Practice MCQs

Explanation: Reuters reported that Trump administration officials secretly met Houthi representatives at the US Embassy in Muscat, the capital of Oman, where the group reportedly pledged not to attack US or Israeli vessels and reaffirmed commitment to a 2025 ceasefire with the United States. Oman has long served as a discreet mediator in Gulf conflicts, and the reported talks reflected Washington's attempt to manage the Houthi threat separately from its broader posture toward the Iran war.

Explanation: The United Nations warned that at least nine children had been killed and more than 57,000 children displaced during two weeks of fighting between Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces and Houthi rebels, also known as Ansar Allah. The escalation followed accusations that the Houthis had attempted to attack Makkah, triggering intensified Saudi air strikes and ground clashes that significantly worsened humanitarian conditions in already vulnerable areas of Yemen.

Explanation: The US State Department approved the sale of 48 F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, stating the sale would improve the kingdom's capability to deter current and future threats. The approval represented a significant shift in longstanding US arms transfer policy in the Gulf region, given historical sensitivities around preserving Israel's qualitative military edge, and followed a broader deepening of security cooperation between Washington and Riyadh amid regional instability.

Explanation: The United States again denied a visa to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, barring him for the second consecutive year from attending the UN General Assembly's High-Level Week in New York. The Palestinian Authority warned the decision could hinder prospects for a two-state solution, while the move drew criticism from various UN member states who argued it undermined the host country's obligations to facilitate diplomatic access to United Nations proceedings under longstanding international agreements.

Explanation: Pakistan's Foreign Office confirmed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would travel to the United States to attend the United Nations General Assembly session, while reaffirming Pakistan's commitment to implementing both its bilateral defence pact with Saudi Arabia and the trilateral Makkah agreement. The Iranian delegation was separately expected to draw significant attention at the same session amid ongoing regional tensions.

Explanation: The Kosovo Specialist Chambers, a hybrid tribunal, were established to address alleged crimes committed during and after Kosovo's 1998-99 war for independence from Serbia. Former Kosovo President and wartime Kosovo Liberation Army commander Hashim Thaci was convicted before this tribunal and sentenced to 25 years in prison, marking one of the most significant judicial reckonings with the legacy of the conflict more than two decades after it ended.

Explanation: Reuters reported that at least 16 people, including five police personnel, were killed after a suicide attacker rammed an explosives-laden car into a police facility in Kohat while people were praying at a mosque inside. Casualty figures in the immediate aftermath of such attacks often vary between different news agencies and evolve as rescue operations continue and hospitals update injury and fatality reports, which explains the range of tolls reported across different outlets.

Explanation: The suicide bombing at a mosque near the Kohat Police Lines occurred during Friday congregational prayers on 18 September 2026, when attendance at the mosque was at its highest, maximising civilian and police casualties. Attacks timed to coincide with congregational prayers have previously targeted both security installations and civilian places of worship in Pakistan, reflecting a deliberate tactic aimed at inflicting mass casualties during predictable, high-attendance gatherings.

Explanation: Gilgit-Baltistan unveiled a Rs218.8 billion budget after a prolonged delay, with the provincial finance minister saying it placed special emphasis on education, health, basic infrastructure and welfare of the underprivileged. Gilgit-Baltistan's budgetary process is closely watched given the region's continued dependence on federal transfers and its distinctive constitutional status, which sets it apart from the four constitutionally recognised provinces of Pakistan.

Explanation: Pakistan's business community was split over the State Bank's decision to keep its policy interest rate unchanged, with the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry describing the decision as highly contractionary and counterproductive. Industry representatives argued that continued high borrowing costs were suppressing private investment and slowing industrial recovery, even as the central bank maintained that rate stability was necessary to keep inflation expectations anchored following an earlier period of aggressive monetary tightening.