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US senator urges military action if Hamas, Hezbollah remained armed

United States Senator Lindsey Graham called on Sunday for renewed military action against Hamas and Hezbollah if they fail to disarm and accused the Palestinian group of consolidating its power in Gaza. The Republican politician, on a visit to Israel, is a staunch ally of US President Donald Trump. Beginning in October, a fragile ceasefire has so far halted two years of war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip despite both sides trading accusations of truce violations. A separate ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah also came into effect in November 2024 after more than a year of hostilities, though Israel continues to carry out strikes on Lebanese territory. Israel has made dismantling the arsenals of both groups, allies of its arch-foe Iran, a key condition for any lasting peace. “It’s imperative we come up with a plan quickly, put Hamas on a time clock, give them a period of time to achieve the goal of disarmament,” Graham said at a press conference during his...
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New rules for Punjab kite flying law notified as bill set to hit assembly floor tomorrow

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LAHORE: The Punjab government has notified rules for the Punjab Regulation of Kite Flying Ordinance, 2025, but has yet to decide the scale of kite flying in Lahore as well as other districts across the province. It has also yet to formally notify the announced dates of a three-day Basant festival from February 6, 2026, in Lahore and elsewhere. With the notification of rules for the Punjab Regulation of Kite Flying Ordinance 2025, the Punjab Assembly is expected to take up “The Punjab Regulation of Kite Flying Bill, 2025” for approval in its sitting on Monday. “The Punjab government is currently holding meetings to decide the scale of the three-day Basant festival, ranging from allowing kite flying activities across Lahore, or in some specified grounds or specified rooftops, including known rooftops inside the Walled City,” a source in the Punjab home department told Dawn on Sunday. Sources also say the Punjab government has yet to formally notify the announced basant dates in Laho...
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PM Shehbaz’s witness cross-examined in suit against Imran

LAHORE: A sessions court on Saturday summoned more witnesses in Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Rs10 billion defamation suit against PTI founder Imran Khan, following the completion of cross-examination of another witness. The hearing was conducted by Additional District and Sessions Judge Yalmaz Ghani, and the witness, Adnan Raza, appeared before the court. The witness recorded his statement, saying that he and his family were politically affiliated with the PML-N. Mr Raza stated that on April 8, 2017, the PTI founder made false allegations against PM Shehbaz, claiming that someone from the prime minister’s family had offered him Rs10 billion to remain silent over the Panama Papers case. The witness added that Mr Khan repeatedly made these allegations. He further testified that on May 9, 2017, he read in a newspaper that PM Shehbaz had sent a legal notice to Mr Khan regarding the allegations. Mr Raza said the false claims damaged PM Shehbaz’s reputation and created public unre...
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Road accidents involving heavy vehicles claim three lives in Karachi

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Qureshi let off but other PTI leaders get jail time

• Dr Yasmin Rashid, Omer Sarfraz Cheema, Mian Mehmoodur Rashid and Ejaz Chaudhry handed 10-year terms in May 9-related GOR-I attack case • In joint letter, five incarcerated leaders push for dialogue to resolve crisis LAHORE: In another case linked to the May 9 riots , an anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Saturday acquitted former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, while awarding 10-year prison sentences to senior PTI leaders Dr Yasmin Rashid, Omer Sarfraz Cheema, Mian Mehmoodur Rashid and former senator Ejaz Chaudhry. ATC-I Judge Manzer Ali Gill announced the verdict inside Kot Lakhpat Jail after concluding the trial of the accused in FIR No 852/2023, which relates to an attack on the entrance gate of the GOR-I Club Chowk. The case had been registered by the Race Course police, who later submitted a challan against 25 accused persons, including PTI leaders and party workers. In the same case, the court also handed down 10-year imprisonment sentences to PTI workers Qasim Elahi, ...
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Pakistan demands explanation over drop in river flows

• Flows stabilising after ‘extraordinary’ dip • Ministry reports Dec 10-16 volatility; suspects Baglihar drawdown and refill • Lowest Chenab reading recorded at 870 cusecs • Officials also flag disruption in Jhelum inflows at Mangla • Islamabad maintains Indus treaty bars emptying dead storage on western run-of-river projects ISLAMABAD / LAH­ORE: Reporting normalisation of Chenab River flows off late, Pakistan on Friday said it had sought an explanation from India over an “extraordinary reduction” in the river flows after what it described as the complete discharge and subsequent refilling of the Baglihar dam, in violation of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty. In a statement, the Min­istry of Water Reso­urces said the discharge of the Chenab River (mainstem) had “successfully stabilised following a significant period of volatility”. It said Pakistan’s Commissioner for Indus Waters had taken up the matter with his Indian counterpart and sought details and data regarding the reduction ...
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Lahore-bound PIA flight from Jeddah makes emergency landing at Dammam airport

A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight, enroute to Lahore from Jeddah, diverted and made an emergency landing at Dammam airport after signalling an onboard emergency. Flight PK860 was scheduled to land at Lahore airport at 8pm, however, it diverted to Dammam’s King Fahd International Airport due to a technical issue, said the PIA spokesperson. The Boeing 777 aircraft had 437 passengers on board, excluding the crew. While still in Saudi airspace, the aircraft switched its transponder frequency to 7700 — signifying a general emergency. The ‘ 7700 squawk ’ is an aviation term for when a pilot sets an aircraft’s transponder code to 7700, alerting air traffic control to an emergency on board. It signifies a serious issue, such as engine trouble or a medical emergency, and makes the plane a high-priority for immediate attention and assistance. The plane landed safely at Dammam airport and is undergoing checks by engineering staff on the ground, confirmed the PIA spokesperson. Th...
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