• Pakistan, China iron-clad, all-weather partners: FO spox.
• Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, says Tahir Andrabi.
• China completed “Justice Mission 2025” drills near Taiwan.

Islamabad on Friday reiterated its firm support for Beijing on the Taiwan issue, reaffirming its commitment to the One-China principle.

Responding to media queries regarding recent developments in the Taiwan Strait, Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi said that Pakistan and China are iron-clad friends and all-weather strategic cooperative partners.

The statement came amid the rising tension between China and Taiwan, following the former’s military exercise.

In his statement, the Foreign Office spokesperson said that Pakistan consistently supports China on all matters concerning its core national interests, including Taiwan.

“We (Pakistan) reiterate our consistent support to China on all matters of its core interests, including Taiwan,” he added.

“We will continue to adhere to the One-China principle and regard Taiwan as an inalienable part of China.”

China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, and it has not ruled out using force to take it under Chinese control.

Beijing announced late on Wednesday the completion of the drills, saying its military would remain on high alert and continue to strengthen its combat-readiness.

The exercises named “Justice Mission 2025” saw China fire dozens of rockets and deploy a large number of warships and aircraft near the island.

CRANS MONTANA: Teenagers Eleonore and Elisa started the year with a frantic search for friends who have been missing since a deadly fire tore through a bar in a neighbouring Swiss town.

“Are they OK? Are they just at the hospital?” one of the 17-year-olds says.

They have not heard from them since a blaze tore through a New Year’s celebration in the luxury resort town of Crans Montana, turning what should have been a night of revelry into a globe-spanning tragedy.

Police estimate around 40 people have been killed and about 115 injured, many of them young visitors to the Swiss Alps.

Officials have started the arduous process of identifying the victims, but with some of the bodies badly burned, police warned the process could take days or even weeks.

Relatives and friends have been scrambling to find their loved ones, with many circulating photos on social media.

“We tried to reach them; some of their locations are still showing here,” said one of the teenagers from Valais, nodding at the bar now shielded by opaque white tarpaulins and behind a wall of temporary barriers.

“We took loads of photos [and] we put them on Instagram, Facebook, every social network possible to try to find them,” Eleonore said.

“But there’s nothing. No response. We called the parents. Nothing. Even the parents don’t know,” she added.

They managed to get news that one friend was in a coma in a hospital in the city of Lausanne.

More than 30 victims were taken to hospitals with specialised burns units in Zurich and Lausanne, and six were taken to Geneva, according to a Swiss news agency.

There is no official estimate of the missing or headcount from Le Constellation bar that night.

Italy’s ambassador Gian Lorenzo Cornado told AFP that five of the injured have not yet been identified.

A few hundred metres from the remnants of the burned bar, the nearby convention centre has been turned into a crisis unit.

Away from the press and guarded by police, families of the victims are received and offered assistance by authorities, diplomats and chaplains.

Swiss President Guy Parmelin said the support on offer would be “long-lasting”.

Nathan, a 19-year-old who was in the bar just before it caught fire, told AFP he keeps expecting to wake up from the “nightmare”.

“It feels like… I’m going to wake up tomorrow and get all my loved ones back who sadly died in this incident,” he said.

“Normally a new year is full of happiness, but unfortunately, this has happened.”

Nick Jonas kicked off the new year on a thoughtful note, choosing introspection over resolutions.

The first morning of 2026 found the Jonas Brothers member feeling reflective as he shared a personal video message acknowledging the mixed emotions many feel at the start of the New Year.

Fresh off the debut of Gut Punch, Nick, who is married to Priyanka Chopra, recorded himself explaining the message behind his latest solo release.

“Today I am feeling all the start of the year feelings reflective, definitely like a little anxiety, but i’m just gonna kind of curb that for a minute and just say that I wanted to put Gut punch out on this day specifically for all those feelings not just for me but for all of you who might be feeling the same way,” he said in the almost one-minute clip.

He’s noted that it’s okay to feel vulnerable at the start of the year, people don’t need to be perfect to move forward, and choosing gratitude, connection, and self-compassion is enough which could still make 2026 meaningful.

“Looking yourself in the mirror and saying hey, you’re enough,” the Sucker hitmaker added before concluding, “It’s okay, you’re not defined by your hurt or your mistakes And 2026, I believe will be a great year for all of us.”

He captioned the video, “Feeling sentimental might delete later.” His latest message came the night after he treated his fans to a live version of Gut Punch, just a few hours before its debut.

On New Year’s Night, December 31, 2025 – January 1, 2026, the Jonas Brothers performed at Hard Rock Live within the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

Sharing a brief clip of himself singing the new solo on stage, Nick captioned the post, “Couldn’t ask for a better way to ring in the new year than hearing these lyrics that mean so much to me being sung back. Here’s to being kinder to ourselves in 2026. Thank you. Love you.”