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Officials say US military’s Southern Command exploring multiple options, from working with Panama to military action.The Pentagon is reportedly exploring military options for the Panama Canal to ensure ongoing US access to the strategically important waterway, following a request from the White House. The Reuters news agency reported on Thursday that a US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said a document, described as an interim national security guidance by the new Trump administration, called on US forces to look at military options to safeguard access to the Panama Canal. Responding to reports of possible US military action, Panama’s…

Outgoing Prime Minister Mute Egede says ‘disrespect’ for Greenland must stop as US president again says he wants Arctic island.Greenland’s outgoing Prime Minister Mute Egede has called for a stronger rejection by local politicians of United States President Donald Trump’s promise to take over the strategically-located island, warning that “enough is enough”. “This time we need to toughen our rejection of Trump. People cannot continue to disrespect us,” Egede wrote on Facebook after Trump reiterated on Thursday his desire to annex the autonomous Danish territory. “The American president has once again evoked the idea of annexing us. I absolutely cannot…

Benchmark S&P 500 falls 1.39 percent, dragging index more than 10 percent below its February peak.The United States’ stock market has taken another tumble following US President Donald Trump’s threat to impose steep tariffs on wine and other alcoholic products from the European Union. The benchmark S&P 500 fell 1.39 percent on Thursday, dragging the index into a correction – Wall Street lingo for a decline of 10 percent or more from the peak. Corrections are not unusual in the US stock market, which has consistently recovered from losses over its history, though they can be unsettling for investors in…

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has withdrawn its decision to slash match fees for players participating in the National T20 Cup, which begins on Friday at the Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad. The PCB had recently reduced match fees from Rs 40,000 to Rs 10,000 without any official announcement, drawing discontent from domestic cricketers. However, on Thursday, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi intervened, rejecting the decision and directing the board’s domestic cricket department to reassess the matter. While the PCB has yet to officially disclose the revised amount, sources indicate it has been set at Rs 30,000 per match — Rs 10,000…

PLAYERS of Pakistan and German junior teams in action during the fourth match at the Nasser Bunda Stadium on Thursday.—Tanveer Shahzad/White Star ISLAMABAD: Germany’s junior hockey team capped off their tour of Pakistan in a spectacular fashion, securing a superb 4-1 victory over their Pakistan counterparts here at the Naseer Bunda Hockey Stadium on Thursday. The win steered world champions Germany to a 4-0 clean sweep of the four-match series. Earlier, the touring side won the first three matches, staged in Lahore, 2-1, 2-1 and 4-3. From the opening whistle, the young Germans demonstrated an impressive level of precision and…

TURIN: Pakistan’s special athletes made a historic splash at the Special Olympics World Winter Games clinching two gold medals in cross-country skiing and snowshoeing events. Muneeb Ur Rehman led the charge, winning Pakistan’s first gold medal in the men’s 50-meter cross-country skiing event. Moazzam Iqbal followed suit, securing another gold medal in the 800m snowshoeing race. Rovina Qurban added to Pakistan’s medal tally, claiming the silver medal in the women’s 50-meter cross-country skiing event. Muneeb, who hails from Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, was overjoyed with his victory. “This is my first time participating in the World Winter Games, and I’ve been…

‘LUMINARA’, the PSL’s 10th edition’s trophy.—courtesy PCB LAHORE: The Pakistan Super League (PSL) is hoping to expand from six to eight teams after the 2025 season, PSL CEO Salman Naseer said on Thursday. First staged in 2016 in the United Arab Emirates due to security concerns, the PSL is now hosted in Pakistan, where it aims to strengthen its commercial appeal and competitiveness. The planned expansion comes at a key commercial juncture for the PSL, with media and sponsorship rights going up for sale. PSL 2026 will also embrace new cities with Peshawar set to host its first exhibition game,…

These are the key developments on day 1,114 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.Here is the situation on Friday, March 14: Fighting Russian President Vladimir Putin said his forces have trapped the remaining Ukrainian soldiers still in the country’s western Kursk region, where Kyiv’s troops have clung on for more than seven months in one of the key battles of the war after making a daring cross-border incursion. Putin told a news conference that the situation in Kursk was “completely under our control, and the group that invaded our territory is in isolation”. Ukraine’s military leadership has denied their forces are…

LONDON (AP) — For lovers of beer, lagers and ciders, London has an answer that’s off the beaten track: The Bermondsey Beer Mile, a loose collection of brewery bars and liquor stores that stretches well over a mile through the streets and railway arches of south London. The attraction stretches from near Tower Bridge to parts of Bermondsey, a gentrifying area that just a few years ago would have been considered best to avoid. On a sunny Saturday afternoon, hundreds of beer connoisseurs descend on two dozen or so breweries to sample a wide range of craft beers, ales, stouts,…

NEW YORK (AP) — The Trump administration’s recent changes to student loans are causing frustration and confusion for some borrowers. In response to a February court ruling that blocked some Biden-era programs, the Education Department has taken down online and paper applications for income-driven repayment plans. “This especially hurts anyone who’s lost their jobs, including federal workers,” said Natalia Abrams, founder and president of the Student Debt Crisis Center. “A few months ago, they would have been able to get on a zero-dollar income-driven repayment plan.”The removal of application materials also has caused confusion around the recertification process for borrowers…