Asfandyar Yahya

Whenever tensions rise in the Middle East, the Strait of Hormuz becomes the world&rsquo;s pressure point. About 21 million barrels of oil pass through it daily, but after the March 2026 strikes on Iran, shipping traffic collapsed.&nbsp;The Strait is more than an oil route. It also underpins Gulf drinking water through desalination plants and carries critical undersea cables moving trillions in global financial data.&nbsp;A 21-mile corridor now holding energy, water, trade, and the digital economy in one fragile space.

Tell Me Why

Whenever tensions rise in the Middle East, the Strait of Hormuz becomes the world’s pressure point. About 21 million barrels of oil pass through it daily, but after the March 2026 strikes on Iran, shipping traffic collapsed.

Oil, Water and Internet: How Strait of Hormuz controls global economy   

HONG KONG: Stock markets plunged Monday as oil and gas prices soared on fears about supplies from the Middle East with the US-Israeli war against Iran continuing into a second week with no sign of letting up. Investors, already spooked by concerns over extended tech valuations and the huge spending on AI, ran for the hills as crude rocketed to its highest level since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Fears grew that the Middle East conflict could last for some time after US President Donald Trump said only the &quot;unconditional surrender&quot; of Iran would end the war. He added at the weekend that the spike in prices was a &quot;small price to pay&quot; to eliminate Iran&#39;s nuclear threat, reiterating the White House&#39;s insistence that the rise is temporary. West Texas Intermediate and BrentBoth main contracts, which had surged more than a quarter last week, spiked as Iran carried out retaliatory strikes against crude-producing Gulf nations. West Texas Intermediate and Brent both jumped around 30% to hit peaks just short of $120 a barrel. European gas prices also soared 30% on Monday. Since the beginning of the war, WTI rose more than 75% and Brent more than 60% before easing on the G7 news. Emergency reservesHowever, the surge was pared as French officials confirmed a Financial Times story that finance ministers from the Group of Seven industrialised nations would discuss tapping emergency reserves to ease the supply strain. Attacks on oilfields were reported in southern Iraq and in the northern autonomous Kurdistan region, which forced a US-run oilfield to cease production, while the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait have started reducing output. Strait of Hormuz That came with maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz -- through which a fifth of global crude passes -- halted since the war began on Feb. 28. The prospect of high energy prices for a sustained period has fanned fears of a fresh spike in inflation that could hit the global economy while preventing central banks from cutting interest rates to support growth. With the prospect of the global economy taking a blow from the crisis, equity markets extended last week&#39;s losses, though they pared some of the early retreat. Seoul, which had been the best performer this year thanks to a tech rally, tumbled more than eight percent at one point before closing six percent down, while Tokyo shed more than five percent and Taipei fell more than four percent. Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney, Singapore, Manila, Bangkok, Mumbai, Jakarta and Wellington were also sharply lower. London, Paris and Frankfurt opened on the back foot. &quot;Stocks continue to face stiff headwinds, with markets in Europe and Asia, specifically Japan, more vulnerable in the short-term given that those are heavy energy importers, and with those markets having vastly outperformed the US year to date, until the Iran war begun,&quot; wrote Pepperstone&#39;s Michael Brown. &#39;Very small price to pay&#39;Futures for all three main indexes on Wall Street were down more than one percent, while the dollar jumped against its peers as traders sought out its safe haven status. The prospect of interest rates being kept elevated, or even raised to combat inflation, saw gold prices sink more than one percent to around $5,100 an ounce. &quot;The deeper shock is spreading across the production chain,&quot; said SPI Asset Management&#39;s Stephen Innes. &quot;Gulf producers are scaling back output because storage hubs are filling up and export flows are seizing. Qatar has halted liquefaction at key gas facilities, a move that will take weeks to reverse even if the conflict cools tomorrow. &quot;In other words, the market is not dealing with a headline shock. It deals with a physical disruption of oil molecules. &quot;Oil above $100 is not just a commodity rally. It becomes a tax on the global economy.&quot; However, Trump sought to offer reassurance that the spike in crude would not last long. &quot;Short term oil prices, which will drop rapidly when the destruction of the Iran nuclear threat is over, is a very small price to pay for U.S.A., and World, Safety and Peace,&quot; he wrote on social media Sunday evening Washington time. &quot;ONLY FOOLS WOULD THINK DIFFERENTLY!&quot; Michael O&#39;Rourke at JonesTrading warned that the pain for investors could last for some time. &quot;The worst is yet to come in the stock market reaction&quot; he said. &quot;I would expect more of a risk-off mood until we get some tangible positive news.&quot; Compounding the downbeat mood was news Friday that the US economy unexpectedly lost jobs in February, while unemployment edged up. Another report also pointed to a drop in US retail sales. Key figures at around 0815 GMT&nbsp;West Texas Intermediate: UP 13.7 percent at $103.31 per barrel Brent North Sea Crude: UP 16.3 percent at $107.83 per barrel Seoul - Kospi: DOWN 6.0 percent at 5,251.87 (close) Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 5.2 percent at 52,728.72 (close) Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 1.4 percent at 25,408.46 (close) Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.7 percent at 4,096.60 (close) London - FTSE 100: DOWN 1.4% at 10,145.62 Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1560 from $1.1604 on Friday Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3343 from $1.3385 Dollar/yen: UP at 158.40 yen from 157.88 yen Euro/pound: DOWN at 86.66 pence from 86.67 pence New York - Dow: DOWN 1.3% at 47,501.55 (close)

Business

Investors, already spooked by concerns over extended tech valuations and the huge spending on AI, ran for the hills as crude rocketed to its highest level since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Equities plunge as energy prices soar on Mideast crisis

BEIRUT:&nbsp;Human Rights Watch on Monday accused Israel of &quot;unlawfully&quot; using white phosphorus over residential parts of a southern Lebanese town last week. &quot;The Israeli military unlawfully used artillery-fired white phosphorus munitions over homes on March 3, 2026, in the southern Lebanese town of Yohmor,&quot; the New York-based rights group said in a report. HRW added that it &quot;verified and geolocated seven images showing airburst white phosphorus munitions being deployed over a residential part of the town and civil defense workers responding to fires in at least two homes and one car in that area&quot;.<div class="fr-embed youtube-embed"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DDxQiIA9jKU" title="Fresh strikes hit Beirut's southern suburbs after Israeli warning" 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>White phosphorus, a substance that ignites on contact with oxygen, can be used to create smokescreens and to illuminate battlefields. Horrific burns&nbsp;But the munition can also be used as an incendiary weapon and can cause fires, horrific burns, respiratory damage, organ failure and death. Israel -- which kept up strikes targeting Hezbollah despite a 2024 ceasefire -- launched multiple waves of strikes across Lebanon since last week and sent ground troops into border areas. Nearly 400 killed&nbsp;At least 394 people have been killed in Israeli attacks, Lebanese authorities said, registering more than half a million people as displaced.<div class="fr-embed youtube-embed"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fzVU2A-ExsQ" title="At least 30,000 displaced in Lebanon by Middle East conflict, UN refugee agency says" 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>&quot;The Israeli military&#39;s unlawful use of white phosphorus over residential areas is extremely alarming and will have dire consequences for civilians,&quot; Ramzi Kaiss, Lebanon researcher at HRW, was quoted saying in the report. &quot;Israel should immediately halt this practice and states providing Israel with weapons, including white phosphorus munitions, should immediately suspend military assistance and arms sales and push Israel to stop firing such munitions in residential areas,&quot; he added. &lsquo;Phosphorus shelling&rsquo;Lebanese authorities and HRW have over the past years accused Israel of using controversial white phosphorus rounds, in attacks authorities say have harmed civilians and the environment. Lebanon&#39;s state-run National News Agency on Sunday said Israeli forces targeted the towns of Khiam and Tal Nahas, near the border with Israel, &quot;with artillery and phosphorus shelling&quot;. Last month, Lebanon accused Israel of spraying the herbicide glyphosate on the Lebanese side of their shared border, with President Joseph Aoun decrying it as a &quot;crime against the environment&quot;.

Middle East

Says it, ‘verified and geolocated seven images showing airburst white phosphorus munitions being deployed over a residential part of’ a Lebanese town; at least 394 people have been killed in Israeli attacks. 

Israeli forces fired white phosphorus over homes in Lebanon: HRW

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Rights group Hindutva Watch flagged on Monday what it described as a celebratory public reception for cow vigilante Monu Manesar after his release on bail in the 2023 Junaid-Nasir double murder case, highlighting fresh concern over the public glorification of an accused in one of India&rsquo;s most contentious vigilante violence cases.<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" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2030798038642446721&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2Fnew%2F&sessionId=11c3e4775eb382ba6e9f994d941f719f5f4a7155&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 921px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div>Monu Manesar, whose real name is Mohit Yadav, was released from Sevar Central Jail in Bharatpur, Rajasthan, after the Rajasthan High Court granted him bail, reported The Quint.&nbsp; He was freed in a bullet-proof vest amid heavy security, with police deployment outside the jail as supporters gathered at the site.&nbsp;The case relates to the killings of Junaid, 35, and Nasir, 27, two Muslim cousins from Rajasthan whose charred bodies were found inside a burned vehicle in Haryana&rsquo;s Bhiwani district in February 2023, Times of India reported.&nbsp; The case was registered on the complaint of a relative at Gopalgarh police station in Deeg district of Rajasthan. An Indian journalist and published author, Ankur Bhardwaj, commented on the news of celebration of Manesar&#39;s release, calling it &quot;sick.&quot;&nbsp;<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" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2030851624604971494&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2Fnew%2F&sessionId=11c3e4775eb382ba6e9f994d941f719f5f4a7155&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 543px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div>According to court reporting cited by Indian outlets, Manesar had spent about two and a half years in judicial custody before being granted bail.&nbsp; The Quint reported that the High Court took note of the length of incarceration and the slow pace of trial proceedings.&nbsp; Reports said a large number of prosecution witnesses are still yet to be examined, meaning the trial remains far from conclusion. Following his release, Indian media reported celebratory scenes involving supporters.&nbsp; Bhaskar English reported that Manesar was accompanied by a convoy as he returned to Haryana, while the social media video cited by the user appears to show supporters greeting him enthusiastically after his release.&nbsp; This development comes as part of normalization of vigilante violence in India.

India

Rights group 'Hindutva Watch' on Monday flagged celebrations after Indian cow vigilante Monu Manesar, accused in the 2023 killing of two Muslim men, was released on bail, while the murder case remains pending and his public welcome renewed scrutiny.

Cow vigilante accused of double murder gets hero’s welcome after bail in India

TOKYO: Stock markets in South Korea and Japan fell sharply in early trade on Monday after oil prices soared above $100 per barrel for the first time in almost four years. South Korea&#39;s Kospi was down 6.7% while the Nikkei 225 in Tokyo was off around 5.8%, after trading more than 6% lower earlier in the session. West Texas Intermediate (WTI), the main US oil benchmark, was trading at $106.80 per barrel, up 17.4%. Brent Crude was up 15.65% at $107.20 per barrel. Both touched levels not seen since the early months of Russia&#39;s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. US President Donald Trump dismissed the spike as a &quot;small price to pay&quot; to eliminate Iran&#39;s nuclear threat, reiterating the White House&#39;s insistence that the rise is temporary. &quot;Short term oil prices, which will drop rapidly when the destruction of the Iran nuclear threat is over, is a very small price to pay for U.S.A., and World, Safety and Peace,&quot; he wrote on social media Sunday evening Washington time. &quot;ONLY FOOLS WOULD THINK DIFFERENTLY!&quot; he argued. Maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz -- through which 20 percent of global crude and gas passes -- has all but halted since the war began on February 28. Japan, the world&#39;s fourth-largest economy, is also the fifth-biggest importer of crude, with some 95 percent from the Middle East and around 70 percent of passing through the Strait of Hormuz before the conflict. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on March 2 that Japan holds emergency oil reserves equivalent to 254 days of domestic consumption. Kyodo News reported on Friday, citing an unnamed source, that the Japanese government was considering releasing some of its oil reserves. South Korea is the world&#39;s fourth-largest importer of crude. The biggest is China.

South Korea's Kospi down 6.7% while Nikkei 225 in Tokyo off around 5.8%, after trading more than 6% lower earlier in the session; Brent Crude up by 15.65% at $107.20 per barrel.



Asia stocks down sharply as oil hits $100

Web Desk/AFP

Tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate as Saudi Arabia thwarts drones targeting Shaybah oil field, UAE responds to missiles; Israel launches strikes in Iran and Beirut; Hezbollah claims downing an Israeli helicopter.

China says opposes any targeting of new Iran leader

PARIS: Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of late Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei, has been appointed to succeed his father as the new head of the Islamic Republic. The younger Khamenei was named supreme leader by the top clerical body the Assembly of Experts in a statement published shortly after midnight on Monday in Iran. Other contenders for the top position had included Alireza Arafi, one of the three members of the interim council running the country, hardliner Mohsen Araki, and even Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of the founder of the Islamic republic in 1979. But ultimately the assembly settled on Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, opting for the kind of hereditary transition that his father had rejected on principle in 2024. The Islamic revolution had put an end to a multi-century royal dynasty headed by the shah. Born on September 8, 1969, in the holy city of Mashhad in eastern Iran, Mojtaba Khamenei is one of six children of the late supreme leader. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was martyred aged 86 just over a week ago in Tehran during the first wave of US-Israeli air strikes that triggered the war in the Middle East. Because of his discretion at official ceremonies and in the media, Mojtaba Khamenei&#39;s true influence has been the subject of intense speculation for years among the Iranian population as well as in diplomatic circles. He is the only child of the former supreme leader to hold a public position, despite having no official post. The cleric, who has a salt-and-pepper beard and the black turban of the &quot;seyyed,&quot; descendants of the Prophet Mohammed, has been presented by some as acting behind the scenes to pull strings at the heart of power in Iran. He is regarded as close to conservatives, notably because of his ties with the Revolutionary Guards, the ideological arm of the Islamic republic&#39;s military. That relationship dates back to his service in a combat unit at the end of the war between Iraq and Iran that lasted from 1980 to 1988. Security force links&nbsp;The US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Mojtaba Khamenei in 2019 during President Donald Trump&#39;s first term, saying he represented the supreme leader &quot;despite never being elected or appointed to a government position aside from work in the office of his father.&rdquo; Ali Khamenei had &quot;delegated a part of his leadership responsibilities&quot; to his son, &quot;who worked closely&quot; with Iranian security forces &quot;to advance his father&#39;s destabilizing regional ambitions and oppressive domestic objectives,&quot; the Treasury said. Opponents have notably accused him of playing a role in the violent crackdown that followed the re-election of ultra-conservative president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2009, which triggered a vast protest movement. According to an investigation by the Bloomberg news organization, which cited anonymous sources and Western intelligence agency reports, Mojtaba Khamenei has amassed wealth estimated at more than $100 million. Money from oil sales had been channeled into investments in luxury British real estate, hotels in Europe and property in Dubai through shell companies in tax havens, according to the investigation. On the religious front, Mojtaba Khamenei studied theology in the holy city of Qom, south of Tehran, where he also taught. He attained the rank of Hujjat al-Islam, a title given to mid-ranking clerics, below that of Ayatollah held by his father and by revolutionary leader Ruhollah Khomeini. His wife, Zahra Haddad-Adel, daughter of a former speaker of parliament, also died in the US-Israeli strikes that killed the supreme leader, according to Iranian authorities. Israel has issued a stark warning to the new supreme leader and whoever selected him, saying &quot;the hand of the State of Israel will continue to follow any successor and anyone who seeks to appoint a successor.&quot; The Assembly of Experts has 88 members who are elected every eight years. It has only overseen one leadership transition process to date, when Khamenei was selected in 1989 following the death of Khomeini.

Mojtaba's true influence has been the subject of intense speculation for years among the Iranian population as well as in diplomatic circles; he is the only child of the former supreme leader to hold a public position, despite having no official post.


Mojtaba Khamenei: Who is Iran's new Supreme Leader

Romesa Umar

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s women&rsquo;s football movement is gaining renewed momentum as officials and young players highlight growing participation and opportunities following International Women&rsquo;s Day celebrations in the capital. The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) marked AFC Women&rsquo;s Football Day with the &ldquo;Women in Play: Ramzan Football Festival&rdquo; at Jinnah Stadium, bringing together young girls and clubs for a five-a-side tournament aimed at increasing visibility and participation in women&rsquo;s football. PFF Director Women&rsquo;s Football Mejzgaan Orakzai said Pakistan&rsquo;s women&rsquo;s teams have recently shown promising results on the international stage. &ldquo;Our women&rsquo;s national team put up a very good show in the AFC qualifiers last year,&rdquo; Orakzai told Pakistan TV Digital. &ldquo;We were able to secure wins against Indonesia as well as Kazakhstan.&rdquo; She added that the federation has also expanded into new formats of the sport. &ldquo;In January, we formed our first ever national futsal team, and we competed against seven South Asian countries,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;We secured two wins and a draw against some very strong teams in South Asia. And we&rsquo;re looking forward to putting up a very good show at the FIFA series happening next month in April.&rdquo; According to the PFF, the upcoming tournament will mark a historic moment for Pakistan, as the women&rsquo;s national team prepares to participate in the FIFA Series in Abidjan, C&ocirc;te d&rsquo;Ivoire next month. The first time a Pakistan team will feature in the event. The Islamabad festival itself featured participation from five clubs, Legacy, Strikers, Smurfs, Highlanders and Infinite, with dozens of young girls competing in a non-competitive tournament designed to encourage participation and confidence. Orakzai said the event was meant to send a broader message about opportunity and inclusion. &ldquo;As part of International Women&rsquo;s Day, it&rsquo;s a very important reminder for us that we build an equitable, inclusive and supportive society where women can participate and lead in all aspects of life,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;We all know historically that women face a lot of barriers in sports in general. In football particularly, women in Pakistan, and globally, face a lot of barriers.&rdquo; She added that the goal of the event was to create a welcoming space for young players. &ldquo;With today&rsquo;s event, our aim was to bring together young women and girls to come and play football in a very inclusive and supportive environment to celebrate International Women&rsquo;s Day,&rdquo; Orakzai said. &ldquo;We saw participation from eight teams representing five clubs here in Islamabad. We saw girls as young as 12 and 13 years old participating. It was really encouraging. My heart is full of joy. I am very hopeful and proud of all the girls who came out and participated.&rdquo; Among those players was 12-year-old Alina Bilal from Smurfs Elite, who said events like these are crucial for young girls entering the sport. &ldquo;I think events like these are really important because it gives women a chance to play and build their confidence,&rdquo; she told Pakistan TV Digital. &ldquo;When women play like this they feel free, and they can express themselves.&rdquo; Bilal said football has been part of her life since early childhood. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been playing since I was about two years old,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;When I play football, I feel free and it takes all of my stress off. I really want to encourage other girls to play.&rdquo; During the festival, Shanzeh Khan of Legacy was named best player, Asra of Strikers finished as top scorer and Aleena Bilal of Smurfs Jr won the best goalkeeper award. PFF President Syed Mohsen Gilani said the federation remains committed to expanding opportunities for women in the sport. &ldquo;As we celebrate the continued growth of women&rsquo;s football and women in football in the country, the PFF reaffirms its commitment to increasing participation of women in the sport,&rdquo; he said in a statement.

Club teams compete during the “Women in Play: Ramzan Football Festival” organized by the Pakistan Football Federation on International Women’s Day at Jinnah Stadium in Islamabad, March 8 (Pakistan TV Digital)

Football

Event highlights growing momentum in Pakistan’s women’s football as players and officials mark International Women’s Day with tournament promoting participation.

At Women’s Day, Pakistani athletes push football into new era

AHMEDABAD: India won a record third T20 World Cup title and became the first team to defend their crown with a 96-run thumping of New Zealand in a lop-sided final on Sunday. Suryakumar Yadav&#39;s India were also the first team to lift the trophy on home soil as over 86,000 fans celebrated at the Narendra Modi Stadium. England and the West Indies have won two titles each. India beat both those teams en route to the title, including a clutch victory over the West Indies in their final Super Eights match when defeat would have seen them eliminated. &quot;We never panicked. Kept our heads above the water. Teams that do that win the tournament, and I am very happy we did it,&quot; said India bowler Jasprit Bumrah. Sanju Samson&#39;s blistering 89 off 46 balls guided the co-hosts to 255-5, and Bumrah starred as New Zealand were bowled out for 159 in 19 overs. Part-time spinner Abhishek Sharma claimed the final wicket of Jacob Duffy, securing a dominant victory. &quot;I am very grateful for everyone who supported me,&quot; said Samson, who was out of the team earlier in the tournament before reeling off three consecutive scores of 89 or better when it mattered most. &quot;This itself is very big for me. I want to enjoy it right now, and then after a few days, I will figure out what more to do.&quot; Axar Patel struck two early blows, including the dangerous Finn Allen for nine, with his left-arm spin. Bumrah was again at his mesmerising best, delivering a succession of brilliant slower-ball yorkers to finish with figures of 4-15. Opener Tim Seifert hit 52 off 26 balls, but his departure in the ninth over off struggling spinner Varun Chakravarthy effectively ended the Black Caps&#39; slim hopes. Wickets kept tumbling, and Bumrah struck with successive deliveries to bring up a hat-trick ball which was just about negotiated by Lockie Ferguson. Skipper Mitchell Santner hit 43 but was never going to be able to prevent New Zealand from slipping to their second T20 World Cup final loss after they went down to Australia in 2021. India exorcised the ghosts of the past at the same venue from when they were shocked by Australia in the 2023 ODI World Cup final. Samson sparklesEarlier, the in-form Samson, who hit 97 not out and 89 in his previous two innings to keep India in the tournament, hit five fours and eight sixes to thrill the raucous home crowd, which included former World Cup winning captains Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni. Samson&#39;s opening stand of 98 with Abhishek, who plundered 52 off 21 balls, laid the platform for India to go on and score more than 250 for a second straight match, after their seven-run semi-final win over England, and for the third time in the tournament. Abhishek and Samson waited two overs before they launched a batting blitz to flay New Zealand&#39;s attack to all parts of the ground during the powerplay. Rachin Ravindra finally broke the partnership, having Abhishek caught behind off a wide delivery. Samson was joined by Ishan Kishan, who hammered 54 off 25 balls with four fours and as many sixes. Samson reached his third successive fifty and changed gears to hit Ravindra for three straight sixes. Jimmy Neesham pulled things back for New Zealand with three wickets in one over to give them hope of keeping India to a gettable total. He removed Samson, Kishan and Suryakumar for a duck -- the last two on successive balls. But Shivam Dube finished with a flourish, blasting an unbeaten 26 off eight balls as he hit Neesham for three fours and two sixes in the 20th over, leaving New Zealand with far too much to do.

India's players celebrate after winning the 2026 ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup final match between India and New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on March 8, 2026. (Photo by Dibyangshu SARKAR / AFP)

Cricket

Sanju Samson's blistering 89 off 46 balls guided India to 255-5, and the co-hosts then bowled out New Zealand for 159 in front of over 86,000 fans at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

India beat New Zealand to win third T20 World Cup title

Maryam Shah

FAISALABAD: In the industrial heart of Pakistan, where the hum of textile machines rarely stops, hundreds of women quietly power one of the country&rsquo;s most important industries. Inside a modest garment unit in Faisalabad, rows of workers sit behind sewing machines, carefully stitching fabrics that will eventually become everyday clothing items worn around the world. Among them are dozens of women whose skill and dedication keep the production lines moving. For many, the workday begins early and stretches well into the evening. &ldquo;We work the whole week,&rdquo; Shaheen, an employee, told Pakistan TV Digital. &ldquo;Our duty is from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, but sometimes it continues until 8:00 PM.&rdquo; Despite the long hours, the women handle a wide range of tasks inside the factory. From operating Singer sewing machines to managing overlock machines and other equipment, they move seamlessly between roles depending on where they are needed. &ldquo;Those sitting at the Singer machine do Singer work, and those on the overlock do overlock work,&rdquo; another worker, Shagufta Banu, explained. &ldquo;But we can work on all machines. Wherever they seat us, we do the job.&rdquo; Inside the workshop, garments move from one stage to another in a steady rhythm. Midis, bras, hoodies and other clothing items arrive in stacks of fabric and the workers stitch, assemble and prepare them for the next step in production. From the first seam to the final stitch, much of the process is carried out by these women, workers whose precision and attention to detail are essential to maintaining quality. For many of them, the work represents far more than a paycheck. Their income helps support families, contributes to children&rsquo;s education and, for some, offers a meaningful step toward financial independence and confidence. Factory management says encouraging women to join the workforce is also a conscious effort. &ldquo;We try to help the women we hire as much as possible so they can stand shoulder to shoulder with men,&rdquo; Kashif Rashid, the factory&rsquo;s production in charge, said. &ldquo;Women perform very well in maintaining quality, especially in the kind of garments we produce.&rdquo; According to management, the precision required for products such as undergarments often makes female workers particularly well-suited for the task. &ldquo;Quality is our standard,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;When it comes to our products, women often perform even better than men, which is why we give them preference whenever possible.&rdquo; Faisalabad is widely known as the backbone of Pakistan&rsquo;s textile sector, producing everything from yarn and fabric to finished garments. Behind these industries and exports are skilled workers whose dedication sustains the country&rsquo;s manufacturing strength. On International Women&rsquo;s Day, the story of these women reflects a broader reality: across Pakistan, women continue to play an increasingly important role in economic progress, contributing their talent, resilience and determination to industries that drive the nation forward. Their work may happen inside factory walls, but their impact reaches far beyond them, strengthening families, communities and the country&rsquo;s economic future.

Women garment workers operate sewing machines at a textile unit in Faisalabad, the industrial hub of Pakistan, producing clothing for local and international markets

Culture

On International Women’s Day, the dedication of women garment workers in Faisalabad highlights their vital role in Pakistan’s textile industry, where skill, resilience and hard work support families, strengthen communities and contribute to the country’s economic progress.

Women power Pakistan’s textile industry with skill, dedication and resilience

NEW DELHI: Indian police said Sunday they had arrested two Bangladeshi nationals accused of murdering a popular student leader in Dhaka, after they allegedly entered India illegally. Sharif Osman Hadi, a vocal India critic who took part in the mass uprising in 2024 that led to the ouster of Bangladesh&#39;s then-premier Sheikh Hasina, was shot by masked assailants last year and later died from his injuries at a Singapore hospital. <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bangladesh-police-to-submit-charge-sheet-in-hadi-murder-case-wednesday" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bangladeshi police</a>&nbsp;alleged that the killer had fled to India, a claim rejected at the time by Indian authorities. However, police in India&#39;s West Bengal state, which borders Bangladesh, said Sunday that preliminary interrogation of two Bangladeshi nationals in their custody suggested they had been involved in Hadi&#39;s murder. There was &quot;secret credible information&quot; that the pair had&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bangladesh-police-say-student-leaders-killers-fled-to-india" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">fled Bangladesh and illegally entered Indi</a>a, trying to &quot;take shelter in the border area... with the intention of crossing back into Bangladesh&quot;, the police said in a statement. Hadi&#39;s death set off violent protests in Bangladesh, with angry mobs torching several buildings, including two major newspapers deemed to favour India, as well as a prominent cultural institution. The killing further strained ties between India and Bangladesh that had frayed since Hasina fled the pro-democracy uprising and sought refuge in India. India&#39;s foreign ministry has said it rejects &quot;false narratives&quot; about New Delhi&#39;s involvement in Hadi&#39;s killing. In a sign of a potential thaw, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the Bangladesh Nationalist Party for winning the first parliamentary elections after Hasina&#39;s exit in February.

Inquilab Mancha spokesperson, late Sharif Osman Bin Hadi. (Photo: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha website)

Bangladesh

Police in India's West Bengal state, which borders Bangladesh, said Sunday that preliminary interrogation of two Bangladeshi nationals in their custody suggested they had been involved in Hadi's murder.

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