Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Bangladesh faces a January 21 deadline to decide whether it will travel to India for the 2026 ICC Men&rsquo;s T20 World Cup, as the Jay Shah-led International Cricket Council (ICC) shows little willingness to accommodate&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/jay-shahled-icc-refuses-to-shift-bangladesh-matches-out-of-india-report" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dhaka&rsquo;s security concerns</a> &mdash; a stance that contrasts sharply with past exceptions granted to India and Pakistan.&nbsp;According to ESPNcricinfo, the ICC conveyed the deadline to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) during meetings held in Dhaka on Saturday, the second such engagement between the two sides in a week.&nbsp;While the BCB has reiterated its desire to participate in the tournament, it has maintained that Bangladesh should play its matches outside India due to security concerns. Sri Lanka, a co-host of the World Cup, was proposed as an alternative venue.&nbsp;The ICC, apparently under Indian influence, has rejected any&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bangladesh-say-will-not-play-t20-world-cup-matches-if-in-india" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">change to the schedule</a>&nbsp;or group allocations, leaving Bangladesh with a stark choice: play in India or risk exclusion from the tournament.&nbsp;Bangladesh is placed in Group C and is scheduled to play its opening match against West Indies in Kolkata on February 7, followed by two more matches at the same venue and a final group game in Mumbai.&nbsp;The ICC has also turned down a request to swap Bangladesh with Ireland, whose group matches are scheduled in Sri Lanka. Although an independent security advisory categorised India&rsquo;s overall threat level as &ldquo;medium to high,&rdquo; the ICC has insisted there is no specific threat to the Bangladesh team.&nbsp;The ICC&rsquo;s rigid stance toward Bangladesh contrasts with its flexibility in similar situations involving India. During the ICC Champions Trophy, India refused to travel to Pakistan, prompting the ICC to relocate India&rsquo;s matches to Dubai. Pakistan, too, is going to play World Cup matches at a neutral venue, i.e., Sri Lanka, due to security-related concerns. BCCI, BCB at loggerheads&nbsp;The current impasse began on Jan. 4 and has stretched nearly three weeks. Sources said the ICC would await the BCB&rsquo;s final response, but is prepared to replace Bangladesh with Scotland if Dhaka refuses to travel to India.&nbsp;Tensions escalated after the Kolkata Knight Riders, acting on instructions from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), dropped Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL 2026 squad without providing a reason. The Bangladesh government subsequently banned the broadcast of the Indian Premier League, and the BCB formally notified the ICC of its refusal to play World Cup matches in India.&nbsp;The controversy has renewed debate over India&rsquo;s growing influence within global cricket governance. ICC Chairman Jay Shah, a former BCCI secretary, is the son of India&rsquo;s Home Minister Amit Shah &mdash; a connection critics say raises serious questions about the neutrality of decisions affecting member nations.

Cricket

Bangladesh is placed in Group C and is scheduled to play its opening match against West Indies in Kolkata on February 7, followed by two more matches at the same venue and a final group game in Mumbai.

Jay Shah-led ICC pressures Bangladesh: Play in India or miss T20 WC

KYIV: Russia launched the &quot;most powerful&quot; attack this year on Ukraine&#39;s battered energy facilities overnight, Kyiv said on Tuesday, leaving hundreds of thousands without heating in frigid temperatures ahead of talks to end the four-year <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/russian-strikes-in-ukraine-kill-12-target-passenger-train" style="color:#0073e6;">war</a>. Russia&#39;s strikes hit as temperatures dropped to their lowest since the start of the war in February 2022, killing two teenagers in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia and damaging a Soviet-era World War II monument. The attack came a day before Ukrainian and Russian negotiators were due to meet for a second round of US-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi. &quot;Taking advantage of the coldest days of winter to terrorize people is more important to Russia than turning to diplomacy,&quot; Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, denouncing the attack. He said Russia had &quot;once again disregarded the efforts of the American side.&quot; US President Donald Trump urged Vladimir Putin to &quot;end the war,&quot; adding that he &quot;would like&quot; his Russian counterpart to extend a brief halt in attacks due to the frigid temperatures. NATO chief Mark Rutte, who visited Kyiv on Tuesday, said &quot;Russian attacks like those last night do not signal seriousness about peace.&quot; An air alert blared out across Kyiv during Rutte&#39;s visit. AFP journalists heard explosions across the capital overnight, and residents in hundreds of buildings woke to find their heating cut off as temperatures dipped towards minus 20C. More than 1,100 residential buildings remained without heat as of late Tuesday, Restoration Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said. Some residents gathered around a damaged building, stepping over creaking debris and a thick layer of ice coating the ground. &quot;Our windows are broken, and we have no heating,&quot; Anastasia Grytsenko told AFP. &quot;We don&#39;t know what to do.&quot; Russia&#39;s defense ministry confirmed it had launched &quot;a massive strike&quot; against &quot;Ukrainian military-industrial complex enterprises and energy facilities.&quot; The Kremlin had last week said it agreed to a US request not to strike Kyiv for seven days, ending Sunday. Ukraine had not reported large-scale Russian attacks on the capital last week, while denouncing continued attacks in other parts of the country. &quot;Several types of ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as drones, were used to strike high-rise buildings and thermal power plants,&quot; Energy Minister Denys Shmygal said. &quot;Hundreds of thousands of families, including children, were deliberately left without heat in the harshest winter frosts,&quot; he added. Tuesday&#39;s strike on energy facilities was &quot;the most powerful&quot; since the start of 2026, Ukraine&#39;s largest private energy provider confirmed. Ukraine&#39;s air force said Russia had attacked with 71 missiles and 450 attack drones. Six people were wounded in the capital, officials said. A drone strike on the southern city of Zaporizhzhia also killed two teenagers and wounded at least 11 people, officials said. &#39;Symbolic and cynical&#39; The base of Kyiv&#39;s towering Soviet-era Motherland statue was damaged. &quot;It is both symbolic and cynical: the aggressor state strikes at a place of remembrance of the struggle against aggression in the 20th century, repeating its crimes in the 21st century,&quot; Culture Minister Tetyana Berezhna wrote on social media. Recent Russian strikes have repeatedly cut power and heating to tens of thousands of homes. Strikes also hit Ukraine&#39;s second-largest city, Kharkiv, temporarily cutting heating to around 100,000 subscribers. Authorities had to cut heating to more than 800 homes to prevent the wider network from freezing, the regional governor said. Overnight temperatures had plunged to minus 19C in Kyiv and minus 23C in Kharkiv. US pushes for deal Russian occupation authorities in southern Ukraine said Ukrainian shelling had killed three people in the town of Nova Kakhovka. Kremlin-installed authorities said the shelling hit a municipal building and a fruit shop. &quot;There are dead: three people, including an employee of the administration,&quot; said Vladimir Saldo, the Moscow-backed head of the Russian-controlled part of the Kherson region. Nova Kakhovka fell to Russian forces in the first days of their 2022 invasion. The United States has sought to craft a settlement between the two sides, but a first round of <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/first-round-of-usrussiaukraine-talks-ends-in-abu-dhabi" style="color:#0073e6;">trilateral</a> talks held in Abu Dhabi last month failed to yield a breakthrough. A second round is due to <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/kremlin-confirms-ukraine-war-talks-this-week-in-abu-dhabi" style="color:#0073e6;">begin</a> on Wednesday in the Emirati capital, and is expected to focus on the crucial issue of territory. Russia has demanded Kyiv withdraw from the Donetsk region and has repeatedly said it is ready to seize the rest of eastern Ukraine by force if diplomacy fails.

Europe

US has sought to craft a settlement between the two sides, but a first round of trilateral talks held in Abu Dhabi last month failed to yield a breakthrough; second round is due to begin on Wednesday in the Emirati capital, and is expected to focus on the crucial issue of territory.

Russia resumes large-scale Ukraine strikes in freezing weather

ISLAMABAD: The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Tuesday condemned the &ldquo;heinous and cowardly&rdquo; coordinated <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/balochistan-cm-vows-wont-surrender-even-an-inch-after-coordinated-attacks" style="color:#0073e6;">terrorist attacks</a> in Pakistan&rsquo;s Balochistan province.&nbsp; Pakistan has faced a renewed <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-reaffirms-resolve-after-security-forces-kill-108-indianbacked-terrorists" style="color:#0073e6;">surge</a> in militant violence in recent years, particularly in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, following the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan&rsquo;s (TTP) decision to end its ceasefire with the government in November 2022.&nbsp; Last week&rsquo;s coordinated assaults, claimed by Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), left 17 security personnel martyred and 31 civilians dead.&nbsp; Consequently, Pakistani security forces, in counter terrorism operations, eliminated 177 terrorists, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif told the National Assembly. In a press statement issued today by Council President James Kariuki, the members of the UNSC expressed their &ldquo;deepest sympathy and condolences,&rdquo; wishing a speedy and full recovery to those who were injured. &ldquo;The members of the Security Council reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security,&rdquo; the statement shared by Pakistan&rsquo;s permanent mission to the UN said. The members underline the need &ldquo;to hold perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable,&rdquo; bringing them to justice. They also urged all states to cooperate actively with the Pakistani government.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever, and by whomsoever committed,&rdquo; the statement said, reaffirming the need for all to combat threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts. Several countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, etc., have separately <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/condemnations-pour-in-for-pakistan-as-security-forces-kill-another-22-indianbacked-militants" style="color:#0073e6;">condemned</a> the attacks, expressing solidarity with Pakistan.

Foreign Affairs

Security

Security Council members underline need “to hold perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable,” bring them to justice. 

Balochistan attacks: UNSC condemns ‘heinous, cowardly’ terrorists

TRIPOLI: Seif al-Islam Kadhafi, the son of Libya&#39;s late longtime ruler, was killed Tuesday by gunmen who stormed his home in western Libya&#39;s Zintan, his French lawyer Marcel Ceccaldi told AFP. &quot;He was killed today at 2 pm (1200 GMT)... in Zintan in his home by a four-man commando,&quot; Ceccaldi said. Seif al-Islam, 53, had been seen by some as his father&#39;s successor, despite being targeted by a warrant from the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity. In 2021 he announced he would run for president, but those elections were indefinitely postponed. His adviser, Abdullah Othman Abdurrahim, told Libya&#39;s Al-Ahrar television channel that the four unidentified men had stormed the home before &quot;disabling surveillance cameras, then executed him.&quot; It remained unclear who was behind the killing. Ceccaldi said that a close associate of Seif al-Islam had told him days ago &quot;that there were problems with his security.&quot; &quot;So much so that the head of the (Kadhafi&#39;s) tribe had called Seif and told him, &#39;I will send you people to ensure your security&#39;. But Seif refused,&quot; he said. While Seif al-Islam held no official position in the North African country under his father&#39;s rule, he had been described as Libya&#39;s de facto prime minister, cultivating the image of a moderate and reformer prior to the 2011 Arab Spring revolt. But that reputation soon collapsed when he promised &quot;rivers of blood&quot; in the face of the uprisings. A divided country Seif al-Islam was arrested in November 2011 in southern Libya following a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court in The Hague. A Tripoli court later sentenced him to death in 2015 after a speedy trial, but he was granted amnesty. His whereabouts had long been unknown. Ceccaldi said he &quot;often moved around.&quot; Libya expert Emadeddin Badi said Seif al-Islam&#39;s death was &quot;likely to cast him as a martyr for a significant segment of the population, while also shifting electoral dynamics by removing a major obstacle to presidential elections.&quot; &quot;His candidacy and potential success had been a central point of contention,&quot; Badi wrote on X. Moamer Kadhafi&#39;s last spokesperson, Moussa Ibrahim, also posted on the social network: &quot;They killed him treacherously. He wanted a united, sovereign Libya, safe for all its people. &quot;I spoke with him two days ago. He spoke of nothing but a peaceful Libya and the safety of its people.&quot; Libya has struggled to recover from chaos that erupted after a NATO-backed uprising in 2011 overthrew longtime ruler Moamer Kadhafi. Libya remains divided between an UN-backed government based in Tripoli and an eastern administration backed by Haftar.

Africa

Libya has struggled to recover from chaos that erupted after a NATO-backed uprising in 2011 overthrew longtime ruler Moamer Kadhafi; country remains divided between an UN-backed government based in Tripoli and an eastern administration backed by Haftar.

Son of Libya's late ruler Kadhafi killed by armed gang

JERICHO/JERUSALEM: Palestinian health officials said Israeli forces shot dead a man and wounded three others in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Palestinian Authority would play no role in post-war governance of <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/gaza-civil-defence-says-22-killed-in-israeli-strikes" style="color:#0073e6;">Gaza</a>. The Ramallah-based health ministry said that young man Saeed Nael Saeed al-Sheikh was martyred by &ldquo;occupation gunfire in Jericho, and three others were injured.&rdquo; The Israeli military said the soldiers opened fire after &quot;rocks&quot; were thrown at them. The death of the 24-year-old Saeed was confirmed to AFP by Riad Eid, director of the Jericho Governmental Hospital. The Israeli military alleged that soldiers carrying out an operation in the Jericho area &quot;identified a number of terrorists who hurled rocks at the forces.&quot; &quot;The soldiers responded with live fire, one terrorist was eliminated, and hits were identified on the additional terrorists,&quot; a military statement claimed. Violence has <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-muslim-nations-denounce-israeli-ceasefire-breaches-killing-palestinians-in-gaza" style="color:#0073e6;">surged</a>&nbsp;across the West Bank since the war in Gaza broke out in October 2023 after an unprecedented attack by Hamas on Israel. At least 1,033 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli forces or settlers since the war started, according to the Palestinian health ministry. During the same period, 45 Israelis, including soldiers, have been killed in Palestinian attacks in the territory, according to official Israeli figures. Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. PA won&#39;t be part of post-war Gaza governance: Netanyahu tells USSeparately, while meeting US envoy Steve Witkoff in Jerusalem on Tuesday, Netanyahu said that the PA would not be part of post-war Gaza&#39;s governance &quot;in any way.&quot; &quot;The Prime Minister clarified that the Palestinian Authority will not be involved in administering the Strip in any way,&quot; Netanyahu&#39;s office said in a statement after the meeting ended. Under US President Donald Trump&#39;s Gaza ceasefire plan that ended a two-year war in the Palestinian territory, the PA&#39;s post-war role in Gaza was left unclear. The technocratic National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) was formed to handle day-to-day affairs until the PA completes a reform program. Witkoff held talks with Netanyahu on Tuesday, during a visit that followed the reopening of Gaza&#39;s Rafah crossing with Egypt. This was the second meeting between the two in less than a fortnight. At the meeting, Netanyahu also &quot;reiterated the uncompromising demand for the disarmament of Hamas, the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip, and the fulfilment of the war objectives prior to the reconstruction of the Strip,&quot; according to his office. Israel has demanded that neither Hamas nor the PA should be involved in the governance of post-war Gaza. On Monday, Netanyahu&#39;s office lamented that the logo of the NCAG contains a symbol of the PA, suggesting a link between the two. &quot;Israel will not accept the use of a Palestinian Authority symbol; the Palestinian Authority will have no part in the administration of Gaza,&quot; his office said in a statement. The NCAG replied in a post on X on Tuesday, saying it &quot;has been testing a range of visual concepts&quot; and that logo designs may evolve, and added that its focus &quot;is humanitarian relief, civilian administration, recovery, and a livable future for Gaza.&quot; &quot;That&#39;s the conversation that matters,&quot; it said.

Middle East

Israeli military says soldiers opened fire after "rocks" were thrown at them; at least 1,033 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli forces or settlers since the Gaza bombardment started.

Israeli army kills Palestinian man in West Bank as Netanyahu rejects PA role in Gaza

WASHINGTON: The United States is still planning talks with Iranian officials this week, the White House said Tuesday, even after a US warplane shot down an Iranian drone that approached an American aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea.&nbsp;&quot;I just spoke with special envoy (Steve) Witkoff, and these talks as of right now are still scheduled,&quot; Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters, adding that they were due to happen &quot;later this week.&quot;&nbsp;&quot;President Trump is always wanting to pursue diplomacy first, but obviously it takes two to tango,&quot; Leavitt said outside the West Wing.&nbsp;The meeting between Witkoff, a businessman whom Trump has appointed as his roving <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-joins-iranus-talks-as-tensions-rise-foreign-office" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">global conflict</a> negotiator, and Iranian officials will &quot;probably&quot; take place in Turkey, a source close to the issue told AFP.&nbsp;The US military said earlier that an F-35C stealth fighter jet shot down the Iranian drone that &quot;aggressively&quot; drew near to the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier on Tuesday.&nbsp;Trump&#39;s spokeswoman added that the <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/usiran-meetings-likely-to-take-place-in-turkey-on-feb-6-report" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">US president</a> was keeping open the possibility of military action against Iran, with a large number of US warships now in the region.&nbsp;&quot;Of course, the president has always a range of options on the table, and that includes the use of military force,&quot; Leavitt told Fox News in a separate interview.&nbsp;She added that &quot;the Iranians know that better than anyone,&quot; referring to US military strikes that hit Iran&#39;s nuclear program last year.

Americas

White House said US-Iran talks remain planned this week, likely in Turkey, despite a US jet downing an Iranian drone near a carrier, as Trump keeps diplomacy first while leaving military action on the table.

US-Iran talks 'still scheduled' after drone shot down: White House

Pakistan TV Satellite

ISLAMABAD: Kazakhstan has expressed strong readiness to enhance cooperation with Pakistan in science, research, and higher education, as part of broader efforts to strengthen bilateral ties and promote knowledge-driven economic growth. Kazakhstan&rsquo;s Minister of Science and Higher Education Sayasat Nurbek, in an exclusive interview with Pakistan TV, said Kazakhstan is positioning itself as a regional knowledge and research hub for Central Asia, with higher education at the core of its economic transformation.&nbsp; He noted that rapid global technological change, particularly the rise of artificial intelligence, has made investment in education, research, and human capital more critical than ever. He said Kazakhstan is building a knowledge-based economy by training its youth and attracting global expertise. Mr. Nurbek said Kazakhstan is establishing specialized research centers in key areas including mining, agriculture, nuclear research, and social sciences, aimed at supporting industrial growth and informed policymaking.&nbsp; He said Pakistan has strong universities and a large pool of talented youth, and emphasized that collaboration between the two countries could help expand access to quality education. He added that President of Kazakhstan&rsquo;s visit to Pakistan reflects strengthening bilateral relations, including in science and higher education. Highlighting people-to-people connections, the minister said Pakistan and Kazakhstan share historical roots, cultural links, and similarities in language that should bring the two nations closer. He said Kazakhstan is exploring scholarship opportunities for Pakistani students and identifying artificial intelligence and agriculture as priority areas for cooperation. Mr. Nurbek further said Kazakhstan is streamlining its visa system to provide faster processing for Pakistani students.&nbsp; He said hundreds and thousands of Pakistani students could study in Kazakhstan and also explore employment opportunities after completing their education, calling academic mobility a key pillar of future bilateral cooperation.

Education

Kazakhstan has expressed strong readiness to enhance cooperation with Pakistan in science, research, and higher education, as part of broader efforts to strengthen bilateral ties and promote knowledge-driven economic growth

Kazakhstan Ready to Deepen Cooperation with Pakistan in Science and Higher Education

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s National Assembly on Tuesday unanimously adopted a resolution condemning recent terrorist incidents in Balochistan and calling for an immediate, aggressive, and coordinated national response. The resolution was tabled by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry and passed in response to coordinated terrorist attacks across the south-western province. The country&rsquo;s lower house condemned the attacks&nbsp;&ldquo;in the strongest terms&rdquo; in which innocent civilians were targeted, and women were used as weapons through &ldquo;heinous and inhumane&rdquo; tactics. Lawmakers expressed deep sorrow that terrorist networks were exploiting women through coercion, mental pressure, and blackmail, adding that such actions were contrary to Islamic, Pakistani, and Baloch values. The resolution praised timely and effective measures by security forces, law enforcement agencies, the provincial government of Balochistan, and the civil administration. expressing full solidarity with the families of martyrs and the injured. It clarified that attacks on civilians, women, and children are unforgivable crimes, and the state will act with zero tolerance. The resolution stated that available evidence points to external sponsorship, raising serious concerns about India&rsquo;s role. It noted that some neighboring countries provide logistical and operational facilitation, financial assistance, training, treatment, transport, and propaganda support to terrorist networks. It stated that an effective national response be ensured on an immediate, aggressive, coordinated, and emergency basis against foreign sponsors and internal facilitators. This includes funding networks, smuggling routes, and propaganda hubs, with political, diplomatic, military, intelligence, legal, and rhetorical fronts united. The lower house declared that the fight against terrorism is the fight of the entire nation. Lawmakers called for national unity across political lines and said that the state will ensure the protection and security of its people in every way.

Lower house declares fight against terrorism is the fight of the entire nation; Lawmakers call for national unity across political lines, say state will ensure the protection and security of its people in every way.

Balochistan attacks: Pakistan calls for immediate, aggressive, coordinated national response

BRUSSELS: NATO said Tuesday that military planning has started for a new mission to bolster security in the Arctic, after US President Donald Trump made protecting the region central to his demands for Greenland. &quot;Planning is underway for a NATO enhanced vigilance activity, named Arctic Sentry,&quot; said Martin O&#39;Donnell, a spokesman for NATO&#39;s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe. &quot;The activity will even further strengthen NATO&#39;s posture in the Arctic and High North,&quot; he added, without providing further details. Trump&#39;s threats against Greenland last month plunged the transatlantic alliance into its deepest crisis in years. The unpredictable US leader backed off his desire to take control of Denmark&#39;s autonomous Arctic territory after saying he had struck a &quot;framework&quot; deal with NATO chief Mark Rutte to ensure greater American influence. NATO said it would take steps to boost its presence in the Arctic after Trump used the alleged threat of Russia and China to justify his designs on Greenland. Meanwhile, Denmark and Greenland have kicked off talks with the United States over the territory and are expected to renegotiate a 1951 treaty governing American troop deployments on the island. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has said that NATO countries back having a &quot;permanent presence&quot; in the Arctic, including around Greenland, as part of efforts to step up security.

NATO said Tuesday that military planning has started for a new mission to bolster security in the Arctic, after US President Donald Trump made protecting the region central to his demands for Greenland

NATO says 'planning underway' for new Arctic mission

Islamabad: The award ceremony is one of the most emotional moments of my life,&rdquo; said Pakistan-origin Ali Akbar, his voice heavy with emotion, as he reflected on a remarkable half-century journey of selling newspapers on the streets of Paris, a humble livelihood that ultimately earned him the respect and admiration of an entire nation. Speaking exclusively to Pakistan TV, in its morning show, World This Morning, Akbar said he felt &ldquo;truly honored and deeply grateful,&rdquo; and calling the moment unforgettable. Akbar is Known as Paris&rsquo; last newspaper hawker, has now been awarded the National Order of Merit, one of France&rsquo;s highest civilian honours, personally conferred by President Emmanuel Macron. His story is not just about migration or survival, but about dignity, service, and unwavering faith. Surrounded by his children, grandchildren, wife, and extended family, he said being recognized by the French President felt like a lifetime of honest labor finally being acknowledged. Akbar traced his journey back to Rawalpindi, where poverty forced him to work from a very young age. As a child, he polished shoes, sold popcorn, and worked in wealthy households to support his family. Living without clean drinking water, he made a promise to himself to one day build a better home for his mother, a dream that became the driving force behind his decision to leave Pakistan before the age of eighteen. His path to France was long and uncertain, taking him through several countries before he eventually settled in Paris. There, life remained challenging. Selling newspapers in extreme weather, Ali&nbsp;Akbar became a familiar and respected face in the Latin Quarter, interacting daily with intellectuals, writers, politicians, and students including a young Emmanuel Macron. Despite never attending formal school in France, he learned the language through daily interactions and observation. Ali Akbar said that faith, honesty, and service to people kept him going. His message to Pakistan&rsquo;s youth is clear: stay consistent, work hard, remain honest, and serve others &mdash; because true recognition comes to those who never stop striving.

World This Morning

Ali Akbar said that faith, honesty, and service to people kept him going. 

Paris’ Last Newspaper Hawker Knighted: Ali Akbar’s Remarkable Journey from Rawalpindi to French Honour

Muhammad Imad Abbas

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will participate in upcoming talks between Iran and the United States aimed at easing escalating tensions, the Foreign Office confirmed on Thursday.&nbsp;In a statement to Pakistan TV Digital, a Foreign Office spokesperson said Pakistan has been invited to take part in the Iran&ndash;US engagement and will be &ldquo;taken on board during the talks.&rdquo;&nbsp;Relations between Tehran and Washington have sharply deteriorated in recent weeks, following anti-government protests in Iran and a subsequent security crackdown. US President Donald Trump has warned of possible military action if tensions continue to escalate.&nbsp;The United States has also reinforced its military presence in the Middle East, including the deployment of an aircraft carrier group, amid growing concerns over regional stability.&nbsp;Publicly addressing the situation, Trump said he remained open to diplomacy but issued a warning if talks fail. &ldquo;I hope we&rsquo;re going to work something out,&rdquo; he said, adding that &ldquo;bad things would happen&rdquo; if no agreement is reached.&nbsp;Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran supports negotiations under clear conditions. &ldquo;I have instructed my Minister of Foreign Affairs, provided that a suitable environment exists, one free from threats and unreasonable expectations, to pursue fair and equitable negotiations,&rdquo; he said in a post on X.&nbsp;He added that the diplomatic effort was initiated following requests &ldquo;from friendly governments,&rdquo; underscoring Iran&rsquo;s stated preference for dialogue while maintaining it would respond decisively to any aggression.&nbsp;Pakistan has traditionally positioned itself as a proponent of regional diplomacy and de-escalation, particularly in matters affecting Middle East stability.

Pakistan will participate in upcoming talks between Iran and the United States aimed at easing escalating tensions, the Foreign Office confirmed on Thursday

Jay Shah-led ICC pressures Bangladesh: Play in India or miss T20 WC

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Latest News

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Balochistan attacks: UNSC condemns ‘heinous, cowardly’ terrorists

Son of Libya's late ruler Kadhafi killed by armed gang

Israeli army kills Palestinian man in West Bank as Netanyahu rejects PA role in Gaza

US-Iran talks 'still scheduled' after drone shot down: White House