WASHINGTON:&nbsp;US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced the formation of a Gaza &quot;board of peace,&quot; a key phase two element of a US-backed plan to end the war in the Palestinian territory. &quot;It is my Great Honor to announce that THE BOARD OF PEACE has been formed,&quot; Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, adding that the members of the body will be announced &quot;shortly.&quot; &quot;I can say with certainty that it is the Greatest and Most Prestigious Board ever assembled at any time, any place,&quot; Trump said. The board&#39;s creation comes shortly after the announcement of a 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee, charged with managing the day-to-day governance of post-war Gaza. The committee will work under the supervision of the board of peace, which Trump is expected to chair. The plan also calls for the deployment of an International Stabilisation Force to help secure Gaza and train vetted Palestinian police units. &quot;The ball is now in the court of the mediators, the American guarantor and the international community to empower the committee,&quot; Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas leader, said in a statement on Thursday. The US-backed Gaza peace plan first came into force on October 10, facilitating the return of all the hostages held by Hamas and an end to the fighting in the besieged territory. The plan&#39;s second phase is now underway, though clouded by unresolved issues. Gaza&#39;s health ministry has said Israeli forces have killed 451 people since the ceasefire ostensibly took effect. For Palestinians, the central issue remains Israel&#39;s full military withdrawal from the Gaza Strip &mdash; a step included in the plan&#39;s framework but for which no detailed timetable has been announced. Hamas, meanwhile, has refused to publicly commit to a full disarmament, a non-negotiable demand from Israel.

Middle East

Committee will work under the supervision of the board of peace, which Trump is expected to chair; plan also calls for the deployment of an International Stabilisation Force to help secure Gaza and train vetted Palestinian police units; Gaza's health ministry has said Israeli forces have killed 451 people since the ceasefire ostensibly took effect.





Trump announces 'board of peace' formed for Gaza

NEW YORK: Several valuable Pok&eacute;mon cards were stolen in a gunpoint robbery at a New York store, US police said Thursday, with about $100,000 worth of merchandise reportedly taken. Images shared by the shop show a hooded man dressed in all black pointing what appears to be a pistol at someone sitting with their hands up. US media said some of the individual cards taken were worth as much as $5,500. Pok&eacute;mon cards bearing &quot;little monsters&quot; attract children as well as adult superfans and collectors, with billions printed and some selling for millions of dollars. Earlier this month, around $300,000 worth of Pok&eacute;mon cards were stolen in another armed robbery in California. New York police said they received reports late Wednesday that three men had entered The Poke Court shop in Manhattan and &quot;displayed a firearm and made threats to individuals.&quot; &quot;They then removed multiple merchandise and cash and a phone,&quot; a spokesman said. No arrests have been made. Courtney Chin, owner of The Poke Court, said in a video posted on Instagram that all customers and staff were safe. She spoke in front of display cases that had been smashed. The store listed several cards as stolen, each stored in protective plastic cases called &quot;slabs&quot; that verify their authenticity. The stolen cards include those of famous Pok&eacute;mon characters like Pikachu, the large yellow mouse with a lightning bolt-shaped tail. Several people were in the Manhattan store to attend a community event when the robbery unfolded. &quot;This hobby should be a safe and welcoming place and while cardboard can be replaced, no one should ever have to go through this,&quot; the shop wrote on Instagram. Characters from Pok&eacute;mon games have been spun off into films, animated series and a plethora of merchandise.

Americas

Some of the individual cards taken are worth as much as $5,500; Images shared by the shop show a hooded man dressed in all black pointing what appears to be a pistol at someone sitting with their hands up.

Thieves steal Pokemon cards in armed robbery at US store

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday said it hopes for a peaceful and stable Iran, reaffirming its support for diplomatic efforts to resolve tensions, while sharply criticising India over the conviction of Kashmiri leaders as &ldquo;baseless&rdquo; allegations by the Indian military. Responding to questions during the weekly media briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Pakistan viewed stability in Iran as vital for the region. &ldquo;Pakistan hopes that peace and stability will prevail and reaffirms its support for all efforts aimed at a peaceful resolution of the situation,&rdquo; he said. Describing Iran as a &ldquo;neighbor, friend and brotherly country,&rdquo; Andrabi said Pakistan wished to see a &ldquo;peaceful, stable and prosperous Iran.&rdquo; He pointed to deep historical, cultural, and religious ties between the two countries and praised the Iranian people for what he called their &ldquo;remarkable courage and resolve&rdquo; in confronting past challenges. He added that Pakistan hoped the recently announced livelihood and financial support measures by the Iranian government for traders and the general public would help ease economic hardships. &ldquo;A stable and peaceful Iran, free from domestic unrest or political upheaval, is in Pakistan&rsquo;s interest,&rdquo; the spokesperson said. Condemns conviction of Kashmiri leaderAddressing the conviction of Asiya Andrabi, head of the banned Dukhtaran-e-Millat, under India&rsquo;s Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Andrabi condemned the ruling along with the convictions of her associates Fehmida Sofi and Nahida Nasreen. He described the cases as &ldquo;another fabricated case after sham trials,&rdquo; accusing New Delhi of systematically misusing anti-terror laws to silence dissent in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). &ldquo;This conviction underscores the continued misuse of draconian laws to silence legitimate political voices,&rdquo; he said, adding that Andrabi had been imprisoned for &ldquo;peacefully advocating the fundamental rights and freedoms of the Kashmiri people.&rdquo; According to the Foreign Office, the convictions reflect a broader pattern of reprisals and intimidation against Kashmiri political leadership. &ldquo;Asiya Andrabi Sahiba has already languished for more than eight years in prison,&rdquo; the spokesperson said, calling it a stark example of what he described as systemic repression of Kashmiris asserting their right to self-determination. Pakistan reiterated its &ldquo;steadfast diplomatic, political and moral support&rdquo; for the Kashmiri people and their struggle for self-determination in line with United Nations resolutions. Rejects Indian army chief&rsquo;s claimsThe Foreign Office also rejected recent remarks by the Indian Army chief alleging the presence of militant camps in Pakistan. &ldquo;Pakistan has made unparalleled sacrifices in blood and treasure in combating terrorism,&rdquo; Andrabi said, adding that these efforts had been acknowledged by the international community. He described Indian statements as &ldquo;clich&eacute;d, habitual and delusional rhetoric&rdquo; aimed at exploiting terrorism for domestic political gains, warning that such claims only further damage India&rsquo;s credibility. The spokesperson cited the arrest of Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav, a serving Indian naval officer convicted by Pakistan of espionage and terrorism, and accused India of financing and facilitating militant proxies against Pakistan, including from Afghan territory. Pakistan urged India to abandon what it called baseless allegations and instead confront &ldquo;growing extremism and religiously motivated terrorism&rdquo; at home, including what it described as state-facilitated Islamophobia, which it said posed risks not only to Indian society but also to regional stability.

Foreign Affairs

Foreign Office spokesperson says Pakistan views stability in Iran as vital for the region; hopes peace, stability will prevail, reaffirms support for all efforts aimed at a peaceful resolution of the situation."


Pakistan urges calm in Iran, condemns India over Kashmir convictions

ISLAMABAD: A leaked audio recording attributed to Taliban supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada has exposed deep anxiety within the movement&rsquo;s leadership, with warnings that internal divisions could ultimately lead to the group&rsquo;s collapse, according to a report by the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg7vdpy1l2vo" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">BBC</a>.&nbsp;The audio, obtained and reviewed by the British broadcaster, is said to come from a speech delivered by Akhundzada at a madrassa in Kandahar in January 2025. In the recording, the Taliban emir openly acknowledges growing discord within the ranks.&nbsp;&ldquo;As a result of these divisions, the emirate will collapse and end,&rdquo; Akhundzada warns in the audio, as quoted by the BBC.&nbsp;The remarks have intensified speculation about rifts at the very top of the Taliban, rumors that had circulated for months but were never publicly acknowledged by the leadership.&nbsp;According to the BBC report, the Taliban leadership is now split into two competing power blocs. One faction is firmly loyal to Akhundzada and based in Kandahar, the movement&rsquo;s ideological heartland. The other consists of influential Taliban figures operating largely from Kabul, many of whom favor a more pragmatic approach to governance and international engagement.&nbsp;Rather than addressing these disagreements through consultation or reform, the report says the Taliban leadership has responded by further centralizing power in Kandahar, sidelining rivals and consolidating authority within a narrow inner circle.&nbsp;Power reshuffles by decreeSince late 2024, Akhundzada has issued repeated decrees <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/taliban-reshuffles-entrench-loyalists-as-critics-warn-of-power-monopolization" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">reshuffling</a> senior officials across Afghanistan&rsquo;s provincial administrations, security forces and ministries. Taliban critics say the moves are designed less to improve governance than to neutralize dissent.&nbsp;Taliban interim spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed that the changes were ordered directly by the emir.&nbsp;&ldquo;The appointments were made by the Emir,&rdquo; Mujahid said in a statement posted on X announcing the latest reshuffle.&nbsp;That round involved 25 senior officials, including provincial governors, corps commanders and local administrators. Among them, Qari Gul Haidar Shafiq was appointed governor of Bamyan, while the outgoing governor Abdullah Sarhadi was reassigned to Jawzjan. Ahmad Shah Dindost, a former corps commander, was named governor of Sar-e-Pol.&nbsp;Further changes placed Andar Gul Abdullah as deputy governor of Laghman, approved new appointments in Kandahar itself, and authorized 15 additional changes within the defense ministry. Subsequent decrees reshuffled corps commanders and deputy commanders across key military units.&nbsp;Earlier rounds of reshuffling saw governors, intelligence officials, border police chiefs and department heads rotated into new posts, often swapping positions with one another rather than being replaced.&nbsp;Technocrats pushed asideThe Taliban&rsquo;s reliance on internal reshuffles has drawn criticism for excluding professionals and technocrats from government roles. Instead of widening participation, the leadership has repeatedly recycled loyalists with limited administrative expertise.&nbsp;That approach drew attention in December when Mawlawi Mohammad Wazir Fedayi, a cleric, was appointed water adviser at the energy and water ministry, replacing Dr Farooq Azam, a PhD-holder in water resources.&nbsp;Dr Azam was removed after publicly criticizing the Taliban&rsquo;s ban on girls&rsquo; education and questioning the group&rsquo;s morality law, a move widely seen as punishment for dissent rather than a performance-based decision.&nbsp;Estimates cited by critics suggest that between January 2025 and January 2026, Akhundzada reshaped Afghanistan&rsquo;s administrative structure six times through decrees.&nbsp;Growing public discontentInside Afghanistan, critics have described the process as a &ldquo;monopolization&rdquo; of authority, arguing that key state institutions are now firmly controlled by a small group of Kandahar-based loyalists.&nbsp;They warn that many appointees lack the qualifications needed to manage critical sectors such as water, energy, health and the economy.&nbsp;Ordinary Afghans have also voiced frustration, saying closed-circle appointments are worsening unemployment, deepening poverty and further eroding trust in state institutions amid a severe economic crisis.&nbsp;Despite mounting domestic criticism and international isolation, the Taliban leadership has shown little willingness to broaden political participation or form a more inclusive government. The leaked audio, however, suggests that even within the movement, fears are growing that internal fractures, if left unresolved, could threaten the Taliban&rsquo;s own survival.

Afghanistan

Leaked audio attributed to Haibatullah Akhundzada reveals Taliban leadership divisions, fears of collapse, and power centralization in Kandahar, marked by reshuffles sidelining rivals, technocrats, and worsening public discontent

Leaked audio exposes Taliban fractures as Akhundzada tightens grip on power

LONDON: London mayor Sadiq Khan on Thursday joined the chorus of warnings on the impact of artificial intelligence for jobs, saying that the UK capital risks &quot;an era of mass unemployment&quot;.&nbsp;The Labour mayor&#39;s comments are to be included in a London speech late Thursday outlining the opportunities and risks posed by AI.&nbsp;With the UK capital home to a large number of finance, professional services and creative jobs, London is &quot;at the sharpest edge of change&quot;, Khan was to say according to excerpts of the speech sent to media.&nbsp;Khan will point also to &quot;huge potential benefits&quot; of the technology if used responsibly, as he unveils a review into its impact on the capital&#39;s jobs market alongside free AI training for millions of Londoners.&nbsp;He will urge swift action to harness those benefits before the technology &quot;becomes a weapon of mass destruction of jobs&quot;.&nbsp;The debate continues over whether AI will destroy jobs, with answers remaining elusive.&nbsp;Prime Minister Keir Starmer&#39;s office on Thursday said that &quot;AI is going to reshape the world of work&quot;.&nbsp;A Downing Street spokesperson added: &quot;Some jobs will be more impacted than others, but the new roles and opportunities it will create is something that we will embrace.&quot;&nbsp;The United Nations recently warned that AI and automation could exacerbate global labour market challenges, particularly for educated young people in wealthier countries seeking their first high-skill jobs.&nbsp;Most forecasts see gradual change.&nbsp;Management consultancy McKinsey recently forecast that 30 percent of US jobs could be automated by 2030, with 60 percent significantly altered.&nbsp;Analysts from US research firm Gartner have suggested that AI will create more jobs than it eliminates by 2027.

Artificial Intelligence

London mayor Sadiq Khan warned AI could trigger mass unemployment in the capital without swift action, while acknowledging benefits if managed responsibly. UK leaders and experts say AI will reshape work, with uncertain job impacts.

AI risks 'mass unemployment' in London: mayor

ISLAMABAD: Australia has imposed its toughest visa restrictions on Indian applicants, citing what officials describe as systemic marriage fraud and industrial-scale forgery of academic qualifications originating in India.&nbsp;The measures have slowed processing times, triggered manual financial checks and prompted universities to curb recruitment from several Indian states.&nbsp;Australia&rsquo;s Department of Home Affairs reclassified India to Evidence Level 3 on Jan. 8, the highest risk category for visa integrity. The change mandates manual verification of all financial documents and bank statements. Internal department material cited &ldquo;emerging integrity issues&rdquo; linked to fraudulent applications. <div class="fr-embed"><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; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 672px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2008456125793137126&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F3499%2F&sessionId=5bc959577ebd2d6ce0e60f523b7c7d15bb5b093f&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div></div>The crackdown follows years of documented abuse of Australia&rsquo;s migration system by Indian-based syndicates, particularly through sham marriages and fake degrees used to secure student and partner visas.&nbsp;Marriage fraud networksAustralian authorities say organized marriage fraud has been a persistent problem tied to Indian applicants. A 2018 Counter Fraud Centre report found the Australian Border Force refused 164 partner visa applications linked to marriage fraud syndicates. None of the applicants obtained permanent residency.&nbsp;One case laid bare the mechanics of the scheme. Indian national Pradeep Singh testified in Brisbane Magistrates Court in 2014 that he paid migration agent Chetan Mohanlal Mashru $5,000 to arrange a marriage with Australian citizen Josie Haig. Singh said he met Haig for the first time at Mashru&rsquo;s residence and paid her $1,000 a month for two years after securing a partner visa in mid-2011.&nbsp;In a Nov. 15, 2018 warning, the Australian High Commission in New Delhi said it had identified &ldquo;organized contrived marriage scams targeting South Asians&rdquo; after the arrest of a 32-year-old Indian national described as the main facilitator of a Sydney-based syndicate. Four Australian citizens were charged in the case.&nbsp;&ldquo;Many of the women involved in these scams have suffered a history of substance abuse, family violence and financial hardship, and are lured in with promises of substantial payments,&rdquo; Acting Investigations Commander Clinton Sims said in a government release.&nbsp;Under Australia&rsquo;s Migration Act, organizing or participating in such schemes carries penalties of up to $210,000 and 10 years&rsquo; imprisonment, authorities said.&nbsp;Forged degrees and credential millsAustralian lawmakers have also pointed to widespread academic fraud emanating from India. Senator Malcolm Roberts told Parliament that Indian police seized 100,000 forged educational certificates in January, calling the scale of fraud &ldquo;industrial.&rdquo;&nbsp;In Senate questioning, Roberts said 23,000 foreign students were caught purchasing qualifications in 2024. Australia&rsquo;s Skills Quality Authority later canceled credentials for more than 4,200 foreign students after deregistering SPS Education Pty Ltd for running what officials described as a &ldquo;cash-for-diplomas&rdquo; operation.&nbsp;&ldquo;In some cases, people were being awarded qualifications without doing any training or any study whatsoever. It was basically pay for a qualification and you got it,&rdquo; Minister Murray Watt said during the hearing.&nbsp;Indian law enforcement actions have reinforced Australian concerns. The Enforcement Directorate raided 16 locations across multiple Indian states linked to Monad University in January under anti-money-laundering laws. Investigators said only 5,000 of 41,000 degrees issued over 11 years were genuine, findings later cited in court proceedings that led to a fugitive economic offender declaration.&nbsp;Indian police have made multiple arrests tied to fake credentials, including a former university lecturer accused of identity theft and fraud, and several operators running printing facilities used to manufacture forged certificates. Fees for counterfeit documents reportedly ranged from $600 to $2,400.&nbsp;India&rsquo;s own regulators have acknowledged the problem. The University Grants Commission has identified 21 fake universities operating without approval, noting that the Delhi region and Uttar Pradesh accounted for the highest numbers.&nbsp;Impact on students and universitiesAs a result of the heightened scrutiny, visa processing times for Indian applicants are expected to stretch from about 14 days to four to eight weeks under the new verification regime.&nbsp;Australian universities have moved to protect their compliance ratings. Internal directives at several institutions instructed recruitment agents to halt or limit applications from Indian states including Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat, citing elevated fraud risk.&nbsp;Australian officials say the restrictions are not aimed at legitimate applicants but reflect repeated failures by Indian authorities to curb fraud networks operating within their borders. For India, Australia&rsquo;s actions amount to a public rebuke: a signal that systemic corruption in education and migration has begun to carry tangible international consequences.

India

Australia imposed visa restrictions on Indians, citing marriage fraud and fake degrees, tightening checks, slowing processing, and limiting university recruitment.

Australia tightens visas as Indian fraud networks exploit marriages, degrees

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Oman led efforts to talk US President Donald Trump out of an attack on Iran, a senior Saudi official told AFP on Thursday, with another Gulf official confirming the discussions. The Gulf trio &quot;led a long, frantic, diplomatic last-minute effort to convince President Trump to give Iran a chance to show good intention&quot;, the Saudi official said on condition of anonymity. Some personnel were moved out of a major US military base in Qatar on Wednesday, and staff at US missions in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait were warned to exercise caution as fears mounted of a US attack over Iran&#39;s crackdown on protesters. The United States has repeatedly warned it could intervene against a deadly Iranian government crackdown on protests, while Tehran has said it would retaliate with strikes on US military and shipping targets. Many US bases and assets are located in the Gulf. Two diplomatic sources told AFP on Thursday that the security posture at Qatar&#39;s Al-Udeid Airbase had been lowered after a number of personnel had been told to leave on Wednesday over the regional tensions. One source said the threat level on the base had fallen and gradually &quot;planes have started moving back to position pre-Wednesday&quot;. The second source said some military and other staff were also returning. After the repeated threats Trump changed course, saying he had received assurances from &quot;very important sources on the other side&quot; that Iran would not execute demonstrators. The Gulf efforts aimed to &quot;avoid an uncontrollable situation in the region&quot;, the Saudi official said. &quot;We told Washington that an attack on Iran would open the way for a series of grave blowbacks in the region,&quot; the official added. &quot;It was a sleepless night to defuse more bombs in the region... the communication is still underway to consolidate the gained trust and the current good spirit.&quot; The second Gulf official said &quot;the message conveyed to Iran has been that an attack on US facilities in the Gulf would have consequences on relations with countries in the region&quot;.

Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman mounted last-minute diplomacy to dissuade President Trump from striking Iran, easing Gulf tensions, lowering US base alert levels, and warning Tehran against retaliation region wide

Saudi, Qatar, Oman convinced Trump to 'give Iran a chance': senior Saudi official

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani and Japanese business leaders met in Tokyo on Thursday for the 10th Pakistan&ndash;Japan Private Sector Business Dialogue, as Islamabad seeks to shift its economy beyond agriculture toward higher-value trade and investment. According to an official statement, the dialogue focused on expanding bilateral trade, investment ties and strengthening private-sector cooperation&nbsp;between the two countries. The meeting was co-chaired by Chairman of the Pakistan&ndash;Japan Business Forum Murtaza Mandviwalla and Chairman of the Japan&ndash;Pakistan Business Co-operation Committee Akira Terakawa. A 26-member Pakistani business delegation participated in the talks, supported by the Japanese committee. <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/09576d16-1557-493e-839e-0e76191ec54b-615763891_1453102989718056_506389959354210331_n.jpg" alt="615763891_1453102989718056_506389959354210331_n.jpg" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">Pakistani and Japanese business leaders met in Tokyo for the 10th Pakistan&ndash;Japan Private Sector Business Dialogue (Ihsaan Afzal Khan/Facebook).</figcaption></figure> Pakistan&rsquo;s Ambassador to Japan, Abdul&nbsp;Hameed, talked about the fundamentals needed for sustainable economic engagement. He told participants that &ldquo;trust, continuity, and practical cooperation&rdquo; were essential to building stronger and more durable business relations between Pakistan and Japan. The Coordinator to the Prime Minister of Pakistan on Commerce and Industry, Rana Ihsan Afzal Khan, outlined Islamabad&#39;s evolving economic strategy in his keynote address. He said Pakistan is moving from traditional trade engagement toward &quot;investment-led cooperation and joint value chains,&quot; with a focus on standards, reliability and phased implementation.&nbsp; He also highlighted Pakistan&rsquo;s broader economic transformation. He noted that recent structural reforms and the creation of the Special Investment Facilitation Council had improved coordination and investor confidence. This has helped attract increased foreign investment in important&nbsp;sectors. The discussions covered multiple sectors as both sides committed to long-term collaboration, according to the official statement.&nbsp;

Economy

Pakistani and Japanese business leaders met in Tokyo to discuss investment-led cooperation, joint value chains, and long-term trade partnerships.

Pakistan, Japan deepen business ties as Islamabad diversifies economy further

ISLAMABAD: More than half a million Pakistani workers and professionals migrated to Saudi Arabia in 2025 in search of improved employment and living opportunities, according to official data released by the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment (BEOE).&nbsp;The data shows that 530,256 Pakistanis moved to various cities across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) during 2025, up from 452,562 in the previous year. This marks a year-on-year increase of 17%, translating into nearly 78,000 additional workers.&nbsp;Since 1972, approximately 7.69 million Pakistani workers have migrated to Saudi Arabia.&nbsp;According to official figures, Pakistan&rsquo;s total manpower exports to various countries stood at 762,499 in 2025. Saudi Arabia alone absorbed&nbsp;69.5% of the total, up from 62% a year earlier. The growing Pakistani workforce in Saudi Arabia has also translated into&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-remittances-rise-9-to-319b-yoy-in-nov-reach-161b-in-5mfy26" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">higher remittance inflows</a>.&nbsp; According to State Bank of Pakistan data, overseas Pakistanis in Saudi Arabia remitted $813 million in December 2025 alone. This is the highest among all host countries.&nbsp;The figure was 6% higher every year and 8% above the $753 million sent in November.

international departure of Pakistan's Jinnah International Airport, Karachi

The data shows that 530,256 Pakistanis moved to various cities across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) during 2025, up from 452,562 in the previous year.

Saudi Arabia remains top destination for Pakistani workers in 2025

Web Desk/AFP

WASHINGTON: A US federal immigration agent shot a man in Minneapolis, city officials said, urging the public to &quot;remain calm&quot; a week after agents shot and killed an American woman in the same city. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O&#39;Hara said the shooting resulted from a struggle in front of a residence between a man and an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/who-was-renee-nicole-good-the-woman-killed-by-us-immigration-police" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">ICE</a>) agent on the north side of the city Wednesday evening. &quot;During the struggle, the federal agent discharged his weapon, striking one adult male,&quot; O&#39;Hara told reporters at a press conference. The man suffered a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to his leg and was transported to a hospital for treatment, officials said. The shooting marked the second time in a week an ICE agent had shot someone in Minneapolis, with the previous shooting resulting in the death of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good on January 7, sparking ongoing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/anger-over-minneapolis-shooting-probe-fuels-protests" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">protests</a>&nbsp;against the presence of federal agents in the northern US city. &quot;We understand there is anger,&quot; officials wrote on the midwestern city&#39;s X account, adding that &quot;the City of Minneapolis again demands that ICE leave the city and the state immediately.&quot; O&#39;Hara said Wednesday&#39;s shooting generated a crowd of protesters around where it happened, with some throwing fireworks at officers. &#39;This is not sustainable&#39; <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/afghan-national-arrested-near-dc-for-isisk-support-homeland-security" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Department of Homeland Security</a>&nbsp;officials confirmed the shooting in a post on X, saying &quot;an illegal alien from Venezuela&quot; was targeted for a traffic stop and resisted arrest. &quot;While the subject and law enforcement were in a struggle on the ground, two subjects came out of a nearby apartment and also attacked the law enforcement officer with a snow shovel and broom handle,&quot; DHS said. The officer then &quot;fired a defensive shot to defend his life,&quot; hitting the initial subject in the leg. Elected officials in Minneapolis and the state of Minnesota have decried the actions of Department of Homeland Security agents, including those with ICE. &quot;This is not sustainable,&quot; Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey told reporters, adding: &quot;We have ICE agents throughout our city and throughout our state who, along with Border Patrol, are creating chaos.&quot; &quot;This is not the path that we should be on right now in America.&quot; In a video posted to social media earlier Wednesday, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz decried &quot;the chaos, disruption and trauma the federal government is raining down on our community,&quot; describing door-to-door interrogations by &quot;armed, masked, undertrained&quot; ICE agents. The Democrat said federal immigration authorities have deployed thousands of agents to Minnesota and were carrying out enforcement operations he said are disrupting communities and affecting residents, including US citizens. Walz described the actions as excessive and politically motivated, criticized the federal government&rsquo;s response to a recent death during an operation, and cited the resignation of several federal prosecutors as raising constitutional concerns. He urged residents to protest peacefully, document enforcement activity, and pursue accountability through the courts and elections, while reaffirming Minnesota&rsquo;s commitment to the rule of law and civil rights. Detention reaches record levels According to the Department of Homeland Security&rsquo;s (DHS) 2025 Year in Review, the administration reported more than 622,000 removals from the United States between Jan. 20, 2025, and late 2025. DHS also said more than 2 million people left the country voluntarily under &ldquo;Project Homecoming,&rdquo; which encouraged self-deportation through incentives and a self-reporting feature on the CBP Home app. It also reported a sharp increase in interior enforcement, including more than 10,000 arrests in the Los Angeles area since June 2025 and more than 4,500 arrests during an operation known as &ldquo;Operation Midway Blitz.&rdquo; In Minnesota, DHS said more than 1,360 people were targeted for arrest detainers during &ldquo;Operation Metro Surge,&rdquo; while a separate initiative, &ldquo;Operation Tidal Wave,&rdquo; resulted in 1,100 arrests in six days. DHS reported arrests this month of individuals it identified as suspected gang members and people with prior violent crime convictions. <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/b0af2d29-7c8f-44ce-9859-d9c2d15b25ad-deportations.jpg" alt="deportations.jpg" class="fr-fil fr-dib"></figure> Meanwhile, ICE detention data current as of early January 2026 shows the detained population reached a record high of 68,990 people held in 212 facilities nationwide. ICE reported an average of 1,220 arrests per day in December 2025, with the daily rate falling to 315 arrests during the first week of January, which the agency attributed to a seasonal slowdown. ICE said it was monitoring more than 180,000 people through alternatives to detention programs, including a record number using GPS ankle monitors. <img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/f1e21256-56b6-44b7-a02f-9306cc299143-unnamed (1).png" alt="unnamed (1).png" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Statistics and Detention Management Reports (2025-2026).</figcaption> Independent analyses from the American Immigration Council said the detention population continued to climb toward 70,000 by mid-January. Data from the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse shows Texas held the largest number of ICE detainees, with nearly 18,000, followed by Louisiana and California. TRAC also reported ICE expanded its detention network significantly in 2025, using 104 more facilities by the end of the year than at the start, nearly doubling its total capacity.

The shooting comes amid record ICE detentions of nearly 69,000 people, thousands of arrests nationwide, and rising protests in Minnesota.

Trump announces 'board of peace' formed for Gaza

Related Articles

European military mission set to begin in Greenland

Saudi, Qatar, Oman convinced Trump to 'give Iran a chance': senior Saudi official

Qatar, UAE join Pax Silica alliance on global technology supply chains

Signals point to imminent US strikes on Iran: Reports

Latest News

Trump announces 'board of peace' formed for Gaza

Thieves steal Pokemon cards in armed robbery at US store

Pakistan urges calm in Iran, condemns India over Kashmir convictions

Leaked audio exposes Taliban fractures as Akhundzada tightens grip on power

AI risks 'mass unemployment' in London: mayor