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WASHINGTON: US and Russian officials are meeting in Miami this weekend for new talks on President Donald Trump&#39;s plan for ending the Ukraine war, a White House official told AFP Wednesday.&nbsp;The talks come after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed progress during two days of meetings in Berlin between Kyiv and Trump&#39;s envoys, while warning that Moscow was preparing for a &quot;new year of war.&quot;&nbsp;Trump&#39;s roving envoy, Steve Witkoff, and son-in-law Jared Kushner are expected to take part on the US side, while Putin&#39;s economic envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, is set to be in the Russian delegation, Politico reported.&nbsp;The White House official did not give details of the US and Russian teams.&nbsp;There has been a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-says-ukraine-deal-close-europe-proposes-peace-force" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">flurry of international diplomacy</a>&nbsp;in recent weeks to end the four-year war, with Witkoff and Kushner having met Putin in the Kremlin in November and the Ukrainians and European leaders in Berlin.&nbsp;But large differences remain all around.&nbsp;Ukraine and the United States say there has been progress on&nbsp;future security&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/us-offers-natolike-security-to-ukraine-expects-russia-to-accept" target="_blank">guarantees for Kyiv</a>, but they disagree on which&nbsp;territory Ukraine would have to cede.&nbsp;Putin, meanwhile, said on Wednesday that Moscow would &quot;certainly&quot; achieve its objectives in the war, including seizing the territories it claims are its own.

Europe

The talks come after Ukrainian president hailed progress during two days of meetings in Berlin between Kyiv and Trump's envoys, while warning that Moscow was preparing for a 'new year of war.'

US, Russia to hold talks on Ukraine in Miami this weekend: White House

ISLAMABAD: Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan Syeda Amna Batool has been appointed to the FIFA Institutional Reforms Committee, a move seen as strengthening Pakistan&rsquo;s engagement with global football governance.&nbsp;According to an official statement, Batool is currently the only Pakistani serving on a FIFA committee and took part in the committee&rsquo;s plenary session and related meetings in Doha, Qatar, this week.&nbsp;The reforms committee is responsible for reviewing governance frameworks, transparency measures, and institutional reform processes within world football.&nbsp;Batool&rsquo;s appointment comes at a time when Pakistan is seeking to rebuild credibility in international football administration following years of organisational uncertainty.&nbsp;The development coincides with efforts by the government under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to stabilize football governance in the country.&nbsp;In recent months, the prime minister has engaged with senior regional and international football officials, including AFC President and FIFA Senior Vice President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, reiterating Pakistan&rsquo;s commitment to an autonomous and merit-based football system.&nbsp;Officials say the government views football not only as a competitive sport but also as a platform for youth engagement and social development, particularly as more than 60 percent of Pakistan&rsquo;s population is under 30.&nbsp;Separately, over the past six months, Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) President Syed Mohsin Gilani has pursued local and international efforts aimed at reviving the federation after a prolonged period of administrative challenges.&nbsp;Batool&#39;s work within FIFA will remain centered on strengthening reform mechanisms and ensuring implementation credibility, ensuring that Pakistan becomes a credible and constructive member of the global football family.&nbsp;The appointment is being viewed as part of Pakistan&rsquo;s gradual re-engagement with international football bodies, with officials emphasizing the need for sustained reforms, institutional stability, and continued cooperation with FIFA.

Football

Batool is currently the only Pakistani serving on a FIFA committee and took part in the committee’s plenary session and related meetings in Doha, Qatar, this week.
 

In a first, Pakistan's Amna Batool appointed to FIFA institutional reforms committee

<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 600; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: capitalize; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: nowrap; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; display: inline !important;">MONTREAL:&nbsp;After accepting a job near Montreal, Mansef Aloui packed up his life in Tunisia, hopeful his children would thrive in Canada -- but his pathway to settle in the country has been shut down.&nbsp;&quot;I&#39;m broken. My life has been upended. My daughter is in her room, she cries day and night,&quot; the 50-year-old told AFP, his voice faltering over an impending departure from a country where he had hoped to stay.&nbsp;For decades, Canada was viewed as one of the world&#39;s most coveted destinations for immigrants, especially among people from the developing world.&nbsp;Liberal Prime Minister Mark Carney has tightened immigration levels, echoing moves by his predecessor Justin Trudeau, who conceded last year that Canada had let in too many people to address labor shortages caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.&nbsp;Carney&#39;s budget, narrowly approved last month, said: &quot;We are taking back control of our immigration system and putting Canada on a trajectory to bring immigration back to sustainable levels.&quot;&nbsp;Aloui was hired two years ago to be a supervisor at a factory in Laval, near Montreal, in Canada&#39;s French-speaking Quebec province.&nbsp;A program for skilled workers that would have allowed him to apply for permanent residency, known by its French acronym PEQ, was scrapped by the provincial government last month.&nbsp;&quot;Everything is blurry for me,&quot; Aloui said, a month before the expiration of his legal rights to remain in Canada.&nbsp;Canadian values&nbsp;Canada plans to authorize 380,000 new permanent residents in 2026, down from the 395,000 approved this year and a substantial decrease from the half-million people given rights to settle in 2024.&nbsp;Temporary resident permits are set to be trimmed nearly by half, with the 2026 target set at 385,000, compared to 673,650 this year, as the government massively curbs foreign student visa slots.&nbsp;The national statistics agency reported Wednesday that Canada&#39;s population declined by 0.2 percent in the third quarter of 2025 -- currently standing at 41,575,585 -- the first contraction since 2020, and caused primarily by foreign student departures.&nbsp;For Gauri Sreenivasan, co-executive director at the Canadian Council of Refugees, &quot;there has been no fundamental shift in Canadian values&quot; broadly supportive of immigration.&nbsp;But she accused Canadian politicians of exploiting &quot;a global current&quot; surrounding immigration, where newcomers are blamed for a range of challenges, including housing shortages and overstretched healthcare systems.&nbsp;&quot;Canada&#39;s population is declining and immigration is essential to our future prosperity,&quot; she said, warning against the use of &quot;toxic and xenophobic narratives&quot; that can harden attitudes against newcomers.&nbsp;Data also points towards shifting public sentiment.&nbsp;In 2022, 27 percent of Canadians believed the country was accepting too many migrants, a figure that has risen to 56 percent, according to the Environics Institute.&nbsp;The consensus has frayed Sergio da Silva told AFP he feels &quot;betrayed&quot; by the cancellation of Quebec&#39;s PEQ program.&nbsp;&quot;We studied, we speak French. We meet all the conditions to stay,&quot; said the 36-year-old Brazilian, who is also set to lose his Canadian residency rights.&nbsp;University of Montreal immigration expert Catherine Xardez said Canada had established a uniquely pro-immigration consensus, with cross-party support for welcoming people and bureaucratic processes that allowed migrants to stay.&nbsp;&quot;Canadian exceptionalism in immigration has been shaken,&quot; she told AFP. &quot;The consensus has frayed, that&#39;s obvious.&quot;&nbsp;She said a central challenge is that Canada&#39;s system was built to accommodate candidates for permanent residency.&nbsp;But the influx of temporary immigrants, especially hundreds of thousands of foreign students, has caused friction in multiple communities.&nbsp;Xardez said the situation in Canada was &quot;in no way comparable&quot; to developments in Europe or the United States, where politicians have achieved electoral successes fueled in large part by anti-immigration messaging.

Americas

Canada's immigration system is shifting as the government reduces immigration targets and cancels key programs like Quebec's PEQ. While some Canadians express concerns about housing and labor shortages, experts warn against rising anti-immigrant sentiment.

Migrants forced to leave Canada after policy change feel 'betrayed'

BESAN&Ccedil;ON: A French court on Thursday sentenced a doctor to life in jail for poisoning 30 child and adult patients, 12 of whom died, in an alleged attempt to discredit co-workers. Frederic Pechier, 53, worked as an anesthetist in two clinics in the eastern city of Besancon, when patients went into cardiac arrest in suspicious circumstances between 2008 and 2017.&nbsp; Twelve could not be resuscitated. Pechier&rsquo;s youngest alleged victim, four-year-old Teddy, survived two cardiac arrests during a routine tonsil surgery in 2016. &ldquo;You will be incarcerated immediately,&rdquo; presiding judge Delphine Thibierge said. Pechier, who has denied wrongdoing and not been detained since the start of the probe, appeared unmoved. The doctor&rsquo;s oldest alleged victim was 89. An investigation was launched in 2017, after suspicious cardiac arrests during operations on patients otherwise considered low-risk.&nbsp;

Frederic Pechier, 53, worked as an anesthetist in two clinics in the eastern city of Besancon, when patients went into cardiac arrest in suspicious circumstances between 2008 and 2017; twelve could not be resuscitated.

French court jails doctor for life for poisoning 30 patients, killing 12

BEIRUT: Israel launched several strikes on southern and eastern Lebanon on Thursday, Lebanese state media reported, as the Israeli military said it targeted Hezbollah infrastructure including a military compound. Despite a November 2024 ceasefire that was supposed to end more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, Israel has kept up strikes on Lebanon and has also maintained troops in five southern areas it deems strategic. &lsquo;Several strikes&rsquo;&nbsp;Lebanon&#39;s state-run National News Agency reported&nbsp;several strikes on mountainous areas in the south and east. The Israeli military claimed it targeted &ldquo;terror infrastructure sites in multiple areas across Lebanon&rdquo; including &ldquo;a military compound used by Hezbollah to conduct training and courses&rdquo; for the group&#39;s members. In another statement, the military also said: &ldquo;A short while ago, the IDF struck a Hezbollah terrorist in the area of Taybeh in southern Lebanon.&rdquo; Monitoring committee meeting&nbsp;The attacks come as the ceasefire monitoring committee, which includes the United States and France, are set to meet on Friday. On Tuesday, two people were killed in Israeli strikes, one of them 30 kilometers (20 miles) south of Beirut. Around 340 people have been killed by Israeli attacks on Lebanon since the ceasefire agreement went into force, according to an AFP tally of health ministry reports.

Middle East

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported several strikes on mountainous areas in the south and east; attacks come as the ceasefire monitoring committee, which includes the United States and France, are set to meet on Friday. 

Israel launches series of strikes on Lebanon

ISLAMABAD: Climate change and natural disasters are driving an unprecedented wave of human displacement worldwide, reshaping migration patterns and challenging governments&rsquo; ability to respond.&nbsp;According to the Geneva-based Internal Displacement Monitoring Center (IDMC), in 2023, nearly 47 million new internal displacements were recorded globally, with 53% triggered by disasters, including storms, floods, wildfires, and earthquakes.&nbsp;The report notes that by the end of 2023, nearly 8 million people were living as internally displaced persons (IDPs) due to disasters across 82 countries and territories.&nbsp;In his message on International Migrants Day (IMD) on December 18, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif highlighted Pakistan&rsquo;s commitment to addressing climate and disaster displacement, saying:&nbsp;&ldquo;Climate change is one of the defining challenges of our time. Pakistan &mdash; one of the countries most affected by extreme weather events &mdash; stands ready to deepen regional cooperation, strengthen early warning systems, and expand disaster-resilient infrastructure to protect affected populations and support those forced to flee their homes.&rdquo;&nbsp;Conflict and broader displacement crisisWhile disasters drive mobility, conflict remains the primary driver of displacement. Oxfam reports that more than 82 million people worldwide are currently forcibly displaced, the highest number since World War II.&nbsp;Five countries, Syria, Venezuela, Afghanistan, South Sudan, and Myanmar, account for two-thirds of cross-border displacement, with Syria alone responsible for 13.2 million refugees, asylum seekers, and internally displaced persons, Oxfam notes.&nbsp;Climate change as a driverThe UN&rsquo;s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) first warned in 1990 that climate impacts such as shoreline erosion, coastal flooding, and agricultural disruption could force millions to migrate.&nbsp;According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), climate and environmental stressors, ranging from slow-onset events like desertification and water scarcity to sudden disasters such as floods and storms, will increasingly shape migration trends in the coming decades.&nbsp;Impacts and protection gapsForced migration, whether climate- or conflict-driven, undermines development by placing pressure on urban infrastructure, slowing economic growth, increasing conflict risk, and negatively affecting health and education outcomes for displaced populations.&nbsp;However, climate migrants remain largely outside international refugee protections, leaving a significant legal and humanitarian gap.&nbsp;According to IOM, addressing climate- and disaster-driven displacement requires integrated planning that combines disaster risk reduction, infrastructure resilience, legal protections for migrants, and international cooperation.&nbsp;With extreme weather events projected to increase, the scale of displacement is likely to rise, making policy responses more urgent than ever, the IOM notes.

Climate

Climate and disaster-driven displacement are reshaping global migration

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defense Forces,&nbsp;Field Marshal&nbsp;Syed Asim Munir, on Thursday called on Commander-in-Chief of the Libyan Arab Armed Forces,&nbsp;Field Marshal Khalifa Belqasim Haftar, and Deputy Commander-in-Chief, Lieutenant General Saddam Khalifa Haftar.&nbsp;&nbsp;During the meeting, the two sides discussed avenues to strengthen bilateral defense ties, the Inter-Services Public Relations, the media wing of the Pakistani military, said in a statement.&nbsp;On arrival in Libya, Field Marshal Munir was received by a Guard of Honor from a smartly turned-out contingent of the Libyan Armed Forces, underscoring the visit&#39;s ceremonial and strategic significance.&nbsp;During the meeting, both sides exchanged views on regional security dynamics, mutual defense interests, and opportunities to enhance military-to-military cooperation. Emphasis was placed on collaboration in training, capacity building, and counter-terrorism initiatives.&nbsp;Field Marshal Munir reaffirmed Pakistan&rsquo;s commitment to bolstering defense relations with Libya based on shared strategic interests, while Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar lauded the professionalism of the Pakistan Armed Forces and expressed his interest in further expanding defense cooperation between the two countries.&nbsp;The discussions underscore Pakistan&rsquo;s ongoing efforts to strengthen regional partnerships and enhance defense collaboration with friendly countries in North Africa and the Middle East.

Security

The two sides discuss avenues for strengthening bilateral defense ties, the military's media wing said in a statement.

Pakistan, Libya discuss enhancing defense cooperation during CDF visit

ISLAMABAD: India&rsquo;s civil rights body, People&rsquo;s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), has condemned the alleged mob lynching of a Muslim clothes hawker in Bihar, saying the incident reflects growing hatred toward Muslims and has demanded immediate arrests of all the accused. A Muslim clothes hawker, Athar Hussain, in Nawada district of Bihar was allegedly lynched by a mob earlier this month, said an Indian media report on Wednesday. The PUCL has demanded the immediate arrest of all the accused named in the case. The civil rights body has also questioned the state police&#39;s negligence and called for a speedy trial and strict punishment under the law. &lsquo;Growing hatred toward Muslims&rsquo;The incident reflects a &ldquo;gruesome and distorted society and highlights the growing hatred toward Muslims in Bihar. The state must address the matter with sensitivity&rdquo;, it said. PUCL Bihar general secretary Sarfaraz pointed out that while the attackers alleged theft, the victim&rsquo;s wife termed the allegations as false, the Indian media report said. &ldquo;The FIR filed by Athar Hussain&rsquo;s relatives does not include specific sections like Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita section 103 (murder on grounds like race, caste, or sex, targeting mob violence and hate crimes). This points toward negligence on the part of the police. This is clearly a case of mob lynching and appears to be a case of hate-driven violence,&rdquo; Sarfaraz said. The PUCL also noted the influence of social media as a catalyst that transforms regular groups of people into violent mobs. Hussain, a resident of Gagan Diwan locality in Bihar Sharif town of Nalanda district, was returning home on a bicycle after his day&rsquo;s work of selling clothes on Dec. 5, when a group of people accosted him at Bhatta village in neighboring Nawada district, the report said. Mob assault&nbsp;According to a post on X on Wednesday by journalist CJ Werleman, &ldquo;Mohammad Athar Hussain, a 50-year-old Muslim cloth vendor from Gagan Dih village in Nalanda district, India, was killed late Friday at Biharsharif Sadar Hospital following a mob assault on December 5 in Nawada district&#39;s Roh police station area.&rdquo; &ldquo;Returning by bicycle from door-to-door sales in Dumri village, he was intercepted by six to seven men who verified his identity, robbed him, locked him in a room, compelled him to reveal his religious status, struck him with rods, sticks, bricks, and pliers, stomped on his chest, and doused him with petrol to ignite him.&rdquo; &ldquo;His wife Shabnam Parveen lodged an FIR (police report) claiming religious hatred as the motive, prompting police to detain four suspects amid an active probe,&rdquo; Werleman said in his post. Mercilessly thrashed&nbsp;According to the Indian media report, the mob thrashed the hawker mercilessly, branded him with hot iron tools and burning pieces of wood, cut his ears, broke his fingers, and subjected him to inhuman torture. He was later admitted to Bhagwan Mahaveer Institute of Medical Sciences Hospital at Pawapuri in Nalanda, where he succumbed to his injuries on Dec. 12. The police registered a police report on Dec. 6 based on the statement of his wife, Shabnam Parveen, naming 10 people and stating that they lynched her husband on the charge of theft. The police have arrested eight of the accused so far, and are making efforts to nab the other two, who are absconding. Hate crime&nbsp;The human rights organization demanded an impartial investigation into the lynching of Hussain and called for swift justice, preventive measures by the government to stop mob lynching, inclusion of &lsquo;hate-crime&rsquo; charges in the police report, regulation of hate-filled speeches, crackdown on social media and television channels that spread hatred and animosity, as well as fixing the responsibility of the officials who show negligence in cases of hate and divisive incidents, the report said.

India

The People’s Union for Civil Liberties has demanded the immediate arrest of all the accused named in the case; questions the negligence of the state police and calls for a speedy trial and strict punishment according to the law.

Bihar mob lynching shows growing hatred toward Muslims: India’s civil rights body 

ISLAMABAD: &nbsp;The fourth T20 international between India and South Africa was abandoned without a ball being bowled on Wednesday due to smog in Lucknow, northern India.&nbsp;The toss, originally scheduled for 6:30 PM local time (1:00 GMT), never took place despite multiple pitch inspections at the Ekana Stadium. The umpires eventually called off the match at 9:30 PM, citing unsafe playing conditions. A statement said the game &ldquo;has been abandoned due to excessive fog, making playing conditions unsafe.&rdquo;&nbsp;T20 world champions India lead the five-match series 2-1 ahead of the final game, scheduled for Friday in Ahmedabad. The series serves as part of the build-up to the T20 World Cup, starting in February in India and Sri Lanka.&nbsp;Air quality concernsThe abandonment highlighted growing concerns over air pollution in northern India. Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya was seen wearing a mask on the field, prompting social media discussions about deteriorating air quality.&nbsp;According to monitoring organisation IQAir, PM2.5 levels in parts of Lucknow reached 78 micrograms per cubic metre, more than five times the World Health Organization&rsquo;s recommended daily maximum, AFP reported.&nbsp;The agency noted that smog levels across northern India have worsened in recent days, with Delhi recording PM2.5 microparticles more than 20 times WHO limits during football star Lionel Messi&rsquo;s visit on Monday.&nbsp;Player and fan experiencePlayers initially performed drills on the pitch before moving indoors for most of the inspections, while disappointed fans left the stadium amid dense haze. The BCCI faced criticism for scheduling the match in Lucknow during a period prone to poor air quality, with visibility issues contributing to the multiple inspections and eventual cancellation.&nbsp;With Ahmedabad&rsquo;s Air Quality Index (AQI) currently at 160, classified as &lsquo;Unhealthy,&rsquo; the fifth and final T20I scheduled for Friday is under close scrutiny, with officials closely monitoring conditions to determine whether the match can proceed safely. With input from wires.

Cricket

With Ahmedabad’s Air Quality Index (AQI) currently at 160, classified as ‘Unhealthy,’ the fifth and final T20I scheduled for Friday is under close scrutiny

Fourth T20I between India and South Africa abandoned due to smog in Lucknow

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has sought clarification from India over an &ldquo;abrupt variation&rdquo; in the Chenab River&rsquo;s flow, with the Foreign Office saying its Indus water commissioner has formally written to his Indian counterpart under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) procedures. In a weekly press briefing broadcast live on the ministry&rsquo;s social media account on Thursday, Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi talked about the &ldquo;abrupt variation&rdquo; in the flow of the Chenab River.<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=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2001539859375362539&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=a1ed9f1a960b94e8ad9472a6e71dc4c5cf066845&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 640px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>&ldquo;Pakistan views these variations with extreme concern and seriousness. They allude to unilateral release of water into the Chenab River by India, without any prior notification,&rdquo; FO spokesperson said. &ldquo;Our Indus water commissioner has written a letter to his Indian counterpart seeking clarification on the matters in accordance with the procedures enshrined in the Indus Waters Treaty.&rdquo; Lives on the line&nbsp;Andrabi said, &ldquo;Any manipulation of river flow by India, especially at a critical time of our agricultural cycle, directly threatens the lives and livelihoods as well as food and economic security of our citizens.&rdquo; &ldquo;We call upon India to respond to the queries raised by the Pakistani Indus water commissioner, refrain from any unilateral manipulation of river flows and fulfil its obligations in letter and spirit under the Indus Water Treaty provisions,&rdquo; he said. The FO spokesperson further said that the IWT was a &ldquo;binding international agreement,&rdquo; which had been &ldquo;an instrument of peace and security and stability in the region.&rdquo; Existential rights &nbsp;Andrabi said that violating the treaty threatened the &ldquo;inviolability of international treaties and compliance with international law&rdquo; and also posed a serious threat to &ldquo;regional peace, principles of good neighborliness, and norms governing interstate relations&rdquo;. &ldquo;The international community must take notice of India&rsquo;s continued disregard of a bilateral treaty, and counsel India to act responsibly and in accordance with international law and established norms as well as its own obligations.&rdquo; He said, &ldquo;Pakistan remains committed to the peaceful resolution of disputes and issues with India but will not compromise on the existential water rights of the people of our country.&rdquo; Incident in Bihar condemned &nbsp;On the issue of the incident where Chief Minister of the Indian state of Bihar Nitish Kumar pulled the veil of a Muslim woman, Andrabi said: &ldquo;The forcible removal of the Muslim woman&rsquo;s hijab by a senior political leader and subsequent public ridicule of this act are deeply disturbing and warrant strong condemnation&rdquo;. &ldquo;The action risks normalizing the humiliation of Muslim women in India. The conduct also demonstrates public disrespect of India&rsquo;s religious minorities, particularly its Muslim citizens,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Such conduct reflects a broader and troubling pattern associated with Hindutva-inspired politics, namely the alarming rise of religious intolerance and Islamophobia,&rdquo; Andrabi added. &ldquo;We urge all responsible stakeholders and the Indian government to recognize the seriousness of this incident and to reaffirm their commitment to the protection of minority rights, respect for religious freedom, and the preservation of human dignity,&rdquo; the spokesperson said.

Foreign Affairs

Foreign Office spokesperson says, ‘Our Indus water commissioner has written a letter to his Indian counterpart seeking clarification on the matter in accordance with the procedures enshrined in the Indus Waters Treaty.’

Pakistan seeks clarification from India over ‘abrupt variation’ in Chenab water flows

NEW DELHI: India tops the rankings of global sports drug cheats for a third straight year, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said, marking a dubious hat-trick for the country. India&#39;s National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) collected 7,113 urine and blood samples out of which 260 tested positive in 2024, the international watchdog said in its annual report published late Tuesday. The findings are a major blow to India, which is preparing to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, an event seen as a stepping stone for the country&#39;s ambition of hosting the 2036 Olympics. Athletics (76) had the highest number of doping cases last year followed by weightlifting (43) and wrestling (29). In July, under-23 wrestling champion and Paris Olympics quarter-finalist Reetika Hooda tested positive and was provisionally suspended. At India&#39;s University Games earlier this month, there were reports of just one athlete showing up for some track and field events after others fled because of the presence of anti-doping officials. India, the world&#39;s most populous country with 1.4 billion people, was also ranked number one doping offender in 2022 and 2023. French athletes accounted for the next highest number on the list in 2024 with 91 positive cases, while Italy were third with 85. Russia and the United States come next at 76 cases each followed by Germany (54) and China (43).NADA defended their fight against doping after the report. &quot;In recent years, India has witnessed a significant strengthening of its anti-doping framework,&quot; it said in a statement Wednesday. &quot;To tackle the menace of doping in sports, NADA India has not only increased the number of tests but also increased the emphasis on education and awareness.&quot; NADA added that up to December 16, the number of tests conducted this year had been 7,068 with 110 positive cases. The WADA report comes months after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) raised concerns about rampant use of performance-enhancing drugs in India and urged the country to set its house in order. The Indian Olympic Association in August formed a new anti-doping panel after the IOC flagged India&#39;s poor record. The government also passed a new national anti-doping bill to enhance enforcement, expand testing facilities and &quot;ensure the highest standards of integrity&quot; in sports.

Athletics

India's National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) collected 7,113 urine and blood samples out of which 260 tested positive in 2024.

US, Russia to hold talks on Ukraine in Miami this weekend: White House

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French court jails doctor for life for poisoning 30 patients, killing 12

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Climate and disaster-driven displacement are reshaping global migration