United States (US) Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday called Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as the administration led by US President Donald Trump made a fresh attempt to de-escalate tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi.

During the phone call, Sharif strongly condemned India’s missile and drone strikes in Pakistan, which have claimed at least 31 lives and injured 57 others.

"Pakistan reserves the right to act in self-defence, in accordance with Article-51 of the UN Charter," maintained Sharif.

The stock markets in Pakistan further tanked on Thursday, as trading was halted at the Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) amid rising geopolitical tensions.

Karachi Stock Exchange fell more than 6 per cent on Thursday before the trading was halted. The stock exchange has been witnessing a continuous decline since the barbaric Pahalgam terror attack.

The main index, Karachi Stock Exchange 100 Index (KSE-100), has slipped by more than 13 per cent since April 22 when the terror attack happened, killing 26 people, most of them tourists.

On April 22, the KSE-100 index was at 1,18,430, which has now dropped to 1,03,060.

Former Bangladeshi President Abdul Hamid has left the country on Thursday, months after the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during the violent July uprising, according to local media reports.

Hamid, an Awami League leader, was the President for two consecutive terms from 2013 to 2023 during the Hasina-led government.

Hamid departed for the Thai capital, Bangkok, on a Thai Airways flight, the leading Bangladeshi daily, reported, quoting sources.

After fall of Awami League government, a case was filed against Hamid, along with Sheikh Hasina, her sister Sheikh Rehana, Hasina's son Sajeeb Wazed (Joy), daughter Saima Wazed (Putul) and several others in connection with the attack and firing on a demonstration in Kishoreganj during the countrywide student movement, local media reported.

The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) on Thursday suspended flight operations in all major cities, including capital Islamabad, Lahore, Sialkot and Karachi, as fear and panic gripped the country following India's decisive Operation Sindoor strikes.

As per details, PAA announced that it has suspended all flight operations in Lahore, Sialkot and Karachi till 6 pm today due to prevailing tensions with India and operational considerations.

Emergency alarms were also heard in the federal capital Islamabad after Pakistan Army claimed that it has shot down Harop drones in Rawalpindi and multiple cities across the country.

"The suspension at Lahore and Sialkot were implemented in light of the current security situation following heightened tensions between Pakistan and India," the PAA stated.

Russia has suspended combat operations in following the Victory Day ceasefire announced by President Vladimir Putin, which came into effect on Thursday.

Putin announced the 72-hour ceasefire on April 28, in its ongoing 'Special Military Operation' in Ukraine, on account of the Victory Day celebrations.

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia's position on the May ceasefire is well-known and there have been no new instructions on the matter.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian troops staged a large-scale drone attack on Russian cities in the early hours of Wednesday. However, the Russian air defence forces repelled the attack, state-run news agency reported.

According to Moscow city's mayor, Sergey Sobyanin, nine drones were shot down near Moscow.

Two employees of a pharmacy store in Port Orange, Florida, US, were injured in a shooting. Additionally, the body of the suspect was also found by the police.

The preliminary investigations of the police revealed that the shooting had occurred inside the Walgreens store.

In addition, a man identified as the suspected gunman was found dead from a self-inflicted wound in the parking lot, as confirmed by the police officials on Wednesday.

The Port Orange Police on Wednesday evening responded to a report of an active shooting at the Walgreens located at 1625 Taylor Road, according to its official statement.

Singapore has issued a travel advisory, urging its citizens to avoid non-essential travel to Jammu & Kashmir and Pakistan in view of the escalating New Delhi-Islamabad tensions.

"Singaporeans are advised to defer all non-essential travel to Jammu & Kashmir in India, and to Pakistan. Travellers should exercise precaution, especially at the border regions between Pakistan and India," the travel advisory stated

"Singaporeans in India and Pakistan are advised to remain vigilant and take all necessary precautions for personal safety, including avoiding large gatherings, monitoring local news closely, heeding instructions of local authorities," it added.

The advisory was issued after the Indian armed forces launched Operation Sindoor targeting nine high-value terror locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in response to the dastardly April 22 Pahlagam terror attack, which killed 26 innocent civilians.

In the wake of India's successful counterterrorism strikes under Operation Sindoor, several Pakistani government-linked media outlets and social media accounts have been caught disseminating misleading and fabricated content in an apparent attempt to distort the facts surrounding the operation.

On Wednesday, the Indian armed forces launched a series of precision strikes against nine high-value terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), in retaliation for the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which left 26 civilians dead.

The operation marked a significant moment in India's continuing fight against cross-border terrorism.

Following the strikes, a wave of disinformation emerged online, with Pakistani media houses and affiliated handles pushing false narratives and unverified claims across social platforms, particularly on X.

South Korea's aerospace agency said on Thursday that it has formally requested a government review to revise the development plan for its next-generation space launch vehicle, aiming to shift toward a reusable rocket system.

According to the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA), the agency submitted a request to the finance ministry last week for a feasibility reassessment of the project revision, news agency reported.

KASA announced in February that it plans to modify its next-generation space rocket into a reusable system and acquire such technology by 2035.

In its reassessment request to the ministry, the administration said the envisioned change will be part of its broader strategy to respond to the rapidly shifting landscape of the global space industry.

A loud explosion was heard near the military airport on Walton Road in Lahore on Thursday amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan.

There were also reports that multiple blasts had occurred in areas near the Walton Road in Lahore. The road leads to Lahore Cantonment. Media reports said that the Pakistani police officials confirmed the blast, stating they are in the process of determining the exact nature and location of the explosion.

The blasts sent residents into panic mode. Eyewitnesses described seeing clouds of smoke in the air as people rushed out of their homes in fear.

Sirens were heard in the area shortly after the explosion, adding to the sense of urgency.

Reports said that a drone was seen near the Walton Airport.