CAIRO:&nbsp;Gaza mediators Egypt, Qatar and Turkey said Wednesday that former Palestinian deputy minister Ali Shaath would lead a new technocratic committee tasked with administering post-war Gaza. The mediators in a joint statement described the committee&#39;s creation as &quot;an important development contributing to efforts to consolidate stability and improve humanitarian conditions&quot; in the war-battered Palestinian territory. They added that they hoped its formation would &quot;pave the way for implementing&quot; the second phase of the US-brokered ceasefire agreement.

Middle East

Egypt, Qatar and Turkey said former Palestinian deputy minister Ali Shaath will head a technocratic committee to govern post-war Gaza, aiming to improve stability, humanitarian conditions, and advance the second phase of the ceasefire

Former Palestinian deputy minister to lead Gaza governance body: mediators

WASHINGTON: Denmark&#39;s top diplomat said on Wednesday he failed to change the mind of US President Donald Trump&#39;s administration on his threats to seize Greenland after flying to the White House for talks. The foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland, an autonomous territory of Copenhagen, met with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in what they hoped would clear up &quot;misunderstandings&quot; after Trump&#39;s bellicose language toward the NATO ally. &quot;We didn&#39;t manage to change the American position. It&#39;s clear that the president has this wish of conquering over Greenland,&quot; Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen told reporters after the meeting. &quot;And we made it very, very clear that this is not in the interest of the kingdom.&quot; The minister said a US takeover of Greenland, where Washington has long had a military base, was &quot;absolutely not necessary.&quot; He said the issue was &quot;very emotional&quot; for the people of Greenland and Denmark, a steadfast US ally whose troops died alongside Americans in Afghanistan and, controversially, Iraq. &quot;Ideas that would not respect territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark and the right of self-determination of the Greenlandic people are, of course, totally unacceptable,&quot; Lokke said. &quot;We therefore still have a fundamental disagreement, but we also agree to disagree.&quot; He said the two sides would form a committee that would meet within weeks to see if there was possible headway. Trump insisted hours before the talks that NATO should support the US effort to take control of Greenland, even though major European allies have all lined up to back Denmark. Trump said Greenland was &quot;vital&quot; for his planned Golden Dome air and missile defense system. &quot;Anything less than that is unacceptable,&quot; he wrote on his Truth Social network. &quot;IF WE DON&#39;T, RUSSIA OR CHINA WILL, AND THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!&quot; Mocking tone While the talks were underway, the White House posted on X: &quot;Which way, Greenland man?&quot; The post included a drawing of two dogsleds &mdash; one heading towards the White House and a huge US flag, and the other towards Chinese and Russian flags over a lightning-bathed Kremlin and Great Wall of China. Neither country has claimed Greenland, and Lokke said no Chinese ship had been spotted there in a decade. Denmark promised ahead of the meeting to ramp up its military presence further in the vast, sparsely populated and strategically located island. Trump has derided recent Danish efforts to increase security for Greenland as amounting to &quot;two dogsleds.&quot; Denmark says it has invested almost $14 billion in Arctic security. The row over Greenland has deeply shaken transatlantic relations. Both Denmark and Greenland insist only Greenlanders should decide the autonomous island&#39;s fate. In the quiet streets of the capital, Nuuk, red and white Greenlandic flags were flying in shop windows, on apartment balconies, and on cars and buses, in a show of national unity as the talks got underway. &quot;We are standing together in these times when we might feel vulnerable,&quot; the Nuuk municipality wrote on Facebook. Greenland&#39;s leader said Tuesday that the island prefers to remain part of Denmark, prompting Trump to say &quot;that&#39;s going to be a big problem for him.&quot; Vance, who slammed Denmark as a &quot;bad ally&quot; during a visit to Greenland last year, is known for a hard edge, which was on display when he publicly berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office last February. The meeting, however, was closed to the press, meaning there was no on-camera confrontation. Emboldened by Venezuela Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen told AFP earlier Wednesday his country was boosting its military presence in Greenland and was in talks with NATO allies. The Danish defense ministry then announced that it would do so &quot;from today,&quot; hosting a military exercise and sending in &quot;aircraft, vessels and soldiers.&quot; Swedish officers were joining the exercise at Denmark&#39;s request, Stockholm said. Trump has appeared emboldened on Greenland &mdash; and on what he views as the US backyard as a whole &mdash; since ordering a deadly January 3 attack in Venezuela that removed President Nicolas Maduro. The White House has repeatedly said military action against Greenland remains on the table.

Americas

Danish defense ministry announces it will "from today" host a military exercise and sending in "aircraft, vessels and soldiers"; Swedish officers are joining the exercise at Denmark's request; White House has repeatedly said military action against Greenland remains on the table.

Denmark says White House talks failed to alter US designs on Greenland

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: International interest in Pakistan&rsquo;s fighter jets has surged following the Pakistan-India May 2025 conflict, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Wednesday during a federal cabinet meeting.&nbsp;Chairing the meeting, which was attended by Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, and Climate Minister Musadik Malik, Sharif highlighted the impact of Pakistan&rsquo;s military performance on global defense markets, according to a statement posted on his official Facebook page. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: left; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 600px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2010938355945783401&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=c0f663259ec9282564f4020de81e5b72045c7f4a&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="2010938355945783401"></iframe></div></div>&nbsp;&ldquo;Following our successes in the Pakistan-India May conflict, there has been an increased international demand for Pakistani fighter jets,&rdquo; the prime minister said. &ldquo;Several countries are currently in negotiations to acquire these aircraft.&rdquo;&nbsp;The two nuclear-armed neighbors went to war in May last year after Pakistan described India&rsquo;s actions as an unprovoked attack following the killing of tourists in Indian-occupied Kashmir. New Delhi has accused Pakistani nationals of carrying out the attack, a claim Islamabad has <a href="https://pakungeneva.pk/pakistan-rejects-provocative-and-inflammatory-assertions-by-the-indian-prime-minister/" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">rejected</a>, instead calling for a neutral, international investigation.&nbsp;The clash quickly escalated into the deadliest cross-border fighting since 2019, involving missile, drone, and artillery strikes, before both sides accepted a US-brokered ceasefire on May 10. In response, Pakistan shot down seven Indian fighter jets, including four <a href="https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/pakistan-shot-down-6-indian-jets-including-4-french-made-rafale-during-conflict-premier-sharif/3582409" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Rafales</a>, a feat widely noted by the international community.&nbsp;US President Donald Trump also commented on Pakistan&rsquo;s performance at the American Business Forum in Miami last November. &ldquo;Eight planes, seven planes were shot down, an eighth was really badly wounded. But eight planes were essentially shot down,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;The rising interest in Pakistan&rsquo;s fighter jets has reportedly drawn inquiries from several countries, including Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Iraq, Sudan, and Libya&rsquo;s National Army, according to media reports.&nbsp;Confirming the negotiations without disclosing country names, Pakistan Defense Production Minister Raza Hayat Harraj told the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-28P-vOOz4" style="color:#0073e6;">BBC</a>, &ldquo;I cannot take the name of any country. Neither can I tell on what level our negotiations are with any country.&rdquo;&nbsp;Sharif and Asif&rsquo;s comments underscore the international recognition of Pakistan&rsquo;s military capabilities following the May conflict and highlight the country&rsquo;s growing role as a defense exporter in the region.

Economy

Security

In an address to cabinet members, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif says Pakistan’s military performance in the May conflict is driving international interest in locally produced fighter jets and defense exports

Global interest rises in Pakistani fighter jets after May India conflict: PM Sharif

ISLAMABAD: &nbsp;Iran&rsquo;s Ambassador to Pakistan Dr. Reza Amiri Moghaddam has said that the recent unrest in Iran was not a popular uprising, but a wave of violence driven by &ldquo;terrorist elements&rdquo; with foreign backing, claiming that peaceful economic protests were deliberately turned violent.&nbsp;Speaking to SAMAA TV&rsquo;s Red Line in an interview with Pakistani journalist Talat Hussain, the ambassador said the unrest, which began as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-forces-accused-of-firing-on-protesters-as-death-toll-mounts" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">protests</a>&nbsp;by traders and shopkeepers over economic difficulties, was &ldquo;hijacked&rdquo; by armed groups late Friday night.&nbsp;<div class="fr-embed youtube-embed"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YyMqLykmXpM?si=wnrCB0QRwZ2uS1cG" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen="" style="width: 100%; height: auto; aspect-ratio: 16 / 9; max-width: 100%; display: block;"></iframe>&nbsp;</div>&ldquo;For three to four days, the protests were completely peaceful,&rdquo; Dr. Moghaddam said. &ldquo;Then suddenly, on Friday night, terrorist elements entered, using firearms and bladed weapons, and deliberately created chaos.&rdquo;&nbsp;He said the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/un-chief-calls-on-iran-to-respect-demonstrators-right-to-protest-peacefully" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">violence</a>&nbsp;lasted &ldquo;seven to eight hours&rdquo; and resulted in significant casualties, particularly among Iranian security forces.&nbsp;&ldquo;Most of the funeral processions taking place across Iran are of security personnel,&rdquo; he stated. &ldquo;In Tehran alone, around one hundred security force martyrs were laid to rest.&rdquo;&nbsp;Dr. Moghaddam alleged that attackers targeted civilian and public infrastructure, including &ldquo;hospitals, schools, mosques, banks, ambulances, vehicles, and police stations,&rdquo; adding that &ldquo;people were burned alive in mosques and hospitals.&rdquo;&nbsp;He claimed that some arrested individuals had confessed to receiving training, weapons, and instructions. &ldquo;They admitted they were trained, armed, and taught how to create unrest,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;They were given two agendas: first, to target security forces; and if that was not possible, to target ordinary civilians.&rdquo;&nbsp;According to the ambassador, the aim was to maximize casualties and influence public opinion inside and outside Iran. &ldquo;Their objective was mass killing so that global and domestic opinion could be turned against the Islamic Republic of Iran,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;Addressing criticism that economic grievances reflected broader public anger, Dr. Moghaddam acknowledged hardship caused by decades of sanctions. &ldquo;We have faced US sanctions for 40 years,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;These sanctions have created economic pressure, and people have genuine difficulties. We do not deny that.&rdquo;&nbsp;He stressed that Iran&rsquo;s leadership supported peaceful protest. &ldquo;[Iran&rsquo;s] Supreme Leader [Ayatollah Ali Khamenei] himself recognized the traders&rsquo; right to protest and instructed the government to address their issues,&rdquo; he said, adding that senior officials met with business representatives before violence erupted.&nbsp;Dr. Moghaddam also slammed the United States and Israel of openly encouraging unrest.&nbsp;&ldquo;Their interference is clear from their own statements,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;When foreign leaders publicly tell protesters to seize government buildings, that is not support for protest, it is incitement.&rdquo;&nbsp;The ambassador said the violence subsided by Friday morning, after which large public rallies were held in support of the state. &ldquo;From Sunday onward, the majority of people came out to condemn the violence, condemn the United States and Israel, and support the system,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;He concluded by saying that allowing peaceful protest was &ldquo;a strength, not a weakness,&rdquo; but warned that &ldquo;no country in the world accepts armed groups turning protests into bloodshed.&rdquo;

Talking to Pakistani journalist Talat Hussain, Iranian Ambassador Dr. Reza Amiri Moghaddam says peaceful protests by traders escalate, security forces suffer casualties, and public rallies support the state.

Iranian ambassador says recent unrest was ‘foreign-backed terrorism,’ not protest

ISLAMABAD: Authorities in eastern India arrested two men in connection with a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/mob-targets-mosque-in-indian-capital-police-silence-draws-criticism" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">mob killing</a> while disputing family allegations that the attack was religiously motivated, a case that reflects broader tensions over religious identity and vigilante violence in the world&#39;s most populous &lsquo;democracy&rsquo;. Police in Jharkhand state arrested Munnilal Marandi and Anant Marandi on Jan. 10, three days after a mob of 20 to 25 people beat 45-year-old Pappu Ansari to death near the state&#39;s border with Bihar. Both suspects confessed and named additional accomplices, according to Godda district police. The arrests came as investigators maintain the attack stemmed from cattle theft suspicions, while Ansari&#39;s family and legal representatives insist it was a hate crime targeting Muslims. The divergent narratives reflect a pattern documented by the Centro for the Study of Organized Hate, a US rights monitoring group tracking mob violence cases. The organization&#39;s report shows authorities frequently attribute cattle-related killings to theft disputes while victims&#39; families cite religious targeting. Cattle trade and religious tensions Ansari, a Muslim cattle trader and transporter, was returning from a cattle market in Bihar when his vehicle was intercepted in Matihani village on the night of Jan. 7. His associates escaped, but Ansari was cornered and attacked with axes and sticks, local police said. Cows are considered sacred in Hinduism, practiced by roughly 80% of India&#39;s 1.4 billion people. Several states have enacted laws restricting cattle slaughter and trade in recent years. Critics say the legislation has emboldened vigilante groups that target&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bihar-mob-lynching-shows-growing-hatred-toward-muslims-indias-civil-rights-body" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Muslims</a>, who constitute about 14% of India&#39;s population and are traditionally involved in cattle trading and meat industries. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 768px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2009906778327396794&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F3472%2F&sessionId=f500681ce23a07d0e2264fe9ef4f428d622f34cb&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>Godda Superintendent of Police Mukesh Kumar told reporters the mob acted on theft suspicions. The local Indian police claimed the victim had a criminal record and had been jailed previously. Ansari&#39;s family rejected the theft allegations. In statements to local journalists, they said attackers identified his religious identity before assaulting him. &quot;They took off his pants and tried to determine his religion,&quot; independent journalist Ashraf Hussain wrote on social media, citing family allegations. &quot;He was murdered because of his religious identity.&quot; <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 648px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2009916358281318862&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F3472%2F&sessionId=f500681ce23a07d0e2264fe9ef4f428d622f34cb&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>Political context The killing occurred in Jharkhand, a state of 38 million people governed by a coalition led by the regional Jharkhand Mukti Morcha party with the Indian National Congress. The coalition took power in 2024, opposing the hardliner Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s Bharatiya Janata Party, which governs nationally and in most northern states. Modi&#39;s BJP, which draws support from Hindu nationalist groups, has faced criticism from rights groups over rising communal tensions and insufficient response to mob violence targeting Muslims. Party leaders reject such claims. Representatives from the governing JMM condemned Ansari&#39;s killing. Party leader Rizwan Krantikari said those responsible would not be spared, according to Indian media reports. Kumar formed a Special Investigation Team led by Deputy Superintendent JPN Chaudhary to track remaining suspects. Police have not announced additional arrests. Documented pattern The Centre for the Study of Organised Hate documented a pattern of mob violence linked to cattle-related accusations in Jharkhand and northern India dating to 2015. The group cited Mohammad Akhlaq&#39;s 2015 killing in Dadri, Uttar Pradesh, over beef storage rumors and Alimuddin Ansari&#39;s 2017 death in Ramgarh, Jharkhand, on cow smuggling suspicions. The organization documented three similar incidents in early 2025 before Ansari&#39;s death, including Mohammad Sharif, who died in March after being assaulted during Hindu Holi celebrations in Uttar Pradesh while observing the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The center said victims are predominantly Muslim men and that most attacks are carried out by Hindu vigilante groups. The report cited&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/taj-mahal-hindu-nationalist-revisionism-reshapes-indias-monuments-and-memory" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">inflammatory rhetoric from officials</a>, including remarks by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval at a January youth event where he urged young Indians to carry &quot;the fire of revenge&quot; over historical grievances. Social media users questioned the limited attention to Ansari&#39;s case. &quot;Why is everyone silent on the mob lynching and subsequent death of Pappu Ansari in Jharkhand?&quot; one user wrote on Jan. 10. Ansari is survived by his wife, four daughters and a son. The Special Investigation Team has not announced a timeline for completing its investigation.

Indian mob lynching of Muslim man. (Social activists staging protest against mob lynching, in Bhopal on July 07, 2017.)

India

Two men arrested in the Indian state of Jharkhand for mob lynching of Pappu Ansari, amid conflicting claims of theft and religious hate crime.

Mob lynching exposes India’s crisis amid denial of anti-Muslim violence

Malik Waqar Ahmed

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s senior policymakers and business leaders underscored macroeconomic stability, reform momentum, and investment-focused governance at the Pakistan Policy Dialogue in Islamabad, positioning the forum as a signal of renewed economic confidence for international investors.&nbsp;Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said Pakistan had achieved macroeconomic stabilization and now needed growth led by the private sector.&nbsp;&ldquo;We are not talking about any other country,&rdquo; Dar said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re talking about Pakistan.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Macroeconomic stability in the country,&rdquo; the deputy PM said, citing lower interest rates, improved export financing and rising foreign exchange reserves.&nbsp;He added that while the International Monetary Fund (IMF) program are &ldquo;generally anti-growth,&rdquo; the government&rsquo;s focus is now on sustaining stability and unlocking growth potential.&nbsp;The dialogue brought together federal ministers, economic advisers, corporate leaders and development experts to discuss reforms spanning exports, digital infrastructure, climate resilience and institutional strengthening.&nbsp;Khurram Schehzad, adviser to the finance minister, said the dominant sentiment at the forum was confidence tempered with realism.&nbsp;&ldquo;Everyone is confident, everyone is positive, and of course, at the same time, critical as well,&rdquo; Schehzad said, pointing to recent macroeconomic gains and reforms as key takeaways, talking to Pakistan TV Digital.&nbsp;Digital infrastructure and investor accessibility featured prominently in the discussions.&nbsp;Mujeeb Zahoor, managing director at S&amp;P Global, said sustained investment in connectivity and enabling policy frameworks was critical to attract global capital.&nbsp;He emphasized the need for regulations that allow institutional investors and private markets to participate more effectively in Pakistan&rsquo;s economy.&nbsp;Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said inclusive growth required a sharper focus on human capital, particularly youth and women.&nbsp;&ldquo;We have to empower our youth and women, the drivers of economic growth,&rdquo; Iqbal said, noting Pakistan&rsquo;s young demographic profile and low female workforce participation, talking to Pakistan TV Digital.&nbsp;Participants said the Dialogue reflected a broader effort to project policy continuity and reform discipline at a time when Pakistan is seeking long-term investment, export-led growth and resilience against economic and climate shocks.

Pakistan’s policymakers and business leaders highlighted macroeconomic stability, ongoing reforms and investment-led growth at the Islamabad Policy Dialogue, projecting renewed confidence, policy continuity and reform discipline to international investors

Pakistan leaders highlight stability, reforms at Islamabad policy dialogue

DOHA: Some personnel have been asked to depart the United States&#39; Al Udeid military base in Qatar, two diplomatic sources told AFP on Wednesday, with the Gulf state saying &quot;regional tensions&quot; were behind the move.&nbsp;The decision comes after Washington&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-keeps-iran-air-strikes-on-table-white-house-says" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">threatened</a>&nbsp;to respond to an Iranian government crackdown on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-warns-of-very-strong-action-if-iran-hangs-protesters" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">protests</a>&nbsp;while Tehran has said it would strike US military and shipping assets in the event of a new attack.&nbsp;The measure was taken &quot;in response to the current regional tensions&quot;, Qatar&#39;s International Media Office said in a statement.&nbsp;&quot;Qatar continues to implement all necessary measures to safeguard the security and safety including actions related to the protection of critical infrastructure and military facilities,&quot; it added.&nbsp;A diplomatic source told AFP earlier that a number of personnel were asked to leave the base by Wednesday evening.&nbsp;A second source confirmed the information, also on condition of anonymity.&nbsp;The US embassy in Qatar declined to comment on personnel movement at Al Udeid.&nbsp;In June, Iran targeted the United States&#39; Al Udeid military base in Qatar in response to earlier American strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.&nbsp;Ali Shamkhani, a senior adviser to Iran&#39;s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned US President Donald Trump on Wednesday that the strike on the base had demonstrated &quot;Iran&#39;s will and capability to respond to any attack&quot;.&nbsp;Doha was able to leverage the unprecedented attack on its soil to help deliver a speedy truce between Washington and Tehran.&nbsp;Washington has repeatedly said the United States is considering air strikes on Iran to stop a crackdown on protesters.&nbsp;Trump on Tuesday said in a CBS News interview that the United States would act if Iran began hanging protesters.&nbsp;Iranian authorities called the American warnings a &quot;pretext for military intervention&quot;.&nbsp;Mass protests in Iran since Thursday have posed one of the biggest challenges to the clerical leadership since the 1979 Islamic revolution ousted the shah.&nbsp;Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights said it had confirmed 734 people killed during the protests, including nine minors, but warned the death toll was likely far higher.&nbsp;&quot;The real number of those killed is likely in the thousands,&quot; IHR&#39;s director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said.

Qatar said some US personnel were asked to leave Al Udeid base due to regional tensions, amid US threats over Iran’s protest crackdown and Tehran’s warnings, following earlier Iranian strikes and unrest killing hundreds nationwide.

Qatar says some personnel departing US base over 'regional tensions': AFP sources

SAN FRANCISCO: Microsoft on Wednesday said it has taken coordinated legal action in the United States and Britain to disrupt a low-cost subscription service called RedVDS that helps cybercriminals carry out lucrative scams.&nbsp;RedVDS charges as little as $24 monthly for access to disposable virtual computers that enable large-scale fraud that is difficult to trace, according to the company.&nbsp;&quot;Services like these have quietly become a driving force behind today&#39;s surge in cyber-enabled crime,&quot; Digital Crimes Unit Assistant General Counsel Steven Masada said in a blog post.&nbsp;Microsoft said RedVDS has been used primarily for payment diversion fraud, where attackers intercept legitimate business communications and redirect funds by impersonating trusted parties.&nbsp;Two victims joined Microsoft as co-plaintiffs: an Alabama pharmaceutical company that lost more than $7.3 million, and a Florida condominium association defrauded of nearly $500,000 in resident funds.&nbsp;Real estate transactions have been particularly vulnerable, Microsoft said.&nbsp;Generative AI tools are often paired with RedVDS services to help identify prime targets quickly and generate more authentic-appearing messages to victims, according to Masada.&nbsp;Microsoft reported finding hundreds of cases in which scammers used AI tools for face-swapping, voice cloning or video manipulation to trick victims.&nbsp;RedVDS did not respond to a request for comment.&nbsp;Microsoft estimated that <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/google-says-hackers-are-sending-extortion-emails-to-executives" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">cybercrime</a> involving RedVDS services is linked to some $40 million in US fraud losses since March of last year.&nbsp;Microsoft coordinated the legal action against RedVDS with Britain as part of a broad effort to thwart the growing trend of &quot;cybercrime-as-a-service,&quot; according to Masada.&nbsp;RedVDS provides inexpensive access to effective virtual computers running unlicensed software, allowing criminals to operate quickly, anonymously and across borders, Masada said.&nbsp;The US tech giant said the effort includes prosecutors and police in Germany, where a critical computer server used to power RedVDS was seized, according to Masada.&nbsp;Microsoft said it is also working with Europol&#39;s European Cybercrime Centre and law enforcement agencies elsewhere to disrupt the RedVDS server and payment networks.

Microsoft logo displayed at the company’s annual shareholder meeting, with the stage and branding visible in the background.

Artificial Intelligence

Microsoft launched coordinated legal action in the US and Britain against RedVDS, a low-cost service enabling large-scale cyber fraud, often paired with AI tools, linked to $40 million in losses and disrupted with international law enforcement support.

Microsoft disrupts cybercrime service linked to AI-enabled fraud

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said Wednesday that <a href="http://Trump%20warns%20Greenland%20deal%20will%20happen%20%E2%80%98easy%20or%20hard,%E2%80%99%20threatens%20Iran" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">US control of Greenland</a> was &quot;vital&quot; for his planned Golden Dome air and missile defense system. &quot;The United States needs Greenland for the purpose of National Security. It is vital for the Golden Dome that we are building,&quot; Trump, who has vowed to seize the Arctic island from ally Denmark, wrote on social media. &quot;NATO becomes far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the UNITED STATES. Anything less than that is unacceptable.&quot; Trump&#39;s post came early on a day when top <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/danish-foreign-minister-heads-to-white-house-for-highstakes-greenland-talks" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Danish and Greenlandic diplomats</a> were to visit the White House for talks on Greenland with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Hours before the meeting was due to start, Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen sought to ease US concerns about security in Greenland, telling AFP that Denmark was boosting its military presence there and was in talks with allies on &quot;an increased NATO presence in the Arctic.&quot; Trump for his part said that NATO &quot;should be leading the way&quot; in building the multi-layer missile defense system. &quot;IF WE DON&#39;T, RUSSIA OR CHINA WILL, AND THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!&quot; Trump wrote. The US leader has repeatedly threatened to take over the vast, strategic and sparsely populated Arctic island, and he has sounded emboldened since ordering a deadly January 3 attack in Venezuela that removed its president.

Picture shows Greenlandic flag hoisted in Elsinore

Europe

President Trump emphasized the importance of Greenland for U.S. national security and its role in the Golden Dome missile defense system. He stressed Greenland's value for NATO, threatening action if Russia or China took control.

Trump says US control of Greenland 'vital' for air defense

LONDON: An under-fire UK police chief on Wednesday blamed the use of AI for erroneous evidence given to MPs over the decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv football fans from a match against Aston Villa.&nbsp;The police classified the match in Birmingham in November as &quot;high risk&quot;, citing previous Maccabi games including a Europa League encounter in Amsterdam which sparked clashes between locals and Israeli fans.&nbsp;The decision to ban Maccabi fans from the Villa Park UEFA Europa League game was slammed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, with the government ordering an independent report which is due to be published later on Wednesday.&nbsp;Scrutiny has increased on West Midlands police after multiple pieces of evidence used to justify the decision proved flawed, with the force rejecting allegations that the move was motivated by politics rather than fan safety.&nbsp;In an intelligence report for the game, police cited a match between West Ham and Maccabi Tel Aviv which never took place.&nbsp;When questioned about this by lawmakers earlier this month, chief constable Craig Guildford insisted that the error was the result of a Google search, and that the force had not used artificial intelligence in its research.&nbsp;However, in a letter to MPs on Wednesday, Guildford admitted that the erroneous information was due to the use of Microsoft Co Pilot, an AI chatbot.&nbsp;&quot;I would like to offer my profound apology to the committee for this error,&quot; Guildford said, adding that there was &quot;no intention to mislead the committee&quot;.&nbsp;That came after UK media reported in December that Dutch police also disputed evidence cited by the West Midlands force to justify the ban.&nbsp;UK police claimed they were told that Maccabi fans were behind several violent incidents during the 2024 Amsterdam clashes but that intelligence was partly contradicted by Dutch politicians and police.&nbsp;The decision to ban the fans was also sharply criticized by Israeli politicians, who claimed that it was antisemitic.&nbsp;British interior minister Shabana Mahmood will present the findings of the independent inquiry on Wednesday, which could heap further pressure on Guildford after opposition leader Kemi Badenoch called for his resignation over the debacle.&nbsp;The Guardian newspaper reported that the watchdog report is set to say that the police made a series of errors in how it gathered and handled intelligence while making the decision.&nbsp;The match went ahead amid heavy security, but without Maccabi fans after the Israeli team turned down their away ticket allocation.

Two Police officers walking outside New Scotland Yard in London.

UK police chief admitted AI-generated errors led to flawed evidence behind banning Maccabi Tel Aviv fans, apologizing to MPs as an inquiry finds intelligence failures, amid political backlash, antisemitism claims, and pressure for his resignation.

Former Palestinian deputy minister to lead Gaza governance body: mediators

Latest News

Denmark says White House talks failed to alter US designs on Greenland

Global interest rises in Pakistani fighter jets after May India conflict: PM Sharif

Former Palestinian deputy minister to lead Gaza governance body: mediators

Iranian ambassador says recent unrest was ‘foreign-backed terrorism,’ not protest

Mob lynching exposes India’s crisis amid denial of anti-Muslim violence