Rooma News ; Tesla Unveils Flying Roadster After Long Delay Elon Musk revealed the next-generation Roadster at a SpaceX test facility in Texas. Ten cold-gas thrusters and high-pressure air tanks let the two-seater make short bursts of flight. In the staged demo it drove upside down on a curved ramp, flipped in mid-air, cleared a row of Teslas and landed under thruster control.

 Saturday, October 17, 2026

Islamabad

By Rooma Mehmood

Rooma News

Pakistan · Peshawar

More Than 30 Dead as Peshawar School Roof Collapses

Most of the victims were students; a teacher also died. Families are demanding accountability.

An FIR has been registered naming the owners, shareholders and the contractor of the school. Authorities have ordered safety inspections of school buildings across the area and sealed several unsafe private schools.

Separately, an 11 kg explosive device was defused in Peshawar’s Yakatoot area, and security forces killed a terrorist commander in Lakki Marwat while arresting several suspects in operations in Balochistan.

Foreign Policy

No Unconditional Talks With Afghanistan

The Foreign Office wants a verifiable mechanism to stop terrorist attacks launched from Afghan soil. It confirmed that no formal Russian mediation proposal is under discussion.

Saudi Arabia

PM Sharif Backs Riyadh After Houthi Attacks

The prime minister pledged to safeguard the Kingdom’s sovereignty while keeping diplomatic options open.

Politics

Emergency Rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Challenged in Court

Parliament has endorsed the emergency and governor’s rule. Opposition parties have gone to the Peshawar High Court, calling the move politically motivated. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said the head of a political party was deeply upset at not receiving the governorship.

Economy

Power Generation Costs Jump 37.5 Percent

Expensive fuel pushed September power generation costs sharply higher. Short-term inflation remains elevated and the current account deficit widened in the first quarter, though the stock market closed modestly higher.

Pakistan plans to introduce electronic passports within a month, replacing machine-readable ones.

Balochistan

Earthquake of Magnitude 5.8–5.9 Jolts Khuzdar

The shallow tremor struck on Saturday morning and was felt in surrounding areas. People fled outdoors and emergency services were placed on alert. No immediate casualties or major damage were reported.

World

Technology

Tesla Unveils Flying Roadster After Long Delay

Elon Musk revealed the next-generation Roadster at a SpaceX test facility in Texas. Ten cold-gas thrusters and high-pressure air tanks let the two-seater make short bursts of flight. In the staged demo it drove upside down on a curved ramp, flipped in mid-air, cleared a row of Teslas and landed under thruster control.

Tesla claims 0–60 mph in under a second (0.81 seconds in the demo) and a top speed above 230 mph. Production is targeted for 2028, in three versions: Performance, Thrust, and an invite-only single-seat Rocket that is not approved for public roads. Reservations are open for the first two.

United States

Three Children and a Teacher Killed at Oregon School

A 16-year-old opened fire at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, killing three children, aged 5, 8 and 11, and a 25-year-old teacher. A 7-year-old and another teacher are critically wounded.

The attacker forced entry by shooting through locked doors. A teacher tackled him, and a father of two students at the school fatally shot him within minutes.

Vatican

Pope Leo XIV Recovering After Lung Surgery

The 71-year-old pontiff had the lower lobe of his right lung removed in Rome. Doctors confirmed early-stage lung adenocarcinoma. He has resumed light work; public engagements are cancelled through mid-week.

Washington

Trump Waives New Russia Sanctions

He cited national interest and energy prices as relations with Zelenskyy worsen; Kyiv seeks at least €70 billion more European support for 2027.

In brief: Houthi forces launched fresh attacks in Yemen and near Saudi Arabia, and Trump urged Riyadh to accept Israeli help. · A minibus crash on India’s Delhi–Mumbai Expressway near Kota killed eight. · Russian strikes continued to hit Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

Editorial

Security, Sovereignty and the Cost of Delay

Emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was not decided lightly. Terrorist threats, fragile governance and the Peshawar school tragedy have exposed deep institutional weaknesses. Public safety is the first duty of government.

Yet extraordinary measures must stay temporary and accountable. Claims that the move serves partisan ends cannot be dismissed out of hand; transparent appointments and a clear timeline for restoring elected government are essential.

On Afghanistan, talks without a verifiable end to cross-border terrorism would reward violence, but diplomacy must continue through every channel. Solidarity with Saudi Arabia is principled and strategic.

Rising power costs and inflation remind us that security and prosperity are linked. Decisive security action, accountable use of emergency powers and urgent economic relief must advance together. Delay on any front will only deepen the crisis.

Rooma News · Islamabad

By Rooma Mehmood

October 17, 2026