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‘Brain drain affecting higher education’

QUETTA: Balochistan Gov­ernor Jaffar Khan Mandokhail said on Thursday that brain drain is seriously affecting higher education in public universities of the province as senior professors are migrating to other provinces due to lack of facilities and job insecurity in public sector universities of Balochistan. “The lack of necessary facilities and opportunities is forcing the province’s bright minds to migrate to other provinces,” Mr Mandokhail said during a meeting with vice-chancellors of various public sector universities of the province. He stressed the need for formulating a comprehensive policy to reverse this trend and to pave the way for “brain gain” instead of brain drain. “Universities and their campuses in the province’s remote districts are currently facing a severe shortage of facilities,” the governor said. He said the government will provide professors, associate professors, and assistant professors with both job security and benefits to enable them to work wholeheart...
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War Diary Day 21: Muted Nowruz, Eid in Iran

On the twenty-first day of the US-Israeli war on Iran, a sombre Nowruz and Eidul Fitr eve set the domestic mood in Iran, as fresh military developments and a shifting coalition posture pointed to an imminent widening of the war. Across Iran, the Persian New Year arrived without usual festivities associated with it. Celebrations were scaled down, with war, blackouts and economic strain shaping public sentiment. Markets remained open but subdued, and even among diaspora communities, observances lacked the usual fervour. ‘Rare moral boost’ Against this backdrop, a reported Iranian air defence success provided a rare morale boost. Iranian systems are said to have damaged a US F-35 during a combat mission, forcing it to make an emergency landing at Al-Dhafra Airbase in the United Arab Emirates. While the operational impact appears limited, the symbolic value of hitting a stealth fifth-generation aircraft would be considerable. The Iranian media is projecting it as evidence that adv...
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US rushes $16bn arms to Gulf after Iran warns of ‘zero restraint’

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SMOKE rises after an Iranian retaliatory salvo damaged an Israeli oil refinery in Haifa.—Reuters • Tehran strikes Qatari LNG plant, Saudi and Kuwaiti refineries • Trump warns of ‘furious response’ if attacks on Qatar continue • Rules out troop deployment, but officials say reinforcements under review • Hegseth sets no timeline for war; White House to seek $200bn more from Congress • Global energy markets shaken; Brent jumps to $119, gas prices up 35pc • Riyadh asserts it reserves right to retaliate after refinery drone strike • Netanyahu says Israel ‘acted alone’ in striking Iran gas field • Claims Tehran no longer able to enrich uranium or build missiles DOHA: As Washington rushed to arm its Gulf allies with a $16.46 billion military package, Iran issued its starkest warning yet, vowing “zero restraint” if its energy infrastructure is targeted again, pushing the Middle East closer to a regional war. The developments came after Iranian attacks on the world’s largest LNG p...
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Iran says it struck US F-35 over central Iran, with fighter jet’s fate unclear

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Thursday that it had struck and “seriously damaged” a US F-35 fighter jet over central Iran. In a statement, the IRGC said the aircraft was hit by its air defence systems at around 2:50am (local time) on Thursday (2320GMT Wednesday night), adding that “a US F-35 fighter jet was struck and seriously damaged” over central Iran. It added that “the fate of the aircraft remains unknown and is under investigation,” noting there is a “high possibility” that the jet may have crashed. The IRGC also said the operation came “following the successful interception of more than 125 US-Israeli drones,” adding that the incident “reflects significant and targeted improvements in the country’s integrated air defence systems.” The US military, meanwhile, said in a statement that a US F-35 aircraft conducted an emergency landing after flying a combat mission over Iran. The military said the pilot was in stable condition. A US official, speaking ...
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European countries, Japan express ‘readiness’ to safeguard shipping through Strait of Hormuz

Leaders from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Japan have signalled their readiness to support efforts to ensure the safe passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. “We express our readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the strait. We welcome the commitment of nations that are engaging in preparatory planning,” the leaders said in a joint statement. The Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping route, has been virtually paralysed by the Middle East war. The war erupted on February 28 when the US and Israel began bombing Iran, prompting it to retaliate with strikes targeting US assets and bases in the Gulf and restricting access to the strait. Since March 1, 2026, at least 21 commercial vessels, including 10 tankers, have been attacked or reported incidents in the Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz or the Gulf of Oman, according to the British naval maritime security agency UKMTO. Across all types of vesse...
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Body formed to probe Gilgit-Baltistan unrest

GILGIT: The federal Ministry of Interior has constituted a high-level committee to investigate recent incidents in Gilgit-Baltistan, where deadly clashes erupted between protesters and security forces. Earlier, the Gilgit-Baltistan government had also formed a three-member judicial commission to conduct a fact-finding inquiry into the situation. At least 20 people, including two security officials, were killed in clashes following protests in Gilgit and Skardu after reports of the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during US and Israeli attacks on Iran. During the unrest, protesters torched several installations, inc­luding security offices, a school, the AKRSP building, an IT Park, the SP office, residences of police officers and UN offices in Skardu. A curfew was later imposed in Gilgit and Skardu for several days to restore law and order. According to a notification issued by the interior ministry, the committee has been tasked with probing the Marc...
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‘Free France’: Macron reveals name of Europe’s largest warship

President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday announced that France’s next nuclear-powered aircraft carrier will be called “France Libre” (Free France), as the country looks to reinforce its status as a major maritime power. Once completed, the warship, which is set to replace the country’s sole aircraft carrier — the Charles de Gaulle — and due to enter service in 2038, will be the largest warship ever built in Europe. Macron said the vessel was being named after the French Resistance movement that General de Gaulle led against the Nazi occupation of France during World War II. “I wanted our future aircraft carrier to follow in the footsteps of General de Gaulle. His life, his destiny,” Macron said at a shipyard in the western town of Indret, near Nantes, where the vessel’s two nuclear reactors will be built. “Our new aircraft carrier will be named France Libre,” he added. “This name honours the memory of the men and women who stood up against barbarity.” Macron in December announ...
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