The Foreign Office (FO) on Wednesday reacted strongly to a series of suggestions made by former US envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad, saying Pakistan did not need “unsolicited advice” on the challenges it faces. A day earlier, Khalilzad, who had served as the special envoy for Afghan reconciliation under both the Trump and Biden administrations, said that Pakistan was “underperforming …

LAHORE: As their demand for the accountability of Imran Khan seems closer to materialising, the younger generation of Sharifs — Maryam Nawaz and Hamza Shehbaz — are all set to wade into the arena of electoral politics from Lahore. Following Hamza’s return from an extended trip abroad in what is being seen by some observers as a bid to “claim …

China warned on Tuesday that Australia, Britain and the United States were treading a “path of error and danger” after they unveiled a nuclear-powered submarines deal. Australia announced on Monday it would buy up to five US nuclear-powered submarines, then build a new model with US and British technology under an ambitious plan to bulk up Western muscle across the …

Lahore jumped more than 10 places to become the city with the worst air in the world in 2022, according to an annual global survey by a Swiss maker of air purifiers. The report published on Tuesday by IQAir also said that Chad in central Africa had replaced Bangladesh as the country with the most polluted air last year. IQAir measures air …

NEW YORK: Riyadh Air and Saudia reached agreements to purchase 78 Boeing 787 Dreamliner planes to support Saudi Arabia’s expanding aviation plans, Boeing announced on Tuesday. The order — which could reach as many as 121 planes with options — constitutes the fifth largest by commercial value in Boeing’s history. The contracts are part of “a blueprint for economic and …

PALO ALTO: Alphabet Inc’s Google on Tuesday unveiled a flurry of artificial intelligence (AI) tools for its email, collaboration and cloud software, taking aim at Microsoft Corp days before its rival is expected to make a similar announcement. In a replay of last month’s dueling chatbot launches by the tech giants, Alphabet touted a “magic wand” for its popular Google …

NEW YORK: Moody’s Investors Service on Tuesday revised its outlook on the US banking system to “negative” from “stable”, citing heightened risks for the sector after the rapid unraveling of SVB Financial Group fuelled fears of contagion. Bank runs at Silicon Valley Bank, Silvergate Capital Corp and Signature Bank have deteriorated the operating environment for the sector that is now …

WASHINGTON: Ned Price, who explained US foreign policies to the world at the State Department’s daily news briefings, will step down next week for a new, policy-focused job in the same department. Mr Price, the department’s spokesman since the first day of the Biden administration, will now work directly for US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. “This will be my …

BAGHDAD: Iraqi journalist Muntazer al-Zaidi gained fame for hurling his shoes at President George W. Bush in a news conference to show his anger at the corruption and chaos that followed the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. He is still furious. “The same people who entered 20 years ago with the occupier are still ruling despite failures and corruption. …

WASHINGTON: A U.S military MQ-9 surveillance drone crashed into the Black Sea on Tuesday after being ‘‘intercepted by Russian fighter jets’’, in the first such incident since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine over a year ago. The Pentagon alleged that one of the Russian Su-27 jets struck the propeller of the drone, making it inoperable, while Russia’s defence ministry blamed “sharp …