIFA World Cup final in New Jersey, Trump said the retrofitted Boeing 747-8 would soon be sent for additional modifications. “It has a lot of capability, but as I understand it, in about…

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FBI Director Kash Patel Hosts Pakistan’s Interior Minister, Calls Partnership “Critical”

Kainat R
FBI Director Kash Patel meets Pakistan's Interior Minister during a high-level security and diplomatic meeting in Washington.

FBI Director Kash Patel welcomed Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi at the agency’s Washington headquarters this week, calling the relationship between the two countries “critical” for regional security. The meeting focused on expanding cooperation against terrorism financing and cybercrime. Background The FBI, short for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States. People searching FBI which country it belongs to often assume it operates internationally by default, but its jurisdiction is rooted in US federal law, even though it maintains partnerships and…

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Iran Accused of Drone Strike on Kurdish Rebel Camp in Iraq, Eight Fighters Injured

Nadeem Ali

ERBIL, Iraq: At least eight members of an exiled Iranian Kurdish opposition group were wounded after a drone strike targeted their camp near Erbil in Iraq’s Kurdistan region early Sunday, with the group accusing Iran of carrying out the attack. The latest strike comes amid renewed tensions between the United States and Iran, raising concerns about further instability in northern Iraq, where US forces, foreign energy companies, and Iranian Kurdish opposition groups are based. Drone attack targets Kurdish rebel camp According to Adib Khaldian, a representative of the exiled Kurdistan…

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US Launches Eighth Consecutive Airstrikes on Iran as Regional Conflict Deepens

Nadeem Ali

The United States has carried out its eighth consecutive night of airstrikes on Iran, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict after two American service members were killed and another was reported missing following an Iranian missile and drone attack in Jordan. The latest wave of strikes comes as a fragile ceasefire agreement between Washington and Tehran collapsed last week, raising fears of a broader regional conflict involving several Middle Eastern countries. US Targets Iranian Military Infrastructure According to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), the latest air operation began…

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