Sunday, August 9th, 2026
Air India pilot undergoes ‘confirmatory’ drug test after flight plunge
NEW DELHI, AUG 9: India’s aviation ministry said on Sunday that an Air India pilot whose flight plunged dramatically in turbulence, injuring 17 passengers and crew, is undergoing a “confirmatory” psychoactive drug test. The Airbus A320, carrying 137 passengers and eight crew, lost around 300 feet (91 metres) on August 4 while flying from Phuket in Thailand to New Delhi, before stabilising and landing safely, the civil aviation ministry said. Eight passengers and four cabin crew members were admitted to hospitals after landing in the Indian capital, whose conditions wereRead More
Israel rejects Trump’s 15-point Gaza plan as Hamas urges US to pressure Netanyahu
TELA VIV, AUG 9: Israel has rejected US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace 15-point plan for Gaza, and will not withdraw until Hamas fully disarms, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday. Trump announced last month that there had been a breakthrough in his plan to end the war, which both Israel and Hamas agreed to last year and which started with the ceasefire. Meanwhile, the US must pressure Israel to accept the next phase of the Gaza plan, a Hamas official told AFP. “We expect the mediators andRead More
‘North Korea troops to be deployed in Russia’
SEOUL: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said up to 50,000 North Korean soldiers will be deployed in Russia to fight for Pyongyang’s ally, while calling on South Korea to provide support for its air defense. Zelensky said on X on Saturday that “a decision has been made for 30,000 to 50,000 North Koreans to be deployed on the territory of Russia,” a higher figure than his estimate of 30,000 in July. He did not elaborate on how he obtained the information. He said Kyiv had found some North Korean missilesRead More
Netanyahu vows Iran will ‘not have nuclear weapons’ with or without deal
TEL AVIV, AUG 9: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Sunday to prevent Iran from having nuclear weapons, a goal he has long alleged Tehran is pursuing, regardless of the course of diplomacy with Washington and Arab states. “I want to emphasize once again: with an agreement or without an agreement, as long as I am prime minister, Iran will not have nuclear weapons,” Netanyahu said at a cabinet meeting.
Privatisation commission signs advisory deal for HBFCL
ISLAMABAD, AUG 9 /DNA/ – The Privatisation Commission (PC) has signed a Financial Advisory Services Agreement (FASA) with a consortium led by KPMG which includes Bridge Factor (a Corporate Finance Advisory firm), Haidermota & Co. (a legal firm), HRSG (a HR Firm) & Asiatic Public Relations ( a media PR firm), for the privatisation of House Building Finance Company Limited (HBFCL). The consortium brings together established expertise in financial advisory, transaction structuring and execution to support the Privatisation Commission in taking the HBFCL privatisation process forward. This would be theRead More
Pakistan dismisses Afghan Taliban claim of weapons smuggling as ‘frivolous’
ISLAMABAD, AUG 9: Islamabad has rejected the Afghan Taliban regime’s claim that weapons are being smuggled from Pakistan into Afghanistan for so-called “subversive activities”, calling the allegation “frivolous, baseless and contrary to established facts”. In a statement, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said that Afghanistan is already awash with enormous quantities of sophisticated weapons and military equipment abandoned following the withdrawal of US and coalition forces. It added that the weapons and equipment left behind are estimated to be worth $7.2 billion, while Afghanistan also possesses large stocks ofRead More