China-Built Hangor Submarines To Join Pakistan Navy Fleet By 2026: Report

Pakistan's ambitious Hangor-class submarine programme, a centrepiece of the China-Pakistan naval partnership, is on track for induction in 2026, according to Admiral Naveed Ashraf, Chief of Naval Staff of the Pakistan Navy.

According to the Global Times, Ashraf said the project was progressing smoothly, noting that the recent launch of the second and third submarines in China marked "a major milestone for naval collaboration between China and Pakistan."

Eight-Submarine Deal Driving Technology Transfer

Islamabad first signed the contract with Beijing in 2015 to acquire eight Hangor-class conventional submarines. Four of them are to be built in China, and the remaining four are to be assembled in Pakistan. The arrangement aims to boost local shipbuilding capacity and advance technical self-reliance.

Under the current schedule, all eight vessels will be delivered between 2022 and 2028. The first submarine was launched in April 2024, followed by two more this year.

Ashraf described the programme as a dual success. It will enhance Pakistan's undersea warfare capabilities and also enable homegrown expertise at the Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works. 

Chinese Frigates Strengthen Multi-Mission Capabilities

Beyond the Hangor project, Pakistan's partnership with China has also produced the Type 054A/P multirole frigates, now in active service with the Pakistan Navy. Ashraf praised them as "among the most advanced surface combatants."

He credited these ships with elevating the Navy's operational versatility, particularly in air defence, anti-submarine warfare, and maritime surveillance.

"These platforms are playing a key role in ensuring maritime security in the North Arabian Sea and the broader Indian Ocean region, which is critical for global economy," he said.

By protecting vital trade routes, including those tied to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Ashraf said, the Navy helps sustain trade and investment that benefit not only Pakistan but the entire region.

Chinese Systems 'Reliable, Advanced and Well-Suited'

The Pakistani naval chief praised the quality and consistency of Chinese-origin defence systems. He noted that Chinese-origin platforms and equipment have been reliable, technologically advanced and well-suited to Pakistan Navy's operational requirements.

He also said that the Pakistan Navy's experience with them has been very positive, both in terms of performance and technical support.

Future Tech Collaboration and Joint Exercises

Ashraf also highlighted the growing focus on unmanned systems, artificial intelligence, and advanced electronic warfare in areas where Pakistan plans deeper collaboration with Chinese industries.

He pointed to the expanding scope of China-Pakistan naval cooperation, which now includes frequent joint exercises such as the Sea Guardians series, covering missions from counter-terrorism to maritime search and rescue.

"Most importantly, such engagements demonstrate our shared resolve to promote peace, stability and freedom of navigation in the region," Ashraf said.

'A Trusted Partner in Modernisation'

Looking ahead, the admiral described the China-Pakistan naval partnership as one grounded in "friendship, mutual respect, trust and shared strategic interests."

"In the coming decade, we expect this relationship to grow stronger, encompassing not only shipbuilding and training, but also enhanced interoperability, research, technology sharing and industrial collaboration," he said.

He added that "there is immense potential for cooperation in advanced technologies, unmanned systems, marine scientific research and maritime industry development."

"Together, we aim to ensure a secure and stable maritime environment that supports regional peace and prosperity," he said.

Ashraf summed up the partnership by calling China "a trusted partner in the Pakistan Navy's modernisation journey."

"This cooperation goes beyond hardware; it reflects a shared strategic outlook, mutual trust, and a long-standing partnership," he said.
 

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Watch: Naseeruddin Shah, Neena Gupta, Saif Ali Khan Get Together

The opening night of the Prithvi Theatre Festival on Saturday, November 1, was a through-and-through glittery affair. The who's who of Bollywood assembled under one roof for a night of celebration, cheer and camaraderie. 

For those unaware, the Prithvi Theatre Festival is a 17-day-long event where the theatre based in Juhu lights up with delightful live performances and vibrant workshops. The festival will conclude on November 17. 

Now, the official Instagram handle of Prithvi Theatre has shared a series of pictures from the inaugural night featuring a lineup of B-town celebrities. The first photo captures a million-dollar frame where veteran stars Naseeruddin Shah and Neena Gupta are seen dancing joyously, smiling ear-to-ear.

Saif Ali Khan is also seen in a joyful mood, speaking with the actor and the trustee of Prithvi Theatre, Zahan Kapoor. Other attendees include actress Pooja Bhatt, his father-filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, Ratna Pathak Shah, and Bheja Fry star Vinay Pathak. 

Aahana Kumra, Bandish Bandits fame Shreya Chaudhry, Divya Dutta and Zoya Akhtar were also a part of the gathering. Joining them were singing maestros Vishal and Rekha Bhardwaj, actor Makarand Deshpande, Pratik Gandhi, designer Masaba Gupta, his husband-actor Satyadeep Mishra and rapper Slow Cheetah, to name a few. 

“An evening of celebration, connection, and theatre's timeless charm. Here's to the warmth, the respect, and the magic that opened Prithvi Festival 2025,” read the side note. 

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A post shared by Prithvi Theatre (@prithvitheatre)

Speaking about the festival, Zahan Kapoor said, “Prithvi Festival is for me a truly magical time, and the buzz of excitement and warmth I find extremely infectious. I want to invite everyone to come, join us for this celebration,” as quoted by The Times of India. 

Some of the standout performances at this year's Prithvi Theatre Festival are Dur Se Brothers' A Fish Ate My Cat. Written and directed by Yuki Ellias, it features Abhishek Saha, Yuki Ellias, Kunaal Sangtani, Mati Rajput, Kurian Joseph, Petra Misquitta, and Latoya Mistral Ferns-Advani in key roles.

Other performances in the lineup include Poor Box Productions' Eden Creek and 72° East Productions' The Queen, as well as a series of workshops led by leading industry professionals. 

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Tendulkar, Rohit, ICC Chief Jay Shah In Attendance For Women's World Cup Final

Cricket legends Sachin Tendulkar and Rohit Sharma, along with ICC Chairman Jay Shah, and several celebrities were present in the stands at the DY Patil Stadium to witness India take on South Africa in a historic final of the Women's World Cup in Navi Mumbai on Sunday. Just as thousands of fans had made a beeline to the stadium to witness the historic occasion of the Indian women's team playing a World Cup final on home soil, cricket stars and celebrities too were in attendance to enjoy the game and support the Indian team.

The stadium was jam-packed with fans who had braved early afternoon rain to remain in and cheer the home team in what is India's third appearance in the summit clash.

Sachin Tendulkar was shown by the broadcasters keenly watching the match while batting legend Sunil Gavaskar, VVS Laxman, and former India batter Brijesh Patel were the other celebrities in attendance at DY Patil Stadium on Sunday.

Rohit Sharma watched the match with his wife Ritika. The broadcasters showed the former India captain engrossed in the game as India batted and posted a competitive score of 298/7 in 50 overs.

is in the house supporting our girls!#AaliRe #CWC25 #INDvSA | Rohit Sharma pic.twitter.com/njK7uZGjWn

— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) November 2, 2025

Rohit also spent some time chatting with ICC Chairman Jay Shah and Nita Ambani, owner of the Mumbai Indians, who he led to five titles in the Indian Premier League. Sachin Tendulkar, too, was photographed with Nita Ambani.

Rohit has recently returned from Australia after representing the country in the ODI series in which he scored a century in the third and final game as India lost the series 1-2.

Bollywood playback singer Sunidhi Chauhan sang the national anthem before the start of the game and also performed in the mid-innings break, which was lit up by a magnificent display of fireworks and lighting.

The start of the match was delayed by two hours because of rain and a wet outfield. Scheduled to start at 3 pm, it got going after 5 without any deductions in overs.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Shah Rukh Khan's 60th Birthday: Farah, Karan, And Navya Sail To Alibag

Shah Rukh Khan is going to turn 60 on November 2, 2025, and his fans, family, and friends can't keep calm. If rumours are believed to be true, King Khan will be ringing in his 60th at his Alibag farmhouse.

While the guest list for the celebration has not been revealed, we at least know that his dear friends, Farah Khan and Karan Johar, will surely be with him on his big day.

Farah Khan, Karan Johar And Navya Naveli Nanda Sail To Alibag

Farah Khan shared a video on November 1, 2025, from a boat while sailing to Alibag. "Karan's day out on the RoRo!!" read the caption of the reel.

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A post shared by Farah Khan Kunder (@farahkhankunder)

The video begins with Farah Khan introducing viewers to Karan Johar. She said, "Look who is here using commercial transport."

Karan replied, "Hi, Farah! Thank you, Farah, for inviting me. This has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience."

Farah rhetorically asked, "How does it feel to be on the deck here with all of us, common people?"

"Just don't tell anyone," replied Karan Johar, while channelling his inner Poo from Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham.

Farah Khan, Karan Johar, Navya Naveli Nanda, And Vaidang Raina To Attend Shah Rukh Khan's 60th Birthday Celebration

In a video shared on her Instagram story, Farah Khan also got Navya Naveli Nanda and Vedang Raina in the frame. Navya was holding a basket full of snacks, and Farah quickly pointed out that it looked like a Bridgerton picnic scene.

Farah Khan, Karan Johar, Navya Naveli Nanda, and Vedang Raina are sailing to Alibag. Photo: Farah Khan/ Instagram

While the gang had quite the spread, including pasta, laid out in front of them, they also packed banana chips, cookies, potato chips, biscuits, and a lot more.

On Shah Rukh Khan's 60th birthday, many of his films are re-releasing in theatres. He also conducted his famous #AskSRK on X (formerly known as Twitter), and wittily replied to a fan asking why he looks so handsome.

"I think age suits me.....sexy at sixty!!! Superb at seventy....Enticing at eighty and so forth," read his answer.

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"Our Dressing Room Would Applaud": Jemimah, Harmanpreet Given Ultimate Praise

The Australian all-rounder Ellyse Perry hailed India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues for batting India into the ICC Women's ODI World Cup final, saying their composure under pressure earned applause even from the Australian dressing room. India pulled off the highest successful run chase in women's ODIs to book a place in Sunday's title clash with South Africa, ending Australia's reign as champions. “It's really easy to stand here in retrospect and throw ideas into the wind,” Perry said when asked if Australia could have done anything differently. “But at the end of the day, all of us in our dressing room would applaud Harman and Jemi for the way that they played, the way that they went about that chase after probably losing two early wickets in the power play. They just made us pay. All credit goes to them as opposed to anything that we did or didn't do.”

Australia's experienced all-rounder also made it clear that her team would not dwell on the missed chances that proved costly, after Jemimah was dropped twice — once on 82 and again on 106 — in India's record chase. “For all of us, the intent is to always fight and to take on the challenge and be there until the game's done. So as long as you're giving all your effort, that's all you can do, and it is sport at the end of the day,” she said.

“Everyone's out there doing absolutely everything they can to perform. You never mean to make mistakes, but when you're playing in pressure situations and there's a lot on the line, things happen. For us, I don't think we ever talk about it. You just move on straight away. Everyone's doing absolutely all they can. Sometimes those things happen and no one means it, and we're just there to support each other.”

Perry's own performance was outstanding — she scored 77 and shared a 155-run partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (119) to set up Australia's total of 338. But she brushed aside her contribution in light of the team's result.

“I think my innings is pretty irrelevant,” she said. “At the end of the day, in big matches across two teams, there's so much talent, so much experience, and exceptional performances, so someone's going to have a day out at least. From our side, Phoebe was just phenomenal. I thought the way Ash (Ashleigh Gardner) finished the innings was brilliant as well. She's been unbelievable. But then on the flip side, that partnership between Harman and Jemi was special, and they made it count in their home conditions.”

Australia's semifinal defeat was their first in an ICC tournament since 2017 — coincidentally also against India. Perry, however, refused to hide behind excuses.

“You can't walk away with excuses from a loss in the semifinal because at the end of the day, you need to be able to perform on the day that matters the most,” she said. “But at the same time, we can be super proud of the style of cricket that we've played throughout this tournament, and even across the last 12 months. We're all really committed to that, the way we go about it.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Omar Abdullah vs Lt Governor Manoj Sinha Over Jammu And Kashmir Statehood

Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, accusing him of misleading people over the issue of statehood. Lt Governor Sinha said that statehood cannot be used as an excuse, adding that an elected government has all the powers it needs and should work for the welfare of the people.

"You can't use the excuse that work will take place only after statehood. The government has all the powers, and I want to convey forcefully that people shouldn't be fooled. Use your authority for the welfare of the people," Lt Governor Sinha said. 

Omar Abdullah hit back sharply, asking the Lt Governor to focus on his own work and taking a swipe at him over the Pahalgam terror attack. The Chief Minister said the attack, in which 26 people were killed, happened under the watch of the Lt Governor, who is responsible for security and law and order in Jammu and Kashmir.

"We know our work. He should focus on his. Twenty-six of our guests were killed in the Pahalgam terrorist attack. It happened under his watch, and he is advising us to do our work," said Omar Abdullah.

The J&K Chief Minister said that during his previous six-year term as Chief Minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, there was not a single incident in which a tourist was harmed. He said that "had I been responsible for security," an incident like Pahalgam would never have taken place.

"Who is responsible for the security of J&K? It's not in my hands. Had it been in my hands, such a situation would not have taken place," he said.

The Chief Minister said he would continue to raise the issue of statehood and also speak about the promises made to the people in the Supreme Court and Parliament.

"Why do they fear statehood? Why don't they want to leave power? If a promise has been made to the people of J&K, and people voted on that promise, why is the promise of statehood still unfulfilled?" he asked.

Omar Abdullah said the Centre should explain what constitutes an appropriate time for the restoration of statehood. "How do you measure it? On what scale do you weigh the appropriate time for statehood? As Chief Minister, I should at least know the goal or target set for J&K's statehood," he said.

The Chief Minister also accused Lt Governor Sinha of failing to deliver on the development front over the last six years of central rule.
 

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Exclusive: How Rohit Arya Was Shot By Cops During Mumbai Hostage Crisis

A man who kept 19 people including 17 children hostage in a Mumbai studio on Thursday was shot dead by a policeman just as the gunman was about to aim at one of the hostages, sources said.

The accused, Rohit Arya, invited all of them to the studio under the pretext of an audition for a web series before he announced his intention. He was armed with an airgun. The hostage crisis that unfolded in Powai lasted three hours.

Many praised Assistant Sub-Inspector Amol Waghmare, whose brave and timely action ended the hostage situation involving children between 10 and 12 years old. He has been called the "Hero of Powai" for risking his life to save the children.

The police in Powai received information at 1.45 pm that a man had lured children to a studio and held them hostage. Arya, armed with an airgun that can be lethal if shot at soft tissue from close range, had installed sensors on the studio's windows to detect anyone who may try to launch a rescue.

The police managed to enter the building from the backdoor. Once inside, they checked the place for the best possible entry, and quietly made their way to the washroom connected to the studio, sources told NDTV.

Arya tried to aim at one of the hostages in a bid to pull the trigger. Then Amol Waghmare instinctively opened fire at Arya to save the children, sources said. Arya collapsed after he took a bullet to the chest. He died later.

Apart from the airgun, the police also recovered some chemicals from the studio, but gave no more details. All the 19 people including two adults were rescued safely.

In a video released before the police action, Arya explained his motive, claiming he made a plan to hold the children hostage instead of dying by suicide.

The police said they tried to negotiate with him, but as the talks made no headway, the police team decided to make a move.

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