Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will hold an auction for Next Generation Mobile Services, including the 5G spectrum, (today) Tuesday as the government moves to expand high-speed digital connectivity in the country. The auction will offer spectrum in six frequency bands with a total of 597.2 MHz available. Four of these bands are being introduced to support the rollout of 5G services in Pakistan. Three telecom operators, Jazz, Zong and Ufone, have already submitted 15 million U.S. dollars each as pre-bid earnest money, bringing the total amount deposited to 45 million dollars. The government expects to generate more than 634 million dollars from the auction, depending on the level of competition and the final spectrum prices. The auction is an important step toward launching 5G services and improving digital infrastructure across the country.

Artificial Intelligence

A 5G spectrum auction in Pakistan on Tuesday, offering 597.2 MHz across six frequency bands, with the government expecting to raise over 634 million dollars.

Pakistan to hold 5G spectrum auction on Tuesday 

ATHENS: The <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/usisrael-war-on-iran-day-11" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Middle East war</a> has unleashed a torrent of AI-driven disinformation. Beyond entirely fabricated visuals, another kind of content is spreading: authentic images &quot;enhanced&quot; in ways that experts say are subtly distorting perceptions of what&#39;s happening on the ground. In one striking photo, a kneeling US pilot is confronted by a Kuwaiti local, moments after parachuting from his jet. The high-quality image was widely shared online and even published by media outlets. Yet the pilot appears to have only four fingers on each hand. AFP fact-checkers ran the photo through AI detection tools and found it contained a SynthID, an invisible watermark meant to identify images made with Google AI. But that&#39;s not the whole story. The situation itself appears to be genuine. A video showing the same scene began circulating on social media on March 2, and satellite imagery verified the location. It also corresponded with reports that day that Kuwait had mistakenly shot down three US warplanes. AFP was also able to locate an earlier version of the photo on Telegram that matched the high-resolution photo exactly, except that it was blurry. AI verification tools determined this image, which had none of the same detail in the pilot&#39;s face, was real. This suggests it may have served as the starting point for the image that returned the Google AI result. &quot;AI-enhancement may subtly alter textures, faces, lighting, or background details, creating an image that looks more &#39;real&#39; than the original,&quot; said Evangelos Kanoulas, a professor in AI at the University of Amsterdam. This can &quot;strengthen a particular narrative about an event &ndash; for example, making a protest appear more violent, making a crowd appear larger, making facial expressions more intense.&quot; In another case, social media users shared a dramatic image of a huge blaze near Erbil airport in Iraq, after the area was targeted by Iranian strikes on March 1. Although SynthID detection recognized the use of Google AI in the picture, it was not a total fabrication. The original version of the image shows the same scene but with a far smaller fire and smoke column, and less vivid colors. &nbsp;&#39;Very different story&#39; Experts warned that the line between enhancement and content generation, accidentally or intentionally, was a thin one. &quot;Even little changes can end up telling a very different story,&quot; said James O&#39;Brien, a professor of computer science at the University of California, Berkeley, and &quot;could change the perception of events&quot;. <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/vatican-warns-ai-could-lead-to-social-control" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Generative artificial intelligence</a> is also still prone to error and may &quot;hallucinate&quot; elements that were not in the original image, Kanoulas added. This happened following the shooting of Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents in the US state of Minneapolis in January, when an AI-enhanced image of the incident went viral. The image was based on a frame taken from a genuine video of the shooting, showing Pretti falling to his knees with officers beside him, one of them holding a gun to his head. In the grainy, low-quality frame, Pretti holds an object that in reality was a phone. In the AI-treated image, some social media users wrongly saw a weapon in his hand. As the war triggered by the US-Israeli attacks on Iran rages on, experts said that without proper labeling, <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/ai-agent-invasion-has-people-trying-to-pick-winners" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">AI-enhanced images</a> further eroded the public&#39;s trust. This kind of content was already having &quot;a huge impact on people and their ability to trust the truth,&quot; said O&#39;Brien. &quot;People start doubting authentic images as well,&quot; Kanoulas agreed.

The shadow of a fighter falls on the shrapnel scarred wall of a damaged building, following an Iranian drone attack near Erbil, in Iraq's northern autonomous Kurdish region on March 9, 2026. (AFP)

AI-enhanced but real images from Middle East conflicts are spreading online, subtly altering perceptions of events. Experts warn such manipulations blur truth, fueling misinformation and public distrust in genuine visuals.

AI-enhanced images of real events distort view of Mideast war

GOLD COAST: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed asylum for five players from Iran&rsquo;s visiting women&rsquo;s football team on Tuesday. The team&nbsp;feared punishment at home after they refused to sing the national anthem during a tournament match. Among those seeking protection is the team&rsquo;s captain, Zahra Ghanbari. The players reportedly slipped away from their hotel on Australia&rsquo;s Gold Coast late at night before approaching authorities for help. PM Albanese said that the athletes had been moved to a safe location and granted special visas on humanitarian grounds. &ldquo;Australians have been moved by the plight of these brave women. They&rsquo;re safe here, and they should feel at home here,&rdquo; Albanese said, adding that the media had shown restraint by delaying reports of the asylum request until the players were secure. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the government held several days of confidential discussions with the players before arranging their transfer to a safe house. He said the footballers were granted special visas after leaving the team hotel, and described an emotional moment when they celebrated after receiving confirmation of their protection status. The controversy began last week when members of Iran&rsquo;s women&rsquo;s team stood silent during the national anthem before a match against South Korea, a gesture widely interpreted as a sign of protest against the authorities in Iran. Pictures showed the players huddled around a table as Burke signed paperwork granting them special visas to stay in Australia on humanitarian grounds. The players broke out into chants of &quot;Aussie, Aussie, Aussie&quot;, Burke said, adding that the rest of the team would also be welcome to stay in the country if they wished. It was unclear whether the remaining players in the Iranian squad would fly home or when they might leave Australia. US President Trump was among the first to confirm five players were safely in the care of Australian officials, following a late-night call with Prime Minister Albanese. He had hours earlier urged Australia to do the right thing, saying it would be a &quot;terrible humanitarian mistake&quot; if the players were forced back to Iran. &#39;Wartime traitors&#39; A presenter on Iranian state TV branded the players &quot;wartime traitors&quot; after they stood motionless during the anthem before a match against South Korea last week. Although they sang the anthem, an ode to the glory of the Islamic Republic in later matches, human rights activists warned the damage was done. Politicians, human rights activists and even &quot;Harry Potter&quot; author J.K. Rowling had called for Australia to offer the side protection. Supporters gathered outside the stadium on the Gold Coast during the team&rsquo;s matches over the weekend, beating drums and chanting slogans in support of the players. It remains unclear whether the rest of the Iranian squad will return home or seek to remain in Australia. Authorities said other team members would also be welcome to stay if they wished.

This photo taken on March 8, 2026 shows Iranian players running towards their positions at the start of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026 football match between Iran and the Philippines on the Gold Coast. (AFP)

Australasia

Five members of Iran’s women’s football team sought asylum in Australia after refusing to sing the national anthem and facing backlash at home.

Five Iran women footballers take asylum in Australia 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, on Monday warned that the spillover effects of the &quot;terrorism nurturing in Afghanistan will not remain confined to Pakistan.&quot; While speaking at the United Nations Security Council on the situation in Afghanistan, Ambassador Ahmad said that Pakistan &ldquo;regularly facilitated dialogue and engagement with the Taliban authorities.&rdquo;&nbsp; However, after being &ldquo;extended an olive branch&rdquo; with the expectation that they would deliver on the three key international demands &mdash; counter terrorism, human rights, and inclusive governance &mdash; the country has been operating as &ldquo;a sanctuary for terrorist groups and proxies.&rdquo; &ldquo;Terrorism emanating from Afghan soil poses a grave threat not only to its immediate neighbors, but also to the broader region and beyond, undermining regional and international peace and security,&rdquo; Ambassador Ahmad said.&nbsp; The ambassador reminded the council of a surge in terrorist attacks, planned, financed, and orchestrated from Afghan soil under the Taliban regime&rsquo;s direct watch. &ldquo;We have lost thousands of lives to terrorism related incidents since the Taliban takeover, and just last month, more than 175 innocent Pakistani lives were lost, including in three suicide attacks,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We would like to warn that the spillover effects of the terrorism nurturing in Afghanistan will not remain confined to Pakistan,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp; The ambassador said that the neighbor had failed to &ldquo;undertake substantive action,&quot; highlighted &ldquo;the scale of their complicity and active support.&rdquo; While referring to the ongoing tensions between the two countries, the ambassador said that the response from Pakistan was &ldquo;proportional, based on careful planning with necessary due diligence, and directed solely against identified terrorist camps and support bases.&rdquo; Ambassador Ahmad said that no country desired peace in Afghanistan more than Pakistan, as no one had suffered &ldquo;more from the consequences of decades of conflict and instability in Afghanistan.&rdquo; &ldquo;Pakistan&#39;s demand from Afghanistan has always been singular and clear: verifiable and non-reversible action against terrorists,&rdquo; he said, adding that the demands remained &ldquo;unmet to date.&rdquo; &ldquo;The Taliban must, first and foremost, ensure that their territory is not used for terrorism against neighboring countries and take demonstrable steps to deny space to terrorist groups and proxies,&rdquo; Ambassador Ahmad said.

Foreign Affairs

Ambassador Ahmad says terrorism emanating from Afghan soil posed a grave threat not only to its immediate neighbors, but also to the broader region and beyond, undermining regional and international peace and security.

Terrorism nurturing in Afghanistan will spill beyond Pakistan: Ambassador Ahmad

Web Desk/AFP

Middle East

Americas

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says his country is prepared to continue missile attacks for as long as necessary and ruled out negotiations with the US after Trump said the war with Iran would be over "very soon"

Trump says Iran war to end soon; Iran FM says negotiations no longer option

WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Monday he has designated Afghanistan as a &quot;State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention,&quot; demanding Taliban authorities release two Americans and commit to ending its &quot;hostage diplomacy.&quot; The move comes just over a week after Iran became the first country added to Washington&#39;s new &quot;wrongful detention&quot; blacklist. President Donald Trump, in September, signed an executive order that created the blacklist, similar to designations by the United States on terrorism. &quot;The Taliban continues to use terrorist tactics, kidnapping individuals for ransom or to seek policy concessions,&quot; Rubio said in a statement. He said it was &quot;not safe for Americans to travel to Afghanistan because the Taliban continues to unjustly detain our fellow Americans and other foreign nationals.&quot; &quot;The Taliban needs to release Dennis Coyle, Mahmoud Habibi, and all Americans unjustly detained in Afghanistan now and commit to cease the practice of hostage diplomacy forever,&quot; he added. Habibi, an Afghan-American businessman, previously served as Afghanistan&#39;s director of civil aviation. He was arrested in August 2022 in Kabul along with dozens of other employees of his telecommunications company, according to US authorities. The State Department has issued a reward of $5 million for information leading to Habibi&#39;s return. Coyle is an academic from Colorado who worked for two decades in Afghanistan before being detained in January 2025, according to the James Foley Foundation.

Move comes just over a week after Iran became the first country added to Washington's new "wrongful detention" blacklist; Rubio says Taliban “continues to use terrorist tactics, kidnapping individuals for ransom or to seek policy concessions." 





US designates Afghanistan as 'state sponsor of wrongful detention'

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Navy launched Operation Muhafiz-ul-Bahr to counter &ldquo;multidimensional&rdquo; threats to national shipping and maritime trade amid an evolving regional maritime security environment, the military&#39;s media wing said Monday. According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations, the initiative aims to ensure the uninterrupted flow of national energy supplies and the security of Sea Lines of Communication. It stated that Pakistan Navy escort operations are being conducted in close coordination with the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation, adding that the navy is actively monitoring and controlling the movement of merchant vessels to ensure their safe and secure transit. With approximately 90% of Pakistan&rsquo;s trade conducted by sea, the operation aims to ensure that vital sea routes remain safe, secure, and uninterrupted, the statement said. It added that Pakistan Navy ships are currently escorting two merchant vessels, one of which is scheduled to arrive in Karachi on Monday. The navy remains fully prepared to respond to emerging maritime security challenges and is committed to ensuring the safety of national shipping and regional maritime security, the statement said.

Security

The operation aims to counter 'multidimensional' threats to national shipping and maritime trade amid an evolving regional maritime security environment.

Pakistan Navy launches Operation Muhafiz-ul-Bahr to secure shipping routes

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday announced austerity measures amid rising global oil prices, citing disruptions to trade in the Strait of Hormuz. Addressing the nation, the prime minister said the federal and provincial governments had unanimously decided on austerity measures, including a 50% immediate cut in fuel for government vehicles for two months. Ambulances and public buses will be exempt, he said. The prime minister said that in the public and private sectors, 50% of staff will work from home, excluding essential services. He added that offices will remain open only four days a week to save fuel, noting that this does not apply to banks, industry, or agriculture. According to him, two-week school holidays will begin at the end of this week, while higher education will move to online classes. He said that 60% of government vehicles will be grounded for the next two months, while cabinet members and ministers will not take salaries for two months. Sharif also announced a complete ban on foreign travel for ministers and officials, including the prime minister, chief ministers, and governors, unless the visits are essential for national interest. He added that teleconferencing will be prioritized to reduce fuel use. Speaking about hoarders and profiteers, the prime minister warned that the law would &ldquo;act against them&rdquo; without discrimination. The prime minister&rsquo;s address comes at a time when the global economy and oil supply chains are being severely affected by clashes along key Middle Eastern trade routes.

Economy

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announces austerity measures amid soaring global oil prices and disruptions to trade in the Strait of Hormuz.

Pakistan announces austerity measures amid oil supply disruptions due to Mideast clashes

ISLAMABAD: Afghan traders are warning that food supplies in local markets could run out by April if the Afghan Taliban continue forcing traders to sell essential goods below market prices, amid import disruptions. Several local Afghan media outlets reported that traders said continued pressure on <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/malnutrition-crisis-in-south-asia-a-tale-of-two-nations" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">food imports</a> and supply routes could sharply reduce the availability of essential goods across markets. Khan Jan Alokozay, a board member of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment, said traders may halt imports if forced by Taliban authorities to sell goods below market prices despite rising costs. &ldquo;If traders are forced to sell goods cheaply, they will stop importing food items,&rdquo; Alokozay said in comments reported by Afghan media outlets. Humanitarian agencies say these warnings come as Afghanistan faces one of the world&rsquo;s most&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/afghanistan-hunger-crisis-deepens-as-47-million-face-emergency-food-shortages-wfp" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">severe food crises</a>. The World Food Programme says worsening economic conditions,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/afghanistan-at-risk-of-losing-40-of-farmland-in-worst-drought-in-decades" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">climate shocks</a>,&nbsp;and disruptions to regional trade are deepening food insecurity across the country. According to United Nations estimates, about 17.4 million people in Afghanistan are projected to face crisis or emergency levels of acute food insecurity in 2026. Afghanistan relies heavily on imported food, particularly wheat flour and cooking oil, leaving&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/afghan-markets-remain-stocked-but-poverty-leaves-22-million-unable-to-buy" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">markets vulnerable</a>&nbsp;to disruptions in cross-border trade and regional instability. Aid agencies warn that continued supply disruptions could further strain food availability and worsen the humanitarian crisis in the coming months.

An Afghan vendor selling bread waits for customers at a bakery in the Fayzabad district of Badakhshan province on November 11, 2025. (AFP)

Afghanistan

Afghan traders say Taliban price controls and import disruptions threaten food stocks, which may run out by April. 

Afghan traders warn food could run out by April due to Taliban pressure

ISLAMABAD:&nbsp;Pakistan is <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/527-afghan-taliban-killed-in-crossborder-strikes-under-operation-ghazb-lil-haq-pakistan-minister" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">targeting</a> terrorist hideouts, not civilian areas,&nbsp;in Afghanistan, said&nbsp;Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on Tuesday while speaking with foreign correspondents, reported the news agency, APP.&nbsp; The information minister said operations are based on accurate intelligence information. &ldquo;Pakistan is targeting only the infrastructure of terrorists and their support networks,&rdquo; he said. Tarar dismissed the figures presented by Afghanistan&#39;s interim government. He said the <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-debunks-fabricated-afghan-reports-of-strikes-on-nur-khan-airbase" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">claims of battlefield victories</a> against Pakistan are &ldquo;incorrect and merely propaganda.&rdquo; The minister denied reports from the Afghan Taliban regime and the United Nations Mission in Afghanistan alleging civilian casualties. He said the UN agency in Kabul relies entirely on information provided by the Taliban government. He said joint attacks by the Afghan Taliban and Fitna al-Khawarij (<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/ttptaliban-nexus-exposed-as-attacks-and-retaliation-mirror-each-other" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan</a>) confirm a nexus between the interim Afghan government and multiple terrorist organizations operating from Afghan territory. &ldquo;All attacks by the Afghan Taliban regime have been responded to promptly and effectively,&rdquo; Tarar said. He said that Pakistan has accurately targeted terrorists and their aides, including Afghan Taliban military bases, without striking civilian areas.

Pakistan is targeting militant hideouts inside Afghanistan, not civilian areas, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar said on March 9, 2026. (Radio Pakistan)

Attaullah Tarar said Pakistan is targeting terrorist hideouts inside Afghanistan, not civilian areas. He rejected Afghan Taliban claims of civilian casualties, saying strikes are precisely targeting terrorists and their support networks.

Pakistan to hold 5G spectrum auction on Tuesday

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