The United States has approved the sale of advanced technology and support for Pakistan’s F-16 fighter jets, valued at $686 million, according to a letter the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) sent to Congress on December 8. The package includes Link–16 systems, cryptographic equipment, avionics updates, training, and comprehensive logistical support. The DSCA letter … Read more
Troops from Pakistan and China are conducting a two-week long counter-terrorism exercise to “enhance interoperability and strengthen military-to-military cooperation between the two countries”, said the military’s media wing on Thursday. “Pakistan Army and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China are conducting joint counterterrorism exercise Warrior-IX from 28 November to 14 December 2025,” said the … Read more
Pakistan’s taxation policies are increasingly proving counterproductive, constraining investment and suppressing growth. Key stakeholders now hope the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will recognise the centrality of economic expansion to durable stabilisation and ease pressure on the government, allowing it fiscal space to recalibrate its tax policy. They contend that only such flexibility can unshackle the country’s economic … Read more
Literary festivals often try to impress audiences with grand declarations about culture and community. The 10th Adab Festival in Karachi did not rely on any of that. It worked on another rhythm altogether. It was shaped by movement, crowds, close distances, overlapping sessions, and the feeling of walking through a city’s reading habit put on … Read more
Mitch Hay scored an aggressive half-century on his Test debut to help New Zealand to a 41-run lead over the West Indies at the close of play on day two of the second Test in Wellington on Thursday. The Black Caps were 278 all out with about an hour to play in the final session, … Read more
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has raised the valuation of all six existing Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchises to nearly three times their previous prices, and has also set a hefty base price of Rs1.30 billion per year for each of the two new franchises, well-placed sources told Dawn. The PCB has not yet issued an … Read more
The first fully private mission reached the International Space Station early on Saturday with a four-member crew from startup company Axiom Space. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) has hailed the three-way partnership with Axiom and SpaceX as a key step towards commercialising the region of space known as “Low Earth Orbit,” leaving the … Read more
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner that crashed in India on Thursday is the pride of the US company’s catalogue for long-distance planes: a fuel-efficient, wide-body aircraft able to transport up to 330 people. Lightweight After first entering service in October 2011, with Japan’s All Nippon Airways, 2,598 of the planes have been ordered by more than 80 airlines … Read more
Renewed fighting raged at the border of Cambodia and Thailand on Thursday, with combat heard near centuries-old temples, ahead of US President Donald Trump’s planned phone call to the two nations’ leaders. At least 15 people, including Thai soldiers and Cambodian civilians, have been killed in the reignited border conflict, officials said. More than half a million … Read more
Around a decade ago, Abdul Rehman Arain, a small farmer from Matiari, grew wheat for income generation in the Rabi season for the last time. Since then, he prefers mustard cultivation, an oilseed crop, on his seven acres of land, as he finds it easier to grow than wheat. “Now I grow wheat only for … Read more