Top stories
Tuesday, 3 November 2026
Israeli opposition backs Eisenkot as PM after inconclusive election
Salik Hussain stands by Punjab corruption remarks as Maryam Nawaz sends notice
Pakistan's cement exports fall 9.51% in July-October as local sales rise
17 militants killed, soldier martyred in Balochistan operations: ISPR
Today in 60 seconds
The five stories that matter most right now, each checked against multiple sources.
- 1US midterm voting begins; full results may take days
- 2Two policemen killed, one hurt in attack on polio team in Mohmand
- 317 militants killed, soldier martyred in Balochistan operations: ISPR
- 4Abdul Samad to captain Pakistan Shaheens in Asia Cup Rising Stars
- 5Islamabad ATC grants bail to Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha in police clash case
Punjab CM hands out laptops and Honhaar scholarships at COMSATS Attock
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif distributed 6,161 laptops to Rawalpindi division students at COMSATS University, Attock, on Tuesday. The ceremony also awarded 2,590 Honhaar scholarships worth Rs196.97 million.
Govt plans fines on shopkeepers not registered under Easy Tax Scheme
The government is preparing penalties for retailers who did not register under the Easy Tax Scheme before the October 31 deadline. Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani told a National Assembly committee that an enforcement plan will follow within days.
PHC refers Sohail Afridi detention petitions to chief justice for larger bench
The Peshawar High Court said on Tuesday that a larger bench should hear petitions about the whereabouts of Sohail Afridi and two other PTI leaders. The matter has been sent to the chief justice to constitute that bench.
Gohar: Imran Khan did not welcome end of PTI government in KP
PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said Imran Khan did not welcome the end of the party's government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He spoke to the media in Rawalpindi on Tuesday after a lawyer's meeting with Mr Khan at Adiala jail.
Trump says US will stop paying Israel $4bn in aid after this year
US President Donald Trump says he agreed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Washington will stop funding Israel after the end of this year. He made the remarks as voting began in the US midterm elections.
Qatar says it still sees hope for a US-Iran interim deal
Qatar said on Tuesday it saw hope for an interim deal between the US and Iran as mediators exchange proposals. Fresh US strikes and threats to shipping through Hormuz continue to complicate the effort.
Abu Dhabi to host US-mediated Russia-Ukraine talks on November 10-11
Abu Dhabi will host a new round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials on November 10 and 11, with the United States as mediator. US envoy Steve Witkoff announced the meeting in a post on X.
UK doubles wait for permanent residency, exempts care workers
The UK has raised the wait for permanent residency for most foreign workers from five years to 10. Care workers are exempt after criticism within the governing Labour Party.
SECP bans Ponzi, pyramid and deceptive MLM schemes under new regulations
The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan has notified the Companies (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Regulations, 2026. They prohibit Ponzi schemes, pyramid schemes, deceptive multi-level marketing and unlawful referral marketing.
Pakistan's GSP+ status with EU to remain valid until end of 2028
Pakistan's GSP+ trade status stays valid until December 31, 2028, but it must seek renewal under the EU's revised framework. German Ambassador Ina Lepel said the EU has outlined areas Pakistan needs to address.
IMF flags tax shortfall, proposes emergency measures for Pakistan
The IMF has expressed concern over a decline in Pakistan's tax revenue and proposed emergency measures if targets keep being missed. Sources say the shortfall was Rs129 billion in October.
HUBCO plans local BYD vehicle production in Pakistan from December
Hub Power Company plans to start local production of BYD vehicles in Pakistan in December 2026. The Sealion 6 plug-in hybrid is expected to be the first locally assembled model.
KSE-100 regains 168,000-point level as PSX rally continues
The KSE-100 Index gained more than 1,300 points on Tuesday as buying continued across key sectors. Analysts linked the move to diplomatic progress in the Middle East conflict.
PSX closes marginally higher at 166,564 after volatile Monday session
The KSE-100 index rose 154.81 points, or 0.09%, to close at 166,564.07 on Monday. The index had fallen earlier in the day before recovering.
Gold falls Rs10,800 per tola in Pakistan to Rs409,736 on Saturday
Gold in Pakistan lost Rs10,800 per tola on Saturday, bringing the 24-karat rate to Rs409,736. The fall followed a drop in international gold prices.
Alphabet loses over $500bn in value as AI costs and ad sales worry investors
Alphabet shares fell nearly 13% on Thursday, cutting its market value to $3.46 trillion from $3.97 trillion. Anadolu Agency reported that AI search summaries are denting its core advertising sales.
PTA says Pakistan ranks first globally in YouTube video viewing
PTA Chairman Hafeezur Rehman told a National Assembly committee that 96 million Pakistanis use YouTube. He said 560 million videos are watched in Pakistan every day.
North Korea denies being behind record $6.3bn Binance hack
North Korea has rejected U.S. allegations that it was linked to the $6.3 billion Binance hack. Researchers say billions in stolen crypto have been moved across many blockchains, and about $2.85 billion has been frozen or seized.
Apple cannot say when iPhone Duo supply will meet demand
Apple executives say they cannot predict when supply of the foldable iPhone Duo will balance with demand. Preorders sold out quickly, and some shipments are now expected in 2027.
National CERT urges TeamViewer users to update over serious flaw
National CERT has asked TeamViewer users to update the remote-access app after a high-severity flaw was found. The bug could let an attacker crash the program or run malicious code.
OpenAI, Google, Microsoft and Anthropic back shared AI opt-out signal
OpenAI, Google, Microsoft and Anthropic say they will adopt a shared signal in robots.txt that lets websites state their AI training preferences. Anthropic has already adopted it, and the others plan to follow.
Mistral releases Large 4 open-weight AI model, nicknamed Le Chonk
French AI company Mistral has released the weights of its Large 4 model, which it says is the best open-weight model for coding and cybersecurity. The model can be downloaded from Hugging Face and used through Mistral's API.
Google unveils Gemini 4 Carbon, its next frontier AI model
Google announced Gemini 4 Carbon, saying it ranks first on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index v5.0 with a score of 59. It comes two weeks after Gemini 4 Argon and will first go to a group of cyber defenders.
Google unveils Genie 4 world model for AI-generated interactive worlds
Google has announced Genie 4, a world model that generates interactive experiences with AI. It is launching first as a research preview for trusted testers.
UN reports warn of lasting damage to glaciers and ice beyond 1.5C
Two U.N. reports released on Monday say passing 1.5C of warming would have irreversible effects on glaciers, sea ice and other frozen regions. They say current warming is already unsafe for the Earth's ice.
NASA's Swift telescope set for uncontrolled re-entry; landing area unclear
NASA's Swift space telescope is expected to fall back to Earth within days after a rescue mission failed to lift it to a higher orbit. Exactly when and where it will come down is not yet clear.
India launches NVS-03 navigation satellite on GSLV rocket
India's space agency ISRO launched the NVS-03 satellite on a GSLV rocket on October 30 from Sriharikota. The satellite is meant to strengthen NavIC, India's own regional navigation system.
Lancet report urges climate change be declared a global health emergency
The Lancet's 2026 Countdown on Health and Climate Change says heat-related deaths have reached a record high. Its authors call for climate change to be formally recognised as a global health emergency.
Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia postponed to December 2027 amid regional conflict
The Asian Football Confederation has moved the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia from January-February 2027 to December 23, 2027 - January 21, 2028. The new dates still need FIFA approval.
Abdul Samad to captain Pakistan Shaheens in Asia Cup Rising Stars
The Pakistan Cricket Board has named a 15-member Pakistan Shaheens squad for the ACC Men's Asia Cup Rising Stars 2026 in Qatar. Abdul Samad will lead the defending champions, who open against UAE on 20 November.
Quaid-e-Azam Trophy starts 3 November with Gold and Silver Tiers
The 69th Quaid-e-Azam Trophy begins on 3 November, with 20 regional teams in two tiers. Babar Azam will play for Lahore Whites against Shaheen Shah Afridi's FATA in the opening round.
Mohammad Amir registers for Afghanistan Premier League draft as UK national
Former Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir has registered for the Afghanistan Premier League players' draft as a British national. Reports say the PCB has decided not to issue NOCs to Pakistani players for the tournament.
Ebola outbreak kills 5,376 in Africa, Africa CDC says
Africa CDC says the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak has killed 5,376 people, nearly all in the Democratic Republic of Congo. More than 10,000 cases have been confirmed since May.
US approves first generic lenacapavir HIV prevention jab at $40 a year
The US FDA has approved the first generic version of lenacapavir, a twice-yearly HIV prevention injection made by India's Dr Reddy's Laboratories. It will cost $40 per person per year in 120 low- and middle-income countries.
Free hepatitis C screening and treatment launched in GB and AJK
Free hepatitis C screening, diagnostic testing and treatment have been launched in Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Official sources say three centres are operating in GB and six in AJK.
DRAP warns of counterfeit Influvac Tetra and Vaxigrip Tetra flu vaccines
The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan has issued alerts over fake influenza vaccines sold under the names Influvac Tetra and Vaxigrip Tetra. Abbott Laboratories and Sanofi Winthrop have confirmed that the products are not genuine.